Book World Live: Kid's Books

In continuation of its year-end roundups, this week's Book World focus is kids , from classics to picture books (Dec. 11).

Book World deputy editor Jabari Asim , who oversees children's book coverage, and children's book columnist Elizabeth Ward will be online to field questions and comments about this year's notable titles and trends in children's literature.

Submit questions and comments either before or during the discussion.

Join Book World Live each Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET for a discussion based on a story or review in each Sunday's Book World section.

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Jabari Asim: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome. Elizabeth and I are here to discuss the wonderful world of children's books. In case you missed it, Book World published an issue devoted to the subject on Sunday, and it's still accessible online. The challenge for us always involves culling titles to write about from the mountains and mountains of them we receive.

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Columbia, Mo.: Hi guys! Two questions. First what trends do you foresee in children's literature?

And second, do picture books always need strong plots?

Elizabeth Ward: As regards trends, I think a big one might be e-books, especially with hand-held monitors. Jean Gralley, a local author, will have an article on this development in the January issue of Horn Book magazine, titled "Books Unbound." She asks us to imagine a story that doesn't progress by page turns but by proceeding up, down, to the right or to the left, words and pictures appearing and gliding into place, but controlled by the "reader," so quite different from watching a video. It's interesting to think about.

Jabari Asim: I'm seeing more and more books by celebrity authors, and I'm not happy to see them. I'd rather see publishing budgets devoted to genuine talents.

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Naples, Fla.: We would like to start a keepsake library for our 11-month old grandson and add to it every Christmas as he gets older. Do you have any suggestions for this first year's books?

Elizabeth Ward: That's a lovely idea. I absolutely think the first year should be Mother Goose. Babies love rhymes and songs and hearing them sung or recited from the earliest years can set up a lifelong appreciation of poetry. There are lots of beautiful versions. Here are a few I recommend, though I am not sure what is or isn't still in print: "Wendy Watson's Mother Goose," "Tail Feathers From Mother Goose: The Opie Rhyme Book," collected by the great Iona Opie (less well-known rhymes), Rand McNally's "The Real Mother Goose," Raymond Briggs' "The Mother Goose Treasury" and Cooper Edens's "Glorious Mother Goose," with wonderful traditional illustrations by the likes of Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway and Arthur Rackham.

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Scranton, Pa.: Do you think we will see a decline in Christmas stories? I like them and always look forward to new ones but I worry that in this PC environment, they might be outdated. And I don't mean something overly religious, more like the Charlie Brown Christmas TV special as a story (which I doubt could have been made today).

Elizabeth Ward: Hardly! I am always amazed by the novel angles that people come up with for kids' Christmas books. Even if a family is not religious, who could resist, say, "Olive, the Other Reindeer," about Olive the dog who thinks the song refers to her and heads for the North Pole to help Santa out? There are a lot of dimensions to the season.

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Washington, D.C.: The first real book that I read all by myself, I was seven, was called something like "A Book About Science for Boys and Girls and Their Parents." I loved it, and this began a lifelong interest in science and books about science. Most recently, some 70 years later, I read "Warped Passages," by Lisa Randall, a fascinating and remarkably accessible book about the last century in physics, from Einstein to the latest theories of multiple dimensions. Although I am certainly not a scientist, it seems to me that the world and the U.S. would be better off a lot more people than do had a basic layman's understanding of the various branches of science. And the best time to form the basic interest is in childhood.

Yet I see no books about science included in your review of books for children. Is this because such books are no longer written? Or does it match what I see as the Post's general lack of interest in science? If the latter, I would like to urge you to broaden your horizons.

Jabari Asim: I couldn't agree with you more about broadening children's interests in science. On Sunday we covered a pair of titles: "ER Vets: Life in An Emergency Room" by Donna M. Jackson (Houghton Mifflin, $17, ages 9-12), about veterinary science; and "Bodies From the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompei" (Houghton Mifflin, $16 ages 9-12) is a fascinating look at archaeologists and how they work.

