Tiny Treasury

As a mom of two young daughters, I am very sensitive to this notion of the connection between females and the fields of math and science.

I was a math girl - math team, math minor, attended the NC School of Science and Mathematics. But I was acutely aware that this wasn’t encouraged. I guess I realized this for the first time when my friends thought I should “play dumb” during a math competition. I had just bested my “steady” at try-outs and that was viewed as a death sentence. I could do okay at math, they said, just don’t embarrass the boys.

By the time that I enrolled in college (at an all women’s college), I was struggling to remember why I liked math. I enrolled as a history major and tested into Calculus (we were required to take one math class). During Calculus, my professor, Dorothy Preston, took me aside one day and gave me a pat on the back. I was, she told me, good at this. Next semester, I took Calculus 2, then Calculus 3… you get the picture.

I am now a tax attorney, a field that is hardly proliferated with women. And (gulp) I like math - despite the stereotypes, despite the Barbies that were programmed to say “Math is hard!” (remember those?).

I am so glad that I didn’t just become a statistic, another girl that gave up math in junior high, when in wasn’t cool anymore. My senior college thesis was a report on the connections between girls and math/science - and the ages at which interest and retention in those subjects decreased. It is very clearly in junior high and my “attitude surveys” in the local schools showed that girls perceived math to be fun and easy until puberty. What changed at that age? The coolness factor. The number of girls interested in math after that plummeted.

It is, then, encouraging and refreshing, to see someone willing to take center stage and be a good role model for girls who are interested in math. Huge kudos to brainy (and beautiful) Danica McKellar for choosing to transform her celebrity into something positive instead of taking the dumb party girl route favored by such embarrassments as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.

Danica’s book, “Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math without breaking a nail or losing your mind” goes on sale this week. If you know a middle school aged girl, I hope that you’ll consider preordering it.

Positive role models for girls in Hollywood these days are far and few between. I hope that this inspires girls to take a second look at math - and what success and math can mean (there’s a link on Danica’s web site where she discusses the correllation between math and the arts).

math, girls, Danica McKellar

According to the NY Times, the best selling children’s picture books for the week of July 30 are:

1. THE WANDMAKER’S GUIDEBOOK, by Ed Masessa. Illustrated by Daniel Jankowski
2. FANCY NANCY AND POSH PUPPY, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
3. FANCY NANCY, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
4. FLOTSAM, by David Wiesner
5. PIRATES DON’T CHANGE DIAPERS, by Melinda Long

The best selling chapter books are:

1. NEW MOON, by Stephenie Meyer
2. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney
3. WICKED LOVELY, by Melissa Marr
4. TWILIGHT, by Stephenie Meyer
5. ALCHEMYST, by Michael Scott

And if you’re wondering about Harry Potter, he made it on the list of best selling series books:

1. HARRY POTTER, by J. K. Rowling
2. PERCY JACKSON & OLYMPIANS, by Rick Riordan
3. JUNIE B., FIRST GRADER, by Barbara Park
4. MAXIMUM RIDE, by James Patterson
5. RANGER’S APPRENTICE, by John Flanagan

It’s the Friday Fifteen! Today’s guest is author Mariah Fredericks.

Mariah is the author of Head Games, now in stores.

1. Where are you now?
In my dining room in Jackson Heights, Queens.

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
At various ages, Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? Harriet the Spy, and The Chocolate War

3. What are you reading now?
A biography of Elizabeth I.

4. Do you have kids?
Yep, one big, gorgeous boy, six months old.

5. What projects are you working on now?
The final book in my tarot trilogy, called In the Cards: Life. Also a book about school politics and what happens when we lose faith in the value of tolerance.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
A room of my own.

7. Coffee or tea?
Both.

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
Green Day, Patti Scialfa, Billy Bragg, Pearl Jam and Stephen Sondheim.

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
That there’s not much surprising about me.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
Vassar College, history.

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
Historical novelist or basset hound breeder.

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
The Wire

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
I wrote four adult novels that went nowhere. Then I decided nothing is more dramatic than what happens to us in ninth grade and wrote The True Meaning of Cleavage. A friend of mine suggested I send it to Dick Jackson. I did and about a month later, I had a message on my answering machine, “Hello, this is Dick Jackson…”

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
Peter O’Toole, for the stories.

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Gotta go with Harriet the Spy.

Be sure and check out Mariah’s latest projects at her web site.

It seems that celeb moms/authors are everywhere these days: Jamie Lee Curtis, Madonna and even Ginger Spice (Geri Halliwell). So today’s War of Words Wednesday question is:

Which celeb parent would you want to see pen a new kids’ book?

Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis, Geri Halliwell, Ginger Spice

Even though I will admit to not having read any of the Harry Potter books (it’s on my list, I swear), I’d be remiss to not mention the latest book in the Harry Potter series - especially since it’s breaking all kinds of records. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has already sold 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours on sale in the United States, according to Scholastic Inc.

I am curious to hear your take on the book. What happened? Was it a satisfying ending? Did JK wrap up loose ends, as promised? Any disappointments? Do you think this is really the end?

