ACPL Mock Sibert

...and the real winners are!

2012-02-16T13:52:00.002-05:00

Librarians, teachers, and book lovers everywhere tuned into the ALSC Book and Media Awards. For the 2012 Sibert Award winner, well, we could not have agreed more!

Winner

Balloons over Broadway
by Melissa Sweet

Honor Books

Black & White
Larry Dane Brimner

Drawing from Memory
by Allen Say

The Elephant Scientist
by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson

Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem
by Rosalyn Schanzer

And the winner is...

2012-01-07T17:01:00.000-05:00

Well, we nominated, debated, pulled out the dictionary, and ate some donuts. Then we voted! And were completely deadlocked. We hemmed and hawed a bit, but are proud to announce that we selected winner:

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

and honor book:

The House That Baba Built by Ed Young

Our group decided that both of these books are incredible examples of a "distinguished informational book for children." Just a few more weeks until we learn what the committee's pick may be!

Short Reading List #2

2011-12-22T15:51:00.002-05:00

After much deliberation, engaging debate and a great wringing of hands....here's the second short reading list. We hope to see you very soon (January 7th from 2-6pm!) at the ACPL for our Mock Sibert Election.
You can register online or you by calling Children's Services at 260.421.1220.

Happy reading!

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition
by Karen Blumenthal

Coral Reefs
by Jason Chin

The House Baba Built
by Ed Young

Balloons Over Broadway
by Melissa Sweet

Swirl by Swirl
by Joyce Sidman

Heart and Soul
by Kadir Nelson

It's time for more lists!

2011-12-12T17:47:00.000-05:00

Time flies when you are having fun reading all of these great books (and we bet you've been reading some stellar ones from our other ACPL Mock Blogs). Please take a moment to think back...were there any nonfiction books that you think might be a contender for this year's Sibert Award? Let us know via email or by posting a comment to this entry so we can make sure to highlight the BEST nooks for our upcoming reading list.

Miss Etta and Dr. Claribel

2011-12-06T12:18:00.000-05:00

Miss Etta and Dr. Claribel: Bringing Matisse to America
by Susan Fillion
David R. Godine
83 pages

Etta and Claribel Cone, two wealthy, unmarried sisters in Baltimore's German Jewish community at the turn of the twentieth century, broke new ground when they bought up experimental art by Matisse, Picasso, and other modern painters before the artists were widely recognized. The sisters befriended two other siblings in Baltimore, Leo and Gertrude Stein, and they bonded over their love of seeking and buying new, experimental art. Now, the huge Cone collection is part of the Baltimore Museum of Modern Art.

Who Has What?

2011-12-03T12:08:00.001-05:00

Who Has What?
by Robie H. Harris
illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Candlewick Press
unpaged

This series for young children provides easy-to-understand facts and answers. Launching the series is Who Has What?, a simple story following Nellie and Gus on a family outing to the beach. Humorous illustrations, conversations between the siblings, and a clear text all reassure young kids that whether they have a girl's body or a boy's, their bodies are perfectly normal, healthy, and wonderful.

Bootleg

2011-11-25T12:03:00.001-05:00

Add caption

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years of Prohibition
by Karen Blumenthal
Roaring Brook Press
160 pages

It began with the best of intentions. Worried about the effects of alcohol on American families, mothers and civic leaders started a movement to outlaw drinking in public places. Over time, their protests, petitions, and activism paid off--when a Constitional Amendment banning the sale and consumption of alcohol was ratified, it was hailed as the end of public drunkenness, alcoholism, and a host of other social ills related to booze. Instead, it began a decade of lawlessness, whenchildren smuggled (and drank) illegal alcohol, the most upright citizens casually broke the law, and a host of notorious gangsters entered the public eye. Filled with period art and photographs, anecdotes, and portraits of unique characters from the era, this fascinating book looks at the rise and fall of the disastrous social experiment known as Prohibition.

Franklin and Winston

2011-11-21T15:34:00.001-05:00

Franklin and Winston: A Christmas That Changed the World
by Douglas Wood
illustrated by Barry Moser
Candlewick Press
unpaged

At the height of World War II, only a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill began an extraordinary visit, during which they made plans that would lead to the success of the Allied powers as well as to a continuing peace after the war ended.

Titanic Sinks!

