Spotlight on Exquisite Corpse Adventure Contributor Gregory Maguire

Attention Gregory Maguire fans! Have you been reading The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?! If not, be sure  to check it out on Read.Gov where you can find Maguire's engaging contributions -- Episode 5 and Episode 18 -- to this fun and quirky tale. In Episode 18, "The Regional Conference," the young protagonists Nancy and Joe discover the true form of the villains who have captured and trapped their parents in another dimension. Armed with this revelation, Nancy and Joe continue their journey to find and free their parents. Will this family ever be reunited? Keep reading to find out! Episode 25 is the most recent episode to go live on Read.Gov. 

Gregory Maguire is the author of six novels for adults (including “Wicked,”  the inspiration for the Broadway musical of the same name) and several dozen children’s books, most recently “What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy.”

Maguire is a co-founder and co-director of Children’s Literature New England Inc., an educational charity whose mission is to raise public awareness of the significance of literature in the lives of children. In addition to teaching at and helping to direct the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons College, he was a founding board member of The Foundation for Children’s Books and is an honorary board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. Additionally, he has served on Caldecott and National Book Award juries and has been a regular contributor to the “New York Times Book Review.”

Maguire’s recent works include “Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation” and “Matchless: A Christmas Story,” a work written originally for performance on "All Things Considered," Dec. 25, 2008, and in the Morrow edition illustrated by the author.

When not involved in advocacy for children and the arts or in writing, Maguire remembers he has three small children at home in Massachusetts, and regularly visits the public library in an obsessive and even devotional way. Some of Maguire's favorite books when he was in elementary school include The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and The Narnia Chronicles by C. S. Lewis.

Maguire's current work includes an original paperback novel for adults coming out this fall called The Next Queen of Heaven. Regarding other current work, Maguire has said, "I hope to supply my publisher the fourth and I think final volume of my series called THE WICKED YEARS, the working title of which is OUT OF OZ."

Look for Maguire's unique books at your favorite library or bookstore:

For more information about Gregory and his books, visit his website.

What is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

For those not in the know, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a series of episodes written and illustrated by famous children's authors and illustrators. Each author and illustrator inherits the story from the previous folks. It's like taking over a recipe in the middle, you need to understand what's gone into the stew so far and then add your own ingredients to make it hot and spicy! To catch up on all the exciting episodes, go to Read.gov.

And parents, teachers, and librarians be sure to check out the NCBLA's Exquisite Corpse Adventure Educational Resource Center for great ideas on how to turn The Exquisite Corpse Adventure into a great educational adventure!

The Final Episode Will Be Revealed at The National Book Festival on September 25
Join emcee Mary Brigid Barrett and Team Corpse authors and illustrators M.T. Anderson, Timothy Basil Ering, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson,  and James Ransome for an hour of fun and surprises as they bring you the conclusion to the rollicking, episodic story The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. Katherine Paterson, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, will lead her colleagues in a reader's theatre presentation of Episode 27, the FINAL episode, to conclude this yearlong adventure that began at last year’s National Book Festival. Be sure to join us in the Children's Pavilion on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. at 10:00 AM sharp to be among the first to learn the fate of Nancy and Joe and their friends! 

Read more about this year's book festival on the LOC's 2010 Book Festival website.

Sneak Peek: Episode 25 Goes Live Friday, August 27th!

Latest Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode Written by Jack Gantos!

In our last episode of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure 24 by Natalie Babbitt, Nancy, Joe, and Genius Kelly, the pig, traipsed through the woods in search of the shop that sold doors. They reached the shop and met the proprietor, Doris. At the mention of Nancy and Joe's surname, Sloppy, the backroom of the shop exploded with the sound of doors slamming over and over. A mysterious voice yelled at a closed blue door. Nancy inspected the door and found a brass mail slot with her father's initials on it. As she reached to open the blue door, the voice boomed that it would be the end of her if she tried.

In Episode 25 by Jack Gantos, what oozes out of the mail slot? Where does Genius Kelly go? What's up with Pirandello's door?

Read the Episode and see Chris Van Dusen's colorful illustrations at Read.gov!

A crop of Chris' Episode 25 illustration appears at top right.

Award winning author Jack Gantos writes picture books and middle grade and adult novels. He says the seeds for his writing career were planted in the sixth grade when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better. In high school he knew he would be a writer and in college began in earnest.