In addition to our holiday kids issue, we also do one each spring. Last May, our nonfiction reviewer Karen MacPherson devoted her entire column to books about science. Here are some of the titles she wrote about:

Into the Volcano

Donna O'Meara

(KidsCan, $16.95; ages 9-12; about volcanologists)

Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes

By Felicia Nutter

(Houghton Mifflin, $17; ages 8-12; more vets).

Search for the Golden Moon Bear

By Sy Montgomery

(Houghton Mifflin, $17; ages 10-up; in which a scientist/explorer recalls her adventures)

Also by By Sy Montgomery:

The Man-Eating Tigers of Sundarbans

(Sandpiper, $6.95; ages 9-12).

Looking for Seabirds

By Sophie Webb

(Houghton Mifflin, $16; ages 9-12; about oceanographers),

The Sky's the Limit

By Catherine Thimmesh

(Houghton Mifflin, $7.95; ages 9-12; about women scientists).

The Most Beautiful Roof in the World

By Kathryn Lasky

(Harcourt, $9; ages 8-12),

(about ecosystems and rainforests)

Plus, we have reviewed others in Houghton Mifflin's "Scientists in the Field" series

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San Francisco, Calif.: Thanks so much for doing this chat! I have a very precocious 5 year old nephew who loves to read, and reads at around a 7 year old level. He also loves music. Do you have any recommendation for good beginner chapter books for him? I've already gotten him The Cricket in Times Square, an old favorite of mine, which will be good for him to grow into, any other great new or classic fun books for a little boy who loves reading?

Elizabeth Ward: I don't think you can go wrong with Beverly Cleary's books, still fresh and funny after all these years. My boys preferred the books about Ralph the Mouse and Henry Huggins and Ribsy the dog books to the Ramona books, but they were all read and loved in our house at just your nephew's age.

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Portland, Ore.: Hi, I'm always looking for fiction and nonfiction for my 13 year old boy. He's not into the fantasy genre, but is interested in politics, sports, and music. Since he's become an avid fan of the TV show "Lost" a good adventure title might be the thing. Thanks for any suggestions.

Elizabeth Ward: I have several suggestions for fiction. If he is interested in politics AND adventure, how about Carl Hiaasen's "Hoot" and, more recently, "Flush," thrillers set in Florida that are quite hilarious but have serious underlying environmental and conservation concerns? "Flush," for example, is about a kid's effort to help his dad nail the local casino boat owner for dumping waste into the marina. Also recommended if he likes sports: "Open Ice," by Pat Hughes, a very well-done novel about a young hockey player who has had so many concussions he's told he can't play again, and how he deals with this. Also the new "Crackback," by John Coy, starring a boy who's really good at just one thing--football--and the huge pressures this creates.

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Cheverly, Md: I have a mentee who will be eight on Jan. 2. need Christmas and b-day gifts for her and would like to give her a nice book. It would be nice to have a book with African American illustrations and written by an A-A author, but it is not required. I don't have kids and have NO clue on what to get her. she's in 2nd grade and has about 2nd grade reading skills.

Jabari Asim: Fortunately, there are lots of good titles that meet your criteria. Here are just a few:

Precious and the Boo Hag by Patricia McKissack. Like several of the author's books, it features a clever young girl who has to outsmart a powerful antagonist, and it's funny too.

Brown Honey and Broomwheat Tea by Joyce Carol Thomas and illustrations by Floyd Cooper. This is my all-time favorite picture book for African-American girls. I've even given it as present for grown women, and they've loved it.

Uncle Jed's Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell and illustrations by James Ransome. This is a terrific story based on childhood memories.

Tar Beach, written and illustrated by Faith Ringgold. Ditto for startlingly original tale, with outstanding illustrations. Your mentee should like all of these. For slightly older African-American girls, try the following:

A Strong Right Arm by Michelle Green, illustrations by Kadir Nelson (about Mamie Peanut Johnson)

Her Stories by Virginia Hamilton, illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon (17 stories with strong African-american heroines at their center.)

