A letter from Tracy Barrett, author of Dark of the Moon

When I was a teen, I went to the island of Crete on a school trip. Not surprisingly, I went to visit Knossos, the palace built for ancient Cretan royalty. It is also the place that is said to house the labyrinth where the Minotaur lived. During my visit, I saw and heard references to the labyrinth and the Minotaur many times, and I must confess that I felt sorry for the monster, who was condemned to a miserable life because his mother angered Zeus.

Tracy Barrett has written a book about the myth of the Minotaur, giving her rendering of the tale a distinct flavor that is all her own. She has kindly agreed to tell us about her book in a letter.

Dear TTLG:

Some people have called Dark of the Moon a feminist retelling of the myth of the Minotaur. It didn’t start out that way. Like all of my books, Dark of the Moon started out with a question—in this case, a lot of questions!

            I love Greek mythology, but the myth of the Minotaur has always bothered me. If you need a refresher, the story goes like this: King Minos of Crete neglected to sacrifice a bull to Zeus, and as punishment, Zeus caused Minos’s wife, Pasiphaë, to conceive a passion for the bull. She also conceived a bull-headed son, the Minotaur. This monster was confined in a maze where he ate children, until the Athenian Prince Theseus arrived. The Minotaur’s human sister, Ariadne, gave Theseus a sword and a ball of yarn so that the prince could kill her brother and use the yarn to find his way out. Then Theseus and Ariadne sailed away. Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos, and then forgot to take down the black sail that would signal to his father that he had died on Crete. His father jumped off a cliff when he saw it.

            Wait a second—Theseus forgot that he was flying a black sail? How could you not notice that, especially since you knew it would tell your father you were dead?

            And that Minotaur—all the other half-human critters in Greek mythology are human down to the waist, and then turn animal. Except for this one. Why?

            The Minotaur might not be too bright, but couldn’t he accidentally stumble out of the labyrinth? Wouldn’t you want something a bit more secure than a maze to hold a man-eating monster?

            Why did Theseus dump Ariadne on Naxos? If he didn’t want to take her home with him, why not just leave her on Crete?

            It occurred to me that maybe the Greeks had gotten something wrong when they re-told this Cretan myth. Maybe a lot of things. After all, the Cretan culture was very foreign to the Greeks, and religious customs of other cultures are often hard to understand.

            So I dug around and found some interesting facts.

·        Pasiphaë means “she shines for all” and Ariadne means “most pure.” Moon goddess and priestess?

·        The Cretans worshipped the sun in the form of a bull.

·        The island of Naxos is the site of an ancient center of moon-goddess worship.

·        It’s possible that the Cretans practiced human sacrifice.

·        Some ancient cultures, especially in the Mediterranean, practiced a fertility ceremony that hints that once they had performed a ritual sacrifice of a king or priest.

Is it possible that Athenian travelers saw a religious ceremony where the priestess of the moon was united in ritual marriage with a priest wearing a bull’s-head mask—perhaps with a human sacrifice, perhaps with a ritual that recalled that sacrifice—and either misinterpreted what was going on, or willfully changed it to make their Cretan rivals look like savages, or garbled the telling in such a way that the myth of the Minotaur that we know was created?

            We’ll never know. But these questions inspired my re-telling of the Minotaur myth in Dark of the Moon as a speculation about what might possibly have been a set of beliefs that was so strange to outsiders that in order to make sense of it, the Greeks came up with the story of the Minotaur. I’m not claiming historical accuracy, just speculating on what might have been while—I hope—spinning a good yarn. The fact that Ariadne, my main character, comes across as a strong female protagonist, is very gratifying. Much as I love ancient Greek culture, there’s no question that few women were held in high esteem in that society. Maybe—just maybe—that wasn’t true in Crete.

Thank you so much for this letter Tracy. You can find out more about Tracy and her books on her website.

Poetry Friday - A review of Winter Poems

After a very mild Christmas and New Year, winter is back in southern Oregon. It has been rainy and cold, and the mountains have snow on them again. Personally I am happy about this, and I was delighted to find today's poetry title sitting on my shelf. I was able to read and enjoy this celebration of winter while I sat by the fire and listened to the rain hitting the windows. 

Winter Poems

Selected by Barbara Rogasky

Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 12

Scholastic, 1999, 978-0590428736

   For many people, including Barbara Rogasky, winter is their favorite season. It is a time of year when the air is cold and crisp, when the light seems clearer and brighter. In some places, snow on the land softens edges and muffles sounds.

   Eager to share her love of winter with young readers, Barbara Rogasky collaborated with her friend Trina Schart Hyman to create this collection. Places and characters from their own lives appear in the art, and the twenty-five poems in the book were selected with great care.

   The collection begins with a poem about the geese who, in the late fall, somehow know that it is “time to go.” Though the fields are golden, and the leaves are “green and stirring,” the memory of snow and frost and ice is in the air, and so with “Summer sun on their wings” the geese head south.

