Book-A-Day Almanac
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics and the new books on their way to becoming classics.
Harriet the Spy
Elementary School, FictionOn October 21, 1964, a book appeared that critics consider the beginning of modern fiction for children. Before that day, it had been controversial in its own publishing house, causing disagreement among the members of Harper & Row’s children’s book department. The gatekeepers of children’s books wanted to keep it out of the hands of […]
Family, New York, SchoolFeatured on October 21
The Agony of Alice
Elementary School, Fiction, Middle SchoolFrom September 22 through September 28, the American Library Association celebrates Banned Books Week. Often your local public library will display some famous banned books. I am always surprised to see what makes list of “top banned/challenged books” of the decade. Harry Potter leads the list—possibly Harry Potter is going to lead all lists (sales, censorship, […]
Family, Humor, SchoolFeatured on September 26
Little Bear
Beginning Readers, Elementary School Born in Denmark on September 13, 1920, Else Holmelund Minarik came to the United States when she was four. At first she hated English, the new language that she had to learn, but she became devoted to it—and to teaching first graders how to read words that had once perplexed her. As she observed her […]
Animals, Bears, Family, HumorFeatured on September 13
Sally Goes to the Beach
Elementary School, Picture BookAugust has been designated National Beach Month and during this time people are encouraged to make one more trip to their local beach and enjoy the scenery and warm weather before it vanishes. As a landlocked child in Indiana, I envied people their ocean beaches—although we did have beautiful sand dunes bordering Lake Michigan. If […]
Animals, Asian American, Dogs, Family, Multicultural, Seasons, SummerFeatured on August 21
The Penderwicks
Elementary School, FictionAs the Almanac has evolved, frequently I get ideas, directly or indirectly, from the readers of this column. Every year John Schumaker, @MrSchuReads, takes a character from a beloved children’s book, travels with it, and takes photos that he shares on his website. You can see his video of his trip with year on Read, […]
Family, Humor, Seasons, SummerFeatured on August 16
Bad Boy
Elementary School, High School, Memoir, Middle SchoolToday marks the birthday of a man who calls his autobiography Bad Boy. But for the past forty years the children’s book field has considered Walter Dean Myers a “Good and Great Man.” Possibly that should be the title for the second volume of his autobiography. Myers initially made his mark when he entered the […]
African American, Family, History, Multicultural, New YorkFeatured on August 12
The Yearling
Elementary School, Fiction, High School, Middle SchoolToday we celebrate the birthday of a writer who had no intention of crafting a book for children—nor was her classic published as one. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’s The Yearling appeared on the Scribner adult list in 1938. Edited by the legendary Maxwell Perkins, who also worked with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Thomas Wolfe, The Yearling became […]
Animals, Family, NatureFeatured on August 8
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!
Chapter Book, Elementary SchoolFrom August 5–7 in Twinsburg, Ohio, twins from around the world have come for festivities that include contests, talent shows, and fireworks. In years past this assembly has made the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest gathering of twins at one time. Well, twins have always fascinated children, and literature for children […]
Asian American, Award Winning, Family, MulticulturalFeatured on August 6
Blueberries for Sal
Elementary School, Picture Book, PreschoolJuly has been designated National Blueberry Month, to alert the public that this is the best time for fresh blueberries. I hope you can pick up some today—and while you are doing so, take a look at a classic children’s book that celebrates this delicious fruit. One of the most beloved children’s books of all […]
Animals, FamilyFeatured on July 29
Tar Beach
Elementary School, Picture BookJuly has been designated National Black Family Month, a month for Black Americans “to invest in their families as well as themselves.” The organizers hope that participants will have family reunions, dinners, or network with each other. Today I want to focus on one of the most magical family dinners ever portrayed. Faith Ringgold created […]
African American, Family, Food, Imagination, Multicultural, New York, Seasons, Summer, True StoryFeatured on July 25
The Runaway Bunny
