Headed to IYSI?

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Will you be at the Illinois Youth Services Institute next week?
We will – lets chat!

IYSS_Logo

You can find the Butler Center at Booth #3 in Redbird CD during the following exhibit hours:

Sponsor Exhibit Hours
Thursday, March 21
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.                Sponsor Exhibit Reception
Friday, March 22
8:00 – 10:00 a.m.              Sponsor Exhibits Coffee
10:00 – 12:30 p.m.            Concurrent Sponsor Exhibits

Stop by for a chat and a chance to win a signed book from an Illinois author!  

Haven’t registered for IYSI yet? Find out more at ILA…

CommUnity Building
Illinois Youth Services Institute
March 21-22, 2019
Marriott Bloomington-Normal Hotel & Conference Center

 

Here to Save the Day: A Review of The Last Last-Day-of-Summer

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The Last Last-Day-of-Summer cover imageThe Last Last-Day-of-Summer
Lamar Giles, illustrated by Dapo Adeola
Versify, April 2019
Grade 5-7

The Last Last Day of Summer, by Lamar Giles, introduces us to two lovable cousins, Sheed and Otto, aka the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County, a magical place where banshees, monsters, and robots need managing—managing the boys are happy to provide. Indeed, the boys’ long history of town-saving adventures shines through the pages. It may be our first time joining Otto and Sheed, but they’re old pros at saving the day. Only the twin sisters, the Epic Ellison’s, give these two brave, clever boys a run for the money … or, rather, a run for the keys to the city. When the last day of summer starts with a headline, informing Sheed and Ollie that the Ellison girls have earned a third key to the city—one more than the boys have—the Alston boys are determined to catch up. It doesn’t take long for them to run into a mysterious stranger with a curious camera. A click and a clack later, Logan County is frozen in time, leaving only the boys and a bevy of unexpected visitors to figure out how to reverse the damage and free the town and its zany cast of character. The story is deeply grounded in family and gently explores themes such as loss and fear, confidence and insecurity, and the ups and downs of friendship. In the end, our imaginative heroes must work through their differences; think creatively about which moves from their long list of Maneuvers will help them solve their pile of problems; and tap strange people, unexpected creatures, and even a few frenemies to unfreeze Logan County.

Many thanks to local author, SCBWI-IL member, and guest reviewer, Malayna Evans. Malayna has used her Ph.D. in ancient Egyptian history from the University of Chicago to write a three book series featuring two South Side Chicago siblings stuck in ancient Egypt. Her debut novel, JAGGER JONES & THE MUMMY’S ANKH, will be released in spring of 2019. She lives in Oak Park with her two kids, a rescue dog, and a hamster. You can learn more about Malayna and her work here, http://malaynaevans.com , or follow her on Twitter, https://twitter.com/Malayna , or Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/malaynaevans/.

 

What’s Happening…

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Spring is about to spring in the Midwest (it’s got to be, right?) and not a moment too soon for an ice-free road trip to one of these upcoming Youth Services events.

Road Travel Road Trip Freedom

90 Second Newbery Film Festival

  •    When: Sunday 3/10 at 1:45 p.m.
  •    Where: Harold Washington Library Center— Chicago, IL
  •    Registration: free, with registration required

Seventh Annual Butler Lecture with Carmen Agra Deedy

  •      When: Wednesday 3/20 at 6:00 p.m. — book signing to follow
  •      Where: Dominican University’s Martin Recital Hall—River Forest, IL
  •      Registration: free, with registration required

Illinois Youth Services Institute

  •       When: 3/21-22
  •       Where: Marriott Bloomington-Normal Hotel and Conf. Center
  •       Registration: Details and registration
  •       Look for BCLC at booth #3

2019 Arbuthnot Honor Lecture with Debbie Reese

  •       When: Saturday 4/13 at 7:30 p.m.
  •       Where: Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery—Madison, WI
  •       Registration: ticket and registration info coming soon

 

Sharks Find Their Way Home: A Review of The Line Tender

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the line tenderThe Line Tender
By Kate Allen, Illustrated by Xingye Jin
Penguin
April 2019
Grades: 5 and up

 Lucy and Fred are lifelong friends, and as they work on their animal field guide over the summer, it looks like they may become something more. When local fisherman and family friend Sookie catches a great white shark, Fred and Lucy set out to learn more about great white sharks by reading an old research proposal written by Lucy’s mother—an accomplished shark biologist before her untimely death when Lucy was 7 years old. Tragedy strikes when, after sharing her first kiss with Fred, he drowns in a quarry accident. Lucy is then left trying to find meaning in her friendship to Fred and wondering what could have been, while still struggling with the grief of her mother’s passing. By dedicating herself to her mother’s shark research and Fred’s field guide, and with the help of her Father, Sookie, and neighbor Mr. Patterson, Lucy is eventually able to come to terms with the deaths of her mother and Fred.
The Line Tender by Kate Allen is an emotional coming-of-age story that follows Lucy Everhart as she grapples with the loss of her mother and her best friend Fred. Allen thoughtfully ties Lucy’s attempts to find meaning in her friendship with Fred to her attempts to better understand the sharks her mother and Fred loved so much. The Line Tender is beautifully written and is both heartfelt and heartbreaking in the ways that it deals with community, friendship, and tragedy. Xingye Jin’s shark illustrations for each chapter title are stunning, adding yet another layer to the book as it shows Lucy slowly learning how to draw sharks as she learns more about them.

