Announcements

Send items of interest to the Children's Literature Association office at info@childlitassn.org

40th Annual ChLA Conference

Online registration for the 40th Annual ChLA Conference, hosted by The University of Southern Mississippi at the IP Casino Resort & Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi, is now available. Register and learn the details at chlaconference.org.

Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta Announces Call for Submissions for the 11th Annual Carol D. Reiser Children’s Book Award
Deadline: May 31, 2013

The Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) of Atlanta has opened a call for submissions of children’s books that inspire community service and volunteerism in children to be considered for the 11th annual Carol D. Reiser Children’s Book Award.

The award will be presented in August 2013 at the largest independent book festival in the nation, the Decatur Book Festival, and in September at the CVC of Atlanta’s IMPACT Awards event.  This national award, now in its eleventh year, was established by the CVC of Atlanta and named in honor of Reiser, a co-founder and past president of the CVC, as a living tribute to her lifelong commitment to community.

Awards Eligibility Criteria

  • Designated by its publisher as a children’s book (K – 5th grade)
  • Work of fiction, poetry, folklore, non-fiction or anthology
  • Published in the U.S.
  • Self-contained, not dependent on other media for its meaning
  • Hardback or paperback and of any length

Nominations are open through May 31, 2013. To nominate a book, visit www.cvcofatlanta.org to download a nomination form and instructions for mailing book copies to the CVC of Atlanta.

Judging
The panel of judges includes national literary experts and representatives of the CVC of Atlanta. All decisions of the judging panel are final.

Past Winners
2012       Do Something!  A Handbook for Young Activists by Nancy Lublin, Julia Steers and Vanessa Martir
2010     Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French
2009     Grow:  A Novel in Verse by Juanita Havill
2008     Reach Out and Give by Cheri J. Meiners, M.Ed.
2007     Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa that Brought Them Together by Herb Shoveller
2006     Mother Teresa by Demi and Makeovers by Marcia by Claudia Mills
2005    The Giving Book by Ellen Sabin
2004     Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming
2003     Anna Casey’s Place in the World by Adrian Fogelin

ABOUT THE CORPORATE VOLUNTEER COUNCIL OF ATLANTA
The Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta (CVC) delivers business results by supporting members in their strategic commitment to workplace volunteerism and civic engagement. The CVC is a professional association of Atlanta area businesses that promotes employee volunteerism in the corporate sector and provides a forum for networking, learning corporate best practices, research and local trends. The CVC of Atlanta includes more than 80 Atlanta corporations with employee populations ranging from 10 to 32,000 employees. For more information about the CVC or to become a member, please visit www.cvcofatlanta.org.


The Associates of the Boston Public Library is currently accepting applications for its tenth Children’s Writer-in-Residence program. The program was created to provide an emerging children's author with the financial support and quiet space needed to complete one literary work. Eligible projects include fiction, nonfiction, a script, or poetry intended for children or young adults. The fellowship provides a $20,000 stipend and an office at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square from October 2013 through June 2014. Applications must be postmarked by May 24th. To learn more about the program or to apply please see: www.writer-in-residence.org.

BookMentors Launches New Website

BookMentors is proud to announce the launch of their new nonprofit website, which uses micropatronage and social interaction to solve book access problems in high-needs public schools. On our website teachers can request  new books for their classes and donors can fulfill teachers' requests, as well as suggest books they care about. Teachers and donors can also use the site to share information about children's and YA literature.

BookMentors was founded by a group of friends in the fields of education, academia, high-tech, and law. Teachers from high-poverty schools across the United States, as well as donors from different regions of the country, have been using the site since its launch in March. In our "talk" section teachers and donors have been sharing their interest in particular children's and YA books, as well as expressing their gratitude for the hard work of teaching and the generosity of giving.

Take a look at the site, and let us know what you think: www.bookmentors.org.

Please feel free to email the executive director, Jennifer Soalt, with any questions or suggestions (jen@bookmentors.org). We are eager to spread the news of our launch, so if you are interested please consider sharing information about BookMentors with friends.

2013 South Asia Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature

2013 Winners
The Rumor by Anushka Ravishankar, illustrations by Kanyika Kini (Tundra Books, a division of Random House of Canada, Ltd. 2012). In the village of Baddbaddpur, the people like to tell tales. Pandurang is so dour that he can make milk turn sour. One day he coughs up a feather. As the story of Pandurang’s feather is passed from one person to another it grows and grows and grows until it can hardly be recognized. (Grades PreK-4).

Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press, 2012). Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out what happened to Afghanistan’s children since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. She interviewed children who spoke about their lives. They are still living in a country torn apart by war, violence and oppression still exist, particularly affecting the lives of girls, but the kids are weathering their lives with courage and optimism. (Grades 5 – 12).

2013 Honor Books
Chained by Lynne Kelly (Farrar Straus Giroux, Margaret Ferguson Books, 2012). To work off a family debt, ten-yearold Hastin leaves his desert village in India to work as a circus elephant keeper but many challenges await him, including trying to keep Nadita, a sweet elephant, safe from the cruel circus owner. (Grades 4-7).

The Elephant’s Friend and Other Tales from Ancient India by Marcia Williams (Candlewick Press, 2012). Drawing from three books of best-loved Indian folktales — Hitopadesha Tales, Jataka Tales, and Panchantra Tales — this graphic storybook collection, alive with kid-friendly illustrations, is infused with humor and warmth. (Grades K-4).

The Wooden Sword by Ann Redisch Stampler, illustrated by Carol Liddiment (Albert Whitman & Company, 2012). Disguised in servant's clothes, an Afghani shah slips out of his palace to learn more about his people. When he encounters a poor Jewish shoemaker faithful that everything will turn out just as it should, the shah grows curious. Vowing that no harm will befall the poor man, he decides to test that faith. (Grades K-5).

Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani (Candlewick Press, 2012). A twelve-year-old Indian immigrant in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner’s son become pen pals, and eventually best friends, through a series of revealing letters exploring such topics as environmental activism, immigration, and racism. (Grades 4-7).

2013 Highly Commended Books
Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes (Chronicle Books, 2012). The bold, bright colors of India leap right off the page in this fresh and funny picture book adaptation of how Ganesha came to write the epic poem of Hindu literature, the Mahabarata. (Grades Prek-3)

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo (Feiwel and Friends Book, an imprint of Macmillan, 2012). 14 year old Aman and his mother flee the horrors of war in Afghanistan and escape to England. But just as they are getting settled in their new home, Aman and his mother find themselves in a detention center. Their only hope is Aman's friend Matt, Matt's grandfather, and the dream of finding Shadow, Aman's trusted and loyal canine companion. (Grades 5-8).

The Sweetest Mango by Malavika Shetty, illustrations by Ajanta Guhathakurta (Tulika Publishers, 2012). The sweet, simple story and luscious pictures evoke delicious flavors of hot days, warm friendships and the smell of mango in the air. (Grades PreK-3)

Tina’s Mouth: an Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap, illustrations by Mari Araki (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012). Tina Malhotra, a sophomore at the Yarborough Academy in Southern California, creates an existential diary for an assignment in which she tries to determine who she is and where she fits in. (Grades 9-12).

The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani (Delacorte Press, 2012). When Sonia’s father loses his job, she must move from her small, supportive private school to a public middle school. The new school, her father's diagnosis of clinical depression, and her half- Jewish and half- Indian heritage leave Sonia feeling more confused about herself, her friends, and her family. Grades 5-8).

The 2013 South Asia Book Award Ceremony will be held in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, October 19, 2013. For more information about the SABA Award visit: http://southasiabookaward.org.

National Endowment for the Humanities Crowdsources Nonfiction Reading List for Kids

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) seeks nominations for a new nonfiction booklist for elementary, middle, and high-school aged children.

Aimed at young readers who want to delve more deeply into areas such as history, biography, archaeology, or philosophy, this new list will supplement NEH’s popular summer reading list, which, since its inception in 1988, has been heavily weighted towards works of fiction. NEH’s new nonfiction list will reflect the new Common Core State Standards, which place a greater emphasis on nonfiction material, and will serve as a resource for teachers and parents of children who want to read about the tragic Irish potato famine of the 1840s and 50s or the infamous Salem witch trials in addition to—or instead of—Harry Potter and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

NEH seeks your assistance in building its first nonfiction Summertime Reading List. We invite you to nominate outstanding nonfiction books for any or all of the following three age groups: 5-8 years old; 9-13 years old; and 14-17 years old, and tell NEH why your selections should be recommended for a new generation of readers.

