16th BLOG ANNIVERSARY: Time to Celebrate!

Sixteen years ago, in November 2008, I launched this blog. At first my plan was to use it to feature my art, which is why the link is carolinearnoldart. But a little more than a year later I decided to expand the blog to include my writing as well and changed the name to Caroline Arnold Art and Books (the link is still carolinearnoldart) with the plan of putting up a new post once a week--sometimes two. 

For me, this blog is a way to keep track of my book and art related activities, including school and library visits, publishing, reviews, activities for children and teachers, announcements of prizes and awards and more.  Since launching the blog I have posted more than 900 items that have been viewed by more than 470,000 visitors!
Thanks to all of you who have been following this blog either on Google or by email. I appreciate your support.

(Note: The Comments section is no longer active. If you would like to comment you can reach me at Facebook or by email.)

 

BOOKS TO LITERALLY HEALING at Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Earlier this week I brought some of my books to Children's Hospital Los Angeles as a donation to their Literally Healing program. With books like mine, the program provides more than 65,000 books to patients and families every year. 

I am happy that my books will go to good use. I thank Heather Crowley for coordinating this program.

FIFTY NIFTY PROJECTS FOR KIDS

Are you looking for something to do while school is out for summer vacation? At my website you can find FIFTY NIFTY PROJECTS that you can do in connection with reading my books. Most of the the projects use materials easily found at home or at school. They range from writing a pyramid poem to putting stripes on a zebra (cut paper art) to simple science experiments like finding out how icebergs affect sea level.

Go to My Books at my website to find more information about the books that inspired these projects. Many of the books are available as e-books that you can download from Amazon and other platforms.

Have fun!
Here are a few examples of the projects you can do:

Curlycue Snakes
(Read SNAKE or A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE DESERT)

Make a model of the Taj Mahal
(Read TAJ MAHAL)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Geology
(Read TRAPPED IN TAR or GLOBAL WARMING AND THE DINOSAURS)

10 YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY

Ten years ago I launched this blog, Caroline Arnold Art and Books, with the plan of putting up a new post once a week. (Almost always the posts go up on a Wednesday--some weeks there are two.) Originally the blog was meant to feature my cut-paper art illustrations that I was doing for my animal books. But I quickly expanded the blog to include all my books and my activities as an author and illustrator.
For me, this blog is a way to keep track of my book and art related activities, including school and library visits, publishing, reviews, activities for children and teachers, announcements of prizes and awards and more.  Since January 2010 I have posted more than 500 items that have been viewed by more than 200,000 visitors!
Thank you to all of you who have been following this blog either on Google or by email. I appreciate your support.

HERMA SUE SILVERSTEIN: In Memoriam

Herma Sue Silverstein, 1945--2019

I first met Herma in the spring of 1978 when we both took a class taught by noted children’s book author Eve Bunting in the UCLA Writer’s Program. Soon after Herma and I became writing partners and co-authored two books together. After that Herma went on to write many of her own books and I continued to write as well. In 1997 Herma graciously hosted a party for me at her house in Santa Monica celebrating my 100th book.
Herma and I always got together to celebrate our birthdays and were often joined by our friend and teacher Eve Bunting. Many of our gifts to one another had writing themes, or in Herma's case, a connection with her beloved pet dogs. One year Herma gave me what I thought was a rather unusual birthday gift–a small artificial pine tree to decorate the living room of my new house. During most of the year the tree sits in a corner, but at Christmastime I bring it out and decorate it with lights and ornaments. It will always remind me of all the good times I had with Herma.
A few years ago Herma moved from Santa Monica to Palm Desert and we met less often, but we still kept in touch. Every year I send a Christmas card to Herma. This year the card came back so I looked her up on the internet and discovered on her Facebook page that she had passed away on May 23, 2019. The announcement was made by her brother, who wrote that her illness was unexpected. He wrote that she went into hospital in early March and was in hospice care by mid-May. Herma was always so full of life. I loved her Texas accent and infectious laugh. I will miss her.
When I looked up Herma on the internet, the first thing that came up was her books, listed on Amazon. She will live on through her writing and in the memories of her family and many friends.

Los Angeles Times Guide to READING BY 9

Each time a child picks up a book, he or she enters a world of learning. It doesn’t matter if the main character is a boy wizard, a famished caterpillar or a fancy young girl who dreams of Paris. The key to building a strong foundation in literacy is allowing children to pick up the books they love. When children read, they discover new places and new ideas and develop literacy skills they will continue to use as they make their way through high school and beyond. 

Check out the 2019 Los Angeles Times Guide to Reading by 9, a bilingual guide for parents to developing reading habits and skills with their children. It it includes a short list of recommended books, links to articles about reading, and more. And, you'll find connections to Los Angeles libraries--the best source to find all the books you want to read!