Chicken Killer: A Review of Bone Hollow

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91gp8+kYlxLBone Hollow
Kim Ventrella
Scholastic, January 2019
Grades: 5-8

Did you ever think you’d die trying to save a chicken? Yeah, well, neither did sixth-grader Gabe, in Kim Ventrella’s forthcoming Bone Hollow. Except Gabe is only half dead–and he discovers this when he shows up at the town candlelight service for him. Gabe is on the run from the town, when he meets Wynne, the embodiment of Death. Wynne helps people pass into the light, and she wants Gabe to take over this job. Over the course of the novel, she and Gabe become friends, and, under Wynne’s mentorship, Gabe eventually accepts the responsibility of helping people cross over. Gabe is a lonely and humorous kid, and his voice is authentic, for a sixth grader which makes his processing of dying and death compelling to the reader. The narrator describes Gabe’s new perspective on Death: “Sad, sure, but also happy and kind and vast, like the ocean he and Gramps used to imagine. A deep, endless ocean, with rushing waves and a surface that reflected back each and every star” (222). Ultimately, this book might help adolescent readers recognize that death is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be painful. Like Gabe, the readers might understand that Death is more of a transition than an ending.   

 

Carmen Agra Deedy–Save the Date!

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March 20, 2019 at 6 p.m.
Eloise Martin Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building
Reception and book signing to follow in the Slate Lobby

Carmen Agra Deedy is the author of eleven books for children including Martina the Beautiful Cockroach– winner of the Odyssey Honor Award (2009) and the Pura Belpré Honor Award (2008)–, 14 Cows for America, Library Dragon, and her newest picture book Rita and Ralph (Scholastic Press), illustrated by Pete Oswald, which will be published in 2020. Her personal stories first appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered; Deedy’s stories were inspired by her childhood as a Cuban refugee in Decatur, Georgia. She is also the host of the four-time Emmy-winning children’s program, Love That Book! In fall of 2016, Deedy opened the Art of the Book Lecture Series for the Smithsonian Libraries.

Along with being an award-winning author and storyteller, Deedy is also an accomplished lecturer, having been a guest speaker for both TED and TEDx Conferences, the Library of Congress, Coumbia University, The National Book Festival, Association of International Baccalaureate Schools of Costa Rica Conference, among several other distinguished venues.

If you are interested in learning more about Ms. Deedy and her work, follow the links provided below:

Website: carmenagradeedy.com

Twitter: @carmendeedy

TED: Carmen Agra Deedy Spins Stories

NPR: Twisting the Winds of Semantics

Diverse Summer Reading Books for Kids

National Book Festival: Book Fest 2017

Smithsonian: Author Series: Carmen Agra Deedy

Yale: Carmen Agra Deedy, Children’s Book Author

 

Maybe Today or Maybe Tomorrow: A Review of Maybe Tomorrow?

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maybe tomorrow

Maybe Tomorrow?
By Charlotte Agell, illustrated by Ana Ramírez
Scholastic
March, 2019
Grades: Pre-K — 2

 

 

 

Elba the hippo spends her days dragging around a heavy, black box. One day Elba meets an alligator named Norris who is upbeat and surrounded by butterflies. The two become friends, and as they grow closer, Elba reveals to Norris that she is mourning the loss of her friend Little Bird. Norris tells Elba that although he did not know Little Bird, that he can help Elba mourn her. Elba and Norris then notice that her box has shrunk and become much lighter and easier for Elba to carry. Elba tells Norris that she will always have her box, to which Norris responds, “Yes, maybe you will… But I will help you carry it sometimes.”

Agell’s text is thoughtful and poignant, gently teaching children not only that it is okay to be sad, but also how to help those who are feeling sad. Agell makes a point of showing that there is no simple solution to sadness and that some people may always carry some sadness with them. The text encourages the reader, via Norris, to be empathetic and patient with those who are feeling sad. Agell shows that grieving is part of the healing process and cannot be rushed. Ramírez’s beautiful digitized watercolor drawings perfectly complement Agell’s text. The soft pastel colors convey a hopeful mood and bring gentle, understanding energy to accompany the text.