Nominations may be made online at: http://www.neh.gov/non-fiction-book-form. Recommended titles should have a strong humanities content, be of lasting value to readers, and readily available in print. Final selection of the books will be made by an advisory board composed of educators, library and information science specialists, historians, scholars of literature, and experts in childhood literacy, and will be announced in 2013.

Congratulations to Professor John Cech, 2013 Recipient of the Anne Devereaux Jordan Award!

The Children’s Literature Association is pleased to announce that Professor John Cech will be the 2013 recipient of the Anne Devereaux Jordan Award, given in recognition of “significant contributions in scholarship and/or service to the field of children's literature.” Professor Cech’s scholarship includes a 1994 monograph, Angels and Wild Things: The Archetypal Poetics of Maurice Sendak (Penn State Press) and Imagination and Innovation: The Story of Weston Woods (Scholastic, 2009), among many other projects. A writer of children’s fiction and plays and picture books, he has brought welcome public attention to the field of children’s literature through his founding of the Center for Children’s Literature and Culture at the University of Florida, where he has served as a faculty member since 1976, and also through the Recess! radio program he established in 1998, as well as his commentaries for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. He has contributed a wide range of articles, essays, and reviews to such publications as The New York Times Book Review, The Christian Science Monitor, The Horn Book Magazine, and USA Today, among others. An active member of the Children’s Literature Association since its initial creation, Professor Cech has served as President and in many other capacities on its behalf. A consultant for the MacArthur Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, he also has served as a judge for the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards and as a member of the nominating committee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. In 1992, he was honored with the Chandler Award for his contributions to the field of children’s literature. We congratulate Professor Cech on this much deserved recognition, and we look forward to celebrating his accomplishments at the 2013 Children’s Literature Association conference in Mississippi.

Special issue of Papers: Explorations into Children’s Literature: Children’s Literature Collections and Archives


This issue is available (free open access) at: http://www.paperschildlit.com/index.php/papers

Table of Contents

  • The Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books: Toronto Public Library’s Research Collection of Juvenile Material Leslie Anne McGrath
  • Twentieth century literary and publishing archives: UK research perspectives on children’s literature Charlotte Berry
  • Colonial Girls’ Literature and the Politics of Archives in the Digital Age Michelle J. Smith and Kristine Moruzi
  • Anthony Arrowroot and Nutty Nutella: Advertising in Children’s Literature Afsana Khan
  • The Historical-Cultural Value of the Juvenile Collection: The McLaren Collection at the University of Melbourne and its Girls’ Books Margaret Lowe
  • John Mystery and the Australian Book Trade Juliet O’Conor
  • Astrid Lindgren and the Archives Helene Ehriander
  • A Token to the Future: A Digital ‘Archive’ of Early Australian Children’s Literature Kerry Mallan, Amy Cross, and Cherie Allan
  • Digital Archives and Cultural Memory: Discovering Lost Histories in Digitised Australian Children’s Literature 1851-1945 Michelle Dicinoski
  • The Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children’s Literature Belle Alderman
  • Collections of the Swiss Institute for Children’s and Youth Media and their Public Access Roger Meyer
  • Growing up Australian: The National Imaginary in School Readers Jane McGennisken
  • Books or Toys? A Traveller’s tale: researching early movable books for and by children in material and virtual collections Jacqueline Reid-Walsh
  • Clare Bradford and Kerry Mallan, editors, Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature
International Children's Book Awards List

The International Committee has compiled a list of International Children's Book Awards. You can find this list on the Committee's web page.

Digitization of ChLA Journals

ChLA is delighted to announce that all issues of Children's Literature and Children's Literature Association Quarterly are now available through The Johns Hopkins University Press online collection, Project Muse. See http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/