*** Spoiler Disclaimer ***

As I am specifically asking for feedback on the book, there may be information posted in the Comments that you might not want to read. If you don’t want to know how the book ends, who dies, or any other information that readers might post, just don’t read any further. You’ve been warned.

Scholastic, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, JK Rowling

It’s the Friday Fifteen! Today’s guest is illustrator Richard Cowdrey. I first noticed Richard when he illustrated “Bad Dog, Marley” - one of my girls’ favorites!

Now, onto the Fifteen!

1. Where are you now?
I’m pacing around my cabin. I’m in a cabin near a pond in the woods. My mailing address is Gambire, near Kenyon College in Ohio.

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
Early on, the Disney books like Pinocchio and Bambi. In elementary school, I liked looking at medical journals and anatomy books. At 6th grade, I could name all of the bones in the body.

3. What are you reading now?
I’m a peruser, so CS Lewis, Mere Christianity.

4. Do you have kids?
Yes, I do. I have 4.

5. What projects are you working on now?
One project is confidential. I also just completed a book for Henry Holt, “The Fan Man,� coming out in 2008. It turned out nice, they loved it. It’s a very classic looking book.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
Time, I guess. I’m the master of my time. I garden, I cut wood and do all of those outdoorsy things and then am able to come in and do what I want.

7. Coffee or tea?
Coffee.

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
This is really hard because I listen to a wide range.
The last day I checked, and I don’t know if this is a fair or unfair cross-section, it was:
Watermark – excellent
Pink Floyd
Elton John
Keith Green
Genesis

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I have no idea. I think I that I wanted to go into medicine but they don’t let people into medical school with a C average. So, I guess that I’ve never lost at Trivial Pursuit.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
Columbus College of Art and Design

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
An EMT, probably. In fact, that still may be down the road.

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
I don’t watch much TV. House. And that Planet Earth series was really great.

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
There were a few big breaks along the way.

I would have to go back to high school where I was going to drop out. I was doing all of the wrong things. I would do these elaborate drawings on folders and the backs of tests. And this art teacher who I hated and thought he hated me went around and gathered up these elaborate doodles and drove from Cincinnati to the Columbus College of Art and Design. He told them that I was a real problem but had a lot of talent. They gave me a full, probationary scholarship (nothing below a B). I got to art school and did my thing.

Once I was there, I realized that I wasn’t “THE artist� at school at school anymore. There were a lot of good artists. So I worked hard to become an artist.

That art teacher, Mr. Kanig, and I ended up corresponding years later. After seeing the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus, I realized that I had never thanked him so I tracked him done and did it.

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
I’m not into the celeb thing. Maybe Wess Stafford? He is the founder of Compassion, International, which is this great organization where they hook up Americans with children from Africa and South America. You can “adopt� a child for $39/month.

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Series – Paul Longshot for Paul

Thanks, Richard! You can find out more about Richard on his website.

The notorious tales in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events are now available in paperback. To celebrate, HarperCollins is giving away free books. To enter, sign up here. The last entry will be accepted on July 26, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. (EST).

Lemony Snicket, HarperCollins, children’s book

In light of the earlier discussions about languages, I thought I would tailor this week’s War of Words Wednesday to focus on that issue.

So, this week’s question is:

If young children are exposed to foreign languages in schools or government programs, should the parents be allowed to choose a specific language (like Spanish) or should schools offer exposure to a number of different languages?

But that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth reading.

When I think of summer reading, I think of light and fluffy. This story, written for tweens (ages 10-14) is anything but light and fluffy.

Burying the Sun focuses on fourteen year old Georgi who lives in the Russian city of Leningrad with his mother and sister. When World War II begins, Georgi and his friend Yelena are too young for the army and are given “patriotic work” to support the Russians. Anxious to contribute more, Georgi becomes part of a war relief effort to bring food across the frozen lake and into Leningrad.

The book is authored by Gloria Whelan, who has written a number of similarly-themed works including The Impossible Journey and Angel on the Square.

As a history buff, I found a lot to like about it. It had a “Little House on the Big Frozen Lake in Leningrad” feel to it. But, it is serious and dramatic and somewhat dreary in spots, which could be a difficult draw for the tween crowd. Personally, I’m glad that everything isn’t frou-frou and dating-oriented at this age. But that means that the competition for this book is tough. If you can get your child to give it a whirl, I think he or she will enjoy it. But the convincing in the first place may not be easy.

USA Today recently featured First Book, an organization which provides books to economically disadvantaged children, as one of 25 charities whose work it will celebrate throughout the year. I am a fan of First Book because I think it’s important to get a book into the hands of every child. Reading opens up worlds of possibilities.

It was interesting, then, to see the following comment posted on the site about First Book:

Books… should be provided for LEGAL CITIZENS OF THE U.S. ONLY.

Several comments after this one referenced that books should also only be provided in English - no Spanish or other languages. These comments clearly reflect a largely anti-Latino sentiment, though the argument is not limited to groups of Latinos or other Spanish speakers. They extend to those who speak Chinese, Russian, Persian and more.

