The National Book Award Finalists

The National Book Awards will be announced tonight in New York. I learned long ago that there is little point in trying to second-guess these awards, as the least likely titles often come out on top. Last year is a good example. Although I very much liked Judy Blundell's WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED and had it ranked second highest in my critique of the top five, very few people expected it to win.

Here are my thoughts on this year's nominees, beginning with what I consider the least successful book and working up to my favorite of the five finalists.


JUMPED
by Rita Garcia-Williams
HarperTeen

First edition points: Red paper boards with title embossed on front oover. The dustjacket has a price of $16.99 on the back. The copyright page must contain the statement "First Edition" and the following complete numbering sequence: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.

Difficulty in finding first editions: The book is already in at least its fourth printing.

The plot is simple: one morning at school, Trina cuts past Dominique and a group of girls gathered in the hallway. Dominique is incensed ("Unh-unh. Can't let her cut into me like that. Through my space. Through me. Can't let that slide.") and plans to jump the oblivous Trina after school. Leticia witnesses the incident and must decide whether to warn Trina in advance. Related alternately in the colorful, mouthy, loud (you can hear the volume coming right off the page) voices of these three characters, JUMPED is in many ways a triumph of first-person narration. Williams-Garcia does a good job revealing three distinct characters -- angry, basketball-playing Dominique, shallow Latisha, and egotistical Trina -- with three distinct voices. But what's missing in their monologues is any sense of introspection or self-awareness. Because, for example, we never see any self-doubt, irony, or questioning behind Trina's constant self-praise, she comes across as insufferable to the reader of the book as she does to Dominique within the story. None of the girls really change over the course of the novel -- the Dominique we see at the end is as angry as the girl we first met; Leticia remains as clueless on the last page as she was on the first. This results in limited, even superficial, characterizations, but does provide a sense of inevitability to the novel's powerful and thought-provoking conclusion.


LIPS TOUCH : THREE TIMES
by Laini Taylor ; illustrated by Jim Di Bartolo
Arthur A. Levine Books

First edition points: Black paper boards with title embossed on front cover. The dustjacket has a price of $17.99 on the front flap. The copyright page must contain the statement "First Edition, October 2009" and the descending number sequence: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.

Difficulty in finding first editions: Published last month, first editions should still be in most stores.

If I was working for a magazine and given LIPS TOUCH : THREE TIMES to review, I'd probably hand it back, saying, "I'm not the right reader for this book." I do not have that luxury in writing today's blog, so will just preface my remarks by saying that, with some exceptions, novels of fantasy and magic are Not My Thing. Having said that, this collection of three romantic tales, each centered around a kiss, contains two stories that even I enjoyed. "Goblin Fruit" tells of misfit Kizzy, who finds herself falling for the dangerous new boy at school; "Spicy Little Curses Such as These" concerns Anamique, who is cursed with silence from birth. Both tales of first love feature well-defined settings (modern-day America and Victorian-era India), startling plots, well-drawn characters, and lyrical language reminiscent of Francesca Lia Block. The final story in the collection, "Hatchling," concerns fourteen-year-old Esme, whose mother escaped from the "druj" -- a group of demons who have the ability to "wear humans...for fighting and rutting and dancing and other such things as make mortal blood flow fast." Now the druj are back for Esme. It's a convoluted story that skips back and forth between generations (Esme and her mother Mab) and locations and reminded me of why fantasy is Not My Thing. Although novella-length, "Hatchling" felt rushed and condensed -- and one wonders how it would have fared as a lengthier, stand-alone novel.


STITCHES
by David Small
Norton

First edition points: The copyright page must contain the following number sequence: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0. The price on the front flap is $24.95.

Difficulty in finding first editions: Already showing up on some of the "year's best" lists, STITCHES is a hit -- and first editions may become difficult to find over time.

