Donna's 2011 Reading List- (At least most of them)

Meet Mittens. Promoted from paper weight to list keeper.

In January 2011, I pulled out a crisp new spiral notebook and penned the words "Donna's Reading Log" on the front. My plan was to list every book I read in 2011. I've posted previously about the fluid picture book log I keep, complete with word counts, publishers, and reading levels. But, that list has always been alphabetical. I had never tallied how many books I read in a given year. 

So, here we are at the end of 2011 and I'm staring down the inked-in pages of said new spiral. Some of these titles were pulled for study purposes, some for recreation, some to satisfy a curiosity. Now that I've added up the whole shebang, my exceeded book buying budget and my perpetual library late fees make a bit more sense. This list won't mean anything to you but, for me, it's an interesting reflection of my reading year and writing focus. I'll do the same for 2012 and see how my interests morph. And, as a bonus, my eleven year-old son has decided he wants to start his own reading log. Yes!

In no particular order, except for genre, I offer my 2011 reads.

NF and historical fiction Picture books
STAGECOACH SAL by Deborah Hopkinson
UNDER THE QUILT OF NIGHT by Deborah Hopkinson
ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK by Deborah Hopkinson
SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT by Deborah Hopkinson
YOURS FOR JUSTICE, IDA B. WELLS by Philip Dray
I, MATTHEW HENSON: POLAR EXPLORER BY CAROLE BOSTON WEATHERFORD
HUMMINGBIRDS: FACTS AND FOLKLORE FROM THE AMERICAS by Jeanette Larson
DARWIN by Alice B. McGinty
WHEN ABRAHAM TALKED TO THE TREES by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk
MOONSHOT by Brian Floca
HALLELUJAH FLIGHT by Phil Bildner
DAVE THE POTTER: ARTIST, POET, SLAVE by Laban Carrick Hill
ABRAHAM LINCOLN COMES HOME by Robert Burleigh
SO SAID BEN by Michael McCurdy
SUSANA OF THE ALAMO by John Jakes
QUEEN OF THE FALLS by Chris Van Allsburg
LINCOLN AND DOUGLASS by Nikki Giovanni
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH by Deborah Chandra
FOOTWORK: THE STORY OF FRED AND ADELE ASTAIRE by Roxane Orgill
THE WATCHER: JANE GOODALL'S LIFE WITH CHIMPS by Jeanette Witner
STAND STRAIGHT, ELLA KATE: THE TRUE STORY OF A REAL GIANT by Kate Klise
BALLET FOR MARTHA by Jan Greenberg
HONDA:THE BOY WHO DREAMED OF CARS by Mark Weston
BALARAMA: A ROYAL ELEPHANT by Ted & Betsy Lewin
POP! THE INVENTION OF BUBBLEGUM by Meghan McCarthy
THE POT THAT JUAN BUILT by Nancy Andrews- Corbel
THE LAST BLACK KING OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY by Crystal Hubbard
IF WALLS COULD TALK: FAMILY LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE by Jane O'Connor
CATCHING THE MOON: THE STORY OF A YOUNG GIRL'S BASEBALL DREAM by Crystal Hubbard
LOST BOY: THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO CREATED PETER PAN by Jane Yolen
PAUL ROBESON by Eloise Greenfield
BLACK ELK'S VISION: A LAKOTA STORY by S.D. Nelson
JULIA MORGAN BUILT A CASTLE by Celeste Davidson Mannis
JIMI SOUNDS LIKE A RAINBOW:A STORY OF THE YOUNG JIMI HENDRIX by Gary Golio
HOME ON THE RNAGE: JOHN A.  LOMAX AND HIS COWBOY SONGS by Deborah Hopkinson
LIBERTY'S VOICE: THE STORY OF EMMA LAZARUS by Erica Silverman
ROUGH, TOUGH CHARLEY by Verla Kay
WHAT CHARLIE HEARD by Mordicai Gerstein
ODETTA: THE QUEEN OF FOLK by Stephen Alcorn
ODD BOY OUT: YOUNG ALBERT EINSTEIN by Don Brown
LOUISA: THE LIFE OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT by  Yona Zeldis McDonough
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC: THE REMARKABLE STORY OF MARIA ANNA MOZART by Elizabeth Rusch
LIPMAN PIKE: AMERICA'S FIRST HOME RUN KING by Richard Michelson
SAWDUST AND SPANGLES: THE AMAZING LIFE OF W.C. COUP by Ralph Covert
THE DARING MISS QUIMBY by Suzanne George Whitaker
A PICTURE BOOK OF HARRY HOUDINI by David Adler
HARRY HOUDINI: ESCAPE ARTIST by Patricia Lakin
THE GREAT HOUDINI: WORLD FAMOUS MAGICIAN AND ESCAPE ARTIST by Monica Kulling
BEN FRANKLIN: HIS WIT AND WISDOM FROM A-Z by Alan Schroeder
EAT YOUR MATH HOMEWORK by Ann McCallum
THE MULTIPLYING MENACE by Pam Calvert
THE MULTIPLYING MENACE DIVIDES by Pam Calvert
SHE LOVED BASEBALL: THE EFFA MANLEY STORY by Audrey Vernick
RON'S BIG MISSION by Rose Blue
LINCOLN TELLS A JOKE by Kathleen Krull

