Youth Libraries Group

CKG Longlists

Hannah — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:53:00 GMT

The CKG Longlists are now available on the website - www.ckg.org.uk. You can find them in the "Press Desk" section. Some interesting books on here - and I'm proud to see that nearly all of the books that the South East committee chose for our discussion day appear on the longlists.

Looking down the long list always amazes me in so many ways. Firstly, I remember the titles I forgot reading, which really are worthy of their place on the longlist (and I wonder how I could have forgotten them). Secondly, I'm surprised by the publication dates for some of them - were they really only published in the last 14 months?! Thirdly, I feel ashamed at how many of them have passed me by (particularly on the Greenaway list).

I will be placing lots of requests at the library in the next couple of weeks so I can look at some of these from the third category more closely and work out if I agree that they are potential Carnegie or Kate Greenaway Medal winners.

For me, the long and short lists can be the most interesting part of a book award. The winner is exciting, but I'm more intrigued by the ones that got away.

Hannah

Recollections

fhordon — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:18:00 GMT

Today, at our CKG training day, we were invited by way of an "icebreaker" to talk briefly about a book - or the book - that influenced childhood reading. This is always a fascinating exercise, not least because, if you are like me, the task seems so impossible. The moment someone says "favourite book" a hundred titles crowd into my mind, or even more perversely I cannot think of one! I had so many "favourites".... and yet compared to many children nowadays, I suspect, my reading was quite limited.I do think that Sutcliff was - is - still the writer who opened the doors of the imagination most. But then there was Kipling... Ronald Welch - he introduced me to the idea that Saladin might be as interesting a character as the Richard Coeur de Lion of the Robin Hood stories; Cynthia Harnett, Marguerite de Angeli (how I loved The Door in the Wall and there was The Black Fox of Lorne - a strong historical theme emerges. These are authors whose names will still be recognised. But what about all those forgotten authors whose books enchanted and excited - the Bunkle books by M. Pardoe (or even better her Argle series); all those Adventures - Monday Tuesday etc by John Pudney; R.B. Maddock - I am looking at "Corrigan and the Tomb of Opi" as I write - you can guess what sort of story it is; Jane Oliver - The eaglet and the angry dove or the gloriously improbable The little laundress and the fearful knight by Bertram Bloch. It is these books, so forgetable in the great scheme of things, but so unforgetable to me that I like to track down and "rescue". Yes, the really great books change one but it is these lesser books that create the bedrock on which they stand.They are probably almost impossible to read now as an adult - but what memories!

By Ferelith

The Robber Baron's Daughter

vvj5 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:39:00 GMT

A note or two on a book that surprised me.

This was a book with some quite dark subject matter and a cover to match, but when I took it with me on a train, envisaging an hour or so of mild depression, it turned out to come at those issues from a different angle and it had a deliberate fairy-tale feel to the prose, which added interest. (I'd picked it up, as Jamila Gavin is usually an author worth reading.)

From a nit-picking library point of view (and hey, this is a library-biased blog), it is one of those hard-to-place books. The ballet-loving heroine is quite young and the main part of the story and the way that's told (two children play at being spies) inclined me to take it out of the Teen where it had been placed, after looking at online blurbs etc pre-purchase, but reflecting on some of the events described in flashback, I eventually decided to leave it where it was. See how hard it is to make even wide generalisations?

By Vicky

Picture Books

vvj5 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:44:00 GMT

Talking of CKG… Our YLG branch had our nominations session and we were blown away by some of the potential Greenaway titles. I shall try to say something about this, but it’s hard without the books to wave around. (The best way to explain how wonderful a picture book is to open it up and say “Look at that!”) Even off the short selection we had, there were some great books, so you'll have to forgive this post being a little long.

We loved Bob Graham’s How to Heal A Broken Wing – a story that (literally) illustrates how one small act of kindness can make a difference. The use of perspective, colour and layout is excellent. In fact, the only criticism we could make was that we don’t think it’s always (if ever) a good idea to pick up an injured pigeon and take it home, and that’s missing the point of this quiet gem of a book. (The story is very simple – a young girl in a big city spots an injured bird as everyone else passes on, takes it home and nurses it back to health).

We were also enchanted by Emily Gravett’s Spells, which has as much fascinating detail as the fine print she advises us to read with much humour – and particularly good use of shadow in places. (This is a tale of a frog determined to become a prince, but who should definitely take more care about his reading. With cut pages that leave a mixture of funny outcomes for the spells.)

Rob Scotton’s Splat the Cat won our hearts instantly. (We all want to know how he does the edges of the cat.) We loved the expressive illustrations and the little touches (the cat’s face being as visible under the blankets as out of them) and couldn’t talk about it without enthusiasm and a smile. (The typical storyline of ‘first day at school’ is enlivened no end by the illustrations).

The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers was another we felt was outstanding. (We all left with the resolution to make our own nominations for the titles that weren’t the NE choices). Colour, use of space – and those cartoon series as the alien and child communicate – won us over. (In this exploration of imagination, a child takes a plane to the moon, but crash lands, along with an alien and the two have to work out a plan to get them both back home. The touches of humour are great).

Then we also were impressed by Marc Craste’s illustrations for Varmints by Helen Ward. These are something quite different and absolutely stunning. The text itself needs some work – it’s a case of look at the pictures or strain to read the text and in this book, the pictures win out every time. (For the Kate Greenaway medal, the two should complement each other.) Another one we liked was The Bog Baby by Gwen Millward with its detailed, almost old-fashioned illustrations – perfect for this quirky little fairy tale & proving that not everything has to be the visual equivalent of shouting at you to work.

There were some other good examples we looked at, but nothing that didn’t get instantly put in the shade by the titles above. You know, we children’s librarians are lucky – we’ve been let into that well-kept secret of just how brilliant picture books are.

CKG Nominations

fhordon — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:07:00 GMT

Well, we have rreached that time in the year when CKG nominations can be sent in. This has never seemed to me to be easy - and today I suspect is made even more difficult as authorities move away from approvals and reviewing new books before they are even added to stock. The discipline of having to read and assess a novel - even if it might not have been a first choice - encouraged a reall commitment to the books.Now I am finding it all too easy to look to old favourites - or those arrivals with the covers that attract (see my previous comments!!!!) or titles that entice - rather than exploring widely. Life after all is short......It was one of the greatest pleasures of being a CKG judge; having to read - and reread titles that I might have avoided because they might have been uncomfortable, or not in a favourite genre or.... and I am a reading addict. So I am looking forward to another feast where my tastes will be challenged and as yet I have no idea what will be there - edgy teen , sweeping historical, fantasy or adventure...... Bring them on1