In his memoir, STITCHES, writer-illustrator David Small explores the dark, soul-killing aspects of silence. Growing up in 1950s Detroit, Small lived in a silent, unloving home punctuated by an unspoken current of anger (“Mama had her little cough...once or trice, some quiet sobbing, out of sight...or the slamming of kitchen cupboard doors. That was her language.”) When he was fourteen years old, Small had surgery that resulted in losing his own voice; in typical fashion, his parents never told him he was suffering from cancer until he accidentally uncovered the truth. Their response? “Well, the fact is, you did have cancer...but you didn’t need to know anything then...and you don’t need to know about it now. That’s final!” Small tells his story mainly through illustration, with only a minimum of text. The superb artwork has a cinematic flow, occasionally utilizing metaphor (an analyst is depicted as the White Rabbit from ALICE IN WONDERLAND) and moments of surrealism in an otherwise unflinchingly honest, often horrifying, memoir. STITCHES doesn’t exploit the author’s brutal childhood, nor does it wallow in self-pity; instead, it ultimately tells how a damaged young man recovers his voice, both literally and -- through therapy, leaving home at an early age, and discovering his talent (“Art has given me everything I have wanted or needed since”) -- figuratively. Though nominated for an NBA in the category of "Young People's Literature," STITCHES was originally published for adults and -- since the real growth and change experienced by the protagonist occurs toward the end of the book, after he's grown up -- I actually feel this story is best suited for adult readers rather than young readers -- or, since there are always exceptions -- maybe I should say: most young readers.


CLAUDETTE COLVIN : TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE
by Phillip Hoose
Farrar, Strauss, Giroux

First edition points: Yellow/green spine and brown board paper covers, price of $19.95 on front flap. The copyright page must state "First Edition 2009" and contain the following number sequence: 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.

Difficulty in finding first editions: Still available at many stores.

We all know Rosa Parks, but how many know the story of Claudette Colvin, the Montgomery, Alabama teenager whose refusal to give up her bus seat occurred nearly a year before Mrs. Parks' historic arrest? Charged with violating segregation laws, disturbing the peace, and assaulting a police offer, the young African American woman would later serve as one of four plaintiffs in the Browder v. Gayle Supreme Court decision. Extensive quotes from interviews place Claudette Colvin's personal fight for justice within the context of the broader history of the civil rights movement, while simultanesously introducing other notable figures of the era, including Rosa Parks, Ralph Abernathy, and Dr. Martin Luther King. This oversized volume -- concisely written and illustrated with black-and-white photographs, presents young readers with an empowering portrait of one teenager who made a difference.


CHARLES AND EMMA : THE DARWINS' LEAP OF FAITH
by Deborah Heiligman
Henry Holt

First edition points: Black textured spine and beige boards; price of $18.95 on front flap. Yellow/green spine and brown board paper covers, price of $19.95 on front flap. The copyright page must state "First Edition 2009" and contain the following number sequence: 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.

Difficulty in finding first editions: Published very early in the year (despite its 2009 copyright date, some sources say the book was released in late 2008...what does that mean for its Newbery chances?), the book may now be in later printings. But take a look around at your local bookstore.

Of the five National Book Award finalists, this may be my favorite. Not just a biography of Charles Darwin, or a portrait of his happy marriage to Emma Wedgwood, the book explores what happens -- in very personal terms -- when science (Charles) and religion (Emma, a devout Christian) clash. The answer, at least in this case, is compromise and understanding. It's an issue as timely today as it was when Darwin began expressing his then-daring theories of evolution in the mid-nineteenth century. CHARLES AND EMMA is a fine work of scholarship written in accessible prose. It's notable that the subject of Charles and Emma's marriage, like the story of Claudette Colvin above, is getting one of its first tellings within the pages of a book for young readers. There was once a time when nonfiction and biographies for adult readers would beget junior editions for kids. But today many important and original topics are seeing first light in children's books; adult versions of these stories will no doubt turn up eventually...but right now childrens' books are where it's at!

