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Just last month, I packed up all of my belongings and moved from Portland, Ore., to Highland Park, N.J. It is a big change in many ways, as any relocation is bound to be. I’m farther away from my family now. There are no independent bookstores within walking distance of my new apartment. And next week, when my children’s literature book group meets to discuss “Sprout,” a young adult novel by Dale Peck, I will not be there.
In the bookstore where I work, the weeks leading up to the announcement of the winners of the major American children’s book awards are an exciting time for those of us working in the kids’ section.
In 2004, during the last presidential election, I was teaching kindergarten in Philadelphia. When a boy walked into my classroom one morning in October wearing a giant, star-spangled pin bearing a candidate’s name, I immediately knew what we would be discussing during circle time.
As my friends start having children, I have developed the habit of hoarding board books. I always have four or five tucked away, and as soon as I get the good-news e-mail, I send a few books to the happy family. Some of my selections are books I have loved for years and have had the pleasure of watching children respond to, such as Eric Carle’s “Head to Toe,” Bruce Degen’s “Jamberry,” and Rod Campbell’s “Dear Zoo.” But I have also recently been charmed by a number of newer baby books.
