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Vol. 2, Iss. 2. Contents: Vanessa Purdom, Upcoming McConnell Center Events, Author Spotlight, McConnell Conference, 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels, Good Enough to Eat, SLIS CATS meeting, Connecting with Characters Contest, September is Hispanic Heritage Month, Student Section, On the Blog and in the Center, About the Center.
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Vanessa Purdom
Upcoming McConnell
Center Events
McConnell
Conference Poster
Sessions
Author Spotlight
McConnell
Conference
100 Best-Ever Teen
Novels
Good Enough to Eat
SLIS CATS meeting
Connecting with
Characters Contest
September is Hispanic
Heritage Month
Student Section
On the Blog and in the
Center
About the Center
The McConnell Center was lucky
enough to interview Vanessa Purdom
this month. We interviewed Vanessa
about her new book The Caramel Apple
Election. Vanessa is a graduate of the
University of Kentucky. The Caramel
Apple Election is her first book. It cen-
ters on teaching children basic concepts
about voting and the importance it
plays in our society. You can buy
Vanessa’s book at http://bit.ly/
VanessaPurdom or at Joseph Beth. The
book also has a homepage at,
www.caramelappleelection.com, where
you can find ideas about holding your
own mock election and resources to
help with lesson planning.
What was your biggest motivation for
becoming a children’s author?
My two daughters, Anna (11) and Sa-
vanna (8), have been my biggest moti-
vation. When the girls were younger,
one of our favorite things to do was to
create stories, out loud, together. I
would set the scene and then we would
take turns adding our own unique parts
to the adventure. I also really enjoyed
reading when I was a child and wanted
to instill a love of literacy in my girls.
Writing this book was sort of the next
story in our long line of creative story
adventures.
What inspired you to write a children’s
book about voting and elections?
The idea was born when I was volun-
teering in my daughter’s first grade
classroom. There was a really negative
campaign in our town and I had heard
some negative comments from the 6
year olds. I wanted to counter the nega-
tive comments, (that kids were obvious-
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ly hearing from “Mom & Dad”) with a fun and positive voting and election
activity. I searched the internet for books that told a story about voting and
found nothing for elementary aged kids. At that point, I decided to turn my
apple election classroom activity into a children’s book about voting and
elections.
What will children love most about your new book The Caramel Apple
Election?
Kids love the idea of a book that includes a snack, in combination with a
fun learning activity. Each year during the fall, kids will look forward to an
apple election in their classrooms and communities. They also really love
the “I Voted” Sticker templates in the back of the book and searching for
the eagles on almost every page of the book. It is so much fun to watch the
kids get excited anticipating the announcement of the winner of the caramel
apple election.
Do you believe your time at the University of Kentucky influenced your decision to become an author? Were
there specific classes or events that occurred during your time at UK that solidified your desire to write?
Absolutely!
I would have never ventured to Lexington or survived UK, if it wasn’t for Emmett “Buzz” Burnam and Joyce
Beatty. Buzz ventured over 170 miles to my small high school in Greenville, Kentucky to talk to my school
about UK. Ms. Beatty was a spectacular mentor and made me feel like the sky was the limit, in terms of my
ability and the opportunities that a degree from UK would avail.
When I decided to pursue my BS in Communications at UK, I found non-stop encouragement and support
from Drs. Harrington and Lane. I was especially interested in the research and writing courses offered by the
College of Communications. If I had not been accepted to law school, I would have certainly pursued a doc-
torate in Communications.
Last but not least was Dr. Kenneth Foon. I worked as a clinical trials coordinator at the UK Markey Cancer
Center for several years. Dr. Foon gave me a chance to pursue a wonderful career in cancer research. I jour-
naled my experience working with investigational therapies and cancer patients, often reflecting on the bril-
liance and compassion exhibited by Dr. Foon.
Thinking about this question and reflecting on all the people that shaped my experience and desire to write,
brought back memories of my English professors at UK. I still remember Rhonda Seabolt, my ENG102 teach-
er. She had flaming orange hair and flaming red lipstick and the ability to inspire lots and lots of creativity.
What is the most important concept about voting that you would like your audience to grasp?
That democracy is not a spectator sport. If you want to make your voice heard, get involved in the voting and
election process. Within the book, children are not only voting in the caramel apple election, they are having a
discourse about the concepts, volunteering to help with the election and witnessing that their vote really made
a difference in the election.
It’s great that your book is easy to buy on amazon (http://bit.ly/VanessaPurdom). Are there any plans in the
future for an e-book version?
Yes, my publisher and illustrator have been discussing the steps and formatting necessary to proceed with an e
-book. We all realize that pursuing this format is another great way to give the public access to the book.
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September 6 at 6:00 p.m.
SLIS CATS meeting
http://bit.ly/SLISCATSMeeting
September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
by Emily M. Danforth
http://bit.ly/
MiseducationofCameronPost
October 1 at 4:30 p.m.
Good Enough to Eat: Come Devour
a Banned Book
http://bit.ly/GoodEnoughtoEat
October 13 at 7:00 p.m.
McConnell Board Game Night!
http://bit.ly/McConnellBoardGame
Would you like to present a poster
at the 2013 McConnell
Conference? The 45th McConnell
Conference will be at the
Lexington Embassy Suites Hotel
on March 1-2, 2013.
The deadline for sign ups is
September 28, 2012.
Please direct questions to
Dr. Reynolds at
Poster session sign up information
can be found here.
http://bit.ly/McConnellPoster
McConnell Conference
http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-
conference
Guidelines
Poster must be on a tri-fold
freestanding board. Boards must be
in black or white.
Content must be clear and concise
Must have content that pertains to
children’s library services, early
literacy skills, or other topics that
are pertinent to youth literature
Poster may be accompanied by
handouts and/or business cards
Poster must include a title, the
presenter’s name, and contact
information.
It is recommended that the presenter
include graphs, charts, and visual
cues.
Please RSVP on our Facebook pages
or the new form found here for these
events so we
know
approximately
how many are
coming or if we
need to
reschedule.
~Thanks!
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Boy + Bot is a story of unlikely friendship and miscommunication between Boy and Bot. A boy finds
a robot in the forest one day. They instantly become friends. However Bot’s power gets turned off and a crazy
adventure ensues to wake Bot up. This story is loveable and will be adored by children who will laugh at the
conundrum that Boy and Bot find themselves in. Dan Yaccarino’s illustrations make this story come alive. It is
his illustrations that make this book a worthwhile read for children. The illustrations are painted with clean and
clear lines and objects have a defined space. The colors are vivid in blues and reds. Boy + Bot has many
enticing illustrations and it contains simple words that many early readers will be able to follow. The words
are in bold print which will also help early readers follow along. This book is for children up to eight years
old. However, even adult will love this book. This is a story that parents can read to their children and a story
many early readers will be able to follow. Boy + Bot is a cute story about two friends. One of them just
happens to be a robot.
Dyckman, A. (2012). Boy + Bot. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Read A-Likes
DiPucchio, K. S. (2011). Clink. New York: Balzer + Bray.
Lester, H. (2011). Wodney Wat's wobot. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Scieszka, J. (2009). Robot Zot!. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Yaccarino, D. (1996). If I had a robot. New York: Viking.
Every month leading up to the
McConnell 2013 Conference, the
McConnell newsletter will feature a
new book review from one of our
2013 guest presenters. These
reviews will introduce you to our
authors and some of their work. If
you have any books from our 2013
presenters you would like us to
review, please send suggestions to:
Boy + Bot
By: Ame Dyckman
Illustrated by: Dan Yaccarino
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NPR this past month took a poll of
the 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels as
voted by you. They received
75,220 votes. Below is the top five
books as voted by viewers. If you
wish to see the entire top 100 Best-
Ever Teen Novels you can go to
http://bit.ly/BestYA.
1) Harry Potter
Series by
J.K.Rowling
2) The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
3) To Kill A
Mockingbird by Harper
Lee
McConnell Conference
March 1-2, 2013
Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington, KY
http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-
conference
4) The Fault In Our
Stars by John Green
5) The Hobbit by J.R.R.
Tolkien
Check out Dan Yaccarino’s interview
with The Horn Book
http://bit.ly/DanYaccarino
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Are you interested in youth
outreach? Do you want first-hand
experience with planning
programs and events for children
and teens? The SLIS CATS group
is the Children and Teen Services
organization on campus that is
devoted to youth literature and
outreach to the surrounding
community. Our first meeting will
be September 6th at 6:00 p.m. in
the McConnell Center. All new
and continuing students are
welcome to join in our meeting!
Come devour a banned book on October 1, 2012 in the McConnell Center. This event is in honor of Banned
Books Week from September 30th to October 6th. Banned Books Week is an annual event that celebrates the
freedom to read as well as the importance of the First Amendment. This year marks the 30th anniversary of
Banned Books Week. The McConnell center will be celebrating with our Good Enough to Eat Contest.
Entrants will choose a banned or challenged book and create edible art that is based on that book. Event
attendees will vote on the entries to select Best Overall, Best Book Representation, Most Creative, and Most
Edible.
To visit our Facebook page, http://bit.ly/GoodEnoughtoEat
To enter the contest, register now at http://bit.ly/GoodEnoughtoEatRegistration
Please RSVP for this event at http://bit.ly/SLISCATSMeeting
or at
http://bit.ly/McConnellRSVP
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Starting on September 15th Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated world
wide. Hispanic Heritage Month is dedicated to recognizing the important
contributions Hispanic culture has made to the United States. Below is a
list of YA fiction with themes centered on Hispanic culture.
Martinez, W. J. (2008). Rogelia's house of magic. New York: Delacorte
Press.
Monroy, L. (2008). Mexican high: A novel. New York: Spiegel & Grau.
Peña, M. (2008). Mexican whiteboy. New York: Delacorte Press.
Peña, M. (2009). We were here. New York: Delacorte Press.
Pérez, A. H. (2011). What can't wait. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda LAB.
Voorhees, C. (2008). The brothers torres. New York: Hyperion.
We are excited to announce the 2013 Connecting with
Characters Contest. All kids in preschool through
12th grade in Kentucky or a neighboring state can
enter. Sponsoring libraries and schools must register to
participate by November 30, 2012. Entries must be
received by January 18, 2013. The Contest is in
conjunction with the 2013 McConnell Conference for
Youth Literature, which will feature Jack Gantos, Dan
Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla. We hope that the
Contest will provide an opportunity for the youth of
Kentucky and the surrounding states to connect with
the works of these wonderful contributors to the world
of literature for youth.
Participants could win a signed copy of Jack
Gantos’s Dead End in Norvelt, the 2012 Newbery
Medal Winner! There are also great titles available by
Dan Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla. More
information is forth coming but be sure to check out
our website at http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-contest-
2013
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Are you in LIS 610 or LIS 613 this
Fall? Come use the McConnell
Center! We can help you find books
to use for your class.
Hours
Monday & Tuesday 10 a.m.—3p.m.
Wednesday & Thursday 12 p.m.—
5p.m.
Or by appointment contact
STUDENT SECTION INFORMATION FOR SLIS STUDENTS
Are you interested in attending the YALSA
Symposium in St. Louis this November.
Listed below is a short synopsis about the
conference and registration information. We
will be staying two nights at the hotel. The
rooms are $105/night. However, we will be
sharing rooms so this cost can be cut
considerably. If you are interested in
participating in the symposium, please
contact Dr. Reynolds at
Join the discussion on Facebook
http://bit.ly/UKYalsa2012.
For more information also check out
YALSA’s website at
http://yalitsymposium12.ning.com/.
Synopsis
YALSA’s 2012 Young Adult Literature
Symposium will gather together librarians,
educators, authors and publishers to explore
what lies ahead for young adult literature,
including trends in content, format and
interaction. In an era where trends can rise
and fall in the blink of an eye, how do we
find the next Big Thing? How will the
changing face of today’s teen drive
changes in content? What, besides words,
will be in the digital future of young adult
literature?
Can looking into the past of the genre help
us determine where we might be headed in
the years to come? What factors play a role
in determining what will become the Next
Big Thing? Join YALSA as we explore
what the future has in store for young adult
literature and what or who may transform it.
Fees
Early bird registration is open through Sept.
16, 2012. Until then, registration costs:
$195 YALSA and Missouri Library
Association and Missouri Association of
School
Librarians Members
$245 ALA Personal Member
$300 Nonmember
$50 ALA Student Members
Advanced registration begins Sept. 17
and runs through Oct. 9. Rates after
Sept. 16 are:
$245 YALSA and Missouri Library
Association and Missouri Association
of School
Librarians Members
$295 ALA Personal Member
$350 Nonmember
$50 ALA Student Members
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On the Blog:
ARC Read & Review 2012! We
have the following titles available
for anyone who wants to read and
review them for the McConnell
Center blog at http://
youthlitmatters.wordpress.com/
New Books in the Center:
Juvenile Fiction
The Magician’s Apprentice by
Kate Banks, illustrated by Peter
Sís
Minnie McClary Speaks Her
Mind by Valerie Hobbs
A vital gathering place for books
and ideas, the McConnell Center
is committed to identifying
excellent literature for children
and adolescents and to bringing
this literature to the attention of
those adults who have an
academic, professional, career, or
personal interest in connecting
young readers with books.
We maintain two main, non-
circulating collections:
Our Current Collection includes all
books sent to us for review by
publishers during the current year.
The Permanent Collection is
several collections of books
maintained in the Center as a resource
for students and librarians. It includes
the Basic Collection, the Award-
winning Collection (Caldecott,
Newbery, Printz, Morris, Pura Belpré,
Sibert, and Orbis Pictus Awards), the
Kentucky Collection (notable
Kentucky authors and books about
Kentucky), the Reference Collection,
and the Periodical Collection.
Our Fall 2012 hours are Monday &
Tuesday 10 p.m.–3 p.m. and
Wednesday & Thursday 12 p.m.–5
p.m.
Please visit our website for more
information:
http://cis.uky.edu/lis
mcconnellcenter
Young Adult Courtship and Curses by
Marissa Doyle
Holding on to Zoe by George
Ella Lyon
Before You Go by James Preller
Auracle by Gina Rosati
Picture Books
The Chandeliers by Vincent X.
Kirsch
Frankenstein by Rick Walton,
illustrated by Nathan Hale
In the Center:
Join us for the McConnell Center
Board Game Night!
Our next event will be a
discussion of The Miseducation of
Cameron Post on September 29
at 7:00 p.m. Find us on Facebook
to RSVP for this event.
http://bit.ly/
MiseducationofCameronPost
You can find the McConnell
Facebook Group here:
http://on.fb.me/
McConnellReadingGroup
You can now RSVP for Center
Events via the following form:
http://bit.ly/McConnellRSVP
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