1

Interview with

George Ella Lyon

Upcoming

McConnell Center

Events

McConnell

Conference

Author Spotlight

12 Days of Youth

Literature Trivia

Happy Holidays

National Book

Award Winner

Connecting with

Characters Contest

2013 Mock ALA

Youth Lit Awards

Angel Tree

Donations

Big News for fans

of Suzanne Collins

Student Section

On the Blog and in

the Center

About Us

Do you have a favorite children’s

book?

No, but I’ll tell you one I particularly

love: Katie Morag Delivers the Mail

by Mary Hedderwick. A new book I

especially love is Extra Yarn.

What is your writing process?

I begin each morning with journal writ-

ing and after that my practice, unless I

have an ongoing manuscript, is to get

as quiet inside as I can and ask if any-

one wants to speak. If someone shows

up, I write down what they say, no

questions asked. That’s how Holding

On to Zoe began. As usual, I had no

idea where it was going. I had to listen

and imagine my way forward.

What do you feel best prepared you for

being an author? I grew up in a house full of books with

parents who loved music and stories. I

also grew up in a culture where people

made stories out of their lives every

day. At the same time, there were sto-

ries in my family that were not told,

emotions and experiences that were not

acceptable to express, and this paradox-

ical combination, plus my inborn love

of the melody of words, prepared me to

be a writer.

What do you love about being an

author?

I love the joy that writing gives me.

It’s always new, not only in the things

it requires me to learn for a new book,

but in the ever-unfolding possibilities

of language. When writing is going

well, it’s a magical feeling. Besides

being with family, friends, and trees,

writing is where I feel most alive.

Once the book is in the world, I have

the added pleasure and affirmation cre-

2

ated in connecting with readers. I do a lot of work in schools, and I kids’ responses, especially their questions,

give me a lot of energy and hope.

Please tell us about your newest book Holding on to Zoe.

As I said above, the beginning of Zoe just came to me when I was writing in my journal. This was in Febru-

ary 2004. I was captivated by the passion in Jules’ voice, by her love for and determination to take care of

Zoe, her baby, and by her work in the Toyota factory. I didn’t know if she would be there when I came back

to the page the next day but I knew that if she was, I wanted to follow her.

What makes Zoe a unique voice among teen novels?

Jules, the sixteen year-old mother who narrates the novel, is what makes the novel unique. Her present story is

pregnant with a story from her past which isn’t delivered until near the end of the book. With it comes a reve-

lation that she has to come to terms with. When Holding On to Zoe ends, Jules is at the beginning of that pro-

cess.

According to Lexgo, (http://www.kentucky.com/2012/07/26/2272141/george-ella-lyon-has-two-books.html),

your new novel is set in Lexington. Is this true? Was there a reason for this?

Yes, it is. She says at the very beginning that she works at Toyota, and the Georgetown plant is handy here, so

it made sense to me that this is where she lives. Of course it also makes it easier for me to imagine the geogra-

phy of her daily life, since I’ve lived here for thirty-six years.

You publish for children, adults and teens. Do you have a favorite audience to write for?

No, not really, although poems are my native language. I love the rhythm, economy, surprise, and delight of

picture books; and I love the breadth and companionship of the novel. Writing songs is a joy, except for the

part that drives me crazy . . .well, you could say that about all word work! I enjoy working on plays and es-

says, too.

Are you working on any other books or projects?

I’m working on a novel-in-poems, currently called Emmy/Zoe and am collaborating with J. Patrick Lewis,

Children’s Poet Laureate, on a book of poems in the voices of people who were part of the 1963 March on

Washington.

Do you have any upcoming events or signings?

I’ll be at Joseph-Beth on December 17th at 6 p.m. along with other contributors, to read and sign the paperback

edition of A Kentucky Christmas. I’ll also read from the same book solo on December 13th at 6:30 at the

Woodford County Public Library.

Be sure to check George Ella Lyon’s website for more information about books,

events, and upcoming projects!

http://www.georgeellalyon.com/

3

12 Days of Trivia Contest

Be sure to check your email

everyday and participate.

