1
The McConnell Center was lucky enough to interview Vanessa Purdom this month. We interviewed Vanessa about her new book The Caramel Apple Election. Vanessa is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. The Caramel Apple Election is her first book. It centers on teaching children basic concepts about voting and the importance it plays in our society. You can buy Vanessa’s book at http://bit.ly/ VanessaPurdom or at Joseph Beth. The book also has a homepage at, www.caramelappleelection.com, where you can find ideas about holding your own mock election and resources to help with lesson planning. What was your biggest motivation for becoming a children’s author?
My two daughters, Anna (11) and Savanna (8), have been my biggest motivation. When the girls were younger, one of our favorite things to do was to create stories, out loud, together. I would set the scene and then we would take turns adding our own unique parts to the adventure. I also really enjoyed reading when I was a child and wanted to instill a love of literacy in my girls. Writing this book was sort of the next story in our long line of creative story adventures. What inspired you to write a children’s book about voting and elections? The idea was born when I was volunteering in my daughter’s first grade classroom. There was a really negative campaign in our town and I had heard some negative comments from the 6 year olds. I wanted to counter the negative comments, (that kids were obvious-
Vanessa Purdom
Upcoming McConnell Center Events
McConnell Conference Poster Sessions
Author Spotlight
McConnell Conference
100 Best-Ever Teen Novels
Good Enough to Eat
SLIS CATS meeting
Connecting with Characters Contest
September is Hispanic Heritage Month
Student Section
On the Blog and in the Center
About the Center
2
ly hearing from “Mom & Dad”) with a fun and positive voting and election activity. I searched the internet for books that told a story about voting and found nothing for elementary aged kids. At that point, I decided to turn my apple election classroom activity into a children’s book about voting and elections. What will children love most about your new book The Caramel Apple Election? Kids love the idea of a book that includes a snack, in combination with a fun learning activity. Each year during the fall, kids will look forward to an apple election in their classrooms and communities. They also really love the “I Voted” Sticker templates in the back of the book and searching for the eagles on almost every page of the book. It is so much fun to watch the kids get excited anticipating the announcement of the winner of the caramel apple election. Do you believe your time at the University of Kentucky influenced your decision to become an author? Were there specific classes or events that occurred during your time at UK that solidified your desire to write? Absolutely! I would have never ventured to Lexington or survived UK, if it wasn’t for Emmett “Buzz” Burnam and Joyce Beatty. Buzz ventured over 170 miles to my small high school in Greenville, Kentucky to talk to my school about UK. Ms. Beatty was a spectacular mentor and made me feel like the sky was the limit, in terms of my ability and the opportunities that a degree from UK would avail. When I decided to pursue my BS in Communications at UK, I found non-stop encouragement and support from Drs. Harrington and Lane. I was especially interested in the research and writing courses offered by the College of Communications. If I had not been accepted to law school, I would have certainly pursued a doctorate in Communications. Last but not least was Dr. Kenneth Foon. I worked as a clinical trials coordinator at the UK Markey Cancer Center for several years. Dr. Foon gave me a chance to pursue a wonderful career in cancer research. I journaled my experience working with investigational therapies and cancer patients, often reflecting on the brilliance and compassion exhibited by Dr. Foon. Thinking about this question and reflecting on all the people that shaped my experience and desire to write, brought back memories of my English professors at UK. I still remember Rhonda Seabolt, my ENG102 teacher. She had flaming orange hair and flaming red lipstick and the ability to inspire lots and lots of creativity. What is the most important concept about voting that you would like your audience to grasp? That democracy is not a spectator sport. If you want to make your voice heard, get involved in the voting and election process. Within the book, children are not only voting in the caramel apple election, they are having a discourse about the concepts, volunteering to help with the election and witnessing that their vote really made a difference in the election. It’s great that your book is easy to buy on amazon (http://bit.ly/VanessaPurdom). Are there any plans in the future for an e-book version? Yes, my publisher and illustrator have been discussing the steps and formatting necessary to proceed with an e -book. We all realize that pursuing this format is another great way to give the public access to the book.
3
September 6 at 6:00 p.m. SLIS CATS meeting http://bit.ly/SLISCATSMeeting September 29 at 7:00 p.m. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth http://bit.ly/ MiseducationofCameronPost
Please RSVP on our Facebook pages or the new form found here for these events so we know approximately how many are coming or if we need to reschedule. ~Thanks!
