Tag Archives: children’s books

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

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As KEM’s Christmas gift to you, we recommend The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a seasonal classic you’re sure to love.

BestChristmasPageantEver6Chapter Book Fiction
Text copyright © 1972
Barbara Robinson
Picture copyright © 1972
Judith Gwyn Brown
Published by HarperCollins

AWARDS

ALA Notable Children’s Book
Georgia Children’s Book Award
Indiana’s Young Hoosier Book Award
Minnesota’s Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award
2012 School Library Journal’s Top Hundred Children’s Novels
Library of Congress Children’s Books


WHY THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER IS A KEM GEM

KKRISTI’S TAKE
Barbara Robinson’s first person story about misfits is outrageously funny. Like all true comedies, that which is tragic is conversely Herdmanlarious. Robinson’s narration accomplishes this edge through the voice of the innocent, yet watchful protagonist’s narration. The unbiased account of the Herdman’s understanding of the birth of Jesus is sweet and provoking. Ask yourself, would you want a bullying Herdman in your classroom? Like Jesus, the narrator embraces the scarcely lovable and interjects wisdom upon her fellow peers’ and parisioners’ judgmental ways. Afterall… isn’t that the point of Christmas, to open our hearts, unto ALL?

Favorite line
But as far as I’m concerned, Mary is always going to look a lot like Imogene Herdman–sort of nervous and bewildered, but ready to clobber anyone who laid a hand on her baby.

KEM Sapphire
EELISE’S TAKE
Second only to the Bible, this was the most-read Christmas story in my house growing up. My dad still can’t read it aloud without stopping to gasp for air. Barbara Robinson brilliantly captures the politics of the everybody-knows-everybody small town, and the chaos of the annual Christmas pageant in a small town church. Her characters remind you of your neighbors and the kids you grew up with, her dialogue pokes fun at annual Christmas traditions and expectations, and her Herdmans show us what it must be like to hear the Christmas story for the very first time. Ralph, Imogine, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys ask the questions that those of us who grew up in church often fail to ask, and the result is a very sincere and poignant version of the nativity, black eyes and all.

Favorite line
“…Joseph and Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child…”

“Pregnant!” yelled Ralph Herdman.

Well. That stirred things up.

KEM Diamond
MGrayANNA MARRAS’ TAKE
This story brought me from stomach-buckling laughter to pillow-hugging tears. Barbara Robinson shared the true meaning of Christmas without proselytizing or gushing. Through subtle humor from the curious introspection of the young narrator, most of this story touches your heart between the lines. It’s tragic, because many of us know the Herdman’s—that family of practically-orphans lost between the cracks of society. Yet, it’s magic, because Robinson showed us how a rag-tag troop of clueless outcasts can teach an entire community about acceptance, growth, and wonderment. And Robinson accomplished this without adding one iota of pity or condescension.

Favorite line
Mrs. Wendleken didn’t even want cats to have kittens or birds to lay eggs, and she wouldn’t let Alice play with anybody who had two rabbits. 

GEMrub


Please share your The Best Christmas Pageant Ever comments!

PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD

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 “. . . Since then, (1979, after the Shah fled Iran to escape the Islāmic revolution), this old and great civilization has been discussed mostly in connection with fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism. As an Iranian who has lived more than half of my life in Iran, I know that this image is far from the truth. This is why writing Persepolis was so important to me. I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists. I also don’t want those Iranians who lost their lives in prison defending freedom, who died in the war against Iraq, who suffered under various repressive regimes, or who were forced to leave their families and flee their homeland to be forgotten.

One can forgive but one should never forget.”