updated 1 week ago

But Mary Poppins‘s eyes were fixed upon him, and Michael suddenly discovered that you could not look at Mary Poppins and disobey her. There was something strange and extraordinary about her—something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting. (P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins, 1934) "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what‘s the fist thing you say to yourself?" "What‘s for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what‘s going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It‘s the same thing," he said. (A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, 1926) The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, he top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. (Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting, 1975) My cousin comes to visit and you know he‘s from the South ‘Cause every word he says just kind of slides out of his mouth I like the way he whistles and I like the way he walks But honey, let me tell you that I LOVE the way he talks (Eloise Greenfield, from "Honey, I Love," Honey, I love and other love poems, 1978) They tell you to do your thing but they don‘t mean it. They don‘t want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It‘s a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don‘t disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say. (Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War, 1974) There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. (Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows 1908) "My darling child!... Where in the world did you come from?" "From the Land of Oz," said Dorothy gravely. "And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I‘m so glad to be at home again!" (L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900) It was a dark and stormy night. (Madeleine L‘Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, 1962) When Jamie saw him throw the baby, saw Van throw the little baby, saw Van throw his little sister Nin, when Jamie saw Van throw his baby sister Nin, then they moved. (Carolyn Coman, What Jamie Saw, 1995) Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It‘s one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they‘re the four hugest words in the world when they‘re put together. You can do it. (Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, 2007) When beetles fight these battles in a bottle with their paddles and the bottle‘s on a poodle and the poodle‘s eating noodles... (Dr. Seuss, Fox in Socks 1965) Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you‘d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn‘t hold with such nonsense. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone, 1997) She knew they were all afraid. But love and disease are both like electricity, Weetzie thought. They are always there—you can‘t see or smell or hear, touch, or taste them, but you know they are there like a current in the air. We can choose, Weetzie thought, we can choose to plug into the love current instead. (Francesca Lia Block, Weetzie Bat 1989) "Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything‘s got a moral, if only you can find it." (Lewis Carroll, Alice‘s Adventures in Wonderland 1865) "Yes, it‘s very wicked to lie," said Pippi even more sadly. "But I forget it now and then. And how can you expect a little child whose mother is an angel and whose father is king of a cannibal island and who herself has sailed on the ocean all her life—how can you expect her to tell the truth always?" (Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, 1950) TWINKLE, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are ! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. (Ann and Jane Taylor, from "The Star," Rhymes from the Nursery, 1806) "Where‘s papa going with that ax?" (E. B. White, Charlotte‘s Web 1952) "You‘ve started quite a career for yourself, Nancy. I wonder if you‘ll have any more adventures?" Nancy gave a tired sigh. "Oh, I think I‘ve had enough to last me for the rest of my life!" But in heart heart, she knew she had not. The love for mystery would always be with her. (Carolyn Keene, The Bungalow Mystery 1930) HOW doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower! (Isaac Watts, from "Against Idleness and Mischief, Divine Songs for Children, 1715)Take some time daily to speak a little to your children one by one about their miserable condition by nature…. They are not too little to die… not too little to go to hell. — James Janeway, A Token for Children (1671-2) But Mary Poppins‘s eyes were fixed upon him, and Michael suddenly discovered that you could not look at Mary Poppins and disobey her. There was something strange and extraordinary about her—something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting. (P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins, 1934) "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what‘s the fist thing you say to yourself?" "What‘s for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what‘s going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It‘s the same thing," he said. (A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, 1926) The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, he top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. (Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting, 1975) My cousin comes to visit and you know he‘s from the South ‘Cause every word he says just kind of slides out of his mouth I like the way he whistles and I like the way he walks But honey, let me tell you that I LOVE the way he talks (Eloise Greenfield, from "Honey, I Love," Honey, I love and other love poems, 1978) They tell you to do your thing but they don‘t mean it. They don‘t want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It‘s a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don‘t disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say. (Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War, 1974) There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. (Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows 1908) "My darling child!... Where in the world did you come from?" "From the Land of Oz," said Dorothy gravely. "And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I‘m so glad to be at home again!" (L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900) It was a dark and stormy night. (Madeleine L‘Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, 1962) When Jamie saw him throw the baby, saw Van throw the little baby, saw Van throw his little sister Nin, when Jamie saw Van throw his baby sister Nin, then they moved. (Carolyn Coman, What Jamie Saw, 1995) Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It‘s one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they‘re the four hugest words in the world when they‘re put together. You can do it. (Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, 2007) When beetles fight these battles in a bottle with their paddles and the bottle‘s on a poodle and the poodle‘s eating noodles... (Dr. Seuss, Fox in Socks 1965) Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you‘d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn‘t hold with such nonsense. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone, 1997) She knew they were all afraid. But love and disease are both like electricity, Weetzie thought. They are always there—you can‘t see or smell or hear, touch, or taste them, but you know they are there like a current in the air. We can choose, Weetzie thought, we can choose to plug into the love current instead. (Francesca Lia Block, Weetzie Bat 1989) "Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything‘s got a moral, if only you can find it." (Lewis Carroll, Alice‘s Adventures in Wonderland 1865) "Yes, it‘s very wicked to lie," said Pippi even more sadly. "But I forget it now and then. And how can you expect a little child whose mother is an angel and whose father is king of a cannibal island and who herself has sailed on the ocean all her life—how can you expect her to tell the truth always?" (Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, 1950) TWINKLE, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are ! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. (Ann and Jane Taylor, from "The Star," Rhymes from the Nursery, 1806) "Where‘s papa going with that ax?" (E. B. White, Charlotte‘s Web 1952) "You‘ve started quite a career for yourself, Nancy. I wonder if you‘ll have any more adventures?" Nancy gave a tired sigh. "Oh, I think I‘ve had enough to last me for the rest of my life!" But in heart heart, she knew she had not. The love for mystery would always be with her. (Carolyn Keene, The Bungalow Mystery 1930) HOW doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower! (Isaac Watts, from "Against Idleness and Mischief, Divine Songs for Children, 1715)Take some time daily to speak a little to your children one by one about their miserable condition by nature…. They are not too little to die… not too little to go to hell. — James Janeway, A Token for Children (1671-2) But Mary Poppins‘s eyes were fixed upon him, and Michael suddenly discovered that you could not look at Mary Poppins and disobey her. There was something strange and extraordinary about her—something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting. (P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins, 1934) "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what‘s the fist thing you say to yourself?" "What‘s for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what‘s going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It‘s the same thing," he said. (A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, 1926) The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, he top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. (Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting, 1975) My cousin comes to visit and you know he‘s from the South ‘Cause every word he says just kind of slides out of his mouth I like the way he whistles and I like the way he walks But honey, let me tell you that I LOVE the way he talks (Eloise Greenfield, from "Honey, I Love," Honey, I love and other love poems, 1978) They tell you to do your thing but they don‘t mean it. They don‘t want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It‘s a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don‘t disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say. (Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War, 1974) There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. (Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows 1908) "My darling child!... Where in the world did you come from?" "From the Land of Oz," said Dorothy gravely. "And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I‘m so glad to be at home again!" (L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900) It was a dark and stormy night. (Madeleine L‘Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, 1962) When Jamie saw him throw the baby, saw Van throw the little baby, saw Van throw his little sister Nin, when Jamie saw Van throw his baby sister Nin, then they moved. (Carolyn Coman, What Jamie Saw, 1995) Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It‘s one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they‘re the four hugest words in the world when they‘re put together. You can do it. (Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, 2007) When beetles fight these battles in a bottle with their paddles and the bottle‘s on a poodle and the poodle‘s eating noodles... (Dr. Seuss, Fox in Socks 1965) Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you‘d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn‘t hold with such nonsense. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone, 1997) She knew they were all afraid. But love and disease are both like electricity, Weetzie thought. They are always there—you can‘t see or smell or hear, touch, or taste them, but you know they are there like a current in the air. We can choose, Weetzie thought, we can choose to plug into the love current instead. (Francesca Lia Block, Weetzie Bat 1989) "Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything‘s got a moral, if only you can find it." (Lewis Carroll, Alice‘s Adventures in Wonderland 1865) "Yes, it‘s very wicked to lie," said Pippi even more sadly. "But I forget it now and then. And how can you expect a little child whose mother is an angel and whose father is king of a cannibal island and who herself has sailed on the ocean all her life—how can you expect her to tell the truth always?" (Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, 1950) TWINKLE, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are ! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. (Ann and Jane Taylor, from "The Star," Rhymes from the Nursery, 1806) "Where‘s papa going with that ax?" (E. B. White, Charlotte‘s Web 1952) "You‘ve started quite a career for yourself, Nancy. I wonder if you‘ll have any more adventures?" Nancy gave a tired sigh. "Oh, I think I‘ve had enough to last me for the rest of my life!" But in heart heart, she knew she had not. The love for mystery would always be with her. (Carolyn Keene, The Bungalow Mystery 1930) HOW doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower! (Isaac Watts, from "Against Idleness and Mischief, Divine Songs for Children, 1715)Take some time daily to speak a little to your children one by one about their miserable condition by nature…. They are not too little to die… not too little to go to hell. — James Janeway, A Token for Children (1671-2)