Michael Rosen--he's no twit

British children's writer Michael Rosen weighs in on the Jacqueline Wilson naughty word controversy.

WTF? Dame Wilson can't swear

Or at least her characters aren't allowed to. The BBC reports that the second printing of Dame Jacqueline Wilson's latest novel, My Sister Jodie, will be reprinted after the publisher, Random House, received three complaints and a message from ASDA supermarket mega-chain (which happens to be owned by WalMart,) that they will not sell editions of the book with the offending word. This is an issue that many authors have had to contend with (remember the scrotum brouhaha?) and frankly it's tiresome. Authors never do anything by accident, and if a character uses vulgar language, it's probably because they are, well, vulgar, and the author would like to make that clear. I am by no means an advocate for naughty language in children's books, and whenever I review a book in which swears or other profanities are included, I mention the fact--particularly if they seem unnecessary. That's just me doing my job for librarians and media specialists who are reading the reviews and wondering if the books are suitable for their collections. But I have never said, "Don't buy this book--there's swearing!" Nor would I ever assume that I was doing the world a favor by demanding the withdrawal or reprinting of a book which had language I objected to. If I discovered that my daughter read a book with bad words, that I thought were inappropriate for her, I would use it as a platform to discuss with her why profanity is not for us. Chances are my daughter will someday read a book with bad language and I'll never know about it because she'll have the sense not to tell me or use the language herself. And I'm fine with that, because it shows that she can deal with media that is less than savory without being fundamentally altered as a person.

What a pity that Ms. Wilson--a Dame, no less--felt the need to capitulate. She needs backbone lessons from Judy Blume. I will be interested to see how the book is released here. And considering the British-specificness of the vulgar word in question, would an America audience notice it anyway?

Was Bob Marley inspired by the Banana Splits?

The BBC puts forward a compelling case. Read and listen here. You be the judge!

Graphic Novels continue to make their mark

ICv2 reports that Nickelodean Magazine is including for the first time a Best Kids Graphic Novel Award in its annual comics issue. It's just another indication of mainstream visibility for graphic novels both within pop culture and children's literature. Amen!

Pigeonholeing--who needs it?

This recent article in the New York Times about what makes a book YA or adult (the short answer--an editor) touches upon two subjects that have recently irritated me: rating books by age and James Patterson. It's clear to see from this article how labeling a book as "suitable" for a specific age/audience limits is capacity to reach beyond that demographic. If adults are daft enough to ignore a book because it is YA (and, therefore, not adult,) then think about how they will ignore books for their little ones because the cover says it is for 8-12 or Gr: 1-3. And as for James Patterson, he is sooooo only about making as much money as possible! Otherwise he would be more than happy to let his Maximum Ride books sit on the YA shelves. Works for Sherman Alexie!

New Honor for C.S. Lewis

I'm not sure why this was listed in the BBC Entertainment section, but it's cool news all the same. Those Blue Plaques ensue that the everyday pedestrain doesn't cruise past an otherwise unrecognized spot without realizing the history that took place there.

On my Radar--Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog

I live for days like this! The kind folks at Random House have cheered me considerably with their Fall 2008 teaser, announcing the news of a new Traction Man book coming in September. Woo hoo! Traction Man is a hero at our house, and no doubt others across the world, and I'm pumped for his further adventures.

Trip to the cinema reveals Despereaux

While at the pictures today to see Wall-e (which is excellent, by the way,) I saw the trailer for the screen version of Kate Dicamillo's The Tale of Despereaux, with none other than Matthew Broderick giving voice to the mouse hero (who also voiced grown-up Simba in "The Lion King", all those years ago.) "Despereaux" is hands down my favorite Kate DiCamillo book, with any Mercy Watson title as a close second, so I'm not sure what to make of this development. The film is all CGI and looks to be joketastic, which may or may not be a good thing (think wise-ass "Shrek".) Still, the film adaptation of Because of Winn-Dixie was very good, so I will reserve judgement (for now!)

Getting back to Wall-e, go see it if you have not done so already. It's not just for kids! In fact, it was an excellent reminder that a G rating simply means that a film is suitable for a general audience, not that it is intended for the tot-lot crowd. This film was intelligent, wise, and clever beyond belief. And there was hardly any dialog! Like a fantastic wordless picture book, this film let out imagination do the talking.

Gurus at war--the battle over Stuart Little

Here is a fascinating article about the ideological battle between Anne Carol Moore, the extremely influential librarian/children's book critic/expert who is credited with single-handedly inventing children's librarianship, and Katherine White, wife of E.B. White and children's book editor for the New Yorker. The touchstone of their battle--the publication of Mr. White's odd little book, Stuart Little. There is much to admire and despise about Moore, a woman who was clearly ahead of her time in terms of service provision but believed too much of her own press. As for Stuart Little itself, I was underwhelmed by it as a child, but there is no denying its place in the canon, despite what Moore thought of its suitability (not sure what either of them would think of the fact, though, that a Google image search of Stuart Little brings up pages of movie images, long before any of Garth William's wonderful illustrations.)

Just goes to show you, children's literature isn't for wimps!

On My Radar--Fave Early Reader Series

Some of my favorite Early Reader series are returning with new installments. September brings us the further adventures of Fly Guy, that slightly scrotal but totally lovable insect (and I don't often show affection for any sort of bug) and his owner, Buzz. And for fans of the softer, less-manic tales of friendship, there is a new Houndlsy and Catina book to savor.

I have so much admiration for writers who can create a story of limited, sometimes pre-dictated, vocabulary, and still offer a story that is fun to read. Dr. Seuss and Else Holmelund Minarik are the standards by which Early Reader authors are judged, but Mo Willems (Elephant & Piggie,) Tedd Arnold (Fly Guy,) Cynthia Rylant (take your pick!), James Howe (Houndsley & Catina,) Lola M. Schaefer (Mittens,) Keith Baker (Mr. & Mrs. Green) have all risen to the challenge.