~From the introduction of THE COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS
Marjane Satrapi, Paris, September 2002

PersepolisGraphic Novel, Memoir
by Marjane Satrapi

Copyright © 2000 in French, by L’Association, France
Persepolis English translation copyright © 2003 by L’Association, France
Published in the United States by Pantheon Books, a division of Random House

Age Range: 11 years-adult
Grade Level: Middle Grade-Adult

Text and illustrations by Marjane Satrapi

 

 

AWARDS

Prix Alph’art Coup de Coeur at Angoulême
Prix du Lion in Belgium
Prix Alph’art du meilleur scénario
The Prix France Info
The Young Adult Library Association Recommendation
Named one of “100 Best Books of the Decade” by The Times (London)
Winner of the 2003 Fernando Buesa Peace Prize (Spain)
A New York Times Notable Book
A Time Magazine “Best Comix of the Year”

WHY PERSEPOLIS:THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD IS A KEM GEM

KKRISTI’S TAKE
Marjane Satrapi’s autobioGRAPHIC novel is: an art form with comic content, a coming of age narration, illustrative of revolutionary Iran, unique, historical, and provocative! Reading it felt a bit like scanning a box of Satrapi’s neatly organized film negatives. The sparse and purposeful word choice intensifies Satrapi’s high-contrast inking. The wedding of her visual and literary style provides the perfect medium to unveil BOLD commentary about how the Islāmic Revolution tainted childhood innocence.   Although this rebellious first person narration is rendered in black & white, PERSEPOLIS delves into the murky greyness of political conflict; a YA must read!

Click here for chapter summaries.

Favorite line
“The revolution is like a bicycle. When the wheels don’t turn, it falls.”

KEM Sapphire
EELISE’S TAKE
Although PERSEPOLIS is heavy with political and social issues, Marjane Satrapi’s childlike perspective is still refreshing and relatable. She gives readers an honest and poignant look at the traditions that suppress many in her distant Iranian culture. Simultaneously, we also read about a girl whose struggle with identity and security is not so different from our own. Marji’s experiences of making friends and understanding political changes, as well as her quest for independence and respect are universal themes to which readers of all ages will relate.

Visually, PERSEPOLIS is a marvelous spin on the traditional memoir. The graphic layout offers a genre for young readers who still crave visual references at an age when other illustrated books may appear childish. The images give a youthful quality to some difficult subjects, yet the novel remains sophisticated in its simple, organized presentation.

Favorite line
“I tell you all this because it’s important that you know. Our family memory must not be lost. Even if it’s not easy for you, even if you don’t understand it all.”

KEM Diamond
MGrayMARRAS’ TAKE
Because this graphic memoir lives up to its genre, PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD makes a riveting read for all middle grade through adult readers. In this, Satrapi relives her childhood in a country gone mad. Satrapi explains the complexities of war, politics, Iranian history, and culture through reflective but stark black and white comic strips. The absence of red, the color of gore and bloodshed, mercifully buffers readers from the unspeakable suffering inflicted by the Islāmic Revolution. The absence of censorship thwarts the aggrandizement of war. Satrapi’s humor serves as an unexpected encourager, prodding us forward with hope.

As a child, Marjane Satrapi desired to become a prophet. As a young adult she desired to become a revolutionary. In her own way, she accomplished both.

Favorite line
“It was funny to see how much Marx and God looked like each other. Though Marx’s hair was a bit curlier.”

GEMrub

Did you know that, pre-1979,  Iranian women and girls were free to dress as they chose? THECOMPLETEPERSEPOLISYoung adult and older readers enjoy The Complete Persepolis, which includes Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return.

If you’ve already read the story, I highly recommend watching The Complete Persepolis motion picture, winner of the Cannes Film Jury Prize in 2007.  Your heart will break for the plight of the Iranian people while you fall in love with Marjane, her colorful grandmother and her courageous family. The artistically exquisite movie provides a perfect summary and refresher after reading the two-part memoir.

INTERVIEW WITH MARJANE SATRAPI

Please share your Persepolis comments, too!