Visit our form at

http://bit.ly/McConnell12Days

Or

Visit our Facebook page at

http://bit.ly/12daysofyouthtrivia

McConnell Conference

March 1-2, 2013

Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington, KY

https://ci.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-conference

4

Kate and Nate Are Running Late, is a fantastic new children’s book by Kate Egan and illustrated by

Dan Yaccarino. Nate wakes his mom Kate one morning, “’It’s getting late’” announces Nate’”. What follows

is scramble to get ready for the day. This is wonderful story about a single mother who races to get her

children ready for school and go to work. The wording is perfect for the mad dash that follows and is

completely in rhyme. The rhyming quality makes it perfect for younger children. This entertaining story is

accompanied by Dan Yaccarino’s colorful artwork. The illustrations are in the same style as Yaccarino’s

previous work in Boy + Bot, Every Friday, and The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau. This book

is unique because it shows a family that is not idealized in many picture books. Many single parent households

will relate to this ingenious picture book.

Egan, K. (2012). Kate and Nate are running late!. New York: Feiwel and Friends.

Read A-likes

Calmenson, S. (2008). Late for school!. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books.

Dyckman, A. (2012). Boy + Bot. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Yaccarino, D. (2007). Every Friday. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Every month leading up to the

McConnell 2013 Conference, the

McConnell newsletter will feature a

new book review from one of our

2013 featured presenters. These

reviews will introduce you to our

authors and some of their work. If

you have any books from our 2013

presenters you would like us to

review, please send suggestions to:

mercedes.hopewell@gmail.com

Kate and Nate are Running

Late

By Kate Egan

Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

5

The McConnell Center will present Twelve Days of Youth Literature Trivia again this year from December

3rd through December 14th. Questions will be posted at 10:00 am ET each morning with the link to a form

for submitting answers. Each question will be open for responses until the next day's question is posted. Each

correct answer will be included in the post with the following day's question. Those who submit 6 or more

correct answers will be entered in a drawing for 1 of 4 seats at the "Authors' Table" (with Jack Gantos, Dan

Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla) at the 45th McConnell Conference Banquet on March 1, 2013.

Winners will be notified via e-mail by December 21, 2012. Please note that registration for the McConnell

Conference Banquet is not included. To claim their seat, winners will need to register and pay for the banquet

by February 22, 2013. Unclaimed seats will be reassigned.

Visit our form at http://bit.ly/McConnell12Days

or

Visit our Facebook page at http://bit.ly/12daysofyouthtrivia

Take a look at our word cloud for clues about the questions!

6

The 2012 National Book Award

Winner for Young People’s

Literature has been announced. The

winner is Goblin Secrets by William

Alexander. To see all other 2012

National Book Award Winners visit

http://nationalbook.org/.

Alexander, W. (2012). Goblin

secrets. New York: Margaret K.

McElderry Books.

In the town of Zombay, there is a

witch named Graba who has

clockwork chicken legs and moves

her house around—much like the

fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga.

Graba takes in stray children, and

Rownie is the youngest boy in her

household. Rownie’s only real

relative is his older brother Rowan,

who is an actor. But acting is

outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan

has disappeared.

Desperate to find him, Rownie joins

up with a troupe of goblins who skirt

the law to put on plays. But their

plays are not only for entertainment,

and the masks they use are for more

than make-believe. The goblins also

want to find Rowan—because

Rowan might be the only person

who can save the town from being

flooded by a mighty river.

7

Nominate and vote for your

favorite youth lit books of the

year! Nominations for the

McConnell Center’s Mock ALA

Youth Media Awards are now

open on our wiki. You can

nominate your favorite books

published in 2012 for the Mock

Printz, Newbery and Caldecott

Awards by leaving the title and

author/illustrator name in the

comment sections of the

appropriate posts. Voting will

open on December 7, 2012 and

close on January 25, 2013.

Winners will be announced on

January 27, 2013.