Check out Jack's books at your local library or bookstore.

For more information on Jack and his books, visit his website.

"Dr. Seuss and Robert McCloskey were my heroes," says author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen. "I loved the rhythm of Dr. Seuss' words and I was fascinated by the meticulous details of Robert McCloskey's illustrations. I had no idea back then that I'd end up writing and illustrating children's books when I grew up."

You can find examples of Chris' fun illustrations in Episode 1, Episode 5, Episode 9, Episode 13, Episode 17, and Episode 21.

Some of Chris' works include:

Visit Chris' website for more information on his books and illustrations.

ENJOY THE EPISODE!

Save the Dates for These Fall Literacy and Literature Events

Reading Is Fundamental Releases Results of Meta-Analytic Review

Shows Positive Effect of Book Distribution Programs on Education-Related Outcomes

 

Press Briefing to include in-depth review and discussion of the research on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 10:00-11:00 AM at the NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (529 14th Street, NW; Washington, DC 20045).

 

Reading Is Fundamental commissioned Learning Point Associates (an affiliate of American Institutes for Research) to conduct an intensive meta-analysis of research on education-related outcomes of children’s access to print materials. This near exhaustive study uncovered more than 11,000 research reports. After rigorous screening to determine inclusion in the full meta-analytic review, the final study included 108 reports of the most exacting data and topical relevance. Please contact Melissa Mills, mmills@rif.org, 202.536.3528, for more information.

National Book Festival

The 10th Annual National Book Festival, celebrating "A Decade of Words and Wonder," will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The 2010 National Book Festival will feature authors, poets and illustrators in several pavilions. Festivalgoers can meet and hear firsthand from their favorite authors, get books signed, have photos taken with PBS storybook characters and participate in a variety of activities. Some 130,000 book fans attended the festival of 2009.  Read more about this year's book festival on the LOC's 2010 Book Festival website.

Exquisite Corpse Adventure Authors and Illustrators to Open the Book Festival in Children's Pavilion

Join emcee Mary Brigid Barrett and Team Corpse authors and illustrators M.T. Anderson, Timothy Basil Ering, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson,  and James Ransome for an hour of fun and surprises as they bring you the conclusion to the rollicking, episodic story The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, available exclusively at www.Read.gov. Katherine Paterson, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, will read her episode that concludes this yearlong adventure that began at last year’s National Book Festival.

One-Day Colloquium at Simmons College

Join The Boston Globe–Horn Book Award–winning authors and illustrators, as well as their editors and the award judges, as they explore the unique collaborations that create children’s books.

Registration includes the full-day colloquium at Simmons College featuring speeches, breakout sessions, and panel discussions, as well as admittance to the 2010 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards ceremony and reception on Friday evening, October 1. Learn more at: www.hbook.com/hbas.

Panelists will include: Rebecca Stead, Fiction winner; Elizabeth Partridge, Nonfiction winner; Laurel Croza and Matt James, Picture book winners; John Burningham, Picture book honor book; Peter Sís, Fiction honor book illustrator; and Megan Whalen Turner, Fiction honor book.

2010 Children's Literature Festival at Keene State College

Join other children's literature enthusiasts at this year's Keene State College Children's Literature Festival on Saturday, October 30 at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire. Scheduled speakers at this year's festival will each give a one-hour presentation: Susan Cooper, Paul B. Janeczko, Marty Kelley, Chris Raschka, and Jeanette Winter. The authors' and illustrators' books will also be on sale throughout the day of the festival. Learn more at the Festival website.

Interview with Exquisite Corpse Authors and Illustrators!

An Interview with NCBLA Exquisite Corpse Adventure Contributor, Author Susan Cooper!!

Check out Episode 4 and Episode 17 of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure to read Susan's part in this fun story.

Newbery Medal winner Susan Cooper writes novels, picture books, chapter books, and screenplays for television and Broadway. In the world of children's literature, fantasy and Susan Cooper are synonymous. One only has to read her The Dark is Rising series to see how she magically weaves myths and legends into gripping tales.