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN

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“One day, a still day when the hot air hummed, the humans came.”
~ Ivan, page 128 in THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN

THEONEANDONLYIVAN600 IVANBACKCOVERMiddle Grade/Chapter Book Fiction
Age Range: 8-12 years
Grade Level: 3-7
HarperCollins Publishers
Text copyright © 2012 by Katherine Applegate
Illustration copyright ©  2012 by Patricia Castelao

AWARDS

2013 Newbery Medal
2012 Christopher Medal
Gold Medal in Juvenile Literature 2012 California Book Award
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 2013 Crystal Kite Award Winner
#1 New York Times bestseller
School Library Journal Best of Children’s Books 2012
Kirkus Reviews Best of Children’s Books 2012
Amazon 2012 Best Books of the Year
Middle Grade Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2012
New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading and Sharing
2012 Cybils shortlist
2012 middle grade fantasy (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards)
Texas Bluebonnet Award, 2013-14 Master List

2012 Nerdies Book Award, middle grade fiction
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review, School Library Journal
Starred Review, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

WHY THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN IS A KEM GEM

KKRISTI’S TAKE
Grab the box of tissue. THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, inspired by a real gorilla named Ivan, will change your perspective, forever! In this illustrated novel told from the point-of-view of Ivan himself, Katherine Applegate has taken the tried and true, “when a stranger comes to town” plot, and authentically created heartache, humor and heroics. Ivan, in and of himself, is remarkable; he creates art. When Ivan meets Ruby, a needy baby elephant, he confronts his fears in order to help his peers. This reflective story about a silverback gorilla’s humanity has a silver lining that will leave you shining.

Like the novel, Patricia Castelao’s drawings are extraordinary, simple, yet, sophisticatedly rendered.

Favorite line
“Someday, I hope I can draw the way Julia draws, imagining worlds that don’t yet exist.”

KEM Sapphire
EELISE’S TAKE
Katherine Applegate of ANIMORPHS fame has a reputation for weaving humans and animals in unique ways. Her latest narrative combines human emotion and dialogue into the lives of a great silverback and his unlikely collection of friends in the Big Top Mall. Applegate incites sympathy for every one of these characters, not just the indicted performers. We learn to see that the stray dog, the janitor and his daughter, and even the animal trainer have both good intentions and their own personal heartbreaks.

Through quiet, bite-sized chapters, we experience these relationships, the losses each individual has suffered, and the hopes he or she clings to. Although each vignette is packed with emotion and sensory detail, each is also concise enough for readers to digest a little or a lot in one sitting, perfect for a reluctant or busy reader.

Favorite line
“Because she remembers everything, Stella knows many stories. I like colorful tales with black beginnings and stormy middles and cloudless blue-sky endings. But any story will do.”

KEM Diamond
MGrayMARRAS’ TAKE
This fictional treasure, based on the captivity of Ivan, a real-life silverback, evokes compassion and empathy for all creatures, great and small.

The extra white space formatting of Applegate’s thoughtful text and Castelao’s moving illustrations calls readers into a deeper contemplation of Ivan’s lonely and desperate experience. This gorilla memoir made me feel the bankruptcy of the collapsing infrastructure and the human flaws and frailties surrounding Ivan and his companions. I cheered for Ivan while he thrived as a primate art prodigy and again, when he rediscovered his true nature as protector.

I’m a better human for having experienced life through Ivan’s eyes.

Thanks to Katherine Applegate and Patricia Castelao for following their creative natures to assemble this poignant story of love and self-worth.

Favorite line
“Humans always smell odd when a change is in the air.  Like rotten meat, with a hint of papaya.”

GEMrub

The One And Only Ivan Book Trailer by Katherine Applegate

Please share your One and Only Ivan comments, too!

B J Brilliant

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Someone once said “A picture book without pictures is like the Pips without Gladys Knight.”

BJ Novak proved this wrong.

