Sunday, October 16, 2011
Questions for a Subway Conductor
For anyone curious about what operating a modern subway car is like - there's an interesting interview with a subway conductor in Gothamist. The full interview is on Reddit here, including a true story about a man who would serially impersonate subway conductors so that he could sneak on and drive the train!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Holy Smokes!
Subway Story received a wonderful starred review in the Horn Book!
"Sarcone-Roach displays a discipline not always seen in books about the environment; she allows her theme of reuse and recycling to emerge naturally from a fine story and lets readers draw their own conclusions without adding a heavy-handed one of her own. Here youngsters meet Jessie, a subway car that begins service during the 1964 New York World’s Fair and contentedly operates for approximately fifty years before she is dismantled. Jessie and other cars like her are hauled out to sea and, in a small scary moment (which is quickly resolved), dumped into the ocean. There she happily resides as an artificial reef that’s home to myriad sea animals. Illustrations, unexpectedly cozy-looking, emphasize the story’s tone. Structurally and artistically, the book recalls Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House (rev. 11/42) (“Over the years, Jessie saw the city change, and she had some changes of her own”): Jessie’s half-century of traveling the city is depicted through a series of curved routes much like the streets and roads that close in on the Little House with the passage of time. Front end pages trace Jessie’s original underground route; final ones show a peaceful, blue ocean where she now rests. An author’s note describing the science behind similar projects and a bibliography conclude the book. - Betty Carter"
I'm grateful for this thoughtful appreciation of Subway Story by the Horn Book. The observations about details like the endpapers and the Virginia Lee Burton parallels make me especially happy. She's been a lifelong inspiration for me, and The Little House is one of my favorite picture books.
Here's a picture of my desk as I was beginning to develop early character sketches for Subway Story, complete with breakfast brownie, coffee and copy of Katy and the Big Snow. (Don't those snow drifts on the cover look a little like waves?)
Many thanks to Betty Carter and the Horn Book!
"Sarcone-Roach displays a discipline not always seen in books about the environment; she allows her theme of reuse and recycling to emerge naturally from a fine story and lets readers draw their own conclusions without adding a heavy-handed one of her own. Here youngsters meet Jessie, a subway car that begins service during the 1964 New York World’s Fair and contentedly operates for approximately fifty years before she is dismantled. Jessie and other cars like her are hauled out to sea and, in a small scary moment (which is quickly resolved), dumped into the ocean. There she happily resides as an artificial reef that’s home to myriad sea animals. Illustrations, unexpectedly cozy-looking, emphasize the story’s tone. Structurally and artistically, the book recalls Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House (rev. 11/42) (“Over the years, Jessie saw the city change, and she had some changes of her own”): Jessie’s half-century of traveling the city is depicted through a series of curved routes much like the streets and roads that close in on the Little House with the passage of time. Front end pages trace Jessie’s original underground route; final ones show a peaceful, blue ocean where she now rests. An author’s note describing the science behind similar projects and a bibliography conclude the book. - Betty Carter"
I'm grateful for this thoughtful appreciation of Subway Story by the Horn Book. The observations about details like the endpapers and the Virginia Lee Burton parallels make me especially happy. She's been a lifelong inspiration for me, and The Little House is one of my favorite picture books.
Here's a picture of my desk as I was beginning to develop early character sketches for Subway Story, complete with breakfast brownie, coffee and copy of Katy and the Big Snow. (Don't those snow drifts on the cover look a little like waves?)
Many thanks to Betty Carter and the Horn Book!
Upcoming Events
There are some exciting events ahead for Subway Story. Please join me if you can!
Community Bookstore - Sunday, October 16th at 11am - I'll be reading and signing Subway Story in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY.
Boulevard Books and Cafe - Saturday, October 22nd at 11am - Come join me as I read and sign Subway Story in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, NY. $20 Includes signed copy of the book, storytime and activity!
Hooray For Books - Saturday, November 12th - I'm delighted to be returning to Old Town, Alexandria, VA for a VA/DC Book Release Event for Subway Story. There will be snacks!
BookCourt - Sunday, November 20th - I'll be reading and signing Subway Story at an event in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn with Meghan McCarthy, who will be presenting her book, The Incredible Life of Balto.
Stay tuned for more events!
Community Bookstore - Sunday, October 16th at 11am - I'll be reading and signing Subway Story in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY.
Boulevard Books and Cafe - Saturday, October 22nd at 11am - Come join me as I read and sign Subway Story in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, NY. $20 Includes signed copy of the book, storytime and activity!
Hooray For Books - Saturday, November 12th - I'm delighted to be returning to Old Town, Alexandria, VA for a VA/DC Book Release Event for Subway Story. There will be snacks!
BookCourt - Sunday, November 20th - I'll be reading and signing Subway Story at an event in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn with Meghan McCarthy, who will be presenting her book, The Incredible Life of Balto.
Stay tuned for more events!
Book Release Day!
