Sunday Brunch

More random ramblings about children’s books. Please forgive the erratic sizes of the pictures below. I'd like to have them uniform throughout but, for reasons I never can understand, sometimes I'm allowed to make larger images and other times only small ones work. However, you can sometimes click on an image and see a larger version.


MARTHA-LITE

The other day I thought I saw a new book about Martha, the canine star of Susan Meddaugh’s modern classic MARTHA SPEAKS. I eagerly pulled the volume off the shelf and discovered this instead:


It wasn’t really a new Susan Meddaugh book, though she was credited on the cover for creating the characters. Instead, it was a subpar picture book based on the PBS cartoon series. Neither the story nor the writing had the same appeal as the original “Martha” books. And when I glanced at the backflap, I learned that there are even more books based on the TV show, including early readers (FARM DOG MARTHA; PLAY BALL!) and chapter books (SHELTER DOG BLUES.)

I guess it’s inevitable that every original children’s book made into a movie or TV show will also later be published in cheap, moneymaking adaptations (weren’t Chris Van Allsburg’s POLAR EXPRESS and JUMANJI “novelized” when the movie versions were released?) But in the past you could usually tell the real thing from the pretenders: the original book was published in hardcover with its traditional cover image, while the adaptations were published in paperback and the cover featured a still from the movie or TV program. In the case of MARTHA SAYS IT WITH FLOWERS, the book was issued in hardcover by Ms. Meddaugh’s longtime publisher Houghton Mifflin and utilizes the same green-border-with-vegetable-soup-letters motif used in the original Martha books.

How many kids will know the difference between the originals and these pale imitations?

Do the latter books hurt the integrity of the Meddaugh originals?

Or are most kids savvy enough to create a division in their minds -- the way a generation of earlier readers did between the world depicted in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s children’s books and the characters and situations shown on TV’s LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE?



THEY DID IT AGAIN!

Last year the publisher Bloomsbury was under fire when they issued an advance reading copy of Justine Larbalastier’s LIAR which featured a caucasian girl on the cover, though the text explicitly stated that the character had dark skin and curly hair. After complaints from both the author and the public, Bloomsbury used a different photograph on the cover of the hardcover volume:


Now comes word that Bloomsbury has done it again.

Although the text describes the character as dark-skinned, the protagonist of Jaclyn Dolamore’s new novel, MAGIC UNDER GLASS, is shown as light-skinned on the dustjacket of the book:


The same mistake coming from the same publisher within six months has caused some bloggers to call for a Bloomsbury boycott.

From a book-collecting perspective, I think it’s probably a good idea to get a copy of the book with the offending dustjacket, for historical purposes, before Bloomsbury ultimately changes the illustration.


INCIDENTALLY...

...there is no truth to the rumor that Bloomsbury plans to publish this biography:





A RAINBOW OF BOOKS

Many years ago I was in the basement of the Strand, New York’s largest and best used bookstore, when a woman perusing the children’s shelves asked me if I’d ever heard of author Andrew Lang. I said, “Yes, he published a bunch of children’s fairy tale books and each one had a color in the title.” She identified herself as descendent of Andrew Lang and seemed very impressed that I knew about the books. I’m glad she didn’t ask me any more questions about the series, though, as I really didn’t know much more than the author, the titles, and the fact that each volume was named after a color and bound in that color. I’ve never read the books at all.

Recently someone asked me for a list of these books and I thought I’d provide it here for anyone else who might be interested. Beginning with THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK in 1889, there were eleven more books published over the next twenty-one years. Lang selected the stories from a variety of sources and edited them, but they were actually written and translated for the books by his wife, Leonora Blanche Alleyne Lang, and other writers. As stated in Anita Silvey’s CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND THEIR CREATORS, “The irony of Lang's life and work is that although he wrote for a profession—literary criticism; fiction; poems; books and articles on anthropology, mythology, history, and travel original stories for chldren...he is best recognized for the works he did not write.”

Here is the list of the volumes:

THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK / 1889
THE RED FAIRY BOOK / 1890
THE GREEN FAIRY BOOK / 1892
THE YELLOW FAIRY BOOK / 1894
THE PINK FAIRY BOOK / 1897
THE GREY FAIRY BOOK / 1900
THE VIOLET FAIRY BOOK / 1901
THE CRIMSON FAIRY BOOK / 1903
THE BROWN FAIRY BOOK / 1904
THE ORANGE FAIRY BOOK / 1906
THE OLIVE FAIRY BOOK / 1907
THE LILAC FAIRY BOOK / 1910

There is no truth to the rumor that Bloomsbury plans to re-publish these books by the titles THE FAIRY BOOK, THE FAIRY BOOK, THE FAIRY BOOK, THE FAIRY BOOK, etc., with all-white covers.


BULLYING BIBLIOTHERAPY

Has anyone read Julie Ann Peters’ latest, BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, I’LL BE DEAD? What did you think?



