May 2012

DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY...

Author-illustrators can keep their work fresh and enhance their livelihood by publishing in varied genres. So says John Bemelmans Marciano, grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans and an author and illustrator in his own right.

His grandfather left Marciano a priceless legacy, the classic "Madeline" books. He also left an unfinished manuscript, "Madeline's Christmas in Texas," which became central to Marciano's first published work, Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales (coauthored with Bemelmans). Marciano has sent Madeline to places far and near in subsequent picture books, including Madeline and the Cats of Rome and Madeline at the White House.

Yet "Madeline" stories are just part of Marciano's diverse output. He has published books on word origins, picture books featuring other memorable characters and a biography of that most fascinating character, his grandfather Ludwig Bemelmans. He also looks forward to the publication of a chapter-book series in the fall. Learn about the creation of these fine books and the importance of exploring diverse genres when Marciano speaks to the Children's Book Guild on May 17.

Date: Thursday, May 17
Time: 11:15–Social Hour; Noon–Luncheon
Place: Pier 7 Restaurant at the Channel Inn
650 Water Street, SW, Washington, DC
Menu: All choices $25.00
Regular: Quiche Lorraine with Fruit Compote
Alternate: Filet of Sole Veronique
Vegetarian: Greek Salad (Greens, Olives, Tomatoes, Feta)
Dessert: Chocolate Cake
Special Order: Steamed or Grilled Veggies; Fresh Fruit Plate for Dessert 

RSVP NOW!

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. The Guild Honors Peter Sis 
2. Nominations for Membership: Kem Knapp Sawyer and Kristin Levine
3. Member News
4. SCBWI Picture Book Workshop 
5. Remembering Patricia Markun


THE GUILD HONORS PETER SIS
by Fred Bowen

On April 21, Peter Sís accepted the 2012 Children’s Book Guild Award for Nonfiction at the Guild’s annual award presentation and luncheon. The nonfiction award is given to an author or author-illustrator “whose total work has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children.”

With his many award-winning books, Sís certainly qualifies. He recently was named a 2012 winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. His books have earned two Caldecott honors and have been named the Best Illustrated Book of the Year six times by the New York Times Book Review. Sís is also a MacArthur Fellow and thus a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation’s so-called “genius award.”

Sís charmed the audience with a whirlwind tour of his life and how he has turned his many and varied experiences into his wildly creative art. Born behind the Iron Curtain in the former Czechoslovakia, he started his art career early by painting everything in the family’s house–from the light fixtures to the chairs.

Spurred on by the music and energy of the 1960s, Sís began to make award-winning animated films. His art allowed him to travel outside of Czechoslovakia, and in 1980 he went to Los Angeles to make a film about the Summer Olympics. When the Soviet bloc boycotted the 1980 Games, Sís was ordered home.

Sís stayed in America, though.  He began a personal and artistic journey that would bring him within the orbits of such 20th-century luminaries as Bob Dylan, filmmaker Milos Forman, the Dalai Lama, Maurice Sendak, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Vaclav Havel and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

But that is hardly surprising. In his books Sís has tackled such historical figures as Galileo, Darwin and Columbus; he has written as well about life in Tibet and behind the Iron Curtain. Of course, Sís also created the charming Madlenka books for his daughter and books about fire trucks for his son.

In his spare time, Sís has designed marvelously detailed murals that have enhanced public spaces in New York, Baltimore and Minnesota.

Sís is such a creative person that he turns everything into books and art. Actually, Sís is not a creative person–he is 10 creative people!

And a worthy recipient of this year’s nonfiction award.

  

NOMINATION FOR MEMBERSHIP: KEM KNAPP SAWYER

Mary Quattlebaum enthusiastically nominates Kem Knapp Sawyer for membership in the Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C., and Cynthia Pon seconds the nomination. Kem is a talented author, primarily of nonfiction books for young people, and a former writing professor at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. She has attended a number of monthly lunches over the years and has expressed an interest in volunteering for Guild activities.