October 1 at 4:30 p.m. Good Enough to Eat: Come Devour a Banned Book http://bit.ly/GoodEnoughtoEat October 13 at 7:00 p.m. McConnell Board Game Night! http://bit.ly/McConnellBoardGame
Would you like to present a poster at the 2013 McConnell Conference? The 45th McConnell Conference will be at the Lexington Embassy Suites Hotel on March 1-2, 2013.
Guidelines Poster must be on a tri-fold freestanding board. Boards must be in black or white.
The deadline for sign ups is September 28, 2012.
Must have content that pertains to children’s library services, early literacy skills, or other topics that are pertinent to youth literature
Please direct questions to Dr. Reynolds at stephanie.reynolds@uky.edu. Poster session sign up information can be found here. http://bit.ly/McConnellPoster McConnell Conference http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnellconference
Content must be clear and concise
Poster may be accompanied by handouts and/or business cards Poster must include a title, the presenter’s name, and contact information. It is recommended that the presenter include graphs, charts, and visual cues.
4
Every month leading up to the McConnell 2013 Conference, the McConnell newsletter will feature a new book review from one of our 2013 guest presenters. These reviews will introduce you to our authors and some of their work. If you have any books from our 2013 presenters you would like us to review, please send suggestions to: mercedes.hopewell@gmail.com
Boy + Bot By: Ame Dyckman Illustrated by: Dan Yaccarino
Boy + Bot is a story of unlikely friendship and miscommunication between Boy and Bot. A boy finds a robot in the forest one day. They instantly become friends. However Bot’s power gets turned off and a crazy adventure ensues to wake Bot up. This story is loveable and will be adored by children who will laugh at the conundrum that Boy and Bot find themselves in. Dan Yaccarino’s illustrations make this story come alive. It is his illustrations that make this book a worthwhile read for children. The illustrations are painted with clean and clear lines and objects have a defined space. The colors are vivid in blues and reds. Boy + Bot has many enticing illustrations and it contains simple words that many early readers will be able to follow. The words are in bold print which will also help early readers follow along. This book is for children up to eight years old. However, even adult will love this book. This is a story that parents can read to their children and a story many early readers will be able to follow. Boy + Bot is a cute story about two friends. One of them just happens to be a robot. Dyckman, A. (2012). Boy + Bot. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Read A-Likes DiPucchio, K. S. (2011). Clink. New York: Balzer + Bray. Lester, H. (2011). Wodney Wat's wobot. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. Scieszka, J. (2009). Robot Zot!. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Yaccarino, D. (1996). If I had a robot. New York: Viking.
5
McConnell Conference March 1-2, 2013 Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington, KY http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnellconference
Check out Dan Yaccarino’s interview with The Horn Book http://bit.ly/DanYaccarino
NPR this past month took a poll of the 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels as voted by you. They received 2) The Hunger Games 75,220 votes. Below is the top five by Suzanne Collins books as voted by viewers. If you wish to see the entire top 100 BestEver Teen Novels you can go to http://bit.ly/BestYA. 1) Harry Potter Series by J.K.Rowling
3) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
4) The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
5) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
6
Come devour a banned book on October 1, 2012 in the McConnell Center. This event is in honor of Banned Books Week from September 30th to October 6th. Banned Books Week is an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read as well as the importance of the First Amendment. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week. The McConnell center will be celebrating with our Good Enough to Eat Contest. Entrants will choose a banned or challenged book and create edible art that is based on that book. Event attendees will vote on the entries to select Best Overall, Best Book Representation, Most Creative, and Most Edible. To visit our Facebook page, http://bit.ly/GoodEnoughtoEat To enter the contest, register now at http://bit.ly/GoodEnoughtoEatRegistration
Please RSVP for this event at http://bit.ly/SLISCATSMeeting Are you interested in youth outreach? Do you want first-hand experience with planning programs and events for children and teens? The SLIS CATS group is the Children and Teen Services organization on campus that is devoted to youth literature and outreach to the surrounding community. Our first meeting will be September 6th at 6:00 p.m. in the McConnell Center. All new and continuing students are welcome to join in our meeting!