The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake for grades 6-8 (about a girl struggling to fit into 7th grade)

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Arlington, Va.: I hope you can help me. I'd like to get a book for one of my nieces. She six, and a new reader. She already has tons of books because she has an older sister who has breezed through things like Frog and Toad and Amelia Bedelia. Is there anything new for that age range that isn't totally cloying and claptrappy (I hate things like the Berenstain Bears) but has a good story? I'd like to avoid a holiday theme as well. Thanks very much.

Elizabeth Ward: Has she read any of the late Paula Danziger's very funny but unsentimental "Amber Brown" books? The original titles were for slightly older readers but then she started a new "subseries" for beginning readers as well.

Elizabeth Ward: Also the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books by Betty MacDonald should not be missed.

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Rockville, Md.: My three year old loves books. His favorite is where the wild things are and Abiyoyo. He always wants me to read them to him, but then he gets scared (hehe). Can you recommend some other picture books that he might like. I think he's getting too old for board books, and such but a little too young still for story books with complicated plot lines. Lately he's been talking about snowy day a lot as well (I think from school).

Elizabeth Ward: Goos for him for appreciating "The Snowy Day." Ezra Jack Keats's books are all wonderful, and that is the best of them. Another great "classic" author for your 3-year-old is Virginia Lee Burton (especially "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" and "Katy and the Big Snow") and a much-admired new one he would probably go for is Mo Willems, whose latest picture book, "Leonardo the Terrible Monster," is, he says, a kind of homage to Max of "Where the Wild Things Are." Leonardo is literally a terrible monster in that he fails to frighten anyone. Also by Willems: "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" and the lovely "Knuffle Bunny."

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Wichita, Kan.: My favorite children's literature book is "Charlottes Web" by E.B. White. I'd like to know which children's book do you both like the most and why?

Thank you both

Al

Jabari Asim: I'm kinda wishy-washy about such questions. If you ask me again tomorrow, I'm likely to give you completely different answers. I loved a book called Soupbone when I was a boy, about an aging ballplayer and his invisible friend. I also liked The Roly-Poly Pudding by Beatrix Potter, the Gateway to Storyland collection edited by Watty Piper, and nearly everything by Dr. Seuss. I'm also haunted by memories of a picture book about a boy who couldn't wait until he was big enough to join the Halloween parade. I can't remember the title or author.

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Blacksburg, Va.: My 4-year-old daughter's new favorite book is "Pieces of Another World" by Mara Rockliff. I don't mind reading it over and over because the pictures and prose are so beautiful.

Thanks for taking my comment. I love your work!

Elizabeth Ward: I don't know this book, but it does sound worth checking out. Thanks.

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Vienna, Va.: Are anthropomorphic books still okay? I love talking animals but every now and then some reviewer (not you guys!) says something negative about them.

Jabari Asim: There's something wrong with anthropomorphic characters? I'm always the last to know. Elizabeth, why didn't you tell me? Seriously, I have absolutely no problem with them, and I don't think publishers do either, because they're still publishing them. My four-year-old is fond of those Dora the Explorer books, which feature a boots-wearing monkey named . . .Boots.

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Fairfax, Va.: What do you think the classic children's book titles will be 50 years from now?

- Fairfax County Public Library

Elizabeth Ward: I'm going to go out on a very broad limb here and say Harry Potter, without a doubt.

Jabari Asim: Makes sense to me. Maybe Philip Pullman's trilogy will still be around also.

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Arlington, Va.: Help, please!

My 10-yr old son loves mysteries and science fiction/fantasy. He recently read "Digital Fortress" by Dan Brown (it was left behind by a house guest) and has asked for a book "like that" for Christmas. I have NO CLUE what this may mean, and while I don't believe other Dan Brown titles are appropriate, could you suggest something transitional? (He has read all the Anthony Horwitz and Artemis Fowl books, as well).

Elizabeth Ward: Hmm, I suppose you could call "Digital Fortress" a cyberthriller. I'm wondering whether he might enjoy James Patterson's first book for younger readers, "Maximum Ride" about a 14-year-old boy leading a group of kids sprung from a lab where they were bred as 98 percent human and 2 percent bird. It's fast-paced and original, though not exactly cybernetic. Also, he might be ready for "Ender's Game," now at least 20 years old but still cutting-edge, and the other books in Orson Scott Card's saga about Ender Wiggin. Another idea: Caroline B. Cooney's recently published "Code Orange," about a boy doing research for a high school biology report who accidentally discovers two old scabs in an envelope. Yep, scabs. And they turn out to carry the variola major virus. Excellent stuff.