PROJECT BOOK BAG: Building Personal Libraries at Kipp Raices Academy in CA

Project Book Bag at Kipp Raices Academy in Los Angeles, CA, gives books to kids for summer reading.

Every year just before summer break, Project Book Bag gives young students at Kipp Raices Academy, an elementary school in East Los Angeles, a bag full of grade appropriate books to bring home and call their own. Last Wednesday, I spent the morning helping volunteers distribute the bags of books to the children in their classrooms.

Books ready to be distributed. Green bags are for girls; purple for boys.

The children were SO excited to receive the books, finding many of their favorite series as well as new titles, both fiction and nonfiction. Seeing the smiles on their faces as they pulled the books out of the bags was a joy to watch.

This was the eighth year of this program. In past years I have donated books–both my own and from my collection. This was the second time I had been there in person to help distribute the books. This year each kindergarten student got one of my folding board books, either Who Has More? Who Has Fewer? or Who Is Bigger? Who Is Smaller? It was fun to see the children pull the books out of their cases and expand them out to their full width.

Some of the many Book Bag Project volunteers

A devoted group of volunteers collects the books (both used and new), cleans them if necessary, and sorts them by appropriate age levels. This year, like last year, a group of Boy Scouts helped clean the books and assemble the bags as a service project. Matt, who is earning his Eagle Scout badge, is one of them, and his father was there to meet the students help deliver the books.

The mission of Project Book Bag, a nonprofit, “is to make sure that all kids have books at home to keep them reading and help them find their interests. Research shows that children who do not have access to reading material over the summer experience "learning loss," causing them to fall behind their peers. The kids in the KIPP school(s) are already performing better than many other kids in their area and we want to insure that they keep their skills sharp when school is not in session.”

Students at Kipp Raices are encouraged to read and excel at every level. Each classroom has the name of a university, exposing children early to the goal of going to college. Among the classrooms I visited were UCLA, USC, Yale and Syracuse.

Many thanks to Nancy Casolaron and Sarina Simon for spearheading Project Book Bag and making it such a success.
You can learn more about Project Book Bag at their Facebook Page and at their website.

CELEBRATING BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 with Mrs. Best, the Children and their Families

Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Best and Me in Room 6, Haynes Elementary, LAUSD

Last Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Best, the children in Room 6, their families and I celebrated the publication of BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 with a gala party in Mrs. Best's classroom at Haynes Elementary.

Mrs. Best's students in 2017, whose pictures are in the book

The kids were thrilled to receive their books, find the pictures of themselves in it and remember the thrill of raising painted lady butterflies. Afterward, we all enjoyed treats and special butterfly cupcakes. Many, many thanks to Jennifer Best, her students and their families. I couldn't have done the book without them!

Cupcakes with sugar butterflies

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I have a new ornament on my tree this year, a charming miniature library made for me by my friend and fellow children's book writer Caroline Hatton in a repurposed mint container just two inches square. The tiny books inside include my book Hatching Chicks in Room 6, Caroline's book Surprise Moon, and Ann Whitford Paul's book When Animals Say I Love You. It is reminder of the importance and joy of books and reading during the holidays and all the year through. As we celebrate this holiday season with its message of joy, hope, peace and goodwill, I send best wishes to all of you for a very

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

and a

JOYOUS NEW YEAR!

AUTHOR VISIT at ESPERANZA SCHOOL, Los Angeles, CA

Welcome sign in Mrs. Oasay's 4th Grade Class at Esperanza School

A week ago I had a terrific visit at Esperanza Elementary School in Los Angeles, California, with two groups of Mrs. Williams students in the library (3rd and 4th grades) and with Mrs. Oasay's 4th grade students in their classroom. I could tell that the students enjoyed meeting a "real live author" and I was glad to hear what they have been learning from reading my books. Each group had been reading one of my recent books in advance of my visit. Mrs. Williams' third graders had read Watching Desert Wildlife and the fourth graders had read Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines.

With teacher Elizabeth Williams in the library. A life-size cutout of P-22 peeks out behind us.

Mrs. Williams also shared the students' pollinators books that they are working on as they learn in the school's natural habitat garden. What a great project!

A book made by one of the students about plant pollinators

She also showed me the story boards the students made for P-22 Day. (P-22 is a mountain lion that lives in the Santa Monica Mountains.) I loved the illustrations and what they wrote. They had presented their story at the P-22 Day in Griffith Park in October.

With Mrs. Oasay in her classroom

Mrs. Oasay's class was a very enthusiastic audience and had a lot to share about what they were learning in my book Too Hot? Too Cold?. I loved their own Too Hot? Too Cold? books, done backwards and forwards.