I’m still trying to sort out my feelings on this one.

Ms. Peters is clearly a talented author. Her works include the National Book Award nominee LUNA as well as GRL2GRL, a volume of short stories that includes some of best work ever.

Her latest, with its Lois Duncan/Carol Beach York-like title and provocative dustjacket will no doubt draw readers, though they may not expect the exceptionally dark content inside. BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS... is the story of teenage Daelyn who, after a lifetime of bullying and a recent failed suicide attempt, is intent on killing herself. Joining a website for the suicidal, Daelyn explores a number of (permanent) options, each of which (cutting one’s wrist, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc.) is thoroughly described in the text (including its effectiveness, the time and pain involved, etc.) Including this type of information in a YA novel will no doubt be deemed controversial (will any readers use this as an instruction book?) though it can be argued that such information is equally available on the internet at any time for anyone to read. In this introspective and unrelenting novel, Daelyn recounts her experiences being bullied throughout school and her wish for death. Although the book ultimately delivers a message of healing and hope, it’s heavy stuff. And the entire tone is overly purposeful.

This is especially evident by the “Discussion Guide and Resource list prepared by C.J. Bott” at the end of the book. As uncomfortable as Daelyn’s story and the blatant descriptions of possible suicide methods made me, this discussion guide (which includes phone numbers for suicide prevention lines and websites) bothered me as well. Part of me thinks that it was necessary -- and responsible -- to include it. Another part of me thinks that it diminishes the book as a work of fiction, turning it instead into a bibliotherapeutic volume.

I’d be interested in hearing what others think of this book. Right now I’m of two minds....


AND ANOTHER DISCLAIMER

Recently I looked at a copy of GHOST HUNTRESS BOOK 2 : THE GUIDANCE by Marley Gibson and was surprised that this occult thriller included a disclaimer at the end of the book advising young readers to seek help from adults if they feel they have psychic tendencies.

I guess it was included to prevent young readers from going off the deep end, but it strikes me as kind of silly. How many books did I read as a kid -- including a half-dozen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder alone -- in which young people discovered they had psychic abilities. No one in those books ever went running to an adult for help -- what a way to spoil the story! -- and I doubt any real-life kids would as well.


EXTRA, EXTRA!

A friend who attended the American Library Association’s midwinter conference sent me these cool souvenirs: a copy of COGNOTES, the daily newspaper distributed each day at ALA, as well as the press release for the Newbery/Caldecott selections.


According to my friend, copies of the newspaper and the press release are handed to attended as they leave the conference room after the award announcements. Considering the advance time that must be needed to print these materials, it’s surprising that this information is never leaked before the official announcements.

If I worked in the ALA printshop, I’d probably spend all night calling friends and telling them who won the prizes.

Which is probably why I will never be offered a job in the ALA printshop.


SPEAKING OF PRINTING

A few people have written asking about the first printing of WHEN YOU REACH ME.

In response:

The two arcs released prior to publication were paperback.

In order for a book to be a true first edition, it must have the entire print key on the copyright page: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. If the “1” is missing, you have a second printing, if the “1” and “2” are missing, you have a third printing, etc.

Once a book gets to ten printings, the row of numbers changes to 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11. At this point, WHEN YOU REACH ME is in at least its 15th printing.

Copies of the book with the dustjacket illustration printed on the front cover are probably book club (Junior Literary Guild, etc.) editions. They are usually not considered as valuable as the regular trade edition.

Thanks for visiting Collecting Children’s Books. Hope you’ll be back.

The Clean-up Crew

I have never worked as a janitor. I did, however, spend a couple teenage years employed at McDonalds where, on rare occasions, I was assigned "lot and lobby" duty. This entailed mopping the restaurant's floors, cleaning the bathrooms, and crushing full garbage bags in the giant trash compactor behind the store. As I said, I didn't pull "lot and lobby" too often, but of course one of those times had to be the day someone died in the parking lot and the manager told me to go outside and "hose down the blood."

When I think of janitors...custodians...maintenance engineers...I always think of "Ty," the high-school-janitor protagonist of one of my favorite novellas, VALEDICTORY by Mackinlay Kantor.

Going back in my own life, I also recall "Ned," the beloved custodian at my old grade school -- and probably the only adult that we kids were allowed to call by his first name. Toward the end of our grade school days, a friend of mine said she went to say hi to Ned as he waxed the floor of an empty classroom...and he leered at her and began chasing her around the desks. That was one of the first times I realized that people are often not what they appear to be....

For years and years after that, as I went to school or held various jobs, I had little direct contact with custodians. Usually they worked a different shift than I did or, if our work hours did overlap, they'd rush through the office pushing a loud vacuum cleaner and listening to music on their iPod, with no personal communication beyond a nod or a muttered "hi." Although occasionally the custodian in one office would leave notes on my desk. The one I remember best said, "If you MUST chew gum, please wrap it in paper before throwing it your wastebasket." Good advice, I guess, though I still chuckle over the stern "if you MUST chew gum" reprimand.