Kem is the author of more than a dozen well-reviewed books for children—most recently Champion of Freedom: Nelson Mandela. She has also written biographies of Gandhi, Harriet Tubman, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt and Anne Frank. She likes to write about issues related to peace and social justice—other books include Refugees Seeking a Safe Haven and The Amazing Underground Railroad (reissued in 2012).  Her publishers include DK Biography, Enslow, Morgan Reynolds, White Mane and Discovery Enterprises, which also published the two anthologies for young people that she edited: Pennsylvania Dutch: The Amish and the Mennonites and Irish Americans.

She has written one novel, Freedom Calls: Journey of a Slave Girl, the story of a friendship between two girls: Louisa, who escapes from slavery, and Abby, the daughter of an abolitionist newspaper publisher. Freedom Calls, based on a true incident from 1848–the escape of 76 slaves from a Georgetown harbor and their capture aboard the Pearl—was listed in the Pennsylvania School Librarian Association's “Top Ten (Or So) Fiction Titles for 2001.”

Kem has written for Cobblestone, Scholastic News and KidsPost. She is also a contributing editor to the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and a book reviewer. She enjoys talking to schools and has spoken at various venues, including the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, the Southeastern World Affairs Institute and the Salem College Center for Women Writers. She taught writing in the BFA program at the Corcoran College of Art and Design for more than 15 years.

Kem is active in her community and has served as PTA president at her children’s schools: Woodrow Wilson High School and John Eaton Elementary School in Washington, D.C. She tutored for many years in the Washington National Cathedral Literacy Program, started a tutoring program at John Eaton, developed a partnering program for recent immigrant families at Wilson High School and has taught a “Memoirs” class at Iona Senior Services. She also participates in outreach programs at her church and has taught Sunday School for many years. If she were to become a member, Kem would look forward to taking on volunteer activities for the Guild.

NOMINATION FOR MEMBERSHIP: KRISTIN LEVINE

Pamela Ehrenberg is very delighted to nominate Kristin Levine for membership in the Guild;  both Jennifer Allison and Caroline Hickey second the nomination. Kristin's first book, The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had, was published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 2009.  It was named one of the American Library Association's 2010 Best Books for Young Adults, and it was a 2010-2011 Virginia Readers' Choice selection.

Kristin's second book, The Lions of Little Rock, was published in January 2012, also by G. P. Putnam's Sons.  It has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. It also received a lovely review in the February 10 New York Times. (Pam notes, "Kristin was too modest to add here that the Times named it an 'Editor's Pick'--a fact that I have been sharing excitedly because I read an early draft of the manuscript and consider it to have been a 'Pam Pick' first.")

Kristin is a former teacher who has taught everything from third-grade German immersion in Fairfax County to screenwriting at American University. Since publishing her first book, she has done a number of school and library visits, which have allowed her to combine her interests in education and writing. She lives in Alexandria with her husband and two small daughters.

Kristin has attended a few Guild meetings and especially enjoyed meeting other members, including other mothers with small children. She looks forward to attending meetings on a more regular basis and contributing to the Guild, while continuing to build relationships with other members. 




MEMBER NEWS

KATY KELLY shares the news that Melonhead is a nominee for the Sequoyah Award and is therefore on the 2012 Oklahoma State Master List. Melonhead is also on the Iowa list, so he's into the Midwest, it seems.

UMA KRISHNASWAMI will speak at the Asian Festival of Children's Content in Singapore, May 26-29. Her new book with Scholastic India, Book Uncle and Me, will launch at the festival.

Guild members LULU DELACRE, JACQUELINE JULES and UMA KRISHNASWAMI have all become ambassadors for the family literacy initiative Dia (El día de los niños/El día de los libros, Children's Day/Book Day) http://www.patmora.com/dia/dia_ambassadors.htm

Dia was started in 1996 by children's author Pat Mora. http://www.patmora.com/dia.htm

It is a daily commitment to linking all children to books, languages and cultures. Culminating celebrations occur in libraries and schools across the country on or near April 30. Dia, now housed at the American Library Association, celebrated its 16th anniversary in April 2012.

