A Week for Children’s Books
By Morgan on May 13th, 2013
The first Children’s Book Week poster from 1921!
Today kicks off Children’s Book Week, an annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading. Yeah, I think that’s something we can all get behind!
Children’s books are the first books we read, and of course, we read them at a time when we’re devouring the world around us as fast as we possibly can. Everything is new when we’re kids — the sights and sounds and feelings of the world around us — and so children’s books become markers by which we remember our certain times in our life. And those memories become heightened over the years. I was seven years old when I first read that book, I can say to myself about The Baby-sitters Club; I remember how I got my first copy and where it lived in my bedroom.
Children’s books leave their mark in ways adult books don’t, I’ve found. This week we’ll all be sharing our favorite classic children’s books as well as the modern books we hope will become classics as a way of honoring the books that nurtured our childhood.
My favorite classic children’s book? The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. First published in 1978, it won the Newbery in 1979 (the year I was born, which feels like fate) and was developed into a movie in the late 1990′s. This book is such a favorite of mine that I inadvertently memorized much of the first chapter, simply by reading it so often as a kid. (My twin sister and I still spontaneously burst into our recitations occasionally…) Turtle Wexler is, of course, one of the best characters I’ve ever come across.
My favorite modern children’s book that I hope will become a classic? The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. (Coincidentally, Selznick also designed the poster for this year’s Children’s Book Week!) Full of a riveting story and the most incredible artwork, Hugo is a multiple award-winner that is sure to capture kids’ imaginations — like it did mine! — for years to come.
How about you, readers?
IOF: Bathing with books, life lessons from Harry Potter, around the world in 80 photos and more!
By Alex on May 10th, 2013
Every Friday, we share a handful of links that we found funny, provocative or just plain cool. We call it In Our Feeds. Have a good weekend! Who better to get life lessons from than our friends from Hogwarts? Here are 5 life lessons we canmore… full post
Saturday is National Baby-sitting Day! You know what that means…
By Guest Blogger on May 10th, 2013
It’s another chance to talk about our love for The Baby-sitters Club! Here’s Harmonie Rosenberg from the marketing team to take her turn. (Of all the BSC members, by the way, she most relates to Claudia.) Thanks, Harmonie! This weekend marks amore… full post
Once a Kid Reporter [Editor], always a Kid Reporter [Editor]
By Dante on May 10th, 2013
After five years and a handful of months, today is my last day at Scholastic. I never really expected to be at Scholastic this long. I moved from Pittsburgh to NYC to work for the company (as an Associate Editor on Scholastic News Online), and Imore… full post
Happy Be Kind to Animals Week!
By Megan on May 9th, 2013
Be Kind to Animals Week (May 5-11) was established in 1915 by The American Humane Association in an effort to support animals and raise awareness about their health and safety. At Scholastic, we love animals (Clifford! Otto! Owen & Mzee!),more… full post
#MathPics winners for week 3 AND one more chance to win!
By Alex on May 9th, 2013
A symmetrical vegetable! In celebration of the much anticipated launch of MATH 180, we encouraged you to join our #MathPics photo contest for some math-focused fun and a chance to win some prizes! Here are this week’s winners: 1.) One ofmore… full post
An inside look at Scholastic Reads
By Lia on May 8th, 2013
A 2nd grader draws a response to David Shannon’s book Duck on a Bike. She called it “Two Ducks Falling in Love”. On the first Wednesday of every month, a handful of Scholastic employees — myself included — have the opportunity to visit a Newmore… full post
Parents chat about summer reading success
By Megan on May 8th, 2013
On Monday night, we kicked off the Summer Challenge with a Facebook chat on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page. In short, it was a hit. Thousands of parents tuned in to hear parent bloggers Amy Mascott and Allison McDonald sharemore… full post
Read Every Day (Even in Summertime), Lead a Better Life
By Suzanne on May 7th, 2013
“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them,” says Lemony Snicket, the harassed—and hilarious—narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Horseradish. We hope that your students will follow Snicket’s advice as they headmore… full post
Merci, Danke schoen, Gracias, THANK YOU, Teachers!
By Megan on May 7th, 2013
Today is National Teacher Day! The special day is a part of the National Education Association’s (NEA) annual Teacher Appreciation Week, which honors the amazing work of teachers in our nation’s classrooms. It’s no surprise this day is ofmore… full post