or at http://bit.ly/McConnellRSVP
7
We are excited to announce the 2013 Connecting with Characters Contest. All kids in preschool through 12th grade in Kentucky or a neighboring state can enter. Sponsoring libraries and schools must register to participate by November 30, 2012. Entries must be received by January 18, 2013. The Contest is in conjunction with the 2013 McConnell Conference for Youth Literature, which will feature Jack Gantos, Dan Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla. We hope that the Contest will provide an opportunity for the youth of Kentucky and the surrounding states to connect with the works of these wonderful contributors to the world of literature for youth. Participants could win a signed copy of Jack Gantos’s Dead End in Norvelt, the 2012 Newbery Medal Winner! There are also great titles available by Dan Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla. More information is forth coming but be sure to check out our website at http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-contest2013
Starting on September 15th Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated world wide. Hispanic Heritage Month is dedicated to recognizing the important contributions Hispanic culture has made to the United States. Below is a list of YA fiction with themes centered on Hispanic culture. Martinez, W. J. (2008). Rogelia's house of magic. New York: Delacorte Press. Monroy, L. (2008). Mexican high: A novel. New York: Spiegel & Grau. Peña, M. (2008). Mexican whiteboy. New York: Delacorte Press. Peña, M. (2009). We were here. New York: Delacorte Press. Pérez, A. H. (2011). What can't wait. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda LAB. Voorhees, C. (2008). The brothers torres. New York: Hyperion.
8
STUDENT SECTION INFORMATION FOR SLIS STUDENTS
Are you in LIS 610 or LIS 613 this Fall? Come use the McConnell Center! We can help you find books to use for your class. Hours Monday & Tuesday 10 a.m.—3p.m. Wednesday & Thursday 12 p.m.— 5p.m. Or by appointment contact mercedes.hopewell@gmail.com
Are you interested in attending the YALSA Symposium in St. Louis this November. Listed below is a short synopsis about the conference and registration information. We will be staying two nights at the hotel. The rooms are $105/night. However, we will be sharing rooms so this cost can be cut considerably. If you are interested in participating in the symposium, please contact Dr. Reynolds at stephanie.reynolds@uky.edu. Join the discussion on Facebook http://bit.ly/UKYalsa2012. For more information also check out YALSA’s website at http://yalitsymposium12.ning.com/.
find the next Big Thing? How will the changing face of today’s teen drive changes in content? What, besides words, will be in the digital future of young adult literature? Can looking into the past of the genre help us determine where we might be headed in the years to come? What factors play a role in determining what will become the Next Big Thing? Join YALSA as we explore what the future has in store for young adult literature and what or who may transform it.
Synopsis YALSA’s 2012 Young Adult Literature Symposium will gather together librarians, educators, authors and publishers to explore what lies ahead for young adult literature, including trends in content, format and interaction. In an era where trends can rise and fall in the blink of an eye, how do we
$195 YALSA and Missouri Library Association and Missouri Association of School Librarians Members $245 ALA Personal Member $300 Nonmember $50 ALA Student Members
Fees Early bird registration is open through Sept. 16, 2012. Until then, registration costs:
Advanced registration begins Sept. 17 and runs through Oct. 9. Rates after Sept. 16 are: $245 YALSA and Missouri Library Association and Missouri Association of School Librarians Members $295 ALA Personal Member $350 Nonmember $50 ALA Student Members
9
On the Blog: ARC Read & Review 2012! We have the following titles available for anyone who wants to read and review them for the McConnell Center blog at http:// youthlitmatters.wordpress.com/ New Books in the Center: Juvenile Fiction The Magician’s Apprentice by Kate Banks, illustrated by Peter Sís Minnie McClary Speaks Her Mind by Valerie Hobbs
A vital gathering place for books and ideas, the McConnell Center is committed to identifying excellent literature for children and adolescents and to bringing this literature to the attention of those adults who have an academic, professional, career, or personal interest in connecting young readers with books. We maintain two main, non-
Young Adult
In the Center: Join us for the McConnell Center Board Game Night!
Courtship and Curses by Marissa Doyle
Our next event will be a discussion of The Miseducation of Holding on to Zoe by George Cameron Post on September 29 Ella Lyon at 7:00 p.m. Find us on Facebook to RSVP for this event. Before You Go by James Preller http://bit.ly/ MiseducationofCameronPost Auracle by Gina Rosati You can find the McConnell Facebook Group here: Picture Books http://on.fb.me/ The Chandeliers by Vincent X. McConnellReadingGroup Kirsch You can now RSVP for Center Frankenstein by Rick Walton, Events via the following form: http://bit.ly/McConnellRSVP illustrated by Nathan Hale
circulating collections: Our Current Collection includes all books sent to us for review by publishers during the current year. The Permanent Collection is several collections of books maintained in the Center as a resource for students and librarians. It includes the Basic Collection, the Awardwinning Collection (Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, Morris, Pura Belpré, Sibert, and Orbis Pictus Awards), the Kentucky Collection (notable Kentucky authors and books about Kentucky), the Reference Collection, and the Periodical Collection. Our Fall 2012 hours are Monday & Tuesday 10 p.m.–3 p.m. and Wednesday & Thursday 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
Please visit our website for more information: http://cis.uky.edu/lis mcconnellcenter
10