Elementary School, Picture Book, Preschool For National Rabbit Week, we’ll look at several books, starting with two bunny books ideal for preschoolers. We have a bumper crop of rabbits in my neighborhood this year, and my Bernese Mountain Dog Lancelot is obsessed with them. Possibly he is a candidate for both books of the day. A graduate of Bank Street […]
Animals, Family, Imagination, RabbitsFeatured on July 17
Little Women
Classic, Elementary School, Middle SchoolOn July 15, 1868, an author who had been known for worthy adult writing—a novel called Moods and a Civil War memoir Hospital Sketches—finished the first half of a book that would secure her literary immortality. This was not an adult book but a girls’ story. Louisa May Alcott had actually bristled when her editor […]
Civil War, Family, HistoryFeatured on July 15
The Saturdays
Elementary School, FictionJuly has been designated Make a Difference to Children month. All involved with children’s books celebrate this cause year round. Nothing can make more of a difference than the right book for the right child at the right time. I’m going to look at two novels this month, one classic and one contemporary, that that […]
Family, New YorkFeatured on July 14
Stuart Little
Elementary School, Fantasy On July 11, 1899, Elwyn Brooks White, known to his friends as Andy and the literary world as E. B., was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He would eventually become a Maine man, where he lived with his wife Katharine. White published his first article in The New Yorker in 1925 and continued to […]
Animals, Family, Humor, Imagination, New YorkFeatured on July 11
Little House in the Big Woods
Elementary School, Historical Fiction During several July weekends the annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant takes place in De Smet, South Dakota. In the town made famous by Mrs. Wilder, the festival includes an outdoor pageant depicting scenes from her life and books. Published in the thirties and called the “books that the Depression could not stop,” Laura Ingalls Wilder’s […]
Family, History, PioneerFeatured on July 10
Half Brother
Elementary School, Fiction, High School, Middle SchoolJuly 1 was Canada Day and in its honor I’m celebrating two Canadian authors and events this month. On July 5 the Almanac featured Tim Wynne-Jones. Today we’ll look at another Canadian writer, Kenneth Oppel. I first encountered his work in the Airborn series and loved his voice, imagination, and ability to write page-turning science fiction. […]
Family, Science, Social ConscienceFeatured on July 7
Rex Zero and the End of the World
Elementary School, Fiction, Middle SchoolAround this time of year, for almost forty years, the annual Kimberly International Oldtime Accordion Championships took place in Kimberley, B.C., Canada. Family dances, jam sessions, and pancake breakfasts marked a festival that distinctly reminded me of my childhood. I was once forced to take accordion lessons; my mother had visions of her daughter performing […]
Canada, Cold War, Family, Geography, History, PoliticsFeatured on July 5
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Elementary School, Historical Fiction, Middle SchoolJuly has been designated both Family Reunion Month and National Black Family Month. We all need to take time to celebrate the strengths and virtues of our families. For some writers, their family and their family stories provide the necessary ingredients for great books. Such is the case of our author of the day, Mildred […]
African American, Award Winning, Family, History, Multicultural, NewberyFeatured on July 3
My Louisiana Sky
Elementary School, Fiction, Middle SchoolAround this time of year the Squire Creek Louisiana Peach Festival takes place with a rodeo, parades, and a cooking contest. If you are in the area and want some local culture, the next two days will provide that and more. But if you aren’t, I have an alternative: Kimberly Willis Holt’s My Louisiana Sky, for […]
Award Winning, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Family, Special NeedsFeatured on June 24
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Elementary School, FictionToday marks National Fudge Day—and I intend to celebrate. For children’s books aficionados, fudge not only conjures up food but also one of Judy Blume’s most original characters, Fudge, the younger brother of Peter, hero of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. When I entered the children’s book field in the seventies, Judy Blume reigned […]
Animals, Family, Humor, TurtlesFeatured on June 16
Anne of Green Gables
Classic, Elementary School, Middle SchoolIn June of 1908, Anne of Green Gables appeared on the list of a small Boston firm, L.C. Page and Company. Then-unknown Canadian author L.M. Montgomery had found it difficult to find a publisher in the United States—and so she did what so many new authors do today. She submitted to the Page brothers because […]
