From: Hope Baugh <hbaugh>
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:23:25 -0500

I like the Geisel award. I like what it encourages and celebrates: that particular, giddy feeling you get when you realize that you are reading on your own. GREEN EGGS AND HAM, HOP ON POP...decades later, these titles still say "good times!" to me.

I came to the FROG AND TOAD books as an adult preparing to become a children's librarian, but I have loved them ever since. I love that they are real stories about "people" worth caring about. In other words, not insulting. And not boring.

I rarely make time to look at beginning reader books any more since my daily life now is so focused on teens and their reading. However, I will say this about this year's Geisel winner, THERE IS A BIRD ON YOUR HEAD, by Mo Willem:

At the ALA youth media awards press conference, people cheered very loudly when this winner was announced. Also, both the announcer's brief description and the cover illustration made me smile. Ever since I got back from Midwinter, my inner child has been tugging on my sleeve to go down to the Children's Department and read the book for myself.

Best wishes,

Hope

Hope Baugh Young Adult Services Manager Carmel Clay Public Library 55 4th Ave. SE Carmel, IN 46032 Tel: 317-814-3979 Email: hbaugh at carmel.lib.in.us Facebook: Hope Baugh Website: www.carmel.lib.in.us Also check out: http://reads4teens.org



 
                   
Received on Tue 22 Jan 2008 02:23:25 PM CST