Brunching by Moonlight

I’ve been busy working on another project...so Sunday Brunch is a little late today. In fact, it’s being served by moonlight. Today’s entry counts Caldecotts, reviews a new book, and reports on the shunning of Pooh’s friend Piglet.

POOR PIGLET

Ever since H1N1 hit the scene, a number of cartoons utilizing children’s book characters have hit the web. There’s this take-off on A.A. Milne:


as well as this one:


What’s next -- a cartoon of Wilbur in his pen with the web above him spelling out, “Get Your Flu Shot”?

BOOKS FOR DOGS

Did you hear about Willow? This twelve-year-old mixed-breed has been in the news recently demonstrating her uncanny ability to “read.” When her trainer holds up a sign that says “BANG,” Willow plays dead. “SIT UP”causes her to rise up on her haunches and beg. Many experts question whether Willow can actually read words. Some say she reacts to the general shape of the words on the page, or takes cues from her trainer’s body language. What impressed me the most was this picture of Willow with a stack of books.


There’s no denying, Willow has good taste in books. If you squint your eyes and get very close to the computer screen, you may recognize most of the volumes as canine-related children’s books. I can’t quite see them all, but I can make out GO, DOG, GO by P.D. Eastman, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE by Kate DiCamillo, HOTEL FOR DOGS by Lois Duncan, and GOOD DOG CARL by Alexandra Day.

COUNTING CALDECOTTS

Last Sunday I created a list of all the multiple Newbery winners. This week I thought I’d do the same for the Caldecotts. Last week’s list showed that no author had won a total of more than five Newbery Medals and Honor Books. Things are very different in the Land of Caldecott, where we’ve got a six-time honoree, an eight-time honoree and even someone with a combined total of NINE Caldecott Awards and Honor Books. Can you guess who that person is? Hint: it’s not Sendak.

Double-Dippers

Adrienne Adams had two Caldecott Honors: HOUSES FROM THE SEA (1960) and THE DAY WE SAW THE SUN COME UP (1962.)

Ludwig Bemelmans won in 1954 for MADELINE’S RESCUE and had an Honor Book in 1940 for the original MADELINE.

Virginia Lee Burton had one Caldecott winner (THE LITTLE HOUSE, 1943) and one Honor Book (SONG OF ROBIN HOOD, 1948.)

Jean Charlot had two Honor Books: WHEN WILL THE WORLD BE MINE (1954) and A CHILD’S GOODNIGHT BOOk (1944.)

Bryan Collier has had two Honors, in 2002 for MARTIN’S BIG WORDS and in 200^ for ROSA.

Barbara Cooney won two Caldecott golds -- for CHANTICLEER AND THE FOX (1960) and THE OX-CART MAN (1980.)

Donald Crews received a Caldecott Honor for FREIGHT TRAIN (1979) and another for TRUCK (1981.)

James Daugherty had two Honors: ANDY AND THE LION in 1939 and GILLESPIE AND THE GUARDS (1956.)

Marguerite De Angeli had a pair of Caldecott Honors: YONIE WONDERNOSE (1945) and BOOK OF NURSERY AND MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES (1955.)

Leo and Diane Dillion struck Caldecott gold two years in a row with WHY MOSQUITOES BUZZ IN PEOPLE’S EARS (1976) and ASHANTI TO ZULU (1977.)

William Pene Du Bois received Honors for BEAR PARTY (1952) and LION (1957.)

Roger Duvoisin won the 1948 Caldecott with WHITE SNOW, BRIGHT SNOW and had a 1966 Honor with HIDE AND SEEK FOG.Ed Emberley has had one winner (DRUMMER HOFF, 1968) and one Honor (ONE WIDE RIVER TO CROSS (1967.)

Tom Feelings won Honors for MOJA MEANS ONE (1972) and JAMBO MEANS HELLO (1975.)

Wanda Gag (who had two Newbery Honor) also received two Caldecott Honors: SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES (1939) and NOTHING AT ALL (1942.)

Paul Galdone’s illustrations for the Anatole stories were recognized in 1957 (ANATOLE) and 1958 (ANATOLE AND THE CAT.)

