Grandfather's Story Cloth

ForeWord Magazine 2008 Book of the Year Gold Medal

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:25:55 -0800

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.

2009 Skipping Stones Honor Award

Fri, 15 May 2009 16:12:00 -0800

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.

The Asian Reporter

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:51:37 -0800

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.

Apr 3, 2009: Linda Gerdner to Speak at Hmong National Conference

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:58:02 -0800

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

NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book 2009

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:43:59 -0800

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

CCBC Choices 2009

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:37:13 -0800

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 2008 Book of the Year Finalist

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:31:03 -0800

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.

Mar 7, 2009: Linda Gerdner to Speak at University of Wisconsin at Madison

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:54:50 -0800

March 7, 2009: Linda Gerdner, author of Grandfather's Story Cloth, will speak at the University of Wisconsin at Madison as an invited presenter. She will be talking about the translation of research findings into a Hmong-American children's book to promote understand of persons with Alzheimer's Disease.

MultiCultural Review

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:11:09 -0800

The Winter 2008 edition of MultiCultural Review includes a nice review of Grandfather's Story Cloth. Reviewer Mary J. Lickteig emphasizes the book's celebration of "the power of story," and goes on to say,

"Two columns on each page, one Hmong, one English, give readers/listeners an opportunity to see another language. And, the story is filled with other cultural experiences: food, values, stories, as well as the story cloth. In addition to these cultural experiences, this story shows a family that is coping with -- and loving-- a relative who has Alzheimer's.

The afterwords-- one about Alzheimer's disease, one about the Hmong resettlement in the United States-- provide excellent background information. But the "truths" are revealed in the story. As the story unfolds, getting acquainted with this family builds understanding that mere facts cannot possibly relate. Illustrations complement the text perfectly and expand the story."

Grandfather's Story Cloth
by Linda Gerdner and Sarah Langford, illustrated by Stuart Loughridge

Article about Grandfather's Story Cloth in Hmong Studies Journal

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:06:54 -0800

If you're curious about Linda Gerdner's research behind Grandfather's Story Cloth, you can now read her article published in Volume 9 of the Hmong Studies Journal.

An internet-based journal, The Hmong Studies Journal is the only peer-reviewed academic publication devoted to the scholarly discussion of Hmong history, Hmong culture, Hmong people, and other facets of the Hmong experience in the U.S., Asia and around the world. The Hmong Studies Journal has now published 11 online issues in 9 volumes with a total of 72 scholarly
articles since 1996.

Click here to download the pdf.

Mom's Choice Award

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:10:12 -0800

We are pleased and honored to announce that Grandfather's Story Cloth has won the gold medal Mom's Choice Award in the category of Children's Book: Health and Safety!

The Mom's Choice Awards is an annual awards competition that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services.

Congratulations to Linda Gerdner, Sarah Langford, and Stuart Loughridge on this honor!

Grandfather's Story Cloth Discussion Questions Free Download

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:51:54 -0800

To aid adults in understanding more background about Grandfather's Story Cloth, author Linda Gerdner has put together a set of discussion questions (and their answers) that address many of the difficult issues presented in the book. Prefacing the questions, she writes,

"While children will enjoy reading Grandfather's Story Cloth on their own, we also suggest sharing the experience with the guidance of an adult who can answer questions and initiate discussion. To assist adults in the interactive learning process with the child, here is a list of questions with corresponding answers focused on enhancing understanding of the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Grandfather and Alzheimer's disease. These in-depth answers give adults a broader base of knowledge about the book, and they in turn can discuss the ideas at the child's level of understanding."

The file is 23K. Adobe Reader or other pdf reader software is required for viewing and printing the free download.

Download Now!

Papertigers.org Review

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:30:24 -0800

Grandfather's Story Cloth was reviewed by Papertigers.org, an incredible web site devoted to multicultural children's literature. It is an honor indeed to garner such a nice review of the book.

Just an excerpt (the good part, of course!):

"Although the book does not have a conveniently wrapped up happy ending, the story does end on a glimmer of hope. While it can cause great pain to family members and carers when sufferers of the disease do not recognise their present , a connection can often be found through the past and memory, as Chersheng discovers.

We are reminded in an afterword that there are millions of people who suffer from Alzheimer's - which means that there are also many, many children whose lives are touched by it in some way. Grandfather's Story Cloth will be a welcome tool to facilitate understanding and compassion of the heartbreaking effects of this disease on the lives of those both afflicted with and affected by it."

Hmong Times features Grandfather's Story Cloth

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:54:28 -0800

This just in!

The Hmong Times published an article about Grandfather's Story Cloth back in August, and somehow we missed it until now. It's a nice, simple overview of the book, but it's great to know that it's getting some press in the Hmong community.

Moonbeam Awards Silver Medal

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:31:17 -0800

Congratulations!

The 2008 Moonbeam Awards were just announced, and Grandfather's Story Cloth has won a silver medal in the Health category!

About the Moonbeam Award:
The Moonbeam Children's Book Awards are designed to honor the best children's books, authors and illustrators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. Many of these books are by little-known authors, illustrators and publishers from around the world, and we're proud to bring them to the attention of the children's book audience. Creating books that inspire our children to read, to learn, and to dream is an extremely important task, and these awards were conceived to reward those efforts.