Happy 100th Birthday, National Park Service! 0

The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016. In case you've ever wondered, "Why was a national park service important?", author Annette Bay Pimentel answers that very question in the back matter of her new picture book biography, Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service, illustrated by Rich Lo:

"In 1872 Yellowstone was declared the first national park. In 1911 President William Howard Taft recommended the formation of a national park service, but he failed to whip up enough enthusiasm among members of Congress. By 1915 there were eleven national parks--but no system of administering the parks.

In January 1915 Stephen Mather was appointed assistant secretary of the interior by President Woodrow Wilson. Mather was determined both to protect the national parks and to share them with all Americans. Appalled at the bureaucratic red tape in Washington, DC, he dreamed up a camping trip that would change hearts and minds."

From Mountain Chef. Text copyright (c) 2016 by Annette Bay Pimentel.
Illustration copyright (c) 2016 by Rich Lo.

According to the National Park's website, "The centennial will kick off a second century of stewardship of America's national parks and engaging communities through recreation, conservation, and historic preservation programs."

From Mountain Chef. Text copyright (c) 2016 by Annette Bay Pimentel.
Illustration copyright (c) 2016 by Rich Lo.

In honor of this momentous occasion and also to celebrate the August publication of Mountain Chef, Charlesbridge is excited to offer a special promotion: Order Mountain Chef on our website and receive a 25% discount. Enter promo code NPS100. (Offer expires September 30, 2016.)

We'd also love to know your favorite national parks and which ones you are visiting this year in honor of the centennial--feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Cheers to 100 more years of our beautiful national parks!

 From Mountain Chef. Text copyright (c) 2016 by Annette Bay Pimentel.
Illustration copyright (c) 2016 by Rich Lo.

Resources:
Mountain Chef
National Park Service Centennial (#NPS100)
Find Your Park (#FindYourPark)

Other Charlesbridge books about our National Parks:
Family Pack
Out on the Prairie
Mule Train Mail
John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall

Top 10 Surprises from a Yankee Editor in Germany 1

By Julie Bliven

In late June I traveled to Germany with seven other children’s book editors hailing from the US, UK, New Zealand, and Canada. Beginning in Hamburg and ending in Frankfurt, we met with about a dozen publishers to talk shop and learn about the German book market.

The trip was sponsored by the German Book Office of New York, which is co-financed by the German Foreign Office and is one of the Frankfurt Book Fair’s arms into foreign markets. The GBO encourages interest in German books by promoting rights and license sales and book exports through special book exhibitions, literary programs, and exchange programs (like this one) for publishing professionals.

 The German Book Office group (from l to r): Hilary van Dusen, Executive Editor, Candlewick Press (US); Juergen Boos, Frankfurt Book Fair Director; Kristin Zelazko, Editor, Albert Whitman & Company (US); Traci Todd, Executive Editor, Abrams Books (US); Anthony Hinton, Editor, David Fickling Books (UK); Paula Ayer, Associate Manager, Annick Press (Canada); Greg Hunter, Senior Editor, Lerner Publishing Group (US); Rachel Lawson, Associate Publisher, Gecko Press (New Zealand); Julie Bliven, Editor, Charlesbridge Publishing (US); and Riky Stock, German Book Office New York Director.

For me, the experience served as a rare opportunity to compare and contrast the German and American publishing industries. Here’s a list of a few of the things I found most fascinating and, in many cases, most surprising.

1. German publishers import nearly ten times as many titles as US publishers do. I’m not sure the exact reasons for this. Part of it could be the fact that creative writing in Germany has only developed more recently. The country doesn’t have programs like SCBWI nor a plethora of homegrown, contemporary authors. On the flip side, there may be a discrepancy between the two countries because the US could be less apt to publish MG and YA stories from a non-American point of view (one discussion point that came up). US picture books, however, definitely reflect more diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, physical abilities, and religious beliefs than we were seeing from German picture books, and publishers admitted that the German book industry has not made a deliberate shift toward embracing a stronger sense of inclusivity. Throughout the trip, conversations about We Need Diverse Books and the expanding mindset of US publishers and all industry participants had us all believing and hoping that America’s publishing approach is indeed changing. Perhaps this could eventually translate into an increase in imports to the US.  

    

Discussing books and drinking tea at Aladin Verlag in Hamburg, Germany.