Margaret Bloy Graham had back-to-back Honors with ALL FALLING DOWN (1952) and THE STORM BOOK (1953.)

Kevin Henkes won for KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON (2005) and had an Honor with OWEN (1994.)

Elizabeth Orton Jones won for PRAYER FOR A CHILD (1945) and had an Honor Book, SMALL RAIN, the previous year.

Ezra Jack Keats won in 1963 for THE SNOWY DAY and had an Honor in 1968 for GOGGLES.

Nicholas Mordvinoff won for FINDERS KEEPERS (1952) and had an Honor with THE TWO REDS (1951.)

Kadir Nelson has won two Honors: MOSES (2007) and HENRY’S FREEDOM BOX (2008.)

Maud and Miska Petersham received the 1946 for THE ROOSTER CROWS and had a 1942 Honor Book with AN AMERICAN ABC.

Brian Pinkney has won two Honors: A FAITHFUL FRIEND (1996) and DUKE ELLINGTON (1999.)

Marjorie Priceman had two Honors: ZIN! ZIN! ZIN! A VIOLIN in 1996 and HOT AIR in 2006.

Alice and Martin Provensen won with 1984’s THE GLORIOUS FLIGHT and had an Honor for A VISIT TO WILLIAM BLAKE’S INN (1982.)

Chris Raschka won in 2006 for THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW and had a 1994 Honor with YO? YES!

Eric Rohmann won for MY FRIEND RABBIT (2003) and had a 1995 Honor with TIME FLIES.

Allen Say won the 1994 Caldecott for GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY and had a 1989 HONOR with BOY OF THE THREE-YEAR NAP.

Brian Selznick won for THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET (2008) and Honored with THE DINOSAURS OF WASTERHOUSE HAWKINS (2002.)

David Small won for SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT (2001) and Honored with THE GARDENER (1998.)

Peter Spier won in 1978 for NOAH’s ARK and had a 1962 Honor Book, FOX WENT OUT ON A CHILLY NIGHT.

William Steig won in 1970 (SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE) and had a 1977 Honor (THE AMAZING BONE.)

John Steptoe had a pair of Honors with THE STORY OF JUMPING MOUSE (1985) and MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS (1988.)

Helen Stone had two Caldecott Honors -- ALL AROUND THE TOWN (1949) and THE MOST WONDERFUL DOLL IN THE WORLD (1951.)

Simms Taback won for JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT (2000) and Honored with THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY (1998.)

Marjorie Torrey had an Honor Book two years in a row: SING MOTHER GOOSE (1946) and SING IN PRAISE (1947.)

Tasha Tudor had two Caldecott Honors: MOTHER GOOSE (1945) and 1 IS ONE (1957.)

Lynd Ward won in 1953 with THE BIGGEST BEAR and had an Honor in 1950 with AMERICA’S ETHAN ALLEN.

Kurt Wiese had two Caldecott Honors: YOU CAN WRITE CHINESE (1946) and FISH IN THE AIR (1949.)

Vera B. Williams scored a pair of Honor Books with A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER (1983) and “MORE, MORE, MORE,” SAID THE BABY (1991.)

Hildegard Woodward had Honors in 1948 (ROGER AND THE FOX) and 1950 (THE WILD BIRTHDAY CAKE.

Three-peaters

Molly Bang has a trio of Caldecott Honors: TH GREY LADY AND THE STRAWBERRY SNATCHER (1981), TEN, NINE, EIGHT (1984), and WHEN SOPHIE GETS ANGRY -- REALLY REALLY ANGRY (2000.)

Stephen Gammell won in 1989 for SONG AND DANCE MAN and had two Honors, WHERE THE BUFFALO BEGAN (1982) and THE RELATIVES CAME (1986.)

Berta and Elmer Hader received the 1949 Caldecott for THE BIG SNOW and also had two Honors: COCK-A-DOODLE-DO (1940) and THE MIGHTY HUNTER (1943.)

