Grandfather's Story Cloth
By Linda Gerdner and Sarah Langford
Illustrated by Stuart Loughridge
$16.95, Hardcover, 32 pages
English/Hmong Bilingual Edition
Ages 5-10
ISBN-10: 1885008341
ISBN-13: 9781885008343
Chersheng's grandfather is beginning to forget things: little things like turning off the water faucet and big things like Chersheng's name. Sometimes he even forgets that he is in America now. Chersheng feels sad and helpless when he learns that Grandfather has Alzheimer's Disease, but then Chersheng's mother presents him with a story cloth stitched by Grandfather himself, embroidered in the Hmong tradition.
Through the story cloth, Grandfather's memories of his life in Laos come alive. And inspired by Grandfather's tales about his life before the war forced him to immigrate to America, Chersheng comes up with a plan to capture his family's new life with his own art project. This way, they can all remember that their love is stronger than Alzheimer’s Disease, no matter which country they live in.
Linda Gerdner's heartwarming story addresses the increasing number of children who live with elderly grandparents with dementia. This volume, presented bilingually in English and Hmong, allows children and their loved ones not only to gain a compassionate understanding of Alzheimer's Disease, but also to share in the simplest act of pleasure and love -- that of reading together.
Hmong 2-Book Set
Includes:Grandfather's Story Cloth
Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella
Total Value of $34.90
Now Only $27.95!
20% Off!
News and Thoughts
If you're in Iowa City, you'll have to check out the Iowa City Book Festival! Linda Gerdner, author of Grandfather's Story Cloth, will be there on Saturday, July 16 reading and signing her book in the children's tent.
Linda Gerdner Reading & Signing
Iowa City Book Festival
Children's Tent, Gibson Square
Saturday, July 16, 2011
12:20pm
Linda Gerdner Reading & Signing
Iowa City Book Festival
Children's Tent, Gibson Square
Saturday, July 16, 2011
12:20pm
Linda Gerdner, author of Grandfather's Story Cloth, will be speaking at the 2011 Re-SEAing Conference in San Francisco. The conference, devoted to Southeast Asian Studies, will be held at San Francisco State University. This year's theme is "Memories & Visions: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow." It is fitting, therefore, that Linda Gerdner will be speaking about Alzheimer's Disease: Stimulating Remote Memories Though Grandfather's Story Cloth.
More information about the conference:
The third tri-annual interdisciplinary Southeast Asians in the diaspora conference will take place at San Francisco State University. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to sizable populations of Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Lao, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and Vietnamese Americans. This conference will foreground the large Southeast Asian American communities of the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and the Pacific Northwest, as well as continue to build momentum and grow just as the Southeast Asian American demographics increase in size and visibility here in the U.S. and in particular, on the West Coast.
The main objectives of this conference are:
· to encourage the interdisciplinary and comparative study of Southeast Asian American peoples and their communities;
· to promote national and international cooperation in the field;
· to establish partnerships between academia and the community.
This two-day conference explores memories (e.g., memories of homeland; memories of war; memories of childhood and growing up American; historical memories; embodied memories; intergenerational memories; technologies of memories; and imagined/created memories) and visions (actual sightings and sites of Southeast Asian Americans and their communities, both real and imaginary). Because this conference takes place after the constitutionally mandated 2010 census, the focus will be on locating/situating Southeast Asian American Studies for the 21st century.
More information about the conference:
The third tri-annual interdisciplinary Southeast Asians in the diaspora conference will take place at San Francisco State University. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to sizable populations of Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Lao, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and Vietnamese Americans. This conference will foreground the large Southeast Asian American communities of the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and the Pacific Northwest, as well as continue to build momentum and grow just as the Southeast Asian American demographics increase in size and visibility here in the U.S. and in particular, on the West Coast.
The main objectives of this conference are:
· to encourage the interdisciplinary and comparative study of Southeast Asian American peoples and their communities;
· to promote national and international cooperation in the field;
· to establish partnerships between academia and the community.
This two-day conference explores memories (e.g., memories of homeland; memories of war; memories of childhood and growing up American; historical memories; embodied memories; intergenerational memories; technologies of memories; and imagined/created memories) and visions (actual sightings and sites of Southeast Asian Americans and their communities, both real and imaginary). Because this conference takes place after the constitutionally mandated 2010 census, the focus will be on locating/situating Southeast Asian American Studies for the 21st century.