Fiction Picture Books
ALL THOSE SECRETS OF THE WORLD by Jane Yolen
HARVEST HOME by Jane Yolen
WEINER WOLF by Jeff Crosby
SISTER BEAR: A NORSE TALE by Jane Yolen
SPARKY THE FIRE DOG by Don Hoffman
ROSCOE AND THE PELICAN RESCUE by Lynn Rowe Reed
___
= 61 picture books

Nonfiction Chapter Books (and a few crossovers)
TO FLY: THE STORY OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by Wendie C. Olde
KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD'S STRANGEST PARROT by Sy Montgomery
THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION by Russell Freedman
HARNESS HORSES, BUCKING BRONCOS, & PIT PONIES by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson
HEART AND SOUL: THE STORY OF AMERIA AND AFRICAN AMERICANS by Kadir Nelson
THE BOYS WAR by Jim Murphy
LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY by Russell Freedman
CAN I SEE YOUR ID: TRUE STORIES OF FALSE IDENTITIES by Chris Barton
MARCHING FOR FREEDOM: WALK TOGETHER, CHILDREN, AND DON'T YOU GROW WEARY by Elizabeth Partridge
WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH by Cynthia Levinson
MUSIC WAS IT: YOUNG LEONARD BERNSTEIN by Susan Goldman Rubin
DIGGING FOR TROY: FROM HOMER to HISARLIK by Jill Rubalcaba and Eric H. Cline
MYSTERY ON EVEREST: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE MALLORY by Audrey Salkeld
SHH! WE'RE WRITING THE CONSTITUTION by Jean Fritz 

CAN'T YOU MAKE THEM BEHAVE, KING GEORGE? by Jean Fritz
_____
= 15 NF chapter books

Novels
MASTERPIECE by Elise Broach
ESPERANZA RISING by Pam Munoz Ryan

ALIEN INVASION by Brian Yansky
PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster
WHAT THE MOON SAW by Laura Resau
ANOTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY by Dr. Cuthbert Soup and Jeffrey Stewart Timmins
WAITING FOR THE MAGIC by Patricia MacLachlan
THE ADVENTURES OF NANNY PIGGINS by R.A. Spratt
HOW NOT TO BE POPULAR by Jennifer Ziegler
A THOUSAND NEVER EVERS by Shana Burg
TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T by Bethany Hegedus
TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE by Jessica Day George
SASS & SERENDIPITY by Jennifer Ziegler
THE PRIVATE THOUGHTS OF AMELIA E. RYE by Bonnie Shimko
Oy MG by Amy Fellner Dominy
CALLI by Jessica Lee Anderson
ODD GIRL IN by Jo Whittemore
AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko
BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray
SNOW IN SUMMER by Jane Yolen
MOON OVER MANIFEST by Clare Vanderpool
THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL by Cathy Marie Buchanan
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett
COMMITTED by Elizabeth Gilbert
______
= 24 novels

Adult Nonfiction- just for fun
SURVIVING TITANIC by Violet Jessop
SELF PORTRAIT WITH SEVEN FINGERS by Jane Yolen and J. Patrick Lewis
INVENTING NIAGARA by Ginger Strand
NIAGARA: A HISTORY OF THE FALLS by Pierre Berton
INVENTING THE VICTORIANS: WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW ABOUT THEM AND WHY WE'RE WRONG by Matthew Sweet
 THE TALENT CODE: GREATNESS ISN'T BORN. IT'S GROWN by Daniel Coyle (my current read-will finish by week's end)
____
= 6 Adult nonfiction

Books about the writing craft
WRITING FOR STORY: CRAFT SECRETS OF DRAMATIC NONFICTION BY A TWO-TIME PULITZER PRIZE WINNER by Jon Franklin
ANATOMY OF NONFICTION by Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas
SAVE THE CAT : THE LAST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING THAT YOU'LL EVER NEED by Blake Snyder
SECOND SIGHT: AN EDITOR'S TALKS ON WRITING, REVISING, AND PUBLISHING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT by Cheryl Klein
___
= 4 books on craft



Scholarly Books and Sources related to my Works-in-Progress
Sorry...Keeping a lid on my extensive list of research titles
and scores of historic newspapers and journals related to my as-yet-unacquired works-in-progress. That list to come later

Grand total= 104 books in 2011.
It's almost time to turn the page where 2012 will begin.

My 2011 Favorite blogs to follow

2011 has been a great year to follow our favorite publishing professionals through their individual blogs.

Today, I direct your attention to the blogs I've followed throughout the year. Trust me, you'll want to follow them, too.

Drum roll, please.

 

BLOG ROLL 2011

My 2011 Recommended Books about the Writing Craft

My shelves are full of books on craft and I've mentioned many in this previous blog post. Today, I offer the best craft books I've read in 2011.  I recommend them all.