JACQUELINE JULES is excited to announce that Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Takes Off is on the 2013 Oregon State Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award list. http://oasl.memberclicks.net/bccca-2013nominees

PAMELA EHRENBERG writes, "I'll be presenting at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on Saturday afternoon, May 19, in the dubiously titled session 'Writing the Next Hunger Games.'  (Now to craft and publish an international best-seller in the next couple of weeks....)"

 
ERICA PERL's middle grade novel, When Life Gives You O.J., was selected as a Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book. In addition, When Life Gives You O.J. is a finalist for the 2012-2013 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award (Vermont State Book Award). After the finalists are selected, kids vote for the winner. Erica comments, "It is a big honor for me to have my book on the list because I distinctly remember how important I felt voting for the DCF Award as a Vermont schoolchild!"

MOIRA ROSE DONOHUE is happy to report that her six-book series about Virginians who played prominent roles in the Civil Rights Movement was released by State Standards Publishing in April. 

CLAUDIA MILLS is one of 10 American children's literature scholars invited to present at a conference on "The Image of the Child in Chinese and American Children's Literature" to be held at Ocean University in Qingdao, China, in early June. Her paper explores gendered shifts in power in some of her favorite books from her own childhood: the Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby books of Beverly Cleary. 

SUSAN STOCKDALE reports that Voice of America produced a TV story on how she creates her books, which can be viewed here. Her picture book Bring On the Birds was selected as a 2012 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year.

ROSALYN SCHANZER's Witches! and CATHERINE REEF's Jane Austen: A Life Revealed have been nominated for YALSA's 2012 Nonfiction Award.

CATHERINE REEF will be one of six authors reading, speaking and signing books at the Jane Austen Book Fair to be held on Saturday, June 9, at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Md., from 1 to 4 p.m. Austen-themed used books will also be for sale, beverages and cookies will be provided, and admission is free. The event is sponsored by the Jane Austen Society of North America.

 
MARY QUATTLEBAUM's new picture book, Jo MacDonald Had a Garden, with beautiful illustrations by Laura Bryant, is now out from Dawn Press. Old MacDonald's granddaughter shows young green-thumbed readers how to plant a veggie garden that also sustains birds and beneficial insects. The idea came from Mary's wildlife garden in her city backyard. Mary also had an article, "Cross Over to Children's Writing," in the February issue of The Writer.

The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families,  by SUSAN L. ROTH and Cindy Trumbore, illustrated by Susan L. Roth, has been awarded the Green Earth Book Award from the Newton Marasco Foundation. The award was presented at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md., as part of the University's Green Festival. Susan's original art is part of an exhibit on "Art, Children's Literature and the Environment" at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury.



PHYLLIS NAYLOR writes:

"To my Guild friends:

"I really miss you guys! I'm still recuperating from last year's spinal surgery and can't sit comfortably long enough to drive there and back and make it through a meeting, too. I eagerly read accounts of speakers' talks each month and wish I had been there. We moved to Asbury Village five years ago because I suspected my husband would need full-time care, which he does, but didn't know I'd be the one needing a surgery. Nor did I realize how scary it would be, having recklessly promised my readers 25 years ago a 28-book Alice series, to face an operation with revisions still due on the final book. Fortunately I write my books in longhand before I type them up, but I find that if I try to write for long lying on my back, the ink runs the wrong way.

"One of the things I find most helpful is to retain a sense of humor. Asbury provides a wealth of concerts, movies, lectures and other activities for the campus as a whole, but after I secured a 'club room' and a large TV so the residents of our building could watch Redskins games together, I found myself dubbed the unofficial 'fun' chairman.  Consequently, with a former CIA guy as MC, we now meet monthly in our 'parlor' for teams of Trivial Pursuit; I've rustled up contestants for 'What's My Line?' evenings, at which residents volunteer to appear as mystery guests in front of a panel--a man who selected to come as Billy Jean King, for example, and a small woman in her 80s, in trenchcoat and headset, dangling a cigarette from her lips, who impersonated Edward R. Murrow; Valentine's Day found me soliciting red underwear to hang on a clothesline over the grand piano, and I managed to appropriate red bikinis, long johns and even a Playboy Speedo swim suit.

