A World of Great Reading in The New York Public Library's Guide to Children's Books

The New York Public Library Recommends the Best 100 Children's Books of the Year

New York, November 17, 2000 -- Out of the thousands of children's books published in the past year, only 100 have been chosen for The New York Public Library's Children's Books 2000: One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing. Selected by a committee of experienced children's librarians, these 100 books represent an eclectic assortment of themes and topics full of creativity, diversity, imagination, and just plain good reading for kids of all ages. Organized by age groupings with helpful categories in each section ("Picture Books for children ages 2 - 6," "Folk and Fairy Tales," "Poetry," "Stories for children ages 6 - 8," "Stories for children ages 8 - 12," and "Non-fiction"), The New York Public Library's list is a definite must for parents and grandparents, as well as for teachers and librarians who have relied on NYPL's expertise for years.

Picture books feature playful uses of collage, textured illustrations, and painterly renditions that will help foster the imagination of preschoolers. In Off We Go! by Jane Yolen, baby animals cheerfully sing as they hop, slither, or crawl to grandma's house in a rhythmic read-aloud for the very young; The Everything Book, is a colorful, lively celebration of all things toddlers love to do and see; Into the A, B, Sea, by Deborah Lee Rose, introduces children to ocean creatures in this handsome alphabet book with rhyming text and striking collage art. My Little Red Toolbox, by Stephen T. Johnson, offers pop-out play tools to turn bolts, hammer nails, and saw wood as kids explore shapes, colors, and numbers in this innovative activity book; and almost every child can relate to Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henkes, the tender story of a little mouse who is anxious about her first day at nursery school.

This year's selections are exceptionally rich with novels, especially historical fiction, that provide a perspective on grim times and challenging circumstances for young people. Fever 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is the story of adventurous Matilda Cook and how she learns about courage, perseverance and self-reliance when she is separated from her mother during the yellow fever epidemic that gripped Philadelphia. Personal stories and newspaper accounts trace the minute-by-minute drama of the incredible storm of 1888 that buried New York City in Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America, by Jim Murphy. And you'll get a sense of the horrors of the Irish potato famine with Nory Ryan's Song, by Patricia Reilly Giff, the story of a young girl forced to struggle to keep her family alive as they await the return of their Da.

Biographies, both in factual and fictionalized forms, can be challenging educational tools for young readers. Check out a sample of this year's picks: Michelangelo, by Diane Stanley, recounts the life of the Renaissance artist with lively text and stunning illustrations that incorporate computer-generated images of his paintings and sculpture. A handsomely designed book that challenges young readers to think in new ways is frank o. gehry: outside in, by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan. You'll find an introduction to the work of the brilliant and innovative architect who revolutionized design with the use of computers and created the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly, by Walter Dean Myers, features striking paintings and revealing quotations that present a new look at his turbulent life and times. Take a lively look at the more personal side of the men who lived in the White House with So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George. Through the use of humorous illustrations, children will learn where former presidents went to school, what kind of people they were, and what they liked to do.

All in all, The New York Public Library's Children's Books 2000: One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing, will open a window to new and exciting worlds that young readers can revisit year round.

This year's collection of 100 books will be on display in the Central Children's Room of the Donnell Library Center from December 1 to 31 along with a unique opportunity to view original artwork. The exhibition can be seen during regular Children's Room Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12 to 6; Tuesday 10 to 6; Thursday 12 to 8; Saturday 12 to 5; and Sunday 1 to 5. The Donnell Library Center is located at 20 West 53rd Street.

Children's Books 2000 can be purchased for $3.00 by mail from the Office of The Branch Libraries, The New York Public Library, 455 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Mail orders must be accompanied by postage ($1.00 for 1 to 5 copies; $1.25 for 6 to 10 copies; and $1.50 for bulk orders). Free copies are available by request at all branch libraries.

Press may contact Debbie Bujosa in the Public Relations Office, (212) 704-8658, or e-mail dbujosa@nypl.org for complimentary copies of Children's Books 2000: One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing.

The New York Public Library offers a wide variety of free programs for adults, young adults, and children at all 85 of its branches, located throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.

###

dbujosa: pro