My book Too Hot? Too Cold? and one of the student's books with facts about animal adaptations for keeping warm and keeping cool.

The board in front of Mrs. Oasay's room was filled with questions the students had prepared to ask me. They were great questions, ranging from "What inspired you to write about animals?" to "Did you have any challenges as a kid?" I didn't have time to answer all of them, but we had a great conversation.
I thank super Principal Brad Rumble for arranging my visit and making it possible.  During my visit, Assistant Principal Mrs. Lexus Lee took good care of me and made sure everything ran smoothly.

AN OLD LIBRARY: Mission San Juan Capistrano, California

Library, Mission San Juan Capistrano

Two weeks ago, when my family was visiting in Los Angeles, we made a day trip to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County and visited the Mission. A historical site, it provides a glimpse into what life was like in the early days of California. I was interested to see that even then, books played an important role in the life of the Mission.

Bell in the central courtyard of the Mission

According to a survey in 1834, Mission San Juan Capistrano owned a total of 209 books. The books in the library were meant to help the padres in their conversion of the Native American communities. Through books like Ano Cristiano, the Juanenos became acquainted with the countless saints and the Catholic calendar. After years of working with the local people, Friar Geronimo Bosoana created an invaluable record of the traditions of the Acjacheman people in his own book, Chinigchinich.

The padres needed books to establish, manage, and lead the Mission. They also relied on them for spiritual training and as means of spending time. Today, much of what we know about the Mission has come from journals, books, research papers, and oral history. The books range in their condition and many of them need conservation. Collectively, they are a treasured element of the Mission’s museum collection.

Books in the library date from the 1770s to the 1900s. They are made from vellum, paper, ink and leather.

Further Reading about Chicks and Chickens

When you finish reading a book, are you curious to find out more?  At the back of many books these days you will find a list of further reading. In my book, Hatching Chicks in Room 6, I list four books:

Chicks and Chickens by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, 2004)

All about the behavior and development of chicks and chickens.

From Egg to Chicken by Anita Ganeri (Heinemann, 2006)

Life cycle of the chicken, illustrated with photographs.

Tillie Lays an Egg by Terry Golson, photographs by Ben Fink (Scholastic, 2009)

Fictional story about a chicken who lays her eggs everywhere but in the nest box.

Who You Callin’ Chicken? by Thea Feldman, photographs by Stephen Green-Armytage (Abrams, 2003)

Photographs of the amazing variety of chicken breeds.

Here are four more:

A Chicken Followed Me Home! Questions and Answers about a Familiar Fowl by Robin Page (Beach Lane Books, 2015

Egg: Nature’s Perfect Package by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (HoughtonMifflinHarcourt, 2015) 

Chicks! (Step into Reading) by Sandra Horning (Random House)

Busy Chickens by John Schindel (Knopf Books for Young Readers)

CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

Last week, my daughter, Jennifer, was in Pittsburgh, and stopped in at the Carnegie Library. As she browsed the shelves she found several of my books. When I looked in the online catalogue, I was pleased to discover that the library has 125 of my books, 120 print books, and 5 e-books. I am always pleased to discover my books on the shelves of libraries knowing that through my books I am reaching the lives of children who check them out wanting to learn more about the world we live in.

Two of my books on the shelves of the library

The establishment of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh was forecast in a letter, November 25, 1881, from Andrew Carnegie to the Mayor of Pittsburgh, in which Mr. Carnegie offered to donate $250,000 for a free library, provided the City would agree to provide the land and maintain the annual funding for library operations. After additional consideration, Mr. Carnegie increased his charter investment to $1 million to build and equip a Main Library and five neighborhood branches, with the City of Pittsburgh agreeing to provide $40,000 for their ongoing support.
Founding public libraries became a personal philanthropic mission for Mr. Carnegie. To him, libraries were vital, non-luxury assets to be supported by public dollars. When finished, Mr. Carnegie established more than 2,500 libraries around the world. (From the library website.)

GREAT SCIENCE BOOKS FOR KIDS

 

I was pleased to be included in a wonderful list of great science books for kids put together at the blogsite GeekWrapped. On the list of 100 titles is my book Too Hot? Too Cold? Keeping Body Temperature Just Right (Charlesbridge, 2013).  In it readers will discover the remarkable--and similar--ways in which humans and animals adapt to heat and cold. The book is illustrated with lovely watercolor paintings by Annie Patterson.

SCBWI 2016 Winter Reading List

The 2016 Winter Reading List has just been published at the SCBWI website and includes my book LIVING FOSSILS: Clues to the Past, listed in the section of California/Hawaii authors as a nonfiction picture book for grades 3-5.