2. Given #1, many German publishers are eager to find and nurture more homegrown talent so they can decrease imports and increase promotional signings and events led by local authors. A couple publishers have even had success recruiting popular German adult fiction writers to author children’s fiction for them.

3. The German school and library market is much smaller than the one in the US. Due to lack of funding, these markets are unable to buy at the same rate that we’re used to, and so German publishers don’t strategize toward these markets. Literary awards as well as blog posts from well-known teachers and librarians are also less influential.

4. The German market has a fixed book price, which is protected by law. Discounts can only be approved by publishers.

 All ready for a meeting at Carlsen Verlag in Hamburg, Germany.

5. Booksellers in Germany are required to train extensively—for two years! German publishers see booksellers as the ultimate gatekeepers.

6. Legally, German bookstores have six months to return books, but a few publishers admitted that stores sometimes fudge on the rule and look to return long after.

7. German authors are compensated by their publisher for bookstore and other promotional events and signings.

8. Very few of the publishing houses we met with have their own in-house design department. Most German publishers use freelance designers. A few houses see this as bittersweet, for their jackets all have strong, unique designs, but they admitted that working with various designers means readers might not recognize a branded “look.”

Oetinger Publishing Group's office in Hamburg, Germany.

9. Middle-grade series are wildly popular, seemingly more so than in the US. Most houses we met with had several middle-grade series with five-plus volumes and plans for many more.

10. Nonfiction is not as prevalent or as diverse in Germany as in the US. Few publishers we met with acquired and developed much nonfiction. In 2014, children’s nonfiction made up 9.5% of total German children’s book sales. Here in the US, children’s nonfiction grew by more than that in 2015 alone. (I was unable to find an accurate total percentage of nonfiction children’s titles in the US.) Sources from Publishers Weekly to Publishing Trends continue to report growing nonfiction trends over the past several years.

I have to admit that there are practices in Germany I wish we could adopt here. (I’m looking at you, fixed book prices.) And, of course, there are aspects of publishing in the US that I’m grateful for and wouldn’t want to change. (Our school and library markets to name one.)

Despite our differences, though, we all share the same goal: to publish a wide range of well-crafted, thoughtful books for children that align with the unique identities of our individual publishing houses. Both countries are deeply entrenched in the customs and practices of a decades-old business. However, learning from each other seems to be one way we can both continue to uphold what works well while seeking ways to improve traditions and systems that need some shaking up. Prost to that!

 And prost to a little fortress frolicking in our free time.
Here I am at Festung Marienburg in Würzburg, Germany.

Julie Bliven is editor and contracts manager at Charlesbridge, where she has edited more than forty titles, including fiction and nonfiction board books, picture books, and middle-grade novels. She has worked with authors such as Anne Sibley O’Brien, Steve Jenkins, Peter and Paul Reynolds, and Natalie Dias Lorenzi. Julie holds an M.A. in Children’s Literature from Simmons College, mentors writers in the college’s M.F.A. program, and has taught writing courses at the Jewish Community Centers of Massachusetts. She is also a member of the Children’s Book Council Diversity Initiative and wrote a post for their blog about her trip, "Bookish Reminders Here and Abroad". @Julie_Bliven

The 2016 Summer Olympics: Ready, Set…Technology? 0

By Jennifer Swanson

The Summer Olympics are just about to start. Hundreds of athletes are converging on Rio de Janeiro for the most important event of their athletic careers. These athletes have trained thousands of hours, honing their skills, pushing their bodies to the limit over the span of many years for just this moment. They are focused on one goal: taking home an Olympic medal.

While of course the athletes’ preparation is paramount, the equipment they’ll be using is also very important. In my latest book, Super Gear: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up, I examine how high-performance sports are using cutting-edge technology to enhance athletes’ performances in Olympic competitions. Nanotechnology is the science of the very small…microscopic even. A nanometer is nearly 100,000 times smaller than a single human hair and yet it can be used to make amazingly strong materials. That’s what the Olympic athletes are counting on—high tech equipment to aid them in their quest to win a medal. So as they are packing their shoes, their swimsuits, their tennis rackets and golf clubs, their bicycles, and running suits, let’s consider the technology behind the equipment the athletes will be bringing along.

What type of technology might we be seeing in the 2016 Olympics?