2011-11-18T15:16:00.001-05:00

Titanic Sinks!
by Barry Denenberg
Viking
72 pages

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic , Barry Denenberg has created a one-of-a-kind, high-concept book that's a unique combination of fiction and nonfiction. He uses a fictional framework to present the true story of the building and launching of the Titanic and to give a "you are there" feeling as the ship goes down. Lavishly designed with authentic period photographs and illustrations throughout, Titanic Sinks! immerses you in the era of the Titanic and reminds you why it's still a cultural touchstone a hundred years after its demise.

Just a Second

2011-11-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

Just a Second: A Different Way to Look at Time
by Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin
unpaged

"This non-fiction picture book explores time and how we think about it in a different way - as a series of events in the natural world (some of them directly observable, others not) that take place in a given unit of time...Just a Second is visualized as a linear series of illustrations and captions, starting with a second, a minute, an hour, a month, and a year. What happens in a second? "-- Provided by publisher.

Balloons Over Broadway

2011-11-03T12:53:00.001-04:00

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade
by Melissa Sweet

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
unpaged

Award-winning artist Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America--the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

2011-11-03T12:48:00.000-04:00

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
by Kadir Nelson
Balzer + Bray
108 pages

...Written in the voice of an “Everywoman,” an unnamed narrator whose forebears came to this country on slave ships and who lived to cast her vote for the first African American president, heart and soul touches on some of the great transformative events and small victories of that history. This inspiring book demonstrates that in gaining their freedom and equal rights, African Americans helped our country achieve its promise of liberty and justice—the true heart and soul of our nation.

Irena Sendler andthe Children of the Warsaw Ghetto

2011-11-02T15:36:00.001-04:00

Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto
by Susan Goldman Rubin
illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
Holiday House
40 pages

Irena Sendler was a diminutive Polish social worker who helped spirit more than four hundred children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Using toolboxes, ambulances, and other ingenious measures, Irena Sendler defied the Nazis and risked her own life by saving and then hiding Jewish children.

Coral Reefs

2011-11-02T15:07:00.001-04:00

Coral Reefs
by Jason Chin
Roaring Brook Press
32 pages

During an ordinary visit to the library, a girl pulls a not-so-ordinary book from the shelves. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs, the city around her slips away and she finds herself surrounded by the coral cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live, hunt, and hide there.

Swirl by Swirl

2011-10-24T13:05:00.003-04:00

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature
by Soyce Sidman
illustrated by Beth Krommes
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
unpaged

What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful? Why does that shape occur in nature over and over again—in rushing rivers, in a flower bud, even inside your ear? With simplicity and grace, Krommes and Sidman not only reveal the many spirals in nature—from fiddleheads to elephant tusks, from crashing waves to spiraling galaxies—but also celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.

Dream Something Big

2011-10-24T12:58:00.002-04:00

Dream Something Big: The Story of the Watts Towers
by Dianna Hutts Aston
illustrated by Susan L. Roth
Dial Books for Young Readers
unpaged

Between 1921 and 1955, Italian immigrant Simon Rodia transformed broken glass, seashells, pottery, and a dream to "do something big" into a U.S. National Landmark.

2011-10-20T14:00:00.001-04:00

Here we go! It is time for our first short list for your Mock Sibert consideration. It was a challenge to keep the list a reasonable length: there are so many interesting, entertaining, informative, and eye-opening books out there that could make a great candidate for this year's Sibert Award. Let us know what you think of this list, and the books that are included. If this list somehow skipped your favorite, feel free to let us know so we can make sure we don't miss it for the next installment!

And now, without further ado and in no particular order...here's your 1st Short List!

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

by Candace Fleming

Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy

The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families

by Susan L. Roth & Cindy Trumbore

Me...Jane

by Patrick McDonnell

Inkblot: Drip, Splat, and Squish Your Way to Creativity

by Margaret Peot

Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy

by Albert Marrin

A Butterfly is Patient

Dianna Hutts Aston & Sylvia Long

Trapped: how the world rescued 33 miners from 2,000 feet below the the Chilean desert
by Marc Aronson

The House Baba Built

2011-10-08T17:22:00.000-04:00

The House Baba Built: An Artist's Childhood in China
by Ed Young
Little, Brown and Company

In Ed Young's childhood home in Shanghai, all was not as it seemed: a rocking chair became a horse; a roof became a roller rink; an empty swimming pool became a place for riding scooters and bikes. The house his father built transformed as needed into a place to play hide-and-seek, to eat bamboo shoots, and to be safe.

For outside the home's walls, China was at war. Soon the house held not only Ed and his four siblings but also friends, relatives, and even strangers who became family. The war grew closer, and Ed watched as planes flew overhead and frends joined the Chinese air force. But through it all, Ed's childhood remained full of joy and imagination.