The Reading List Program includes books of all genres from SCBWI  PAL authors and illustrators. This is an opportunity to find that book that a kid or teen will enjoy and can engage with the fun and adventure of reading. The lists will be published bi-annually, in the Summer and Winter.

Check out the current books for all kinds of great titles to add to your holiday gift lists!

NYPL Recommends: New Nonfiction for Kids

I was delighted to discover my new book, LIVING FOSSILS: Clues to the Past on the list of books recommended by the staff of the New York Public Library, in a blog post NYPL Recommends: New Nonfiction for Kids written by Lynn Lobash, Manager of Reader Services.  In each of six categories–science, biographies, sports, animals, art and other stuff–the library's Best Books for Kids committee has chosen several books.  In addition to my book in the science category, the other two titles are: Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh [Gr. 2 - 4]A beautifully illustrated biography about the first person to successfully map the ocean floor.
and
Professor Astro Cat’s Atomic Adventure: A Journey Through Physics by Dr. Dominic Walliman & Ben Newman [Gr. 2 - 5]A cat explains physics and finally I get it!
These and all of the other books recommended by NYPL look equally fascinating.
I am proud that Living Fossils is included in this list!

PTEROSAURS: Rulers of the Skies in the Dinosaur Age now available at StarWalk Kids

One hundred million years ago, the skies were filled with enormous flying reptiles. With wing spans up to nearly forty feet, pterosaurs were one of the dominant life forms on earth.  My book, PTEROSAURS: Rulers of the Skies in the Dinosaur Age, originally published by Clarion, is now available as a digital book at StarWalk Kids and also soon at Amazon as a Kindle book.  I am thrilled to see this book available again.  Through the month of July you can read all of the books in the StarWalk Kids catalogue for free.  It is a great opportunity!

BOOKLIST Review of Pterosaurs

Gr. 2-4. After tackling megalodon, feathered dinos, and woolly mammoths in three previous books, Arnold and Caple add another extinct creature to their repertoire. This solid overview of "the only reptiles ever capable of powered flight" covers pterosaurs' ancestry, their peculiar physiology, theories about their behavior, and major fossil discoveries, frequently making abstract facts concrete through vivid comparisons: "If your arms were built like the wings of a pterosaur, your little finger would be more than 3 feet (1 meter) long!" Descriptions of about 20 of the more than 100 different pterosaur species known today round out the text. Caple's neatly labeled watercolors emphasize clarity over drama, but her subjects' exotic physical oddities (hairy, batlike bodies; toucan-bright beaks; bulbous, gaudily colored crests) will draw kids into the diorama-like tableaus.

HOLIDAY READING: Celebrate With Books!

Some of my favorite Christmas picture books

What better way to prepare for Christmas than to read some of the special books that celebrate the themes of the season! My daughter's family gets out their collection of holiday children’s books each December when they unpack the decorations for the tree.  Their books include winter snow stories, Santa Claus tales, and retellings of the traditional nativity story. As we reread our favorites we enjoy each one all over again, and even though the grandchildren are growing older, no one ever outgrows the love of a good picture book. 

I send you good wishes for a  

Very Happy Holiday 

and a  

New Year filled with wonderful books! 

BOOK CHAT THURSDAY: Authors, Illustrators, Teachers and Librarians Discuss Books

Once a month, usually on a Thursday evening, I join a group of writers, illustrators, teachers and librarians that meets in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles to discuss children's books. Usually we talk about one picture book and one middle grade or YA novel.  This past month we discussed Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Ferris. After the meeting, Sandy Schuckett, a retired LAUSD librarian, summarizes our discussion. We have recently launched a blog called Book Chat Thursday with Sandy's reports of our thoughts about the books we have read.  (The posts are backdated for the last several years so you can see all the books we've read since 2007.) We'd love to have your comments too!
Our group enjoys eating as much as reading and our meetings always include a variety of delicious snacks.  A separate page on the blog lists some of the recipes we have enjoyed.  As time goes on, we will be adding more.
We have been meeting since 2007. The group was organized under the auspices of the Children's Literature Council of Southern California

Project: LITERACY CHAIN

On one of my school visits, I went into the library and found it festooned with paper chains.  When I looked closer, I saw that each link had the name of a book and the name of a child written on it.  The chains were a clever way of keeping track of all the books the children had read during the year.

Here's how you can make your own literacy chain:

• Cut strips of paper 1 inch wide and 8 ½ inches long.  When you finish reading a book, write the name of the book on a strip of paper.  Glue or tape the ends of the strip together to make a circle.  Do this with every book you read, connecting the circles to make a chain.  This is a good class or family project. You can use the chains to decorate a bulletin board, your room, the library, or at holiday time.