Family, Friendship, History, HumorFeatured on June 14
Maurice Sendak
Elementary School, Picture BookToday marks the birthday of someone who might best be described as the father of the American picture book—or, probably today, its grandfather. When Maurice Sendak published his masterpiece, Where the Wild Things Are, in 1963, he changed the scope and the possibilities of the picture book for every artist to come after him. He […]
Adventure, Award Winning, Caldecott, Family, ImaginationFeatured on June 10
11 Birthdays
Elementary School, FictionToday marks Best Friends Day, a time to celebrate the BFF in your life. Nothing can be so wonderful in the life of a child as a best friend. And, conversely, nothing can be more terrible than a rift between them. I still wince with pain when I think about my “breakup” with my BFF in […]
Birthdays, Family, Holidays, SchoolFeatured on June 8
When My Name Was Keoko
Elementary School, Historical Fiction, Middle SchoolToday Koreans celebrate Memorial Day — to pay tribute to those who died in war. Although very few books for children are set in Korea, Linda Sue Park’s extraordinary novel When My Name Was Keoko, published in 2002, explores World War II as seen by Korean citizens. For this powerful novel, Linda Sue Park, winner of the Newbery […]
Asian American, Family, History, Multicultural, Politics, World War IFeatured on June 6
Jumanji
Elementary School, Picture BookJune 4 has been designated Drawing Day or Pencil Day. Today we are encouraged to create art and to remember the joy we had when we first picked up a pencil and drew. If I ask myself what is the most amazing book I ever watched being published that was created by a pencil, the […]
Animals, Award Winning, Caldecott, Family, Games, ImaginationFeatured on June 4
Flipped
Elementary School, Fiction, Middle SchoolToday has been designated Flip a Coin Day. The word flip immediately reminds me of one of the funniest, and yet most true to life, romances written for the ten- to fourteen-year-old set, Wendelin Van Draanen’s Flipped. Told from the point of view of two protagonists, Julie and Bryce, they alternate narrating chapters. In second […]
Family, Humor, RomanceFeatured on June 1
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Elementary School, FantasyToday marks the 103rd birthday of British writer, journalist, and Naval Intelligence Officer, Ian Fleming. If his name sounds unfamiliar, you’re sure to know the character he created “Bond. James Bond,” who has become part of our cultural landscape, just like Sherlock Holmes. Like other authors who first distinguished themselves writing for adults – E. B. […]
Adventure, Cars, Family, TransportationFeatured on May 28
The Great Brain
Elementary School, FictionToday has been designated Brother’s Day—a celebration of brotherhood for biological brothers, fraternity brothers, and brothers bonded by union affiliation or lifetime experience. As could be predicted, children’s books frequently focus on sibling relationships, both brothers and sisters. After all, in childhood these relationships loom large in our lives. When I think of brothers in […]
20th Century, Family, History, Religion/SpiritualityFeatured on May 24
The Relatives Came
Elementary School, Picture Book May 18 has been designated Visit Your Relatives Day. The idea of a trip to see family members can bring many different images to mind. When I was a child, one of my happiest times each year came during the month of July when my father, my mother, my two sisters, and I got in […]
Award Winning, Caldecott, Family, HumorFeatured on May 18
The Carrot Seed
Babies and Toddlers, Picture Book, Preschool In May of 1945—around the time of Victory in Europe Day in World War II—a small book appeared on the list of Harper and Brothers. A quirky, offbeat title, it was not advertised that year and did not seem a likely candidate for celebrity status in the picture book world. But when it comes to […]
Family, GardeningFeatured on May 17
Esperanza Rising
Elementary School, High School, Historical Fiction, Middle SchoolIn an ongoing effort to promote books by Latinos, the Association of American Publishers has designated May as Latino Book Month. During May they hope booksellers, librarians, and teachers will encourage people in their communities to read Latino books in both English and Spanish. Later in the month we’ll look at a book by Francisco […]
Award Winning, Family, Great Depression, History, Latino, Multicultural, Pura BelpréFeatured on May 12
Daily children’s book recommendations and events from Anita Silvey.
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics . . .
The new books on their way to becoming classics . . .
And events from the world of children’s books—and the world at large.
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