Two new nice things for A Tree is a Community

Hi everyone,

KATE COSGROVE, who did the art for A Tree is a Community, just found us on a new BETSY BIRD list of books that Bird likes for various awards, and my editor, GRACE MACCARONE, found the title on a different list. The books on Betsy’s lists are not nominations. They are titles that she finds worthy of being nominated. However, Betsy is one of the most knowledgeable book people in the business so to be on any list of hers is a happy achievement.

In October, her list of picks for the 2025 Newbery Medal included A Tree is a Community so Kate, Grace, and I did a happy dance.

The first of the new lists is of contenders is for the Blueberry Award, which is chosen each year by the public library in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. This is how it’s described. “Blueberry Awards are given to, ‘honor children’s literature that strengthens kids’ connections with nature and fosters action for the planet.’ Essentially these are nature and climate books with an eye to instilling a love of the natural world, as well as a celebration of those books that give kids an eye to a path forward WITHOUT instilling climate anxiety.”

Bird brags on Kate’s wonderful art and then goes on to say, “A poet-biologist takes a deep dive into the many critters, insects, animals, and more than live in a simply hackberry tree…his is 100% down to Harrison’s wordplay. I don’t usually do this, but listen to this: ‘That busy tree has MORE tree business. That tree she CATCHES dust in the air and SAVES water with her deep, strong roots. She HOLDS the soil from WASHING away and makes us feel COOLER when the sun, it LICKS all over with its HOT tongue.’ I dunno. This is just a hugely engaging bit of writing on a familiar topic, rendering it new.”

The second new list is Betsy Bird’s picks for best nonfiction picture books of 2024. She says, “If you’ve been following this series this month then you’ve seen me me talk about a lot of nonfiction picture books until now. This list takes the best of them, as well as a couple titles that don’t slot neatly into categories. I consider these the best of the best. The ones you cannot miss. See if you can find one you missed before now.”

I’m grateful to Betsy Bird for including A Tree is a Community on three of her lists and to School Library Journal for publishing her lists. Way to go Kate and Grace. I think this calls for another happy dance.

Amos Bridges coming to Poetry from Daily Life

Hi everyone,

In the fall of 2023 I approached AMOS BRIDGES, Editor-in-Chief of Springfield News-Leader, with the idea of starting a poetry column. He said yes and we’ve been publishing Poetry from Daily Life ever since.

For more than one year I’ve been sending invitations to other newspapers around the country to carry the column. A few editors have accepted but most have said no. If I had approached any of those editors about the column in the beginning, there probably wouldn’t be a column at all. Why did Amos say yes? I decided it is time to ask him. As my guest columnist this weekend, we’ll all hear more from the man who made this happen.

I do know this about him. In his own words, “When reporting, we spend a lot of time gathering and confirming information only to render it down to simple, declarative sentences. You want each one to pack a punch but you’ve got to be able to back it up with facts. The search for the best, most accurate word activates the creative and logical sides of my brain in a way that not a lot of other things do.” Spoken like a true journalist. Spoken like many a poet. Maybe it’s that kinship that has brought us all together.

The column will appear in print on Saturday and online on Sunday. As always, I’ll post the e-edition link on Sunday morning. Thank you, Amos!