January 2024 Issue #35
January 1, 2024
Happy New Year!
Welcome to issue #35 of The Simpsonian Muse. I am your scribe, Martha Seif Simpson, Author and Children's Librarian. As the header says, this monthly newsletter will feature:
- News – Mine as well as other interesting tidbits
- Views – A few photos from my world travels
- Stuff to Amuse – A mish-mash of activities, crafts, recipes, videos or whatever I am excited about sharing.
If you missed the previous newsletters, you can click the button on the left sidebar on my website to catch up or click here.
Thanks for joining me on this adventure. I hope you will find something to inform and entertain you.
~ NEWS ~
The Sydney Taylor Book Award committee members met online in December to determine the most outstanding Jewish picture, middle grade, and young adult books of 2023. The members did a great job of choosing the Winner, Honor, and Notable Books. I will be attending the American Library Association's LibLearnX conference this month to cheer as the Sydney Taylor books are announced at the Youth Media Awards on January 22, 2024. Look for the livestream on the ALA's YouTube page.
January 25 is Multicultural Children's Book Day. Here is the promo poster for my book. You can see all the participating authors and illustrators at MCBD 2024. I am the 14th author listed.
Also, I donated three autographed books to the Artists Against Antisemitism auction that happened in December. They raised over $120,000 to support Project Shema.
But wait, there's more!
I'm going to be on another book award committee! An author friend, Alice Bauer, invited me to join the selection committee for the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature. The award is given annually to the authors of outstanding children's books addressing human rights issues or themes such as discrimination, equity, poverty, justice, war, peace, slavery, or freedom, and is sponsored by the Dodd Center at the University of Connecticut. I will be meeting with the committee this month to get all the details. Last year's picture book winner was also the STBA winner! Here is the Malka Penn Award website.
BOOK SHARE
There were many great books published in 2023. School Library Journal compiled their favorites into several categories – Picture Books, Transitional Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Nonfiction Elementary, Nonfiction Middle to High School, Poetry, Graphic Novels, and Top 10 Manga. Will any of these books be recognized by award committees at the Youth Media Awards? We'll find out on January 22! Meanwhile, here's the link to the annotated book lists.
CALENDAR TRIVIA
This year, I'm featuring the birth dates of authors and illustrators who create books for kids and teens. Here are some people, along with a sample of their books, for January 2024.
- January 3 – J. R. R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings series)
- January 4 – Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Shiloh series)
- January 13 – Michael Bond (Paddington series)
- January 14 – Hugh Lofting (Doctor Doolittle series)
- January 16 – Kate McMullen (Fluffy the Classroom Guinea Pig series)
- January 18 – A. A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh books)
- January 23 – Katharine Holabird (Angelina Ballerina series)
- January 26 – Jules Feiffer (The Phantom Tollbooth)
- January 27 – Lewis Carroll (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
- January 29 – Rosemary Wells (Max & Ruby series)
- January 30 – Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain series)
So many classic books!
~ VIEWS ~
In June 2023, John and I went on a land and sea tour of Alaska with Holland America.
We started in Fairbanks, which was the furthest north we have ever been. When we were there, the sun set at midnight and rose at 3:30 am. The temperature was about 40°F to 60°F, in a locale that can get to -30°F or colder in the winter.
We found this mural at a breakfast and lunch spot called The Crepery.
Here is some wisdom from the Soba Restaurant, where we sampled Moldovan cuisine. What is Moldovan food? Check their Soba website to find out!
Salmon is a big deal in Alaska, so we went to a Salmon Bake, where the fish was grilled (not baked) outdoors.
After that, we walked to the adjoining Pioneer Village to The Palace Theater and Saloon, where we saw the Golden Heart Revue - a corny play about the Alaskan Gold Rush and how Fairbanks was settled.
The next day, we took a cruise down the Chena River in this paddlewheel boat.
Along the way, the boat stopped at the home of sled dog trainer David Monson. His wife, Susan Butcher, won the Iditarod 4 times before she died of cancer. David showed us how the dogs are trained and took some of them for a run around the property.
We followed the Chena River to the place where it flows into the Tanana River. These rivers are frozen solid in the winter.
Some wealthy people live along the Chena River. Here's one of the fancy houses we saw along the way.
We also saw a salmon skinning demonstration while on the boat.
The highlight of the cruise was when we stopped at Chena Village to learn how the Athabaskan people lived.
First, we learned how the Athabaskans trapped animals such as moose, fox, and wolverine and used their hides to make hand-sewn clothing. This coat is very heavy but can keep a person warm in the coldest weather. It would be very expensive to buy!
Someone at this cache explained the different types of animal fur and their uses.
This woman spoke about canoes and various types of shelters.
These trapper cabins can be found at various locations in the woods for people to stay in while they are out hunting.
And here's some local humor – "Please do not throw your cigarettes on the ground, the mice are getting cancer!"
If you ever get to Fairbanks, I highly recommend this river cruise. You can find out more about it at the Chena Riverboat Discovery website. The people in the photos are the actual people we saw on the tour.
More from Alaska next month!
~ STUFF TO AMUSE ~
Since book awards are on my mind, I created a Mad Lib Book Award Press Release. Click here so you and your friends can fill in the blanks to write your own crazy book award announcements. Have fun!
That'll do it for this month.
Until next time, remember to enthuse your muse!
~ Martha