Caldecott speculation

The two most prestigious awards in children's publishing are the Newbery (given to an author for excellence in writing, almost always a novel) and the Caldecott (given to an artist for excellence in illustration, almost always a traditional picture book).

For several months, librarians, bloggers, and assorted others have been posting speculative lists about who could win these awards. The American Library Association gives the awards and will announce the actual recipients on Monday, January 26.

One of the speculators, Scripps Howard News Service, broke its lists into "top contenders" and "other contenders." With regard to the Caldecott, Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman (smashingly illustrated by Ross MacDonald) made the second list.

While I am far from a defeatist, the competition is exceptional and, based on the top contenders on the majority of the lists, I know we won't cinch it. However, it is an honor to be speculatively nominated!

One more from Kansas

The Johnson County Sun ran an article about my Superman's First Home on Earth author tour.

Bill Finger remembered

Thirty-five years ago today, Bill Finger, the uncredited co-creator and original writer of Batman, died in New York City.

No mainstream obituary ran.

No funeral took place.

It was as if no one then understood the cultural force we lost.

If Finger died today, he'd be all over the news, and rightfully so.

It is never too late for a memorial.

This year, Batman turns 70.

This year, Bill Finger is going public.

A third kindness

First, Elizabeth Bird, the grande dame of librarian bloggers, gave Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman a luminescent review.

Then, months later, she called it ultra-cool.

Now she wrote that she wouldn't mind if it got a Sibert Award (given by the American Library Association for the most distinguished informational book of the year).

Just the fact that she wrote that is award enough. High praise from someone in the know. Thank you, Elizabeth.

"Sure to become a classic"

Families Online reviewed Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, and it included that hugely humbling line—but I will settle for the book simply staying in print!

"Energetic illustrations...peppy text"

The Cuyahoga (Ohio) County Public Library said nice things about Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman.

"Perfectly paced"

Read That Again graded Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman a B+: "...a fine biographical work, with a fun, positive tone...the...postscript includes an even-handed explanation of the lengthy legal struggle that Jerry Siegel waged against DC Comics..."

Another best book of 2008 list

The Belmont Public Library in Massachusetts included Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman on their list of their best books of 2008.

First negative review!

The first line of the review of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman at The Comics Reporter suggests a positive take is forthcoming.

So much for the power of suggestion.

It is the 53rd review of the book I have archived (though not all have been posted here), and the first negative one: "...the story feels fairly bland and extremely limited in scope as presented here. There's nothing that distinguishes the writing from an almost completely unadorned presentation of the narrative..."

As you would expect, I subjectively disagree! (And, of course, almost by definition picture books are "limited in scope.")

But then there's this: "I can't imagine what kid would enjoy reading this."

Now that one I can disagree with objectively, since I have had the honor of hearing from many kids who have loved the book and read it again and again.

"A spirited look into the creative process"

Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, named Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman his Read-Aloud of the Week.

Here's the link, though it appears that it remains the same with each new RAOTW. Here's another link to the review, though that, too, is not a Permalink.

More from Kansas

The Tonganoxie Mirror, a Kansas newspaper, covered my January 8 visit to Tonganoxie High School as part of the Superman's First Home on Earth author visit tour.

Also, Mission Valley Middle School in Prairie Village, Kansas, posted photos from my January 9 visit. Note the photo of me eating lunch with students. These were smart kids, all interested in reading and writing. I'm quite sure at least one of them will be one of my competitors one day!

I did not know this was happening

On January 13, I had the honor of giving an hour-and-a-half presentation on Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. To my surprise, the event sold out (due entirely to Superman, of course, not me). After, my host told me that we sold more books than most speakers.



Another surprise: at the back of the room, unknown to me at the time, the respected comics industry site Newsarama was live-blogging with gusto about my presentation. A sampling (and click here for the full play-by-play and presentation photo):

7:54PM: Already starting off interesting, even though Nobleman isn’t here yet. Sightings of Eliot Spitzer and Paul Krugman — and I thought this was going to be a low-key event.

8:19PM: Ooh, he calls Superman “the” icon. Good start.

8:34PM: The first half of the book is over — now time for Easter Eggs!

8:40PM: Nobleman...talks about looking out of Jerry’s actual window — apparently the image in the book is faithful to the truth. The Siegels apparently have huge hearts, and let Nobleman in unannounced. [NOTE: It was not the Siegels. They haven't lived there for decades! It was the Gray family.]

9:09PM: Doubt is cast on whether or not Hitler banned Superman. Apparently Hitler banned every import, except for Mickey Mouse, apparently. Nobleman thinks the whole story is bunk.

9:21PM: Nobleman said he ended his illustrated story with Superman’s high point in 1939, not with them selling the rights. “They deserve it.” Well said.

9:32PM: Nobleman has opened it up to questions.

9:41PM: Jesus is finally brought up as a Biblical forebearer for Superman. Also Jewish assimilation is discussed by another audience member. Some of these audience members are pretty adamant in this belief. Nobleman is being a pretty good sport about this, even though Zorro had a secret identity 20 years before.

5/15/13 addendum: I spoke at the Y again, this time about Bill Finger.

Jews of Steel

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman was one of ten books for older readers named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book of Jewish Content for 2009.