**Special note: Reading craft books is a great way to improve your literary education, but don't forget to put your own words on the page, too. Lots and lots of words.


SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book on Screenwriting That You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder (Wiese, Michael Productions, 2005)



Yes, this trilogy is aimed at screenwriters, but it is perfectly applicable to the novelist, too. Beginning with the all-important "log line" Snyder breaks down the crucial "beats" of a successful story and brings forth examples of popular movies to make his points. Writers are sure to benefit from Snyder's BS2 "beat sheet."




SAVE THE CAT! Goes to the Movies (" 2007)SAVE THE CAT! Strikes Back








 SAVE THE CAT! Strikes Back (" 2010)











ANATOMY OF NONFICTION: Writing True Stories for Children by mother/daughter team Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas (Writer's Institute Publications, 2011)
Finally, a book specific to writing nonfiction for young readers! This comprehensive title is chock full of advice for organizing, focusing, and writing the nonfiction project. Topics include, but are not limited to: Brainstorming, Research (including many recommended sources,) Revisions, Queries, Outlines, Voice, Biographies, Science and Nature, How-to Genre, Marketing.



WRITING FOR STORY: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction By a Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner. By Jon Franklin (Penguin, 1986)
This book was recommended to me by numerous nonfiction authors, so I had to have a copy for myself. This is the craft book to fully explore the nonfiction novel or short story.
          Franklin pioneered the field of creative nonfiction by applying fiction's classical complication-resolution form to standard nonfiction (specifically to news stories, most of which, he states, are generally "endings without beginnings attached"). Instead of focusing on style, grammar, and word use, as do many books on writing, Writing for Story provides a rigorous lesson in building a nonfiction story (short or long) that has structural integrity. Franklin advocates starting with an outline, writing the climax first, and engaging in other grueling tasks that seem like hard work because they are.

Research Resources- Start Growing your Cyber Library

I'm blogging a bit differently for the month of December. Today, I share some online sources that have either been helpful to my own research, or that are part of my cyber-library for future reference. Naturally, this isn't an all inclusive list (like that would ever be possible) and it's a bit of a hodge podge, but it's a place to start. I hope you'll find some treasures here, whatever genre you write.

Do you know of an online source that should be added to this list? Please add it in the comments section and we'll watch this list grow.

Throughout December, I'll continue to share my favorite sites, blogs, and books. Pop back in when you get a chance.

Enjoy!

Style and Grammar
Grammar Handbook by the University of Illinois-Urbana
Chicago Manual of Style online
Modern Language Association (MLA)
The Elements of Style 
Purdue Online Writing Lab  https://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Purdue " " APA style is especially well covered here
Long Island University "Citation Style for Research Papers"
Citing Sources (Duke University Libraries)
Citing your Sources (University of California Berkeley)

Free Bibliography software
Easybib
Bibme

Sites about agents
Query Tracker 
Agent Query 
Publisher's Marketplace (see who's moved where and who's sold what)
Literary Rambles (Casey McCormick blog) 


Language Translation
Yahoo Babel Fish
Google Translate 

Online Dictionary/Thesaurus
Dictionary.com


Geography and history
World Factbook


World Clock


Want to know the reading level and number of words in a published book?
Rennaisance Learning

Sources for hard to find Books 
WorldCat
Fetchbook
Alibris.com
Abe Books


Research Sources-History (no particular order)
Library of Congress
Colossal Directory of Children's Publishers

History.org (Colonial history) 
History of the USA
History.com 
A Research Guide for Students (for writers, too. Find style guides, and how-tos)
World Almanac for Kids
In the First Person (index to letters, diaries, oral histories, and personal narratives)
Calisphere- University of California- primary sources and more
Early America archives- primary documents from 18th century.
Smithsonian Magazine
National Archives 
Ancestry.com (a little pricey, but it's a convenient way to track a life)
National Parks Service
National Security Agency (NSA)
Chronology of American History
Archive.org (nonprofit digital library)
Google Scholar 

General Reference- Ref Desk
Highbeam Research
Newspaper archives
New York Times archives
Chicago Tribune Historical archives
Oxford Journal Historical archives
U.S. Census Bureau
Historical Census Browser 

ArtCyclopedia
Oxford African American Studies Center

Your public library like offers electronic access to EBSCO, Oxford Reference Online,
WorldCat (find resource material from other libraries as well)
Questia
Gale Virtual Reference Library (look who's got ebooks now)

Money
Current value of old money. Convert money values as far back as 1600's

Fashions from history
Fashion Era
History of the 20th Century
Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion History Museum

Official Museum Directory

Online image source and historical photos
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs
U.S. National Archives 
istockphoto
istockvideo 
Life Magazine 
Various historical societies, museums. university archives,
photos.com
Shutterstock.com
Corbis Images 
Smithsonian Photographic Services 

Addendum. 12/19/2011- Special thanks to Ms. Hernandez, teacher at a California charter school, for passing on a student's list of additional resources. Many have been incorporated into this list. Yay for students with initiative!