Nonny Hogrogian won twice (ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE, 1966; ONE FINE DAY, 1972) and had one Honor (THE CONTEST, 1977.)

Robert Lawson had one winner (THEY WERE STRONG AND GOOD, 1941) and two Honors: FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS (1938) and WEE GILLIS (1939.)

Arnold Lobel won for FABLES (1971) and had Honors with FROG AND TOAD ARE FRIENDS (1971) and HILIDID’S NIGHT (1972.)

David Macaulay won for BLACK AND WHITE (1991) and received Honors for CATHEDRAL (1974) and CASTLE (1978.)

Gerald McDermott won in the 1975 for ARROW TO THE SUN and has had two Honor Books, ANANSI THE SPIDER, 1973, and RAVEN, 1994.

Peter Parnall received three Honors for THE DESERT IS THEIRS (1976), HAWK, I’M YOUR BROTHER (1977), and THE WAY TO START A DAY (1978.)

Leo Politi won in 1950 for SONG OF THE SWALLOWS and had two Honors: PEDRO, THE ANGEL OF OLVERA STREET (1947) and JUANITA (1949.)

Dr. Seuss was a three time Honoree with MCELLIGOT’S POOL (1948), BARTHOLEMEW AND THE OOBLECK (1950), IF I RAN THE ZOO (1951.)

Marc Simont had one winner (A TREE IS NICE, 1957) and two Honors (THE HAPPY DAY, 1950) and THE STRAY DOG (2002.)

Peter Sis has a trio of Honor Books: STARRY MESSENGER (1997), TIBET THROUGH THE RED BOX (1999) and THE WALL (2008.)

Chris Van Allsburg has two Caldecott winners (JUMANJI, 1982; THE POLAR EXPRESS, 1986) and one Honor (THE GARDEN OF ABDUL GASAZI, 1980.)

Leonard Weisgard won in 1947 for THE LITTLE ISLAND and also had an Honor Book that year with RAIN DROP SPLASH. In 1946 he illustrated the Honor LITTLE LOST LAMB.

Mo Williems has three Honors: DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS (2004), KNUFFLE BUNNY (2005), and KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO (2008.)

Taro Yashima received three Caldecott Honors: CROW BOY (1956), UMBRELLA (1959), and SEASHORE STORY (1968.)

Ed Young won for LON PO PO (1990) and had two Honors, THE EMPEROR AND THE KITE (1968) and SEVEN BLIND MICE (1993.)

Margot Zemach won the 1974 Medal for DUFFY AND THE DEVIL and had Honors in 1970 for THE JUDGE and in 1978 for IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE.

Four Times Fortunate

Trina Schart Hyman had a quartet of prizes with winner ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON (1985) and Honor Books LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (1984), HERSHEL AND THE HANUKKAH GOBLINS (1990), and A CHILD’S CALENDAR (1998.)

Blair Lent was recognized for his winner THE FUNNY LITTLE WOMAN (1973) and three Honors: THE WAVE (1965), WHY THE SUN AND THE MOON LIVE IN THE SKY (1969), and THE ANGRY MOON (1972.)

Leo Lionni had four Honor Books: INCH BY INCH (1961), SWIMMY (1964), FREDERICK (1968), and ALEXANDER AND THE WIND-UP MOUSE (1970.)

Evaline Ness won the 1967 Medal for SAM, BANGS & MOONSHINE and had three more Honors: ALL IN THE MORNING EARLY (1964), A POCKET FULL OF CRICKET (1965), and TOM TIT TOT (1966.)

Clare Turley Newberry had four Honor Books: BARKIS (1939), APRIL’S KITTENS (1941), MARSHMALLOW (1943), and T-BONE AND THE BABYSITTER (1951.)

Uri Shulevitz won the 1969 Caldecott for THE FOOL OF THE WORLD AND THE FLYING SHIP and also had three subsequent Honors. They are THE TREASUR (1980), SNOW (1999) and HOW I LEARNED GEOGRAPHY (2009.)