In the story proper (the illustrated portion), I did not feel there was an organic way to textually mention that Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were Jewish; I did, however, request that we show Shabbat candles in one scene. And I do address their Judaism in the Author's Note, including the possible Hebrew interpretation of Superman's Kryptonian name and my take on the persistent claim that Hitler personally banned Superman.

"Superman's First Home on Earth" author visit tour

In the real world, Superman was molded in Ohio.

In the comics, Superman—to be precise, Clark Kent—was molded in Kansas. He grew up on a farm in fictional Smallville.

Therefore, last week, I made my first trip to the Jayhawk State (that nickname sounds cooler than the Sunflower State). I called it the "Superman's First Home on Earth" author visit tour.

Just as I spoke at various institutions in Cleveland in November, encouraging the locals to take pride in the icon that was created in their backyard, I spoke at schools and a library in the Kansas City area figuratively winking at the audience when I told them an infant Superman's rocket landed in a cornfield in their home state.

One school really got into the spirit. Aside from plastering the halls with signs about the book, and ensuring that it was read in every class before I came, they even blasted the theme from Superman: The Movie as the students filed onto the bleachers. That music is so inspirational that it is a hard act to follow!

The Superman/Kansas hook worked so well and the people were so welcoming that I am already happily scheduled to return to Kansas in October (and possibly earlier), for part two of the tour.

92 for 27 on 13

On the evening of January 13, I will be speaking at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. This is not your ordinary Y.

Past speakers at this prestigious institution have included Dustin Hoffman, Elie Wiesel, and Bill Clinton; cripes, PBS's Bill Moyers is interviewing a Nobel Prize-winning New York Times columnist elsewhere in the building at the same time as my talk.

What you are thinking right now surely mirrors my first thought when this was arranged back in the summer: why are they letting me present there? And will anyone pay $27 to hear it?

If you see no post here on January 14, you will know the answers to those questions are momentary insanity and no.

But either way, it is a serious privilege and I look forward to making the most of it, which, of course, increases the chance of the audience getting the most of it.

Onward to 2009

This will most likely be my last post of the first year I have blogged.

Thank you to those who come here regularly. I appreciate the support you've given. Professionally, 2008 was the year of Siegel and Shuster for me. I am determined to make 2009 the year of...

In the New Year, I will share more research discoveries, promotion gambles, and assorted other adventures in publishing.

The expedition is just beginning.

"Surprisingly poignant"

The San Francisco Chronicle included Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman on its list of book suggestions for the holidays.

School to store to fair to store

On Friday, December 12, I spoke to an energized auditorium of students at an elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia. I got up at 4:30 a.m. to get on the road and believe me, they kept me awake that afternoon.

The next day I signed copies of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman (and ate two pieces of cake for "Superman's birthday") at Hooray for Books, also in Alexandria.

photo courtesy of Michael Rhode

Events in out-of-town bookstores are often opportunities to catch up with people I have not seen for a while, this one being no exception: attendees included a friend I met in a high school youth group and who grew up in Belgium but lives here now, a friend I worked with in college, the friend who got me my first job out of college, and the woman who was once the girl I took to my senior prom.

In this case, I also had the chance to catch up with a person I have never seen—my second cousin (our grandfathers were brothers), who lived one town over from me growing up but whom I have never met. Family business can be funny business for sure.

Sunday I had back-to-back appearances back in Connecticut. First was at a school book fair, second at a Barnes & Noble.

From Superman to salesman.

North Carolinian exposure

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman made the best of 2008 list of the Chapel Hill Public Library.

Hometown advantage

On Friday, December 5, I was among distinguished company signing books at the 3rd annual Literary Lights book event, which happened to take place in my town. In its first two years, I attended as a customer. It was fun to also go as a participant (while remaining a customer). Then I grabbed a burger and beer with two of my fellow signers.

Photos are here.

"Moved me to tears...a huge achievement"

Robby Reed at DIAL B for BLOG posted what must be the most detailed and complimentary—not to mention longest—review yet for Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman.

The message board responses that have started to come in are equally disarming. Here's my favorite so far, from Happy Sam:

...the Man of Steel first appeared 70 years ago...and what did DC produce in 2008 to celebrate it? (cue crickets...) Marc Tyler Nobleman's BOYS OF STEEL (ably illustrated by Ross MacDonald) IS the best tribute to Superman and his creators...this year, and in many years!

"Word travels fast"

I just stumbled across this lovely and humbling comment at The Miss Rumphius Effect, the kind of little story an author would rarely hear before the blog era:

My boys love this book. It is always in someone's book bag. When I first got it, a couple of boys from downstairs came up to me and asked "Mr. Kimmal, can we read your new Superman book?" It had only been in the building for a day. Word travels fast.

Maybe faster than a...well, you know.

First day of filming

Today, to my own great surprise, we filmed the first interview. For what, I can't say yet. Here's a photo taken after:

Who she is, I can't say yet. By name, anyway. But she was Bill Finger's second wife.

(NOTE: I added her name as a label for this post not when it originally posted but later, after I had revealed it in another post.)

"Rousing...enormously appealing"

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer has finally acknowledged Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman. I was never given a guarantee that it would but I did assume that if only one newspaper in the world would take notice, it would be that one, the daily of the city where the story took place. It's a nice review.

Today I also learned that the book did not make the holiday round-up in People, though they did consider it.

A best book of 2008

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman was included on the best books of 2008 list at a Washington State library system.