   In Oregon Winter, we read about the winter rains that are so different from the showers of summer. In winter the “rain is slow.” There is no rush and everything slows down. The farmers take their ease knowing that for a while they will not have to work outdoors.

   We are also given pictures of snow, of a boy holding “out his palms / Until they are white.” We are reminded that winter is often a season of colds and bouts of the flu. Night comes early and it is long, but in the daytime one can go skiing, walking, and skating.

   For this special book, Trina Schart Hyman has created beautiful paintings that perfectly compliment the marvelous collection of poems, new and old. 

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Daisy Dawson is on her way!

I have a lot of books waiting to be reviewed. And I mean A LOT. Sometimes a book may sit on a shelf for a while before I get to it. For some reason, today's title was one of these books, and I am now kicking myself for taking so long to get to it. What was the matter with me? This is one of the sweetest and most charming books I have read in quite a while. So, without further ado, I present Daisy Dawson.

Daisy Dawsonis on her way!

Steve Voake

Illustrated by Jessica Meserve

Fiction

For ages 7 to 9

Candlewick Press, 2007, 978-0-7636-3740-8

   Daisy Dawson is a dreamy sort of child who, all too often, is late for school because she gets distracted by something. She loves to greet the farm animals that she meets as she walks to school, and to look at the world around her.

   One morning Daisy sees a yellow butterfly that is caught in a spider’s web. Being a compassionate child who loves animals, she frees the butterfly from its prison. The freed butterfly touches Daisy’s cheek before it flies away, and Daisy experiences a strange tingling sensation on her cheek which then spreads all over her rather small person. Just as the sensation reaches the “tips of her toes,” Daisy hears something very odd. She hears a blackbird singing, and for the first time in her life, she understands what the bird is saying. Daisy is convinced that she is imagining things. After all, “Birds can’t talk.”

   The Daisy calls out to Rover, an old bloodhound whom she gives a treat to every day. Rover comes over,his usual grumpy-looking self, but this time he talks to Daisy. Daisy is astonished, and she is also delighted. She has a grand chat with dog, and she learns that he is actually called Boom.

   This is just the first such encounter that Daisy has. She also talks to a horse, some gerbils, and an ant who loves to sing. When Boom disappears without a trace, Daisy is able to use her new ability to find out what has happened to her friend. She is appalled to find out that Boom has been caught by the dogcatcher. Somehow she and Boom’s other friends are going to have to rescue him before it is too late.

   Young readers who like animals are sure to be charmed by this magical, sensitive, and often amusing book. Steve Voake takes his readers into Daisy’s world so that we see things as she does. Powerful descriptions add a special element to the tale, showing readers that beauty is all around us if we take the time to see it. 

American Library Association announces 2012 youth media award winners

DALLAS - The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Dallas.

A list of all the 2012 award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:

“Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos, is the 2012 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Farrar Straus Giroux.

Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: "Inside Out & Back Again," written by Thanhha Lai and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; and "Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

“A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka, is the 2012 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco, and published by Disney · Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group; "Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; and “Me … Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell, and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley, is the 2012 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

“Why We Broke Up,” written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group; “The Returning,” written by Christine Hinwood and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group Young Readers Group USA; “Jasper Jones,” written by Craig Silvey and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; and “The Scorpio Races,” written by Maggie Stiefvater and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Two King Author Honor Book recipients were selected: Eloise Greenfield, author of “The Great Migration: Journey to the North,” illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and Patricia C. McKissack, author of “Never Forgotten,” illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon and published by Schwartz &Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom,” is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

One King Illustrator Honor Book recipient was selected: Kadir Nelson, illustrator and author of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” published by Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Ashley Bryan is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime achievement. The award, which pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

Storyteller, artist, author, poet and musician, Bryan created his first children’s book in first grade. He grew up in the Bronx and in 1962, he became the first African American to both write and illustrate a children’s book. After a successful teaching career, Bryan left academia to pursue creation of his own artwork. He has since garnered numerous awards for his significant and lasting literary contribution of poetry, spirituals and story. 

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:

The Jury chose not to award a book in the category for children ages 0 – 8 because no submissions were deemed worthy of the award.

Two books were selected for the middle school award (ages 9 – 13): “close to famous,” written byJoan Bauer and published by Viking, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group; and “Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures,” written by Brian Selznick and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic.

The teen (ages 14-18) award winner is “The Running Dream,” written by Wendelin Van Draanen and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

• “Big Girl Small,” by Rachel DeWoskin, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• “In Zanesville,” by Jo Ann Beard, published by Little, Brown & Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
• “The Lover’s Dictionary,” by David Levithan, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• “The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens,” by Brooke Hauser, published by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
• “The Night Circus,” by Erin Morgenstern, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. 
• “Ready Player One,” by Ernest Cline, published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.(ISBN: 9780307887436)
• “Robopocalypse: A Novel,” by Daniel H. Wilson, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
• “Salvage the Bones,” by Jesmyn Ward, published by Bloomsbury USA
• “The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures,” by Caroline Preston, published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
• “The Talk-Funny Girl,” by Roland Merullo, published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video:

Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Children Make Terrible Pets,” are the Carnegie Medal winners.

