Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for October 24, 2023

 This writer/composer used his talent to create songs for the characters on Sesame Street. He wrote "I Love Trash" for Oscar, and "Rubber Duckie" and "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" for Ernie. He worked up until the day he died of cancer in 1998. This was Jeff Moss. His story is one of many in the book Street Gang by Michael Davis, about the earliest days of Sesame Street.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for October 17, 2023

  This Irish-born author of over 250 books passed away Octover 1, 2023. Her  book The Valentine Bears (1985), about a bear couple who wake from hibernation to celebrate Valentines Day, is illustrated by Jan Brett. Her story Fly Away Home (1991) is about a homeless father and son living in an airport, and her The Wall (1992) is about searching for a grandfather's name on the Vietnam memorial. The Cart That Carried Martin (2013, illustrated by Black artist Don Tate, tells about two mules and a borrowed cart that carried Martin Luther King's casket. This is Eve Bunting.

Fall Frenzy 2023 entry--Fall Into Fun

 Thanks again this year to Kaitlyn Sanchez for hosting the Fall Writing Frenzy contest, and thanks also to all the sponsors who offered prizes! This is my entry, based on the photo below.

Fall Into Fun by Deborah Holt Williams (54 words)

 

Is a leaf surprised by a sudden tumble,

Or does it decide to descend,

To take flight, swirling and spiraling,

Down,

                   Down,

                                           Down.

Does it cling to the branch until children appear,

Then leap to join them in their joyful game?

Does a leaf wait for just the right moment

To come and play?

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for October 3, 2023

 This Chinese author/illustrator used a variety of art techniques in his fables from his own and other cultures. He used a cut paper technique in The Emperor and the Kite, pictures divided into panels in the Chinese version of Red Riding Hood (which won the 1990 Caldecott medal), and inky black backgrounds of the tale from India, Seven Blind Mice. This is Ed Young, who died this week on September 29th at the age of 91.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for September 19, 2023

This New York City author's most famous book came out in 1951. His narrator spoke in the voice of an anguished teenager, disgusted with adult hypocracy. The book was hailed (and banned in some places for bad language) as the voice of a generation. The author found the fame and attention "demoralising" and moved to New Hampshire, where he dabbled in religions and died at the age of 91. This was J.D. Salinger and his most famous book is The Catcher in the Rye.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for September 5, 2023

  This rural New Mexico writer, youngest of 10 children, is best known for his 1972 groundbreaking Hispanic novel about a boy and an old woman, a curandera, who comes to live with his family. But he also wrote children's books based on traditional tales of New Mexico. He had a home in Jemez Springs, NM and I was honored to meet him when I worked in the library there. He was a lovely man, and very generous to the library. This is Rudolfo Anaya, and his classic book is Bless Me, Ultima, and his books for children include The Farolitos of Christmas, Maya's Children: the Story of La Llorona and The Curse of the Chupacabra.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for August 29, 2023

 At age 9, this fightened Ohio boy ventured into his attic and found a typewriter and began his writing journey. One of his early successes was Bananas, a humor magazine for teens, published by Scholastic. Later he drew on his childhood fears and wrote books that were what he called "safe scares," which were gently frightening and enormously popular. This is RL Stine, and his series include Goosebumps, Fear Street and Garbage Pail Kids.