Me...Jane

2011-10-08T15:39:00.003-04:00

Me...Jane

by Patrick McDonnell

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

40 pages

Holding her stuffed toy chimpanzee, young Jane Goodall observes nature, reads Tarzan books, and dreams of living in Africa and helping animals. Includes biographical information on the prominent zoologist.

Who Do You Want To See on Short Reading List #1?

2011-10-08T15:23:00.000-04:00

It's time to create our first short reading list, but to do that we need to know what YOU think! The Sibert award is given to "the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English," and there are many great contenders.

What books do have been the best of the bunch this year? Which ones have you been recommending to others? Which books are would you like to hear more people discussing? Please share your favorites by either commenting on this post, or by sending us an email with your favorite titles.

We'll compile a list and post it soon!

2011-10-04T20:47:00.001-04:00

Drawing From Memory

by Allen Say

Scholastic Press

63 pages

Summary: Caldecott Medalist Allen Say presents a stunning graphic novel chronicling his journey as an artist during WWII, when he apprenticed under Noro Shinpei, Japan’s premier cartoonist

DRAWING FROM MEMORY is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today...

Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, DRAWING FROM MEMORY presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. With watercolor paintings, original cartoons, vintage photographs, and maps, Allen Say has created a book that will inspire the artist in all of us.

Trapped: How the World Rescused 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert

2011-09-15T10:14:00.000-04:00

Trapped: how the world rescued 33 miners from 2,000 feet below the the Chilean desert
by Marc Aronson
Atheneum
134 pages

Summary: A middle grade nonfiction title about thirty-three miners trapped in a copper-gold mine in San Jose, Chile and how experts from around the world, from drillers, to astronauts, to submarine specialists, came together to make their remarkable rescue possible

Father Abraham: Lincoln and His Sons

2011-09-15T09:42:00.000-04:00

Father Abraham: Lincoln and His Sons

by Harold Holzer

Boyds Mills Press

232 pages

Summary: Abraham Lincoln was devoted to his country - and to his family. President Lincoln called America a "House Divided" but he struggled to keep his own house united. It would prove to be an impossible task. Sickness, loss and family tensions overwhelmed Abraham, Mary, and their four sons. Opening up the Lincoln family album, noted Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer highlights the family's heartaches and happiness. Illustrated with archival photographs and backed by extensive primary source material, this compelling portrait illuminates the private lives of four generations of a prominent American family.

Big Wig: A Little History of Hair

2011-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Big Wig: A Little History of Hair
by Kathleen Krull
illustrated by Peter Malone
Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic, Inc.
unpaged

A Butterfly is Patient

2011-08-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

A Butterfly is Patient
Dianna Hutts Aston & Sylvia Long
Chronicle Books
unpaged

Inkblot: Drip, Splat, and Squish Your Way to Creativity

2011-07-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Inkblot: Drip, Splat, and Squish Your Way to Creativity
by Margaret Peot
Boyds Mills Press
56 pages

Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein

2011-07-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein
by Susan Goldman Rubin
Charlesbridge
178 pages

The Unforgettable Season: The Story of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the Record-Setting Summer of '41

2011-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Unforgettable Season: The Story of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the Record-Setting Summer of '41
by Phil Bildner
illustrated by S. D. Schindler
G. P. Putnam's Sons / Penguin Group
unpaged

The Voyage of Turtle Rex

2011-07-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Voyage of Turtle Rex

by Kurt Cyrus

Harcourt Children's Books

unpaged

The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families

2011-06-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families
by Susan L. Roth & Cindy Trumbore
collages by Susan L. Roth
Lee & Low Books Inc.
unpaged

The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon

2011-06-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon
by Carla McClafferty
Carolrhoda Books
120 pages

The Manatee Scientists: Saving Vulnerable Species

2011-06-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Manatee Scientists: Saving Vulnerable Species

by Peter Lourie

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

80 pages

Tom Thumb: The Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature

2011-06-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Tom Thumb: The Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature
by George Sullivan
Clarion Books
200 pages

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis

2011-05-30T09:00:00.008-04:00

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis
by Matt de la Pena
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Dial Books for Young Readers
unpaged

Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy

2011-05-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy

by Albert Marrin

Alfred A. Knopf

182 pages

Oil Spill!: Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico

2011-05-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Oil Spill!: Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico

by Elaine Landau

Millbrook Press

32 pages

The Great Migration: Journey to the North

2011-05-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Great Migration: Journey to the North

by Eloise Greenfield

illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist

Amistad / HarperCollinsPublishers

unpaged

Basketball Belles: How Two Teams and One Scrappy Player Put Women's Hoops on the Map

2011-05-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

Basketball Belles: How Two Teams and One Scrappy Player Put Women's Hoops on the Map

by Sue Macy

illustrated by Matt Collins

Holiday House

unpaged

Energy Island: How One COmmunity Harnessed the Wind and Changed the World

2011-04-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed the World
by Allan Drummond
Frances Foster Books / Farrar Straus Giroux
unpaged

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic

2011-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic
by Robert Burleigh
paintings by Wendell Minor
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
unpaged

Time to Eat

2011-04-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Time to Eat
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
unpaged

For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart

2011-04-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart
by Elizabeth Rusch
paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Tricycle Press
unpaged

Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story

2011-04-17T12:37:00.000-04:00

Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story
by Thomas F. Yezerski
Farrar Straus Giroux
unpaged

Amelia Lost: The LIfe and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

2011-04-07T17:39:00.001-04:00

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
by Candace Fleming
Schwartz & Wade Books
118 pages

Can We Save the Tiger?

2011-04-07T17:18:00.008-04:00

Can We Save the Tiger?
by Martin Jenkins
illustrated by Vicky White
Candlewick Press
50 pages

2011 REAL Sibert Award Winners

2011-02-09T19:11:00.006-05:00

The winners of several youth media awards were announced last month at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. Information about all of the award winners can be found at the ALA website.

Of course, on this blog we're most excited about those honored with the Sibert Award, so here they are:

The 2011 Robert F. Sibert Medal was awarded to:

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery

Two Sibert Honor Books were named:

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Lafayette and the American Revolution by Russell Freedman

ACPL 2011 Mock Sibert Award Winner and Honor Books

2010-12-11T17:40:00.011-05:00

This afternoon a group of five dedicated children's book readers gathered to discuss a long list of children's informational titles published in 2010. We learned a lot from each other and from our discussion about authority, documentation, organization, clarity, presentation style and more! In the end, we selected our Mock Sibert Award winner and three honor books.

2011 MOCK SIBERT AWARD WINNER

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot
by Sy Montgomery

photographs by Nic Bishop
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

2011 MOCK SIBERT HONOR BOOKS

They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)
by Barbara Kerley
illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
Scholastic Press

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors
by Joyce Sidman
illustrations by Beckie Prange
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Congratulations to our mock winners, and thanks to everyone who participated in this year's program!

2011 Mock Sibert: Final Reading List

2010-11-21T14:39:00.005-05:00

This is the third and final short list for the Mock Sibert election at the Allen County Public Library. Be sure to check out the first and second lists, too. The books on this short list, are now destined to be "brought to the table" to be discussed in more depth at our Mock Sibert Discussion and Election on December 11, 2010.

We'd love to hear what you think about these books. Please leave comments about each title on its respective blog post.

They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Lizards by Nic Bishop

Lafayette and the American Revolution by Russell Freedman

Built to Last: Building America's Amazing Bridges, Dams, Tunnels and Skyscrapers by David Macaulay

Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald by Roxanne Orgill

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors by Joyce Sidman

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us by Tonya Lee Stone

Quick links to all the books on our reading list are to the right. A printable version of the entire list will be available soon.

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us

2010-11-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us
by Tanya Lee Stone
Viking
130 pages

Coming Soon: Final Reading List

2010-11-20T10:59:00.004-05:00

We're busy compiling the final reading list for the Mock Sibert Discussion & Election program to be held on Saturday, December 11, 2010. Which titles do you want to see included in the discussion? Let us know by leaving a comment on this post.

And don't forget to register to attend the program on December 11th!

Built to Last: Building America's Amazing Bridges, Dams, Tunnels, and Skyscrapers

2010-11-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

Built to Last
by David Macaulay
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
272 pages

Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty

2010-11-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty
by Linda Glaser
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
unpaged

They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group

2010-11-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
172 pages

The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux

2010-11-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux
by Emily Arnold McCully
Farrar Straus Giroux
unpaged

Lizards

2010-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Lizards
Nic Bishop
Scholastic
48 pages

Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything

2010-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything
by Kathleen Krull
Viking Children's Books
unpaged

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors

2010-11-06T12:30:00.000-04:00

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors
by Joyce Sidman
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
unpaged

Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix

2010-10-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix
by Gary Golio
Clarion Books
32 pages

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum

2010-10-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum
by Meghan McCarthy
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
unpaged

Inside Tornadoes

2010-10-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

Inside Tornadoes
by Mary Kay Carson
Sterling
48 pages

Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald

2010-10-11T09:00:00.002-04:00

Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald
by Roxanne Orgill
Candlewick Press
unpaged

Lafayette and the American Revolution

2010-10-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Lafayette and the American Revolution
by Russell Freedman
Holiday House
88 pages

Spies of Mississippi

2010-10-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

Spies of Mississippi: The true story of the spy network that tried to destroy the civil rights movement
by Rick Bowers
National Geographic
120 pages

2011 Mock Sibert: Reading List #2

2010-09-27T07:00:00.005-04:00

This is the second of four short lists for the Mock Sibert election at the Allen County Public Library. Be sure to check out the first list, too. We'll continue to highlight and discuss a wide variety of informational books on our blog, and we encourage your comments on all of them. The books on this short list, however are now destined to be "brought to the table" to be discussed in more depth at our Mock Sibert Discussion and Election on December 11, 2010.

We'd love to hear what you think about these books. Please leave comments about each title on its respective blog post. If you'd like to suggest a book for the final list, send me an email or leave a comment.

Sir Charlie: The Funniest Man in the World by Sid Fleischman

The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Bones: Skeletons and How They Work by Steve Jenkins

Under a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania by Haya Leah Molnar

Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson

Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson by Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Project Seahorse by Pamela Turner

Bones: Skeletons and How They Work

2010-09-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

Bones: Skeletons and How They Work
by Steve Jenkins
Scholastic Press
unpaged

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring

2010-09-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring
by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Roaring Brook Press
unpaged

Project Seahorse

2010-09-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

Project Seahorse
by Pamela S. Turner
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
57 pages

Take This Survey!

2010-09-15T08:16:00.002-04:00

Our library is looking at the effectiveness of our blogs. We're hoping to make information on our blogs available in ways that YOU want and need. Please take a minute to contribute to this research. It's quick and easy!

Click here to complete the survey.

Thank you!

Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace

2010-09-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace
by Jen Cullerton Johnson
Lee & Low Books
unpaged

Lost Boy: the Story of the Man who Created Peter Pan

2010-09-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

Lost Boy: the Story of the Man who Created Peter Pan
by Jane Yolen
Dutton Children's Books
unpaged

Walden Then & Now: An Alphabetical Tour of Henry Thoreau's Pond

2010-09-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

Walden Then & Now: An Alphabetical Tour of Henry Thoreau's Pond

by Michael McCurdy
Charlesbridge
unpaged

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot"

2010-09-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot"
by Michael O. Tunnell
Charlesbridge
110 pages

The War to End All Wars: World War I

2010-08-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

The War to End All Wars: World War I
by Russell Freedman
Clarion Books
176 pages

Frederick Douglass: A Noble Life

2010-08-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

Frederick Douglass: A Noble Life
by David A. Adler
Holiday House
138 pages

Dinosaur Mountain: Digging into the Jurassic Age

2010-08-25T09:00:00.002-04:00

Dinosaur Mountain: Digging into the Jurassic Age
by Deborah Kogan Ray
Roaring Book Press
unpaged

Fact or Fiction or Somewhere in Between?

2010-08-23T08:48:00.001-04:00

A few recent comments about The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy) have got me thinking about the fine line between fact and fiction, particularly in many of the books that we'll be looking at for this year's Mock Sibert Award.

The Sibert Award is given annually for the most distinguished informational book for children. The Sibert manual defines informational books as "those written and illustrated to present, organize, and interpret documentable, factual material."

Even with this specific definition, it is not always easy to determine whether a book is indeed informational and therefore eligible for the Sibert Award.

For instance, there seems to be a trend in picture book biographies for authors to present the information from the subject's point of view. Summer Birds and Stand Straight, Ella Kate are both written in first person from the perspective of a historical figure (Maria Sibylla Meridian and Ella Kate Ewing, respectively). Does this preclude them from the Sibert definition of informational?

Does the answer change if the author makes it clear that he has taken liberties with the story as Joseph D'Agnese does in Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci? Jonah Winter, author of Here Comes the Garbage Barge also explains that he has based his "fictionalized version" on the real deal, but has "taken some liberties with the facts." Could this be an example of a book that is written and illustrated to interpret documentable facts?

I often look closely at the dialogue in picture book biographies for a clue as to whether they can be considered informational. Some, such as Mama Miti, include dialogue that seems to be more general representation than specific, cited quotes. Others include direct quotes and their specific citations among more general dialogue (Black Elk's Vision is one example).

Interestingly, the book that led me to write this blog post is (in my opinion) the most "informational" of all those I've mentioned. While The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy) reads like fiction and is even classified as fiction in its subject headings, its author, Barbara Kerley provides evidence of her careful research including citations for all quotations included in the text.

What do you think? How do you delineate between fact and fiction? Which titles meet the Sibert definition of informational and should be considered for our mock award?

Planet Hunter: Geoff Marcy and the Search for Other Earths

2010-08-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

Planet Hunter: Geoff Marcy and the Search for Other Earths
by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein
Boyds Mills Press
48 pages

Here Comes the Garbage Barge!

2010-08-18T09:00:00.003-04:00

Here Comes the Garbage Barge!
by Jonah Winter
Schwartz & Wade Books
unpaged

Under a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania

2010-08-16T09:00:00.003-04:00

Under a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania
by Haya Leah Molnar
Frances Foster Books / Farrar Straus Giroux
302 pages

Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story

2010-08-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story
by S. D. Nelson
Abrams Books for Young Readers
47 pages

Biblioburro: A True Story from Columbia

2010-08-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

Biblioburro: A True Story from Columbia
by Jeanette Winter
Beach Lane Books
unpaged

Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World

2010-08-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World
by Sid Fleischman
Greenwillow Books
268 pages

Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson

2010-08-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson
by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Roaring Book Press
unpaged

Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant

2010-08-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant
by Kate Klise
Dial Books for Young Readers
unpaged

EcoMazes: Twelve Earth Adventures

2010-08-02T09:00:00.002-04:00

EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures
by Roxie Munro
Sterling
upaged

All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever

2010-07-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever
by Jane Yolen
Philomel Books
unpaged

2011 Mock Sibert: Reading List #1

2010-07-19T09:00:00.010-04:00

This is the first of four short lists for the Mock Sibert election at the Allen County Public Library. We'll continue to highlight and discuss a wide variety of informational books on our blog, and we encourage your comments on all of them. The books on this short list, however are now destined to be "brought to the table" to be discussed in more depth at our Mock Sibert Discussion and Election on December 11, 2010.

We'd love to hear what you think about these books. Please leave comments about each title on its respective blog post. If you'd like to suggest a book for the final list, send me an email or leave a comment.

If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge by Marc Aronson
Birmingham Sunday by Larry Dane Brimner
The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns
Farm by Elisha Cooper
Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle
How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley
Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country) by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer
Driven: A Photobiography of Henry Ford by Don Mitchell
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery
Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot

2010-07-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot
by Sy Montgomery
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
74 pages

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe

2010-07-14T09:00:00.002-04:00

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe
by Loree Griffin Burns
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
66 pages

Driven: A Photobiography of Henry Ford

2010-07-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

Driven: A Photobiography of Henry Ford

by Don Mitchell

National Geographic

64 pages

Mama Miti

2010-07-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

Mama Miti
by Donna Jo Napoli
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
unpaged

Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook

2010-07-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook
by Beverly Patt
Marshall Cavendish Children
92 pages

How to Clean a Hippopotamus: a Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships

2010-07-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

How to Clean a Hippopotamus: a Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
unpaged

Earth Feeling the Heat

2010-07-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

Earth Feeling the Heat
by Brenda Guiberson
Henry Holt & Co.
unpaged

Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci

2010-06-28T09:00:00.002-04:00

Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci
by Joseph D'Agnese
Henry Holt & Co.
unpaged

Moon Bear

2010-06-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

Moon Bear
by Brenda Z. Guiberson
Henry Holt & Co.
unpaged

Farm

2010-06-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

Farm
by Elisha Cooper
Orchard Books (Scholastic Inc.)
unpaged

A Wizard from the Start: The Incredble Boyhood and Amazing Inventions of Thomas Edison

2010-06-14T09:00:00.002-04:00

A Wizard from the Start: The Incredible Boyhood and Amazing Inventions of Thomas Edison
by Don Brown
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
unpaged

Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian

2010-06-12T09:00:00.002-04:00

Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian
by Margarita Engle
Henry Holt & Co.
unpaged

Older than the Stars

2010-06-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Older than the Stars
by Karen C. Fox
Charlesbridge
unpaged