We are excited to announce the 2013 Connecting with

Characters Contest. All kids in preschool through

12th grade in Kentucky or a neighboring state can

enter. Sponsoring libraries and schools must register to

participate by January 5, 2012. Entries must be

received by January 18, 2013. The Contest is in

conjunction with the 2013 McConnell Conference for

Youth Literature, which will feature Jack Gantos, Dan

Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla. We hope that the

Contest will provide an opportunity for the youth of

Kentucky and the surrounding states to connect with

the works of these wonderful contributors to the world

of literature for youth.

Participants could win a signed copy of Jack

Gantos’s Dead End in Norvelt, the 2012 Newbery

Medal Winner! There are also great titles available by

Dan Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla. More

information is forth coming but be sure to check out

our website at https://ci.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-contest-2013

Go to

http://

bit.ly/2013MockMcConnellAL

AYouthMediaAwards

8

Scholastic announced November 29, 2012

that Suzanne Collins is writing a new

autobiographical picture book for children.

The book will be coming out Fall of next

year. The book chronicles the year Suzanne

Collins’ father served in Vietnam during her

childhood. Collins is working on this

project with James Proimos. These two

meet while working on the Kids WB show

Generation O! Now they will be working on

this children’s book together. Suzanne

Collins fans and children’s literature fans

will be excited to see this new title come

out. For the complete article go to

http://bit.ly/SuzanneCollins2013

9

Are you in LIS 614 or LIS 612 this

Spring? Come use the McConnell

Center! We can help you find books

to use for your class.

Our Spring 2013 hours

Monday & Wednesday 10 am - 3 pm

Tuesday & Thursday 12 pm - 5 pm

Or by appointment contact

mercedes.hopewell@gmail.com

Did you know that September the

13th is Roald Dahl’s birthday?

According to legend, Venice, Italy

was born on March 25, 421 B.C.E.

Read This is Venice by M. Sasek or

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.

The McConnell Center just received

Children’s Book-A-Day Almanac.

Come in and read about children’s

book trivia! Maybe this book will

give you ideas for book talks, story

times and events. You can also

check out the website at

http://childrensbookalmanac.com/

Silvey, A. (2012). Children's book-a

-day almanac. New York: Roaring

Brook Press.

STUDENT SECTION

10

On the Blog:

ARC Read & Review 2012! We

have the following titles available

for anyone who wants to read and

review them for the McConnell

Center blog at http://

youthlitmatters.wordpress.com/

New Books in the Center:

Juvenile Fiction

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The

Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Return to the Willows by

Jacqueline Kelly

A vital gathering place for books

and ideas, the McConnell Center

is committed to identifying

excellent literature for children

and adolescents and to bringing

this literature to the attention of

those adults who have an

academic, professional, career, or

personal interest in connecting

young readers with books.

We maintain two main, non-

circulating collections:

Our Current Collection includes all

books sent to us for review by

publishers during the current year.

The Permanent Collection is

several collections of books

maintained in the Center as a resource

for students and librarians. It includes

the Basic Collection, the Award-

winning Collection (Caldecott,

Newbery, Printz, Morris, Pura Belpré,

Sibert, and Orbis Pictus Awards), the

Kentucky Collection (notable

Kentucky authors and books about

Kentucky), the Reference Collection,

and the Periodical Collection.

Our Spring 2013 hours are Monday &

Wednesday 10 am - 3 pm and Tuesday

& Thursday 12 pm - 5 pm

Please visit our website for more

information:

https://ci.uky.edu/lis/mcconnellcenter

Young Adult

The Crown of Embers by Rae

Carson

Under the Never Sky by

Veronica Rossi

What Can(t) Wait by Ashley

Hope Pérez

A Confusion of Princes by

Garth Nix

Picture Books

In the Land of Milk and Honey

by Joyce Carol Thomas,

illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Everything Goes in the Air by

Brian Biggs

Graphic Novels

A Wrinkle in Time: The

Graphic Novel by Madeleine

L’Engle

In the Center:

We’re taking a break for the

holidays! Happy holidays to

everyone!

11