Paul O. Zelinsky won for RAPUNZEL (1998) and had three Honor Books: HANSEL AND GRETEL (1985), RUMPLESTILSKIN (1987) and SWAMP ANGEL (1995.)

Five Timers

In additon to his two Caldecott Medals (MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS, 1942; TIME OF WONDER, 1958), Robert McClosky racked up three more Honor Books: BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL (1949), ONE MORNING IN MAINE (1953) and JOURNEY CAKE, HO! (1954.)

Jerry Pinkney has had five Honor Books so far: MIRANDY AND BROTHER WIND (1989), THE TALKING EGGS (1990), JOHN HENRY (1995), THE UGLY DUCKLING (2000), and NOAH’S ARK (2003.)

David Wiesner has had three winners (TUESDAY, 1992; THE THREE PIGS, 2002; FLOTSAM , 2007) and two Honors, FREE FALL (1989) and SECTOR SEVEN (2000.)

Six Times Successful

Marie Hall Ets was recognized six times, with winner NINE DAYS TO CHRISTMAS (1960) and Honor Books IN THE FOREST (1945), MR. T.W. ANTHONY WOO (1952), PLAY WITH ME (1956), MR. PENNY’S HORSE RACE (1957), and JUST ME (1966.)

The Eight Timer!

Maurice Sendak won the 1964 Caldecott for WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE and had an amazing seven Honor Book titles: A VERY SPECIAL HOUSE (1954), WHAT DO YOU SAY, DEAR (1959), THE MOON JUMPERS (1960), LITTLE BEAR’S VISIT (1962), MR. RABBIT AND THE LOVELY PRESENT (1963), IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN (1971), and OUTSIDE OVER THERE (1982.)

The Nine Timer!!!!!!!!!

The illustrator with the most Caldecott commendations of all is Marcia Brown, who won three gold medals (CINDERELLA, 1955; ONCE A MOUSE,1962; SHADOW, 1983) plus a whopping six silver medals for STONE SOUP (1948), HENRY FISHERMAN (1950), DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT (1951), SKIPPER JOHN’S COOK (1952), PUSS IN BOOTS (1953), and THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER (1954.)

JUST ONCE UPON A TIME

Considering how many people were honored multiple times, I was curious to see which illustrators received the Caldecott just once and never received any other recognition from the committee -- no winners or Honors -- for the rest of their career. They are:

1938 / Dorothy P. Lathrop / ANIMALS OF THE BIBLE
1939 / Thomas Handforth / MEI LI
1940 / Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire / ABRAHAM LINCOLN
1944 / Louis Slobodkin / MANY MOONS
1951 / Katherine Milhous / THE EGG TREE
1956 / Feodor Rojankovsky / FROG WENT A’COURTIN’
1961 / Nicholas Sidjakov / BABOUSHKA AND THE THREE KINGS
1965 / Beni Montresor / MAY I BRING A FRIEND?
1971 / Gail E. Haley / A STORY, A STORY
1979 / Paul Goble / THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES
1987 / Richard Egielski / HEY, AL
1988 / John Schoenherr / OWL MOON
1993 / Emily Arnold McCully / MIRETTE ON THE HIGH WIRE
1995 / David Diaz / SMOKY NIGHT
1996 / Peggy Rathmann / OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA
1997 / David Wisniewski / GOLEM
1999 / Mary Azarian / SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY
2004 / Mordicai Gerstein / THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS
2009 / Beth Krommes / THE HOUSE IN THE NIGHT
...so, 19 out of 71 total winners-- or well less than a third -- have gone to illustrators who never before or since received any Caldecott recognition.