Today is the official release date for Subway Story, and in Jessie's honor, here's a great ad from 1964 for the brand new R33 subway trains:
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Subway Story at PowerHouse Books!
This Sunday, October 9th at 4pm - I'll be reading and signing Subway Story, two days before it's officially released at an event at powerHouse books in DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY! See Subway Story early and be the envy of your friends and neighbors!
I'll be there with authors Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter who will be presenting their delightful book 11 Experiments That Failed. And Meghan McCarthy will also be reading and signing her great new book, The Incredible Life of Balto. She will also be raffling off some original drawings at the event.
Here's the first glimpse of Subway Story in powerHouse's window!
Thanks to Jesse Zryb for the photo.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Subway Story Reviews
Subway Story has received some very nice early reviews -
from Kirkus:
Jessie weighs 75,122 pounds and is a beautiful, brand-new subway car.
She was brought to New York in the early 1960s for the World’s Fair, and she loves traveling all over the city. She speeds around curves and ducks under rivers. When musicians practice on board, she accompanies them with deep rumbles and toe-tapping clacks. Over the years, there are many changes, but Jessie never forgets her most important job—helping people travel safely. Until one season, sleek, shiny new silver trains start taking over the tracks. A downcast Jessie sits in a dusty yard, poignantly wondering about the people she had carried. “Did they notice she was gone?” Thankfully, her adventure doesn’t end there. She is taken to the Atlantic and sunk to become an artificial reef, home to many barnacles, coral and fish. Sarcone-Roach cleverly brings the story full circle: Jessie was once an integral part of a bustling city, and now a whole city lives inside of her. With sprawling landscapes and vast underground tunnels as a backdrop, readers will cheer Jessie’s story of revival. The author's acrylics gently anthropomorphize Jessie, giving her headlight-eyes and a winsome smile.
Immensely readable and surprisingly touching, this large heft of metal totes a lot of charm. (author’s note, bibliography, further reading) (Picture book. 3-6)
from School Library Journal:
This story of “Jessie,” a subway car built in the early 1960s, was inspired by the author’s trip to the New York Transit Museum and is a lovely tribute to the city and its boroughs. Told in a clever biographical format, the story begins with Jessie’s “birth” details: weight, length, etc. The shiny, new car takes her responsibilities seriously as she safely carries children to school, adults to work, and friends and family members to visit one another. As the decades pass, Jessie delivers visitors to the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, is covered in graffiti, then painted red, repaired, and refurbished, including air-conditioning to replace outdated fans. Eventually, she is retired and becomes part of an artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean, where she assumes her new job. The expressive acrylic illustrations set the tone and give the story depth. The features on the front of the subway car are used to make Jessie’s eyes, nose, and mouth. An author’s note gives details about the history of subway cars around the world. This title will be appreciated by train buffs and those curious about the history of New York City.
–Anne Beier, Clifton Public Library, NJ
Thanks to Anne Beier, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews!
from Kirkus:
Jessie weighs 75,122 pounds and is a beautiful, brand-new subway car.
She was brought to New York in the early 1960s for the World’s Fair, and she loves traveling all over the city. She speeds around curves and ducks under rivers. When musicians practice on board, she accompanies them with deep rumbles and toe-tapping clacks. Over the years, there are many changes, but Jessie never forgets her most important job—helping people travel safely. Until one season, sleek, shiny new silver trains start taking over the tracks. A downcast Jessie sits in a dusty yard, poignantly wondering about the people she had carried. “Did they notice she was gone?” Thankfully, her adventure doesn’t end there. She is taken to the Atlantic and sunk to become an artificial reef, home to many barnacles, coral and fish. Sarcone-Roach cleverly brings the story full circle: Jessie was once an integral part of a bustling city, and now a whole city lives inside of her. With sprawling landscapes and vast underground tunnels as a backdrop, readers will cheer Jessie’s story of revival. The author's acrylics gently anthropomorphize Jessie, giving her headlight-eyes and a winsome smile.
Immensely readable and surprisingly touching, this large heft of metal totes a lot of charm. (author’s note, bibliography, further reading) (Picture book. 3-6)
from School Library Journal:
This story of “Jessie,” a subway car built in the early 1960s, was inspired by the author’s trip to the New York Transit Museum and is a lovely tribute to the city and its boroughs. Told in a clever biographical format, the story begins with Jessie’s “birth” details: weight, length, etc. The shiny, new car takes her responsibilities seriously as she safely carries children to school, adults to work, and friends and family members to visit one another. As the decades pass, Jessie delivers visitors to the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, is covered in graffiti, then painted red, repaired, and refurbished, including air-conditioning to replace outdated fans. Eventually, she is retired and becomes part of an artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean, where she assumes her new job. The expressive acrylic illustrations set the tone and give the story depth. The features on the front of the subway car are used to make Jessie’s eyes, nose, and mouth. An author’s note gives details about the history of subway cars around the world. This title will be appreciated by train buffs and those curious about the history of New York City.
–Anne Beier, Clifton Public Library, NJ
Thanks to Anne Beier, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews!
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