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Munich, Germany: Do you think that "The Whale Caller" is a suitable book for kids or teens? It's a tale of love and life, but I'm not sure how much is intended for adults.

And speaking of whales, how about the book "Whale Rider" by the New Zealander Witi Ihimaera? Both the film and book are recommended for kids.

Jabari Asim: I've not seen or read "Whale Rider." As for "The Whale Caller," it does not seem remotely appropriate for children. I've read around in it, and Ron Charles the fiction editor at Book World, also advises that it's unsuitable for kids but may be okay for mature high-schoolers.

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Leiden: How to get a 13-year-old avid reader interested in literature?

Is Elizabeth my cousin?

Wondering.

Elizabeth Ward: I doubt I'm your cousin if you're in Leiden, but I think a 13-year-old who is already an avid reader will try anything, including "literature," if by that you mean classic novels etc. Just leave "Wuthering Heights" or "The Count of Monte Cristo" or some Sherlock Holmes lying about and see what happens.

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New York: For the 10-year-old boy:

Maybe Terry Pratchett's "Only You Can Save Mankind," about a boy playing a computer game that turns out to be real. Might also get him started on the whole big world of Terry Pratchett.

Robert Heinlein's books are classic, though somewhat dated, sci-fi. Try "Have Space Suit, Will Travel," about a high school boy who gets whisked away by malicious aliens on an interplanetary adventure.

Diana Wynne Jones does great fantasy.

Elizabeth Ward: Those are good ideas. Thanks.

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Rosslyn, Va.: ThankyouThankyouThankyou for mentioning Phil Pullman's books. They're wonderful, aren't they? A great read for child and adult alike. Definitely something that should be tried by the Harry Potter crowd, wouldn't you say?

Jabari Asim: By all means. Pullman is as talented as anyone writing today, and his trilogy--The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass--are riveting stuff and a natural progression from the Potter books. Pullman writes lighter, slighter stuff as well.

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Takoma Park, Md.: For the six-year-old girl, get Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace. Wonderful story about friendship at the turn of the previous century. First in a series that goes from preschool to the main characters' weddings.

Terrific writing, terrific values, terrific books.

Jabari Asim: Thanks for the recommendation, definitely sounds worth checking out. There's even a Betsy-Tacy Society. Their homepage: http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org/

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Rockville, Md.: On buying books:

What are some places to get books for young kids at a reasonable price (besides the library, of course)?

Not considering price, which bookstore do you think has the best selection of books for kids and which bookstore has the best children's book section?

Elizabeth Ward: I find it's nearly always cheaper to buy online, especially if you buy enough (over $25 worth only) to qualify for Amazon's free shipping. Other than that, go secondhand. Browsing at yard sales and library sales and in secondhand bookshops can yield treasures. As for the bookstores, obviously the specialty stores have far better selections and more knowledgeable staff than the chains: I like a A Likely Story in Alexandria.

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Ugh! Celebrity Authors!: Hello! Thank you for the celebrity author comment. It drives me crazy. Full disclosure -- I am an aspiring writer. Is it only going to get worse?! And aren't they happy with being singers, NBC morning talk show hosts, actors? Thanks for letting me vent ... you guys are terrific.

Jabari Asim: I think the celebrity author trend reflects, at least in part, the growing influence of marketing departments at publishing companies. The emphasis becomes on the easy sell, as opposed to finding the best quality and writing and illustrating. There are exceptions (I like John Lithgow's stuff, for example), but a lot of it is putrid, and the best of it is often ghostwritten. Save the ink. Save the trees. Save our brain cells.

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washingtonpost.com: The Betsy-Tacy Society Home Page

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Elizabeth Ward: Okay, time is up for today. Thanks for all the great questions, everybody.

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Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.