Sports gear companies hire experts and technicians and spend hundreds of millions of dollars creating the most high-tech equipment possible for athletes. Speedo, Nike, and Under Armour have actually used wind tunnels at NASA to help create their swimsuits and running gear.

Compression-swimsuit technology at work for US swimmer Missy Franklin.
From Super Gear. © BrunoRosa/Shutterstock.com

Speedo has updated their LZR swimsuits by creating them with a high-compression fabric. The suit is designed to push in on the muscles around the hips and upper thighs, thus making the swimmer more streamlined like a shark. The women’s suits have a specially designed “X” seam across the body. This is supposed to make the core (stomach, abdomen muscles) work more effectively and keep the swimmer’s body level in the water. This reduces drag, the force that pulls back on the swimmer as they glide through the water, which slows them down.

Click here to see what the US men’s and women’s Olympic swimming teams will wear.

Bobolat, Wilson, Yonex are using nanotechnology in the form of carbon nanotubes to make their tennis rackets stronger and more durable.

 Runners are also utilizing the cutting-edge technology. Athletes like the US’s Allyson Felix will be wearing specially designed techno uniforms that have raised bumps to make her more aerodynamic (like an airplane). This reduces drag and helps her to speed through the air faster.

And golf is not left out of the technology craze. Graphite and carbon fibers are added to golf clubs to help athletes hit the ball farther and longer than ever before.

Nanofibers are added to the resin of the golf club shaft
to close up the gaps between the strands of graphite.
From Super Gear. © Sophia M. Gholz

Why is technology being incorporated into sports events?

Money. It comes down to the fact that all of these sports companies are hoping that if you, the regular consumer, watches an Olympic athlete win a medal, you will want to go out and buy their equipment. The swimsuit industry is worth over $1 billion. Spending a few hundred million to get the most out of your equipment is not much for some of these big companies.

Is it actually worth it?

The answer is YES! In the 2008 Olympics, the swimmers who wore the nanotechnology-enhanced swimsuits not only won all of the medals, but broke over 100 new Olympic speed records. The swimmers in the 2015 Championships who wore either Speedo or Arena suits won the greatest percentage of medals.

Roger Federer, a world-class tennis player has used his nanotech tennis racket for the past several years to great success. Serena Williams uses a carbon-fiber racket.

US tennis star Serena Williams with her “enhanced” racket.
From Super Gear. © Neale Cousland/Shutterstock.com

Is using this technology fair?

That is a question up for debate. It is true that the athletes that have the equipment appear to be performing better than the athletes that don’t. Is that solely due to the techno-enhanced tools? No one knows for sure. Training. Diet. Health of the athlete. Temperature and weather at the time of the event. These are all factors. To say that the technology of the equipment was the only thing responsible is not possible.

One factor that may make the use of technology seem unfair is that poorer countries may not have access to it for the major championships or the Olympics. That might affect the outcome of their event. However, much of this equipment is available for purchase before the event so it’s possible that it could be purchased by these countries. It depends on how much money they can invest in their athletes. It is definitely an interesting point to consider.

Is using technology-enhanced equipment the same as using performance-enhancing drugs?

Again, another interesting question. Everyone knows that performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are banned from all competitions. In fact, athletes have to undergo blood or urine tests to prove that they haven’t used drugs to help them. If they are found to have tested positive for drugs, the athletes are then banned from participating in the sports.

Some people have stated that using technology-enhanced equipment does the same thing as a PED. After all, the technology can make your muscles work better, help you to run or swim faster by reducing drag, enable you to hit the ball harder and farther. So…maybe they are the same? At the moment most new technology is not being regulated by the sporting agencies. Other than the swimsuits in the 2008 Olympics, which clearly benefited the athletes to a huge extent, nothing much has been said on the Olympic level. Mostly that is because until the technology is used, no one knows how much impact it will have.

There have been instances of regulation on a smaller scale. As noted in Super Gear, Major League Baseball does not allow nanotech bats to be used by their players. The bats make the ball fly dangerously fast and can injure players.

So what do you think?

Should technology in sports be controlled? Should it be continued and pursued? Perhaps it is a question that you could debate in your school, library, or home.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for some amazing equipment in the Olympics! Go Rio 2016!