For the past couple years, I have had the same custodian cleaning my office. I see "Billie Faye" almost every morning and she's always got something interesting to say.

A while back she told me that her grandmother cured lung congestion the old-fashioned way by drinking "cowpat tea."

"What's that made of?" I asked.

"Cow s--t," she said.

Another time Billie Faye told me that she and her "old man" once spent a year living in California.

"Did you go out there looking for work?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "We was running from the law."

The old man is now out of the picture, and Billie Faye currently lives with her ninety-year-old aunt. Recently B.F. came home from work and found her aunt laying unconscious, half on the floor and half on top of a shattered glass coffee table.

"Oh no!" I said. "Did she have a stroke?"

"Nope," said Billie Faye. "Passed out drunk!"

When I tell these Billie Faye anecdotes to friends, they always say, "You have to put her in a book someday!"

"I know!" I reply, already envisioning a fictionalized version of Billie having a small, but pithy, role in my future Newbery-winning novel. (Newbery? Hey, if I'm going to dream, why not dream BIG?)

But then it suddenly dawned on me...maybe it will be the other way around.

Maybe Billie Faye will base a character on me in her novel!

After all, just the other day I saw her pull an empty Lean Cuisine box out of my wastebasket and study it carefully. She saw me looking at her and explained, "I always like to see what everyone else had for lunch."

And when you think about it, who better than a custodian to know all your secrets? Who but a custodian sees the old shopping lists and bank statements you casually toss in your trashcan? I'm sure janitors have been known to find empty vodka bottles hidden in office desks. I'm sure they've pieced-together love letters that you've torn up and thrown in the wastebasket. They've overheard your private phone calls as they sweep around your desk, probably heard the boss yelling at you when they dust the computers. (Just because they've got their iPod buds in their ears doesn't mean they've got any music playing.)

Working as a janitor really would be a great job for an aspiring writer.

And lots of writers have done this kind of work in the past.

Writer-illusrator Michael Garland (THE GREAT EASTER EGG HUNT) once worked as a custodian. So did Elvira Woodruff (GHOSTS DON'T GET GOOSEBUMPS.) Audrey Couloumbis, who won a Newbery Honor for GETTING NEAR TO BABY, was a school custodian; can you imagine how much she may have observed about kids in that position?

Hey, even Stephen King once worked as a janitor.

For most of the above, custodial work was just a pitstop on their way to success. However, I can think of two highly-esteemed children's authors who worked as janitors throughout much of their writing career.

Trained as a grade-school teacher, Richard Kennedy worked as a cab driver, factory worker, and fireman before he became a custodian at Oregon State University, a position he held throughout much of his writing career. In addition to THE DARK PRINCESS and AMY'S EYES, Mr. Kennedy also wrote a short novel called INSIDE MY FEET : THE STORY OF A GIANT, which was inspired by a pair of empty shoes he found abandoned in a hallway he was cleaning at work.

And Meindert Dejong worked as a church janitor during the 1950s, as he was producing some of the most highly-praised children's books of that decade -- including Newbery winner THE WHEEL ON THE SCHOOL and four more Honor Books.

I wonder how many other famous children's book authors have done custodial work in the past?

And how many future children's book authors are doing custodial work now?

Just think: the person who quietly wet-mops your floor, peels sticky gum out of your wastebasket (I now wrap it in paper first -- really I do!) and empties your trash may one day be sharing your secrets in a book!

By the Time It Reached Us

As I mentioned on Sunday, several people have asked about the availabilty of this year’s Newbery winner, WHEN YOU REACH ME, in first edition.

Unlike some titles which are published to little fanfare and grow in popularity due to good reviews and word-of-mouth enthusiasm, Rebecca Stead's novel had a lot of buzz right from the start. In fact, the publisher, Wendy Lamb Books, actually issued two versions of the ARC (advance reading copy) before publication. There are several cosmetic differences between these two versions; the first has a coated cover, the second does not. There are also variations in color, the size of the editor's signature at the beginning of the volume, etc. The first ARC contains a quote from Einstein on page 9, while the second ARC has the book’s dedication on that page. The second version also has the Library of Congress CIP (cataloging-in-publication) info on the copyright page, and the Acknowledgements and “About the Author” at the end of the volume.

I have learned that the initial printing for WHEN YOU REACH ME was about 8500 copies. However, there was so much buzz about the book that additional printings were ordered before the actual publication date of July 14. This is why some copies delivered to bookstores on publication day were already second printings. If your copy does not have the complete line of printing numbers on the copyright page (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) it is not a first printing. If the first number on that page is a "2," you have a second printing. If the first number is a "3," it's a third printing, etc.

As of last week, the book was in its 15th printing -- and there's no doubt that WHEN YOU REACH ME will be going back for many more BIG printings now it's won the Newbery!