HEN HAD HER HAM

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HENHADHERHAMEarly Reader

Age Range:
3-6 years

Reading Level A:
Preschool-Kindergarten

Published by
McGraw-Hill School Division

Text copyright
© 2003 Meish Goldish

Illustration copyright
© 2003 Andy San Diego


WHY HEN HAD HER HAM IS A KEM GEM

KKRISTI’S TAKE
In HEN HAD HER HAM, Meish Goldish constructs a sequentially ordered recipe for learning new words. A simple sentence structure feeds the reader with clear, consistent cues that help build vocabulary, one layer at a time, just like making a sandwich. And like every good recipe, Goldish has the perfect balance of sugar and spice, stacking this leveled book with silly surprises that mix whimsy into what can otherwise be a frustrating experience; learning to read.  Andy San Diego’s illustrations of the only character in the story, the hen, are equally filled with sugar and spice. The hen’s facial expressions encourage a beginning reader as they struggle to make phonetic sounds. The true gem of this book is that it combines consistency with silliness.

Favorite line
“Hot peppers? HOT! HOT! HOT!”

KEM Sapphire


EELISE’S TAKE
This easy reader is a splendid reminder of where we all started. Using one and two-syllable words, Goldish takes us through a simple action done by a simple character. San Diego’s no-nonsense illustrations provide some direction, but they are by no means a crutch for a young reader. The gross factor in Hen’s choice of condiments will keep kids turning pages until the end reveals a slight shift in both text and illustrations. Hen’s final condiment is her undoing as she bites into her meal. Hen and her sandwich are a fun and silly way for new readers to meet milestones in literacy and know the triumph of completing an entire book.

Favorite line
“Hen had her ham with grape jelly.”

KEM Diamond


MGrayMARRAS’ TAKE
In HEN HAD HER HAM, Meish Goldish’s funny word sandwiches stimulate the appetites of new readers. Illustrator Andy San Diego’s  adventurous, googly-eyed  protagonist educates via giggle-inducing entertainment.

HEN HAD HER HAM taught my youngest granddaughter that she can read–and read well. Our early reader’s confidence has grown to the point that she typically re-reads HEN’S story until A) she gets hungry, or B) a grownup hides the book to keep their eyes from glossing over.

I can particularly identify with Hen because her tongue sticks out when she concentrates; like mine, as I write this. And I’m wondering why San Diego didn’t draw her some milk to follow that surprise ending. Water’s not going to help.

Our copy is a little bent, but if you ever want to borrow HEN HAD HER HAM, I know a little girl who would read it to you.

GEMrub

 Please share your HEN HAD HER HAM comments, too!

Autism and Disney

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“I am not the hero. I am the sidekick. I help others fulfill their destiny.'” ~ Owen Suskind

To those in the business of creating stories for children, your work has the power to impact lives in ways you’ve probably never imagined. In Life, Animated, a memoir, Pulitzer Prize-winning Ron Suskind shared how Disney movies provided the key that unlocked his autistic son from a prison of silence. Suskind’s book led CBS Sunday Morning to feature a report on this remarkable family by 60 Minutes journalist Leslie Stahl.

Watch “Breaking through autism with Disney movies“, produced by Sari Aviv and edited by David Ehagat. It’ll make your day.

Thank you, Ron and Cornelia Suskind, for raising the bar on parenting; to Owen Suskind, a hero in my book, for celebrating quality children’s stories with others; and to CBS Sunday Morning, for drawing attention to this positive and enlightening story!

Studies show that autism afflicts 1 out of 68 children in the U.S. – up 30 percent from 2013. Learn more about animation’s effect on this disorder through the official Life, Animated website.

BINK & GOLLIE

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BINKNGOLLIEEarly Chapter Book Fiction

Age Range:
6-9 years

Grade Level: 1-4

Published by Candlewick Press

Text Copyright © 2010 by Kate DiCamillo  and Alison McGhee

Illustrations © 2010 by Tony Fucile

 

 

AWARDS

2011 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
Starred review in Publisher’s Weekly
Starred review in Kirkus Review

WHY BINK & GOLLIE IS A KEM GEM

KKRISTI’S TAKE
Kate, Alison & Tony have struck gold!  And like gold, it’s all about the chemistry between Bink & Gollie.  There’s nothing more LOL than an ODD couple, especially when they journey into the essentials of every friendship: compromise, support and adventure.