"As Kurt Vonnegut would say, 'And so it goes....'  My grandkids come to swim in our pool, Rex and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary, and I've had several books published since we moved to Asbury. I find joy in writing, strength from my friends and support from my family, and I hope that after you move to your new location, wherever that will be, I'll join you again.

"Hugs, Phyllis Naylor"

SCBWI PRESENTS A DAYLONG PICTURE BOOK WORKSHOP

The Art and Craft of Writing and Illustrating Picture Books
Sunday, May 20, 2012
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Holiday Inn Dulles
5425 Holiday Drive; Sterling, VA 20166

To download a registration form, please go to:
http://www.scbwi.org/Regional-Chapters.aspx?R=24&sec=News

Learn about the art and craft of writing and illustrating picture books from industry professionals. The workshop will include panel presentations, writer and illustrator craft-focused breakouts and a First Look/First Pages session. Faculty: Tamar Brazis, editorial director, Abrams Books for Young Readers; Henry Cole, author/illustrator; and Maria Middleton, associate art director, Abrams Books for Young Readers. If you have questions, please contact Joan Waites, illustrator coordinator, Mid-Atlantic SCBWI  jwstudio@msn.com.  


REMEMBERING PATRICIA MARKUN
by Brenda Seabrooke

Former Guild member Patricia Maloney Markun died at Sunrise Playa Vista, Los Angeles, on April 6, 2012, after a seven-year fight against Alzheimer's disease. Her husband, Dave, was at her side. Pat was born in Chisholm, Minnesota, in 1924, and graduated in 1945, magna cum laude in journalism, from the University of Minnesota. During her college years, she worked as a news and ad writer and announcer at radio stations in Hibbing, St. Paul and Minneapolis. She met Dave when the two were on rival debating teams.

 

After graduation Pat worked in public relations for the Minnesota Institute of Arts and as director of advertising and publicity for the Hotel Nicollet--while performing in a synchronized swimming group. When the group's picture appeared in an article about the upcoming Minneapolis Aquatennial, Dave saw it and called her. He was just out of law school after war service, and they were married June 14, 1948. They moved soon after to the Panama Canal Zone, where their four children were born. Pat's first book, The Pelican Tree, was published there, and it was followed by books about Panama and the Canal Zone. Pat hosted a TV show, Bienvenido, and served as a delegate from the Canal Zone to the Democratic National Convention in 1964.

In 1967 the Markuns moved to Washington, D.C., where Dave was an administrative law judge. Pat worked in publishing at Funk and Wagnalls and the Association for Childhood Education International; she then served as executive editor of Petroleum Today. Pat joined the Children's Book Guild, was an active member who served as president in 1976, had the idea for the Guild's nonfiction award and put that idea into action. She went on to publish more books for children, including The Little Painter of Sabana Grande (a 1993 New York Times Notable Book that was featured on Reading Rainbow). She published two mysteries as well as her final book for young readers, It's Panama's Canal! (1999).     

When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Pat volunteered for medical research at Georgetown University and willed her body to the University of Southern California for scientific research. A devout Catholic, Pat was a member of the Order of the Knights of Malta. She edited a prayer book for the Washington chapter and initiated a charitable program that provided medical outreach, in the form of medical supplies and jeeps, to under-served groups deep in the jungles of Panama. 

Pat was a person of high energy and many interests. Who among the Guild members at the retreats in the 1980s and 1990s can forget her welcoming the sun as it topped the trees in West Virginia? The retreats were initiated and structured by Pat. She was a member of a critique group that also started with Brent Ashabranner, Marty Conn, Caroline Levine, Claudia Mills, Penny Showell and me. We called ourselves the Soup Group, because we met at Caroline's (she made her delicious soups and bread for us) every two weeks until Marty, Brent, Claudia and I moved away.

Pat lived a life of  service to others, giving of her time, talents and enthusiasm. I was privileged to have enjoyed her friendship for many years.