The NCBLA coaxed Susan back into the real world to answer a few questions:

Q- What did you find to be the most challenging aspect of writing an episode for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

A-"I suppose the most challenging aspect was the one that was also the most fun - the fact of having absolutely no control over what happened to the characters before the start of my episode, or after it. The second time around was even more fun than the first, because so much outrageous stuff had happened to them in between. And the second time offered extra challenges because I felt I should go back to Jon S's (Scieszka) list of forthcoming events and characters mentioned in his first episode and try to pick up some that we hadn't yet dealt with. The whole thing was a blast, and I hope it's been enjoyable to read - though it does probably prove that a truly coherent novel is best written by a single author."

Q-What were some of your favorite books when you were in elementary school?

A-"I was in elementary school A VERY LONG TIME AGO, and in England. I loved The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Kipling's Jungle Book, the Just So Stories, and Kim E. Nesbit's fantasies, The Five Children and It, The Phoenix and The Carpet, and non-fantasy, The Railway Children (these three were very old-fashioned even then, but are still worth reading). And most of all, everything by my favorite author, Arthur Ransome, stories about children and boats, from Swallows and Amazons all the way to Great Northern? My American children loved them too. When they grew up and left home, my son Jon carried off my childhood set, so I wailed to a secondhand bookseller friend in England and she found me substitutes. There they sit on my shelf, all twelve of them, in the original green bindings."

Q-What are you working on now? Do you have a new book coming out this year?

A-"Candlewick will be publishing a book I've written about the singer/director/author John Longstaff in 2011. I've been writing a novel (for 10 year olds, I imagine - it's the publishers who decide that) for the past two years and am just finishing it, so it probably won't come out till 2011 either. It jumps from the 17th century to the present day and is written in the first person by a Native American boy, which is either very courageous of me or very rash - perhaps both! Neither book yet has a title: I always have trouble with titles. The novel, I suppose, will be Simon & Schuster (McElderry) over here and Random House (Bodley Head) in the UK, as usual."

Look for Susan's intriguing books at your favorite bookstore or library.

For more information about Susan and her books, visit her website.

What is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

For those not in the know, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a series of episodes written by famous children's authors and illustrators. Each author and illustrator inherits the story from the previous folks. It's like taking over a recipe in the middle, you need to understand what's gone into the stew so far and then add your own ingredients to make it hot and spicy! To catch up on all the exciting episodes, go to Read.gov.

And parents, teachers, and librarians, be sure to check out the NCBLA's Exquisite Corpse Adventure Educational Resource Center for great ideas on how to turn The Exquisite Corpse Adventure into a great education adventure.

National Book Festival Scheduled for September 25, 2010

Meet Your Favorite Authors and Illustrators for Children, Teens, and Adults

The 10th Annual National Book Festival, celebrating "A Decade of Words and Wonder," will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The National Book Festival was first held in 2001 and was attended by about 30,000 people. It has grown in popularity over the past decade and in 2009 attracted approximately 130,000 lovers of books and reading. The National Book Festival and the Library’s reading-promotion programs are featured on the website Read.gov.

The 2010 National Book Festival will feature authors, poets and illustrators in several pavilions. Festivalgoers can meet and hear firsthand from their favorite authors, get books signed, have photos taken with PBS storybook characters and participate in a variety of activities. Some 130,000 book fans attended the festival of 2009.  Read more about this year's book festival on the LOC's 2010 Book Festival website. 

Exquisite Corpse Adventure Authors and Illustrators to Open the Festival in Children's Pavilion

Join emcee Mary Brigid Barrett and Team Corpse authors and illustrators M.T. Anderson, Timothy Basil Ering, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson,  and James Ransome for an hour of fun and surprises as they bring you the conclusion to the rollicking, episodic story The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, available exclusively at www.Read.gov. Katherine Paterson, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, will read her episode that concludes this yearlong adventure that began at last year’s National Book Festival.

Last year's Book Festival featured Team Corpse members Kate DiCamillo, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Steven Kellogg, Megan McDonald, and Jon Scieszka.  Watch the video of this talented group discussing their experiences in writing The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.

Vote for TEAM CORPSE!

The Library of Congress invites readers of all ages to vote for their favorite book festival authors. Exquisite Corpse Adventure fans please be sure to vote for Team Corpse! Visit  http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/

and select the Vote for Your Favorite Author link, which appears at the bottom left of the page. Click the letter "E" to find the Exquisite Corpse Adventure.

2010 National Book Festival poster (featured at top right) created by Peter Ferguson. 

Sneak Peek: Episode 24 Goes Live Friday, August 13th!