At a ceremony held last week in New York City, ForeWord Magazine announced the winners of its annual Book of the Year Award. Grandfather's Story Cloth, written by Linda Gerdner and Sarah Langford and illustrated by Stuart Loughridge, took top honors in the Children's Picture Book category! I am so proud of this little book that could! Its message of love and understanding has been so well-received that I can hardly believe it.This Gold Medal award is shared with A Visitor for Bear, by Bonny Becker and Kady MacDonald Denton, published by Candlewick Books. To be recognized in the company of such a wonderful book is truly an honor indeed.
ForeWord Magazine is a bimonthly journal reporting on the independent publishing market and reviewing books published by independent presses. Its Book of the Year Award honors "only those books coming from independent community, giving them the value they deserve." Award winners are selected by a panel of librarians and booksellers.
Congratulations to Grandfather's Story Cloth for being named a 2009 Honor Award Book by Skipping Stones Magazine! Every year, Skipping Stones chooses a short list of books that "promote cooperation and cultivate an awareness of our diverse cultures. Together, they encourage an understanding of the world's diversity, ecological richness, respect for differing viewpoints and close relationships in human societies."
We are so proud that Grandfather's Story Cloth has been chosen to be among this highly esteemed group of books. Click here for a pdf of the Skipping Stones press release.
Congratulations to all the books honored this year!
52 Days by Camel by Lawrie Raskin with Debora Pearson. Annick Press. Ages 9-13.
A Boy Named Beckoning by Gina Capaldi. Carolrhoda Books.Ages 8-12.
As Good as Anybody by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Raul Colón. Alfred Knopf. Ages 6-10.
A is for Abraham by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Ron Mazellan. Sleeping Bear Press. Elementary grades.
Baila, Nana, Baila/Dance, Nana, Dance retold by Joe Hayes, illustrated by Mauricio T. Sayago. Cinco Puntos. Middle grades.
Ethiopian Voices: Tsion's Life by Stacy Bellward, photographs by Erlend Berge. Amharickids. Ages 6-11.
Extraordinary Women from the Muslim World by Natalie Maydell and Sep Riahi, illustrated by Heba Amin. Global Content Ventures. Ages 9-13.
I Am Barack Obama by Charisse Carney-Nunes, illustrated by Ann Marie Williams. BrandNu Words. Ages 6-10.
Pitch Black, a graphic novel by Youme Landowne and Anthony Horton. Cinco Puntos. Ages 13-17.
Lana's Lakota Moons by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve. Univ. of Nebraska Press. Ages 12 and up.
The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang. Coffee House Press. Ages 14 and up.
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins. Delacorte Press. Ages 12 and up.
The Storyteller's Candle by Lucia Gonzalez, illustr. Lulu Delacre. Children's Book Press. Ages 6 and up.
Grandfather's Story Cloth by Linda Gerdner and Sarah Langford, illustrated by Stuart Loughridge. Shen's Books. Ages 4-9.
There's a wonderful review of Grandfather's Story Cloth in this week's Asian Reporter! Here's the best part:"Grandfather's Story Cloth would be a distinctive book if it had been written in only one language, but the fact that English and Hmong appear side by side catapults it into a category all its own."
But you can read the whole thing online here. It's all good.
Linda Gerdner, author of Grandfather's Story Cloth, will be speaking at a symposium at the 14th Annual Hmong National Conference on April 3, 2009. She will be giving an individual presentation on her book.
14th Annual Hmong National Conference
April 3, 2009
Appleton Radisson Paper Valley Hotel
Appleton, Wisconsin
14th Annual Hmong National Conference
April 3, 2009
Appleton Radisson Paper Valley Hotel
Appleton, Wisconsin
Yes, it was a big week for awards. Grandfather's Story Cloth has also been selected by the National Council for the Social Studies in association with the Children's Book Council as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book of 2009!
This bibliography features K-12
annotated titles published in the previous calendar year, selected by a
book review committee appointed by the NCSS. Titles are grouped by
subject, including: Biography; Contemporary Concerns; Environment and
Ecology; Folktales; Geography, Peoples, and Places; History, Life, and
Culture in the Americas; Reference; Social Interaction and
Relationships; World History and Culture; and Economics. Each
annotation contains bibliographic data and a brief description.
