Notable Children’s Books: 2012

The Notable Children’s Books Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has compiled the Notable Children’s Books list for 2012. The committee, comprising of librarians throughout the U.S., selected the titles from the several thousand children’s books published during 2011. Included are books of fiction, information, poetry, and pictures – all of special interest and value to children through age 14.

Tundra is proud to announce that Stones for My Father has been included in this noteworthy list. Congratulations Trilby Kent!

Stones for My Father
Written by Trilby Kent
Hardcover | 176 pages | Ages 11+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-252-3
eBook: 978-1-77049-260-8
“In evocative prose, Kent creates a compelling survival story of young Corlie Roux, a Boer girl in South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War at the turn of the last century.” – Notable Children’s Books Committee

Trilby has also had two successful blog tours, for her debut novel, Medina Hill and her second novel, Stones for My Father.

The 2012 Willow Awards Nominations

We are very pleased to announce that two of our titles have been nominated for a 2012 Willow Award in the Shining Willow category:

Ella May and the Wishing Stone
Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Geneviève Côté
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 4-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-225-7
“…A great choice for children aged four and up, Ella May and the Wishing Stone is a story that invites readers to think about what it means to be a friend, how best to share treasured items and imaginative ways to solve problems.” – Storytime Standouts

In the Bag!
Margaret Knight Wraps It Up
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-239-4
“…a delightful picture book biography of a little known inspiring woman…. I love stories about smart and determined young women and Kulling’s lively text tells an inspiring story about this determined woman who ‘never gave up without a fight.’ David Parkins’ charming illustrations are filled with carefully drawn period details and engaging humor. Each page turn reveals at least one full-page illustration in authentic-feeling sepia tones…. Don’t miss this really excellent book that opens the door to a multitude of curricular uses.” – Bookends, a Booklist Blog

The Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Award (SYRCA) has three awards – the Shining Willow Award, kindergarten to grade 3, the Diamond Willow Award, grades 4 to 6, and the Snow Willow Award, grades 7 to 9. Ten books written by Canadian authors are nominated at each level. Saskatchewan students may vote in any category in which they have read the minimum number of books required. In 2010, over 12,350 children and young adults throughout the province voted for their favourite book. Students are in the process of voting for the 2011 awards. Award winners will be announced on April 27, 2012 at our annual Gala in Moose Jaw, SK.

CCBC Choices 2012

Congratulations to Marthe Jocelyn and Nell Jocelyn! Their book, Ones and Twos, is included in CCBC Choices 2012, the annual best-of-the-year list of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC).

Ones and Twos
Written and illustrated by Marthe Jocelyn and Nell Jocelyn
Hardcover | Ages 2-5 | 24 pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-220-2
“This delightful concept book brings visual literacy to the forefront…. The simple descriptive verses … are spot-on to reinforce images of numeracy, sorting, paring, common-object recognition, and the daily lives of young children. Each page or spread is illustrated with creative, engaging collages on paper, textured fabrics, and items…. The charming collages are the stars of the show and will inspire curiosity” – Starred Review, School Library Journal

“… Jocelyn’s imaginative collages help create a book rich in playful details, with a storyline told through pictures that provide depth to the concepts explored in the text…. Although the text is very spare, words like ‘lone,’ ‘swoop,’ and ‘chums’ provide verbal interest…. Sophisticated and yet endearingly simple, Ones and Twos can be enjoyed by both very young children and the adults who read it with them.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

“With their first collaborative effort, this mother-daughter team proves that they are a duo to watch. Marthe Jocelyn’s text is perfect in its simplicity, the short phrases and vocabulary just right for toddler audiences, while the rhythm and rhyme are spot-on. Nell Jocelyn’s picture-book debut is a visual feast of colors, patterns and textures. Found papers and objects, cut paper, folded elements, newspaper and string are all collaged into a wonderfully cohesive whole. A worthy contribution to any toddler bookshelf … and hopefully just the beginning of a long partnership.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

2012 Book of the Year for Children Award Shortlist

The Canadian Library Association has announced the shortlist for the 2012 Book of the Year for Children Award. This award recognizes a Canadian author of an outstanding book published in Canada in 2011, which appeals to children up to and including age 12.

This year, the committee was presented with 218 books, of which 32 were ultimately long‐listed for a thorough reading and review!

Tundra would like to congratulate the authors and illustrator for being on the 2012 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award shortlist:

From Then to Now
A Short History of the World
Written by Christopher Moore
Illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski
Hardcover | 192 pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-540-7
eBook: 978-1-77049-120-5
“Capably told and uniquely illustrated, From Then to Now explains how imaginative human cultures have produced an intellectually and socially dynamic world…. Far from a history of conquerors, this exceptional history of humanity is a breath of fresh air” – School Library Journal

The Dragon Turn
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | 240 pages | Ages 10-14
ISBN: 978-1-77049-231-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-273-8
“…Shane Peacock delivers another intriguing novel exploring the boy detective…. His Sherlock is a penniless but resourceful young man living with an eccentric apothecary who encourages his curiosity and his powers of observation. In The Dragon Turn, he attempts to unravel the mystery of a magician’s illusion, which has apparently caused the death of a rival magician … the Canadian-made Sherlock has a real feeling for Victorian London.” – Winnipeg Free Press

The winners of the 2012 Book of the Year for Children Award and Honour Books will be announced prior to the Canadian Library Association National Conference. The award will be presented at the CLA National Conference and Trade Show at the Ottawa Convention Centre in Ottawa, Ontario on 31 May 2012.

Notable Books for a Global Society Book Award

Tundra Books would like to congratulate the co-authors of Five Thousand Years of Slavery, Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen! Their book has been selected as one of the 25 winning titles for the 2012 Notable Books for a Global Society Book Award!

Five Thousand Years of Slavery
Written by Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen
Hardcover | 176 pages
Ages: 11+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-914-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-151-9
Praise: “This well-researched global survey introduces readers to slavery practices, customs, suffering, uprisings, and revolts as well as antislavery efforts from ancient Greece and Rome to today’s world…. The authors promote global awareness and issue a call to action…. Informative documentary photos and factually rich sidebars enhance the text. A timeline lists pivotal moments from the rise of Sumerian cities to the 2001 Cocoa Protocol denouncing child labor on African cocoa plantations. This groundbreaking title brings the disturbing subject into historical and contemporary focus.” – Starred Review, School Library Journal

MARJORIE GANN, an educator for thirty years, has written language arts curricula, review articles on children’s literature, and sat on the jury for the Canadian Jewish Book Awards. She lives in Toronto with her husband and has two grown children.

JANET WILLEN has been a writer and editor for more than thirty years, working on publications ranging from remedial writing curricula to articles on health and safety. She holds a master’s degree in political philosophy from the New School for Social Research. Janet Willen lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband

About Notable Books for a Global Society
Annually, a committee of the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association selects 25 outstanding trade books for enhancing student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world. The committee reviews books representing all genres intended for students K-12. The Mission of the Children´s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group is to promote the educational use of children’s books by focusing on recently published children’s literature, supportive professional books, issues relative to children’s literature, and current research findings.

Tundra Book Group