Latest Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode Written by Natalie Babbitt

In our last episode of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure 23 written by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Nancy, Joe, and Genius Kelly the pig consulted their directional-toe arrows and realized they had to go back to the beginning of the adventure, back to the train wreck. Their fellow travelers, Roberta the Robot, Hathi, Sybil the misfortune-teller, and Angel remained behind. After a discussion with some wolves, Nancy learned that Pirandello, the railway safety man, had possession of Roberta's missing head and a door. Pirandello traded the head for a chapter in the Exquisite Corpse Adventure, but refused to give up the door.

In Episode 24 by Natalie Babbitt, what do Nancy, Joe, and Genius Kelly find in the woods? Who is Doris? What's making all the noise? What's up with the blue door?

Read the Episode and see Timothy Basil Ering's colorful illustrations at Read.gov!

A crop of Timothy's Episode 24 illustration appears at top right.

Award-winning author and illustrator Natalie Babbitt has been delighting readers for years with her picture books and novels. She says about her writing, "I write for children because I am interested in fantasy and the possibilities for experience of all kinds before the time of compromise."

Check out her books at your local library or bookstore.

Author and illustrator Timothy Basil Ering says of his illustrations for Kate DiCamillo's Tale of Despereaux, "My mother may have been a mouse in her past life...The illustrations I've done of Despereaux Tilling are, in a way, my tribute to her." A funny and talented guy, Timothy writes and illustrates picture books and novels. Check out his whimiscal and imaginative illustrations in previous Exquisite Corpse Adventures in Episode 4, Episode 8, Episode 12, Episode 16, and Episode 20.

Some of Timothy's works include:

Visit Timothy's website for more information on his books and illustrations!

ENJOY THE EPISODE!

Proof That Kids Benefit from Summer Reading Programs!

Dominican University Library School Releases Study on Impact of Summer Reading Programs

Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) released the results of a three-year national study on the effectiveness of summer reading programs offered by public libraries across the country. The study, conducted in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning, was funded through a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

According to the study results, students who participated in public library summer reading programs scored higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the next school year than those students who did not participate. In addition, there were additional benefits for students who participated in the public library summer reading program: they did not experience summer reading loss and began the next school year with more confidence. 

“Public librarians have been under pressure from federal, state, and private funders to prove that tax dollars spent on summer reading programs yield a valuable return on investment,” said Dr. Susan Roman, dean of Dominican University’s GSLIS and the project administrator for the study. “This study definitively shows that summer reading programs play a significant role in preventing summer reading loss and that public libraries provide an important bridge between academic years. Based on the study’s findings, it is also clear that investing more resources in summer reading programs especially in economically depressed areas can contribute to closing the achievement gap that is plaguing our country.”

The Dominican University study provides a rigorous quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the impact of public library summer reading programs on summer reading loss through the examination of students from large and small communities in rural, urban and suburban areas during the summer between third and fourth grade. The study pays particular attention to students from low-income families. 

Students completing third grade and entering fourth grade were specifically selected for the study because this grade appears to be a transitional year from learning to read to reading to learn. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, less than one-third of U.S. fourth graders meet the proficient standard; in fact, over 85 percent of students in high-poverty schools fail to reach the proficient level.

Founded in 1930, Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science is one of the nation’s premier master’s degree-granting programs. The school inaugurated a PhD program in 2009. For more information, please visit the website at www.dom.edu/academics/gslis or call (708) 524-6845.

Download a PDF file of the complete study at:

http://www.dom.edu/academics/gslis/downloads/DOM_IMLS_book_2010_FINAL_web.pdf

Dominican University's  Butler Children's Literature Center, together with Dominican University's School of Library Science and School of Education, are educational partners in the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance and Library of Congress Exquisite Corpse Adventure. Susan Roman, Dean of  Dominican University's School of Library Science, has been an honored educational and library adviser to the NCBLA since its founding.

Interview with Exquisite Corpse Adventure Authors and Illustrators!

An Interview with NCBLA Exquisite Corpse Adventure Contributor, Illustrator Chris Van Dusen!

Chris Van Dusen began his career as a freelance illustrator specializing in art for children and then migrated to writing for them as well. His rhyming books are fun, colorful, and a must read aloud for all kids. Thanks for taking the leap!

Check out Episode 1, Episode 5, Episode 9, Episode 13, Episode 17, and Episode 21 of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure to view Chris' illustrations.