I admire the way Tony has taken the unspoken, yet opaquely obvious dissimilarities between Bink & Gollie to an extreme by taking the time to illustrate even the finest details of a well placed hair bow or an untied shoe.  The size, tidiness and gestures are in constant contradiction.  Even the incidental characters leap from the page, both from the eager dialogue Kate and Alison have written as well as from the distant gaze, mouthfuls of popcorn or curled fins that are sketched.  This early reader fiction will delight readers of all ages, at all times.  And for this, I am certain, as even my nine and 11 year old admitted to their fondness of BINK & GOLLIE, and believe me, it’s not cool to admit you love a book your capabilities have exceeded, unless, it’s truly a GEM!

Favorite line
“It’s a compromise bonanza.”

KEM Sapphire

EELISE’S TAKE
While not catalogued in my library’s picture book section, the three stories in BINK & GOLLIE are picture books in the truest sense. Picture books celebrate a perfect marriage of image and text. Tony Fucile’s faux pen-and-ink illustrations don’t just give us these two loveable characters and their homes. They also carry us through scene changes (both real and imaginary), and all three times they complete the story with a wordless image.

While Fucile sets a high standard, McGhee and DiCamillo show they can keep up with the text’s witty back-and-forth dialogue. They rightfully leave all of the narration to Fucile’s linework and allow the girls’ personalities to shine through hilarious conversations.

Favorite lines
 “Hello Gollie,” said Bink.”Do I smell pancakes?”

“You do not,” said Gollie.

“Will I smell pancakes?” said Bink.

KEM Diamond


MGrayMARRAS’ TAKE
Sweet synergy! The magic in this book came in threes:  three phenomenal friends created three subtly silly chapters for three times the fun.

BINK & GOLLIE delivers distinctive characters that reach out and grab hearts through intentionally sparse, yet plump and lively text. Fucile’s illustrations capture DiCamillo and McGhee’s real-life essence and charm–compatible and interesting, because they are different. They ARE BINK & GOLLIE in Fucile’s BINK & GOLLIE world. Fucile comes to life in the observant, scene-watching fish, Fred. We, the readers, can enter the pages through Fred, too, for a sweet, unpredictable ride.

DiCamillo and McGhee prove how the savviest writers leave ample room for the illustrator. Through trust, they were able to give BINK & GOLLIE more of themselves than they ever could have imagined.

Favorite lines
 “Fish know nothing of longing,” said Gollie.
“Some fish do,” said Bink. “Some fish long.”

GEMrub

Award-winning Disney and Pixar illustrator Tony Fucile helped bring LION KING, RATATOUILLE, and THE INCREDIBLES to life. Both DiCamillo and McGhee are New York Times best-selling authors; and McGhee, a Pulitzer Prize nominee. 

2010 Minneapolis Star Tribune article featuring Bink & Gollie

Please share your BINK & GOLLIE comments, too!

MICK HARTE WAS HERE

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MICKHARTEWASHEREMiddle Grade Fiction

Age Range: 8-12 years

Grade Level: 3-7

Published by Yearling, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books

Copyright © 1995 by Barbara Park

Cover photo © 2006 by Michael Price/Veer

 

 


WHY MICK HARTE WAS HERE IS A KEM GEM

KKRISTI’S TAKE
MICK HARTE is an example of Barbara Park’s great wisdom; she takes an awful outcome and creates a beautiful story about a fully dimensional 12 year-old boy.  It is difficult to start a novel with the death of a boy, a sibling, a friend….unless, he’s a prankster. Mick’s trouble-making ways get you laughing from the start.  His strong-will and propensity to tease kept me laughing, even though I was grieving right along with his polar-opposite sister, Phoebe.  It is not until Phoebe shares her frustration about losing something that will never be returned, that I truly felt the weight of Mick’s death, right in the gut.  But Barbara saved me, with utter wisdom, by suggesting that Phoebe, “Put him everywhere, why don’t you?”, just like God’s presence.