REVIEW : BYSTANDER BY JAMES PRELLER

Maybe you’ve never been the bully. Maybe you’ve never been the victim. But at some point, nearly everyone has been the bystander -- the individual who witnesses a bully’s attack and does nothing about it. Eric Hayes is new to Long Island when he meets Griffin, the reigning bully of Bellport Central Middle School. Initially, Eric is “drawn to Griffin, the way a caveman might be drawn to fire.” Hanging around the edges of Griff’s clique, Eric silently, even smilingly, watches his new friend’s Eddie Haskell act around grown-ups as well as his continual harrassment of a fellow student. When Eric eventually speaks up about the bullying, he suddenly becomes Griffin’s new prey. James Preller has written a fast-moving, accessible story about an everyday kid confronting a satisfyingly-complex villian. Occasionally the story seems overly purposeful -- especially when an entire class period (and and entire chapter) is spent explaining the issue of bullying (“Mr. Floyd said there were four types of bullying: verbal, physical, intimidation, and indirect bullying.”) And some of Eric’s insights are too adult (and too pop-psych) to be believable, as when he realizes that his mentally ill father is “like two men, the good guy and the sick one. For Eric to ever live a full life he would have to love both men.” The story is at its best when it sticks to Eric’s seventh-grade perspective, complete with artlessly perfect metaphors (“A long row of yellow school buses, like a line of enormous Twinkies, idled along the right side of the parking lot.”), a sense of emotional immediacy, and a realistically triumphant ending.

WORTH NOTING

In the book collecting world, people are always concerned about condition. Wear, nicks, and chips on dustjackets are always noted and, if bad enough, are sometimes a “deal breaker” when it comes to selling a book. I am not excessively picky about such things myself -- especially when a book is over forty or fifty years old. Nothing gets that old (and I count myself among that category) without a few battle scars. But what do you say about a book that’s only a week old and looks like it’s already been through a war? I’m talking about the aforementioned BYSTANDER. I just bought the book a week ago and only read it once -- and I was certainly careful with the volume. Yet look at the folds on the dustjacket:


I’m not sure if the photograph captures it very well, but both the folds on the fore-edge of the book are so cracked that the color has flecked off from top to bottom. In fact, the edges are now so rough and worn that it wouldn’t take much for the front and back flaps of the dustjacket to tear off and completely separate from the book. I’ve never seen something like this happen to a brand new book that’s only been read once. Did the publisher use subpar paper? Is the dustjacket coated with some kind of inferior paper treatment? Did I just get a bum copy? Whatever the case, it’s worth noting for future reference. If you purchase a copy for your home or library, you might want to slip a mylar cover over the jacket before reading.

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

Finders Keepers?

I knew it would happen.

It was practically inevitable.

Nearly two years ago, I began writing this blog with the philosophy that every book has at least three stories:

* One is the story you read between the covers of that book.

* Another is the story of how and why the book came to be written by its author.

* The third story is the history of the particular volume that you have in your hands.

If you collect old books you're aware that each one was previously owned and presumably loved by someone else. I enjoy looking at the faded inscriptions inside and speculating on the individual journeys these books have made over the years. How did a book purchased in Oregon in 1909 end up on my bookshelf in 2009? Why does a book inscribed "with all my love from your husband" end up in a used bookstore discount bin three years later? Over the last couple years I've shared some of these individual "book histories" in my blog, often including scans of original signatures or background information on the books' prior owners. All along, I've wondered if anyone would ever spot a book that used to belong to them or to a member of their family.

Well, it finally happened.

The book was A BIRTHDAY GARLAND, a title I blogged about last summer. In that posting, I wrote:

The reason I purchased this book is because it was presented as a gift to those who attended the 1950 Newbery-Caldecott Banquet -- the year Marguerite de Angeli won the Newbery for THE DOOR IN THE WALL and Leo Politi got the Caldecott for SONG OF THE SWALLOWS.

There is a note attached to the illustrated endpapers (which feature a tree weathering the four seasons) that says: THIS KEEPSAKE / OF THE NEWBERY-CALDECOTT DINNER / HELD IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, ON JULY 18, 1950 / IS GIVEN BY THE THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY / TO CELEBRATE THE FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY OF / THE CHILDREN'S LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.