We pulled Chris away from his latest creation to ask a few questions:

Q-What did you find to be the most challenging aspect of illustrating an episode for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

A-"With each illustration, I try to intrigue the reader by showing an event from that episode, something that will entice them to read the story. The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is an interesting mix of humor, mystery, and sometimes even horror, so I try to convey the mood of the episode in the picture as well. What I find challenging is keeping the artwork consistent. When I work on one of my own books, I make sure the characters and settings look the same throughout the book. But when you're working with three other illustrators, keeping things consistent is almost impossible, so I've decided to let that go. By the way, I love all of their work and I look forward to seeing what they come up with for each episode."

Q-What were some of your favorite books when you were in elementary school?

A-"Since I was drawing all the time, I naturally loved picture books. On Beyond Zebra by Dr. Seuss, Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man by Robert McCloskey, and The Tall Book of Make-Believe illustrated by Garth Williams were some of my favorites. The first chapter book I remember reading just for fun was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming."

Q-What are you working on now? Do you have a new book coming out this year?

A-"I'm currently working on the illustrations for a book I wrote about an arrogant little king which will be out next Fall (2011). It's a fairy tale with a really funny twist. The book I have coming out this year is another adventure with my first character, Mr. Magee. It's called Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee."

Look for Chris' wonderful books at your favorite bookstore or library.

For more information about Chris' books and illustrations, visit his website.

What is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

For those not in the know, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a series of episodes written and illustrated by famous children's authors and illustrators. Each author and illustrator inherits the story from the previous folks. It's like taking over a recipe in the middle, you need to understand what's gone into the stew so far and then add your own ingredients to make it hot and spicy! To catch up on all the exciting episodes, go to Read. Gov.

And parents, teachers, and librarians be sure to check out the NCBLA's Exquisite Corpse Adventure Educational Resource Center for great ideas on how to turn The Exquisite Corpse Adventure into a great educational adventure, now featuring our Summer Adventures Treasure Chest!

Presidential Weddings: NCBLA's Our White House:Looking In, Looking Out!

Chelsea Clinton Latest in Long Line of President's Kids' Weddings! 

 
Parents and Teachers - Use Presidential Weddings as a Great Segue Topic to Interest Your Kids and Teens in American History!

The above illustration crop of President Grover Cleveland and his bride Frances Folsom is by Nancy Carpenter from the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance publication Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, created to promote literacy and historical literacy!

The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance purposely included "life style" and human interest stories in Our White House:Looking In, Looking Out, because we know that some kids need to be enticed into reading history and nonfiction! Some young people,and some adults as well,  need the lure of romance to become interested in presidential history, so in Our White House we included a piece by award winning author Jennifer Armstrong, on the wedding of President Grover Cleveland to the young and very beautiful Frances Folsom. Read it aloud to the star struck romantics in your family, and then share other "style" pieces with your kids and teens, too-- like sections on presidential pets, White House security and spies, behind the scenes sketches of the White House, White House ghosts, and so much more, all beautifully illustrated by our nation's most talented illustrators!

Find out more about Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out at http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/thebook.html  and be sure to check out these information pages on ourwhitehouse.org:

http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/webexc.html

http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/owhplus.html

 

The Horn Book Starred Review

“With something for adults and children alike is the sumptuous new anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. . . . The contributors are all luminaries of the children’s book field. A fascinating, eminently browsable, and accessible entrance into the People’s House.”

Order a copy of the NCBLA's  national award-winning book, Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out at your favorite bookstore, and ask for it at your local library, too!

• 2009-2010 National Endowment for the Humanities We the People “Picturing America”
  Bookshelf Award  
• 2009 American Library Association’s Great Web Sites for Kids
• 2009 American Library Association Notable Children’s Book for All Ages, Nonfiction
• 2009 National Council for Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
• 2009 International Reading Association Teachers’ Choices Booklist Selection
• Amazon.com Best Books of 2008 Top 10 Editors’ Pick for Middle Readers
• Parents’ Choice Foundation Recommended Book Award, Fall 2008
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year 2008
• The Horn Book Fanfare, Best Books of 2008
• Publisher’s Weekly 2008 Best Books of the Year, Children’s Nonfiction
• Publishers Weekly 2008 Cuffie Award,Best Nonfiction Treatment of a Subject, Honorable Mention
• Scripps-Howard News Service Favorite Children's Book of 2008