Barbara Park has aptly woven a story of past and present, through recollections of a boy’s relationship with his cowboy dog, Wocket; a mail carrier; a florist deliverer and a school assembly.  MICK HARTE WAS HERE will stick with me, like printed letters in cement.

KEM Sapphire
EELISE’S TAKE
One of my favorite aspects of Barbara Park’s writing is her ability to observe, and then word those observations in such a way that each reader can relate. Even in harsh, unfamiliar territory, such as the painful, sudden loss of a young loved one, we have a companion in Park’s characters.

Having lost a dear friend at age 15, I experienced first-hand Phoebe Harte’s emotions and questions. Zoe Santos was also a reminder of the priceless sympathy of a best friend.

Phoebe’s story is not only helpful for young readers needing assurance that they’re not alone in their grief. Its insights are poignantly enlightening for those who have thus far remained unscathed by the death of a peer.

Favorite lines
Zo picked up on the first ring. “H’lo?”

I didn’t say anything. She knew it was me, though. Me and Zoe sort of have a psychic thing going, sometimes.

“Phoebe?”

I nodded.

“You okay?” she asked.

I took a shaky breath. “No.”

She came right over.

KEM Diamond


MGrayMARRAS’ TAKE
When discussing favorite children’s books, my Black Sheep memoir friend, Davis, a drug addiction counselor, said his was the fictional middle grade novel, MICK HARTE WAS HERE. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the 1995 treasure was written by the author of the beloved JUNIE B. JONES series, recently deceased Barbara Park.

Park wrote this conversational story with such heart and humor, I’d swear narrator Phoebe Harte really was Park’s 13-year-old self. As a storyteller, Park knew and loved her audience. She tackled the complex subject of death candidly, yet compassionately, without being overdramatic or condescendingly romantic about the deceased person’s life. We felt Phoebe’s pain and we marveled in her hope. MICK HARTE WAS HERE is the perfect writer’s resource  on how to be real. I can see why it was Davis’ favorite.

Favorite lines
But I can still remember the exact conversation I had with Santa Claus when I was in kindergarten.

He said, “Ho ho ho.”

I said, “Your breath smells.”

And he said, “Get down.”

GEMrub

EXCERPT FROM MICK HARTE WAS HERE

I don’t want to make you cry.
I just want to tell you about a story about Mick.
But I thought you should know right up front that he’s not here anymore.
I just thought that would be fair.

This recommendation is our tribute to Barbara Park who died of cancer November 15, 2013.

Please, share your MICK HARTE WAS HERE comments, too!

CLEMENTINE

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CLEMENTINECover

Middle Grade
Fiction

Age Range:
7-10 years

Grade Level:
2 – 5

Published by
Disney-Hyperion Books

Text © 2006
by Sara Pennypacker

Illustrated © 2006
by Marla Frazee

 

 

AWARDS

A New York Times Bestseller
2008 Rhode Island Children’s Book Award (Grades 3-6)
2008 William Allen White Children’s Book Award – KS (Grades 3-5)
2007 Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Winner
2008 Great Lakes Great Books Award Winner
Winner of the 2007 Josette Frank Book Award (Bank Street College Book Committee)
Winner of the 2007 Sid Fleishman Award (SCBWI.org)
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2006
A 2006 Child Magazine Best Book of the Year
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
A 2006 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A 2006 National Parenting Publication Gold Award Winner
A Book Sense Winter 2006-2007 Children’s Top Ten Pick
A 2006 Nick Jr. Family Magazine’s Best Book of the Year
A Miami Herald Best Book of the Year 2006

WHY CLEMENTINE IS A KEM GEM

K KRISTI’S TAKE
Clementine always has “great ideas popping into her head.”  She’s like a balloon, exalted up, and then POP, life deflates and she’s back to square one.  Sara Pennypacker brilliantly invites the reader to share Clementine’s ups and downs, by showing the reader how the precocious Clementine thinks, through detailed action that is followed by the protagonist’s reflection.