Watch Jennifer Swanson’s in-depth discussion about the nanotech equipment at the Olympics on the Jacksonville, Florida TV show “The Chat” from July 28, 2016:

Jennifer Swanson is the award-winning author of more than twenty-five books, including BRAIN GAMES (National Geographic Kids) and her latest book, Super Gear: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up. She and her sports-minded family live in Jacksonville, Florida.

Gardens—Nature, Science, and Surprises 0

By Ranida T. McKneally

A peculiar thing happened in our garden last summer. My family and I are avid composters, and adding to the compost pile had become a daily habit. Throughout the winter and spring, our banana peels, eggshells, and other kitchen scraps fed the scores of soil microbes and other organisms that break down organic matter—nature’s recyclers. As the days grew longer and warmer, bits of green began to poke out from the dark, heavy heap. First tender and tiny, the leaves grew. And grew…until they covered the entire compost bin (a homely, slatted wooden structure built from leftover fencing). “How handy!” I thought, grateful for the eye-pleasing green cover that disguised the utilitarian structure situated a bit too close to the front gate and public attention.

The mystery plant starting to take over the compost bin.

The identity of the unplanned compost plant was yet to be confirmed. It looked like a squash, for sure, with its broad, lobed leaves. But what kind? What squashes had we eaten the year before and tossed into the compost?

Soon, bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers appeared.

The flower had the color and shape typical of squash.

By then the giant leaves had grown out of the compost bin and over the gate, spilling into the front yard.

Over the fence!

What was this monster plant? We were amused. Apparently, so were our neighbors. People strolling by would often pause to wonder at the giant green thing taking over our property. We couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride. Though we could not claim to possess green thumbs, the luscious growth was a testament to the richness of our compost. What had started out as slimy food waste had transformed into beautiful, dark, earthy matter filled with nutrients that allowed plant growth to take off.

As summer wore on, the vines bore fruit and continued to creep farther along, eventually reaching the sidewalk.

The unintended ground cover in the front yard.

At one point, the plant’s tendrils even started to ensnare our neighbor’s car while they were on vacation. Yikes!

Parked cars, beware!

At last, the identity of the accidental plant was revealed. Hidden under the giant leaves were very big fruits (botanically speaking, squashes are fruits), pale greyish blue in color with bumps all over. They were Blue Hubbards.

A Blue Hubbard!

The Blue Hubbard squash is a variety of hard-rind winter squash, Cucurbita maxima, a species that includes some of the largest pumpkins in the world. (Think gargantuan state fair–worthy pumpkins.) Our family loves to try new foods, and is particularly tempted by the array of colors, shapes, and sizes of the produce found at farmers' markets. Blue Hubbard, of course! We had carried one home the year before; we were intrigued by the squash’s bumpiness and its unusual size and color, and inspired the by farmer’s enthusiastic, mouthwatering description of its sweet tastiness in pumpkin pie. It has become our pumpkin pie standard.

The fall harvest was astounding. Our giant compost monster had produced seven enormous squashes, each weighing over 20 pounds!

Huge yields.

Our friendly garden Squash-o-saur. Diet: compost.

For a household that loves to plant things but is not necessarily good at keeping them from turning brown and crispy, that’s a lot of squash—and pie!

“Pumpkin” pie with Blue Hubbard squash—yum!

For me, gardens—and farms and orchards—are a wonderful way to introduce young children to nature, science, food, and healthy eating. Not only are the results good to eat, but they serve as a source of wonder, too. Roots, stems, and leaves are abuzz with insects and other critters to be discovered by little naturalists digging around in the dirt. There are also many life processes to be observed as leaves unfurl and blossoms open right before their eyes. Science lessons abound: Why are fruits so colorful? Why are so many vegetables green? What’s the difference between a fruit and a vegetable? Why do I have to eat my vegetables, anyway? What else makes up a healthy meal? These are just some of the questions addressed in Our Food: A Healthy Serving of Science and Poems, and represent only the beginning of limitless inquiry into the natural world. Gardens provide continuous inspiration as tiny seedlings grow and develop—sometimes into big, magnificent surprises.

Our Food: A Healthy Serving of Science and Poems. Text copyright © 2016 by Grace Lin and Ranida T. McKneally. Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Grace Zong. Published by Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.

 Ranida T. McKneally also co-authored Our Seasons with Grace Lin. She lives in Medford, Massachusetts, near many wonderful farmers' markets, farms, and orchards.SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave