Meet Author Grace Lin

elease dates: August 28-September 3 35-1 (10)
© 2010 Universal Uclick
2010 Newbery Honor Winner
Meet Author Grace Lin
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Grace Lin won a 2010 Newbery Honor
Book award for “Where the Mountain
Meets the Moon.” She has written and
illustrated several books for kids.
Growing up
Grace Lin said she has loved to read
and write books since she was a young
child. She was always interested in
art. She joined a writing club and
worked on the school newspaper when
she was in junior high.
Her parents were immigrants from
Taiwan, an island near mainland
China. She said when she was in
school in New York, “Most of the time
I forgot about it.” There were kids
from many backgrounds in school.
But at home, the family followed
customs from Taiwan, although they
spoke English. She said, “Sometimes
I’d feel like I was two different people.”
She has put those experiences into
some of her books.
Her books “The Year
of the Dog” and “The
Year of the Rat” are
based on Grace’s
own childhood. Most
of the book’s events
really happened.
(The outcome of the
science fair was one
thing she changed in
the book.)
jacket art © 2006 by Grace Lin, published by Little,
Brown and Co. Books for Young Readers
Grace Lin, 36, lives with her husband, Alex,
in Somerville, Mass.
Her art background
Grace studied art in college. Her
first book, “The Ugly Vegetables,” was
published about four years after she
graduated from college.
She also worked at other art jobs. In
one, she created items such as mugs
and T-shirts for a giftware company.
In “Where the
Mountain Meets the
Moon,” a girl hears
fantastic tales from
her father. Believing
these tales, she goes
on a journey to find
the Old Man of the
Moon to ask him to
help her family.
Some favorites
Color: “It used to be red, but now it
is green.”
Music: “It depends on what I’m
doing. When I’m exercising, I want
something that’s got a fast beat. I like
Lady Gaga now. When I’m painting,
I like more calm music, with female
singers.” She doesn’t listen to music
when she is writing.
Sports: riding her bike, working out
with “Wii Fit”
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page ® .
jacket art © 2009 by Grace Lin, published by Little,
Brown and Co. Books for Young Readers
jacket art © 2010 by Grace Lin, published by Little,
Brown and Co. Books for Young Readers
“Ling & Ting” tells six
stories about twin
girls. The girls may
look identical, but
as the readers get
to know them, they
realize the twins are
actually very different
people.
Advice to kids
“If you want to be writers, the best
thing is to read. That’s what I did. I
read everything I could. Even books
I didn’t like taught me what I didn’t
like.
“For kid artists, keep reading. Start
a sketch book. You don’t have to show
it to anyone, so it’s only for drawing for
yourselves.”

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35-2 (10); release dates: August 28-September 3
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Children’s Book Awards
The Children’s Book Council
sponsored a survey to find out kids’
favorite books from those published
in 2009. This is the third year the
Book Council has run this contest.
Children across the country voted
for their favorite books, authors and
illustrators. They voted at bookstores,
school libraries and online.
The Mini Page takes a look at the
books kids said they liked the best.
Favorite author
James Patterson
was voted Author of
the Year for “Max:
A Maximum Ride
Novel.” He has
written several books
for kids and is famous
for his detective books
for adults.
In “Max,” a group of
winged super-kids have
to go under the sea to
rescue Max’s mom and
battle an enemy killing sea life.
photo by Kelly Campbell
James Patterson
jacket art © 2009 by Larry Rostant,
published by Little, Brown and Co.
Favorite illustrator
Peter Brown was
named Illustrator of the
Year for “The Curious
Garden.” He has
written and illustrated
several books for kids.
jacket art © 2009 by Peter Brown
Kindergarten to Second Grade
Book of the Year: “Lulu: The Big
Little Chick” by Paulette Bogan
jacket art © 2009 by
Paulette Bogan, published
by Bloomsbury
Peter Brown
In “The Curious
Garden,” a boy is
growing up in a city
without gardens or
trees. One day, he
discovers a tiny patch of
flowers and learns how
to garden.
In “Lulu: The Big Little
Chick,” a chick runs
away when she gets
tired of being the
littlest animal.
Third to Fourth Grade Book of the
Year: “Lunch Lady and the Cyborg
Substitute” by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
In the graphic novel
“Lunch Lady and the
Cyborg Substitute,”
a super-detective
lunch lady solves the
case of the missing
teacher and his creepy
substitute.
Fifth to Sixth Grade Book of the
Year: “Dork Diaries: Tales From
a Not-So-Fabulous Life” by Rachel
Renee Russell
In “Dork Diaries,” a
girl at a new middle
school has to deal with
problems.
Teen Choice Book of the Year:
“Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins
jacket art © 2009 by Tim O’Brien,
published by Scholastic
jacket art © 2009 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka,
published by Knopf/Random House
jacket art © 2009 by Rachel Renee Russell,
published by Simon & Schuster
“Catching Fire” is the
second book in the Hunger
Games trilogy. In what
was once America, young
people are chosen to
compete in deadly games
for the entertainment of
the rich.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Ready Resources
The Mini Page provides ideas for
websites, books or other resources that will
help you learn more about this week’s topics.
On the Web:
• http://readkiddoread.com/home
• www.gracelin.com
• http://somebrownstuff.com
• www.bookweekonline.com
• www.americaslibrary.gov
TM
Book Awards
try ’n
find
Words that remind us of things found in books are hidden in the block
below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can
find: ADVENTURE, EXCITEMENT, FUN, GAMES, HELP, IMAGINATION,
INSIGHT, JOKES, JOY, KNOWLEDGE, MYSTERY, NEW, POETRY,
PUZZLES, ROMANCE, SCIENCE, THRILLS, UNDERSTANDING, WORLDS.
Settle down
with a good
book!
Basset Brown
The News
Hound’s
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
H J W E N Y R E T S Y M R S K
I E O J V T H R I L L S O C N
N W L K O S E L Z Z U P M I O
S O V P E Y K S E M A G A E W
I R F U N S Y R T E O P N N L
G L T N E M E T I C X E C C E
H D W E R U T N E V D A E E D
T S K N O I T A N I G A M I G
G N I D N A T S R E D N U L E
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®
Mini Spy . . .
Mini Spy and her friends are listening to a great story at
the library. See if you can find: • exclamation mark
• fish • word MINI • letter E • sock
• letter A • tin can • pencil • toothbrush
• shovel • ladder • ring • lima bean
• key • canoe • ant • candy cane
• question mark • man in the moon
TM
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
TM
You’ll need:
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
What to do:
35-3 (10); release dates: August 28-September 3
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Berry Fruit Crisp
1. Place flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and
walnuts in a blender; pulse until blended and nuts are ground.
2. Pour mixture into a bowl and add the egg. Stir until moistened.
3. Wash fruit and place in a separate large bowl.
4. Stir in maple syrup to coat fruit.
5. Pour fruit into a shallow baking dish.
6. Using your clean hands, crumble flour mixture evenly over the fruit.
7. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes until bubbly.
8. Top with frozen yogurt or ice cream. Serves 6.
You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Meet Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage stars as Balthazar in the Disney movie “The
Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” He is also the executive producer.
Nicolas has appeared in many movies, including
“National Treasure: Book of Secrets” and “Peggy Sue
Got Married.” He was also the voice of Speckles in the
photo © 2009 Disney Enterprises
Inc. and Jerry Bruckheimer Inc.
All rights reserved
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup blackberries
• 3 nectarines, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• low-fat frozen vanilla yogurt or ice cream
movie “G-Force,” the voice of Zoc in “The Ant Bully,” and
the voice of Dr. Tenma in “Astro Boy.”
In 2009 he was named a Goodwill Ambassador for Global Justice for
the United Nations. In this job he has worked to help kids in Africa. He
also works for other human rights causes.
Nicolas, 46, grew up in Long Beach and San Francisco, Calif. His
father was a literature professor, and his mother was a dancer and
choreographer. His uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, is a famous film director.
Nicolas changed his name from Coppola to Cage so he could succeed in
acting on his own.
He began acting at his high school when he was 15. He moved to Los
Angeles and began acting in TV shows when he was still in high school.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
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The Mini Page ® Book of States
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Conveniently spiral-bound for ease of use, this invaluable
resource contains A-to-Z facts about each state, along
with the District of Columbia. Illustrated with colorful
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All the following jokes have something in common.
Can you guess the common theme or category
Barney: Why did it take the creature three
months to finish the book
Betty: It wasn’t very hungry!
Barbara: Why was the book so cold
Ben: It didn’t have its jacket!
Blake: What would you call a book written
by a car
Beverly: An auto-biography!
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
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®
35-4 (10); release dates: August 28-September 3
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
2010 Book Award Winners
Reading is one of life’s great
pleasures. To give you some reading
ideas, The Mini Page looks at some
of this year’s Newbery and Caldecott
award winners.
The Caldecott Medal is presented
each year to the illustrator of the
most distinguished picture book
for children. This year there were
also two Honor Book winners.
Jerry Pinkney won the Caldecott
Medal for “The Lion & The Mouse.”
He has won five previous Caldecott
Honor Book awards.
“The Lion &
The Mouse”
tells the tale
of an unusual
friendship.
Caldecott Honor Books
Pamela Zagarenski has illustrated
several children’s books. She also
creates sculptures and other art.
“Red Sings
From
Treetops” by
Joyce Sidman
uses poetry
to paint the
colors of the
seasons.
jacket art © 2009 by Jerry Pinkney, published
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
jacket art © 2009 by Pamela Zagarenski,
published by Houghton Mifflin Books for
Children
Look through your newspaper for articles
that catch your interest. Draw a picture
or write a story about ideas you get from
the article.
Marla Frazee won an Honor
Book award for illustrating “All the
World.” She also won an Honor Book
award in 2009 for “A Couple of Boys
Have the Best Week Ever.”
“All the World”
by Liz Garton
Scanlon brings
together several
stories about
people of
different ages.
The John Newbery Medal is
awarded each year to the author
of the most outstanding children’s
book. This year there were also
four Honor Book winners.
Rebecca Stead won the Newbery
Medal for “When You Reach Me.”
She worked as a
lawyer before
becoming a writer.
In “When You
Reach Me,” a girl
receives mysterious
notes that seem to
predict the future.
Newbery Honor Books
Phillip Hoose has written several
books for kids about real events.
“Claudette Colvin:
Twice Toward
Justice” is the true
story of a black
teenager who
refused to give up
her bus seat to a
white passenger,
before Rosa Parks
did this brave act.
Grace Lin has written and
illustrated several books for kids.
Jacqueline Kelly is a doctor and a
lawyer.
Rodman Philbrick has written
many books for adults and many for
kids, including “Freak the Mighty.”
The Mini Page Staff
Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page ® .
jacket art © 2009, published by Random House
jacket art © 2009 by Jaclyn Sinquett,
published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
jacket art © 2009 by Marla Frazee,
published by Beach Lane Books
In “Where the
Mountain Meets
the Moon,” a girl
goes on a quest to
discover how her
family can change
their luck.
In “The Evolution
of Calpurnia Tate,”
a girl in the early
1900s dreams
about becoming a
scientist. But her
parents don’t think
that’s a proper job
for a woman.
In “The Mostly
True Adventures
of Homer P. Figg,”
an orphaned boy
uses humor to try
to deal with the
horrors of the Civil
War.
jacket art © 2009 by Grace Lin, published by Little,
Brown and Company Books for Young Readers
jacket art © 2009 by Beth White, published by
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Next week, The Mini Page is about the United
Nations’ goals for the next millennium.
jacket art © 2009 by Scholastic Press