I'm not sure if the list is available yet for 2009, but copies of the annotated list are available for $5 per copy (includes S&H).
Please send a check to:
The Children's Book Council, Inc.
attn: Social Studies
12 West 37th Street, 2nd floor
New York, NY 10018
Oh, I also got a letter the other day from Megan Schliesman of the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They put out a publication each year of their top children's book choices, and Grandfather's Story Cloth has been chosen to be part of this prestigious list as well. How about that?The 2009 edition of CCBC Choices will feature annotated entries for 247 books for children and young adults published in 2008 and recommended by the CCBC staff. CCBC Choices 2009 will include author/title and subject indexes and a commentary on the 2008 publishing year. It should be available in mid-March.
To request a copy be sent by U.S.mail:
Wisconsin residents: send $3.00 (to cover postage and handling) OR a self-addressed manilla envelope with $2.75 postage to:
CCBC Choices
600 N. Park Street, Room 4290
Madison, WI 53706
Outside Wisconsin: Send $10 to:
CCBC Choices
Friends of the CCBC, Inc.
P.O. Box 5189
Madison, WI 53705
ForeWord Magazine announced its list of 2008 Book of the Year Finalists today, and Grandfather's Story Cloth is on the list! Congratulations! Here's the official press release:
ForeWord is pleased to announce the finalists in the 2008 Book of the Year Awards. More than 1,400 books were entered in 61 categories. These were narrowed to 668 finalists from 376 publishers. These books represent some of the best work coming from today's independent press community.
The winners will be determined by a panel of librarians and booksellers, selected from our readership. Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners, as well as Editor's Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction will be announced at a special program at BookExpo America at the Javits Center in New York City on May 29. The winners of the two Editor's Choice Prizes will be awarded $1,500 each. The ceremony is open to all BEA attendees.
ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards program was designed to discover distinctive books across a number of genres. Past winners have included Rashi's Daughters, Book 1: Joheved by Maggie Anton and Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.
The list of finalists is searchable by category, publisher, title, and author.
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"...it would be a wonderful addition to a teacher's library at a school with students of Hmong heritage."
-Education WeekLinda A. Gerdner was born in Iowa and is a registered nurse. She is dedicated to helping persons with Alzheimer’s disease and the family members who care for them. Although Grandfather’s Story Cloth is her first children’s book she has published extensively in professional journals and received international and national awards for these contributions. Gerdner has traveled to northern Laos where she visited three Hmong villages in the rural province of Xieng Khouang. The bonds and friendships established with members of the Hmong American community have enriched her life and expanded her world.
Sarah Langford is currently a student at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. She is especially interested in the health care needs of immigrants and refugees living in United States. She has a long-standing interest in childrens’ literature and has enjoyed the opportunity to combine her talent in this area with her nursing focus.
Stuart Loughridge lives and works in St. Paul, MN. Most of his waking hours are spent in his studio, drawing, painting, printmaking, and filling the bird feeder. His work can be viewed at www.stuartloughridge.com. This is his first children's book.
Shen’s Books is a publisher of multicultural children’s literature that emphasizes cultural diversity and tolerance, with a focus on introducing children to the cultures of Asia.
Through books, we can share a world a stories, building greater understanding and tolerance within our increasingly diverse communities as well as throughout our continuously shrinking globe.
Downloads (New!)
Reviews/Media
Awards
ForeWord Magazine 2008 Book of the Year Gold Medal
2009 Skipping Stones Honor Award
NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book 2009
Recent Events
Visions: Linda Gerdner Signing at the Iowa City Book Festival
July 16, 2011: Linda Gerdner at the Iowa City Book Festival
March 10, 2011: Linda Gerdner at Re-SEAing Conference in San Francisco
Apr 3, 2009: Linda Gerdner to Speak at Hmong National Conference
Mar 7, 2009: Linda Gerdner to Speak at University of Wisconsin at Madison
News: Archives
Grandfather's Story Cloth
By Linda Gerdner and Sarah Langford
Illustrated by Stuart Loughridge
$16.95, Hardcover, 32 pages
English/Hmong Bilingual Edition
Ages 5-10
ISBN-10: 1885008341
ISBN-13: 9781885008343