If I had to draw a balloon to depict Clementine, it’d be orange. The balloon would have a happy face drawn with “sparkle glitter paint” on one side and a sad face on the opposite side, drawn in permanent Red marker.  Around the entire drawing would be a window for the reader to look through.

I am in awe of Marla Frazee’s ability to capture Clementine’s energy. Her fine-lined sketches convey curiosity with a wrinkle in a shirt, swirl of a lock and lift of a brow. She makes the impossible look easy.KEM Sapphire
EELISE’S TAKE
CLEMENTINE felt like catching up with an old friend. I, too, had an oh-so-perfect neighbor girl, an “easy” younger sibling, an artist mom, and a dad who dealt with pesky animals* and their splat.

Sara Pennypacker’s descriptions give readers a colorful, hilarious view of Clementine’s world, and her daily, eight-year-old antics and frustrations.

Marla Frazee’s pen and ink drawings offer a visual treat on nearly every page. Her clean, graphic line carries Clementine’s energy through the story and, as with all of Frazee’s work, looks like she just whipped it up over breakfast.

This gem, just published in 2008, has the classic charm of a book that has already stood the test of time.

*Ours were cattle, not pigeons.

Favorite line
“Then we just sat there together watching the pigeons flock back to our building for the night. We listened to them cooing above us, sounding like a million old ladies with secrets.”KEM Diamond


MGrayMARRAS’ TAKE
Spectacularful!

Writer friend Melissa quoted Clementine at a recent meet-up: “Someone should tell you not to answer the phone in the principal’s office, if that’s a rule.” Admiration spittle (mine) dribbled on my manuscript.

Sara Pennypacker created a believable, delightful protagonist in a universe where “Go for Wok?” leads to a sibling bonding ritual and magic marker heals hair disasters. Clementine’s thoughtful distractions  amuse and disarm people of all ages–even her best friend’s older brother–a formidable feat for a third grader.

Marla Frazee’s wit and talent complements Sara’s.  Her personality-packed illustrations lift Clementine to a whole new level of cute.

Favorite line
“… I carried the kittens into the bathroom and looked around until I found them beautiful names. Flouride and Laxative went to live with people who answered the Free Kittens, Hurry! ad my dad put in the paper …”GEMrub

BOOK TRAILER (by Briana Bancroft)

Please, share your CLEMENTINE comments, too!

2014-KEM GEMS debut

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Happy New Year!

Would you like to grow as a children’s book writer in 2014? If so, bestselling children’s book author, Sara Pennypacker, shares three tips for doing so:

  1. Read
  2. Write
  3. Pay Attention

Our KEM (Kristi, Elise, and Marlys) writer’s group has taken this advice to heart. We have committed to meshing the three goals by 1. reading more children’s literature and 2. selecting a stand-out children’s book (KEM GEM) to write about and recommend every month, 3. paying attention to what makes our selection a GEM and inviting our friends, like you, to post your comments, so we can learn together.

Our children’s book selections will come from these genres:

  • Picture Book
  • Chapter Book
  • Middle Grade
  • Young Adult

If you’d like to accompany us on this learning adventure, our first KEM GEM post will debut January 15, 2014, and continue on the 15th of every month, giving you time to read along and compose your own comments.

Mark your calendars for the 15th of each month to join in on the fun. You can share your book feedback  in the pertaining month’s KEM GEM Comment Section (150 words or less). (January 15 there will be a drop down to click on the Clementine‘s page.)

Spread the word. You don’t have to be a writer or illustrator or an adult to participate. You just have to love children’s literature. We’re excited to read, write, and pay attention with you!