The video is based on the book written by Peter Brown, and is narrated by Emily Eiden, with music by Jack Sundrud and Rusty Young, and animation by Soup2Nuts.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:

Susan Cooper is the 2012 Edwards Award winner. Her books include: The Dark Is Rising Sequence: “Over Sea, Under Stone”; “The Dark Is Rising”; “Greenwitch”; “The Grey King”; and “Silver on the Tree.”

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site:

Michael Morpurgowill deliver the 2013 lecture.

Born in England, Morpurgo was teaching when he discovered the magic of storytelling and began writing. His books are noted for their imagination, power and grace. In 1976, he and his wife established the charity Farms for City Children.  He is an officer of the Order of the British Empire and served as Britain’s third Children’s Laureate.  His novel, “War Horse,” has wowed theater audiences in London and New York and movie audiences all over.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States:

“Soldier Bear” is the 2012 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Dutch in 2008 as “Soldaat Wojtek,” written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

One Batchelder Honor Book also was selected: “The Lily Pond,” published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., written by Annika Thor, and translated by Linda Schenck.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:

“Rotters,” produced Listening Library,an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, Random House, Inc., is the 2012 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Daniel Kraus and narrated by Kirby Heyborne.

Four Odyssey Honor audiobooks also were selected: “Ghetto Cowboy,” produced by Brilliance Audio, written by G. Neri and narrated by JD Jackson; “Okay for Now,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, Random House, Inc., written by Gary D. Schmidt and narrated by Lincoln Hoppe; “The Scorpio Races,” produced by Scholastic Inc., Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Maggie Stiefvaterandnarrated by Steve Westand Fiona Hardingham;and “Young Fredle,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, Random House, Inc., written by Cynthia Voigt and narrated by Wendy Carter.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

“Diego Rivera: His World and Ours,” illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Two Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred,” illustrated by Rafael López, written by Samantha R. Vamos and published by Charlesbridge; and “Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match /Marisol McDonald no combina,” illustrated by Sara Palacios, written by Monica Brown and published by Children’s Book Press, an imprint of Lee and Low Books Inc.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award:

“Under the Mesquite,” written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, is the Belpré Author Award winner. The book is published by Lee and Low Books Inc.

Two Belpré Author Honor Books were named: “Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck,” written by Margarita Engle and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.; and “Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller,” written by Xavier Garza and published by Cinco Puntos Press.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:

“Balloons over Broadway:  The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade,” written by Melissa Sweet, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Four Sibert Honor Books were named: "Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene ‘Bull’ Connor," written by Larry Dane Brimnerand published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc.; "Drawing from Memory," written and illustrated by Allen Sayand published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; "The Elephant Scientist," written by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson, photographs byCaitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwelland published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; and "Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem" written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzerand published by the National Geographic Society.

Stonewall Book Award -Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Awardgiven annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

“Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy,” written by Bil Wright and published by Simon & Schuster BFYR, an imprint of Simon& Schuster Children’s Publishing Division,is the winner of the 2012 Stonewall Award. The award is given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.

Four Honor Books were selected: “a + e 4ever,” drawn and written by Ilike Merey and published by Lethe Press, Inc.; “Money Boy,” written by Paul Yee and published by Groundwood Books, an imprint of House of Anansi Press; “Pink,” written by Lili Wilkinson and published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins; and “with or without you,” written by Brian Farrey and published by Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:

"Tales for Very Picky Eaters," written and illustrated by Josh Schneider, is the Geisel Award winner. The book is published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Three Geisel Honor Books were named: "I Broke My Trunk,” written and illustrated by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group; "I Want My Hat Back," written and illustrated by Jon Klassen, and published by Candlewick Press; and "See Me Run," written and illustrated by Paul Meisel, and published by Holiday House.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:

“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley is the 2012 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Girl of Fire and Thorns,” written by Rae Carson, published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Paper Covers Rock,” written by Jenny Hubbard, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books; “Under the Mesquite,” written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, published by Lee and Low Books; and “Between Shades of Gray,” written by Ruta Sepetys, published by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group USA.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults, ages 12 – 18, each year:  

“The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery” written by Steve Sheinkin, is the 2012 Excellence winner. The book is published by Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science,” written by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos, published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; “Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition,” written by Karen Blumenthal, published by Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; “Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way),” written by Sue Macy, published by National Geographic Children’s Books; and “Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein,” written by Susan Goldman Rubin, published by Charlesbridge.

 Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work.  For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALA Web site at www.ala.org.