A pocket-sized volume, A BIRTHDAY GARLAND contains verses and proverbs (compiled by Elinor Parker) for each day of the year, along with tiny color illustrations by "Primrose," an artist who apparently didn't need a last name. There were also blank spaces, where the owner could jot down the birthdays of family and friends. In my original posting, I wrote, "The book's previous owner made good use of these blank lines, adding birthdays on many of the pages. The oldest person listed is Perley E. Jeffery, who was born December 17, 1878. The youngest is Peter Jeffery, born January 5, 1960 -- showing that the owner was still using this volume ten years after receiving it at ALA."

I've often wondered about the person who first owned my copy of A BIRTHDAY GARLAND. Was she (I assumed it was a "she") a children's librarian? Who were all the people whose birthdays were carefully listed on the pages? Since several of the entries had the last name of Jeffery -- from Perley in 1878 to Peter in 1960 -- could I assume the owner's name was Jeffery as well? All I really knew for sure was that the previous owner had used this book for many years and had obviously treasured it, as it was still in very good condition nearly six decades after it was published.

Of course this was all speculation and I never expected to have any answers.

Then last week I received this e-mail:

Dear Peter - I am another Peter - the Peter whose birthday is inscribed in your copy of the Birthday Garland Book. It was quite a thrill to come across your website when I was researching my geneology - quite unexpected.

My Grandmother was a children's and research librarian, and I suppose she attended the meeting and was presented the book as a memento.

I wonder if you might consider selling or trading the book - I don't have very many of my Grandmother's possessions, and certainly not anything like this, with my name inscribed along with other family members.

My Grandmother instilled in me a love of books and chose many wonderful ones for me before children's books became an industry unto itself. I grew up on Narnia, Swallows and Amazons, the Children and It, and many other wonderful English and American stories.

I hope you enjoy the Birthday Garland Book, and will consider parting with it at some time in the future.

My best, Peter Jeffery

...How cool is that?

The only problem, as you can see, is:

That Peter wants this Peter's copy of the book!

I've always wondered what would happen if someone saw one of their own books, or a family member's book, written up on my blog...and then wanted it back? Of course, the book belongs to me by law. I paid for it, I own it. In most instances it would be an open-and-shut case. But what makes this story a little different is that it belonged to somone's grandmother! A little old lady who lovingly inscribed her new grandson's name into the book when he was born on January 5, 1960. (Sigh.) A grandmother who introduced her little grandson to Narnia and Swallows and Amazons. (Another sigh.)

How can one say "no" in this situation?

I haven't officially made up my mind yet, but here's what I'm thinking: This Peter originally wanted the book because it's a keepsake of the Newbery-Caldecott dinner. That Peter wants the book because it's a keepsake of his grandmother. Part of me thinks he should have this book because he has a personal kinship to it; after all, his name was written in it nearly fifty years ago. On the other hand, I do still want a copy of A BIRTHDAY GARLAND commemorating the 1950 Newbery-Caldecott dinner. So I'm going to scout around and see if I can find a reasonably-priced copy of the ALA edition (with the Newbery mention on the attached note.) If I do, I'll buy that copy for myself and sell Peter his grandmother's copy for the exact same price.

I think that sounds fair.

Peter will end up with his "family" copy of the book and I'll have a different copy, possibly filled in with birthdays from an entirely different family to speculate about. And even if the copy I find is pristine with no scrawled birthdays inside, it will still have its own special story:

"A BIRTHDAY GARLAND? Oh yeah, there's a tale behind this one. See, I once had a copy of this book in my collection that was filled with inked-in birthdays. Family named Jeffery. There were birthdates in there from, like, 1878 to 1960. So one day I blogged about it and then, a year later, I get an e-mail from this guy named Peter Jeffery and, you won't believe this, but HIS NAME was written in the book! Yeah, really, his grandmother wrote it there! And he said--"

Another book, another story.