I’m really struck by these comments and the larger picture of what they mean. I am an English speaker. English was, in fact, the only language spoken in my home when I was growing up. This wasn’t a choice - my parents were both English speakers and thus, so was I. I didn’t have exposure to any foreign languages until I was in the tenth grade, when I was offered a choice of French or Spanish in my local high school. I aced French but learned very little, really. My pronunciation was dreadful and when I transferred to another, more elite high school, I was forced to return to French I. In the end, it was a good thing. My French improved dramatically. In college, I went on to learn some Spanish (my pronunciation was similarly awful). But languages did not come easily to me, perhaps because of my lack of early exposure.

My children are not similarly situated. My husband, raised an English speaker, is fluent in German and English. While I speak only English to the children, my husband speaks German and English. My oldest daughter (age 5) has quite a nice vocabulary of German at this point. She has also learned some Spanish, both because of her Pre-K, but also due to a love for Dora the Explorer and Diego. As a result, my children have a mix of English, German and Spanish books at the house. They love all of them.

Children are little sponges. They soak up languages. When you get your first exposure to language, as I did, when you are older, it’s a much more difficult challenge to pick it up.

I guess this is why these comments strike me as odd. While I understand the importance of the English language in this country, why limit a child’s exposure to any language? According to ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, reading to children in any language helps a child learn to read English. This is a win-win situation, right?

I recently received a copy of The Bilingual Edge: Why, When and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language. While I read through it over the next few days, I’m interested to hear your thoughts about second languages and books. Is is appropriate to have books available in more than one language? And is there something more okay about an English speaker having a German or Spanish book than a German or Spanish speaker having an English book? Tell me what you think!

And if you enjoyed this article, can you digg it?

immigration, First Book, English, Spanish, books, languages

It’s the Friday Fifteen! Today’s guest is illustrator Nathalie Dion.

1. Where are you now?
In my studio, which is at the top of the stairs; in a nest!

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
Martine’s collection; “Martine à la plage” “Martine à la campagne”…. Topo Gigio.

3. What are you reading now?
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon. I bought the book for my daughter but ended up being the first one to read it!

4. Do you have kids?
Yes, I have a 14 years old daughter.

5. What projects are you working on now?
I just finished “Winter babies wear layers”, the 4th of a series of board books. The first was “Urban babies wear black”. And this week I am working on a cover for a “crime-mystery” book which will be published at The Penguin Group, and illustrating for Modern Bride Magazine, Elle Québec and Style at Home.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
to draw in my squarred paper sketch book (Moleskine) with everything but the right brush, color or pen!

7. Coffee or tea?
Both.. When I have too much coffee I switch to tea and when I am too bored with tea I go back to coffee..

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
RadioHead, Nirvana, Kate Bush, Beck, Siouxsie and the Banshees.

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I guess considering my illustrations are quite “clean� , i would think one would be surprised that I love to draw on “wrong� paper with “wrong� tools (gives dirty results that I enjoy!)

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
College Saint-Laurent (Fine Arts)

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
A 20 pages advertorial or editorial in Vogue.

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
Nothing right now… (I don’t have cable…)

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
After a 10 years struggle… My first client was a children’s clothing designer who hired me to illustrate her catalogues. Then I developed a more “fashion” oriented style and was hired by ELLE Québec for my first editorial job. Then Anna Goodson saw what I did for ELLE and offered to represent me… And “boom”! there was THE big break…

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
Woody Allen (before Soon-Yi…)

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Charlie Brown?

Thanks, Nathalie!

And don’t forget to check out Nathalie’s newest book, The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney:

It’s summer. And in theory, summer is a wonderful time to merely relax.

But children don’t relax. If you have kids, you know what I’m talking about.

They fidget. They squirm. They can’t find anything to do.

And thus kicks off Marc Rosenthal’s wonderfully amusing Phooey! A child kicks an old can, proclaiming emphatically, “Nothing ever happens around here!”

But that can? It hits a cat, knocking it out of a tree - right in front of a dog who is pretty excited to see the cat. The dog proceeds to chase the cat into the street and the zoo… And, well you get the picture. A series of events are put into motion that upend the idea that “nothing ever happens around here”

It’s a silly picture book filled with funny noises, brightly illustrated havoc and fantastic adventures. A fun read for summer - or any time!

It’s war of words Wednesday!

And believe it or not, there’s not a lot going on in the children’s book world these days. It seems that there is a collective holding of breath for an upcoming release about a guy named Harry…

So, in light of the petition posted to save Harry Potter, today’s question is:

Would you rather JK Rowling save Harry and continue the series or write another series based on a different character?

Harry Potter, JK Rowling

Fans have launched a new web site, Save Harry!, to save Harry Potter. The web site has a petition that fans hope will convince author JK Rowling to continue the Harry Potter series. Rowling has said that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, slated to launch on July 21, is the last in the series.

Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Save Harry

I’m not a comic book fan but I’ll bet those of you who are will be thrilled to hear that DC Comics has announced plans for Zudacomics.com. Zudacomics is described as “a Webcomics imprint and online community” and plans to solicit original Web comics from fans. The content will likely be published in print, as well.

Zudacomics.com will begin soliciting comics today.