Jen Bryant, 55, of Glenmoore has written more than 30 books for young readers, from nonfiction to verse novels. Her most recent work, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, illustrated with vivid multimedia art by Melissa Sweet, won the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal and received the Caldecott Honor Book award this year.

The annual Sibert Prize, presented late last month at the American Library Association conference in San Francisco, goes to the most outstanding U.S. children's information book in English of the past year. It is managed by the Association for Library Service to Children. As we learn below, Bryant found out much earlier when the awards ceremony took place in June.

What was it like winning the Sibert Medal?

We're having a Super Bowl party in our basement in Glenmoore. I was cutting hoagies when I got a call from Chicago. [home of the American Library Association]. I almost didn't pick up because I didn't know the number. I ran upstairs because our guests were arriving and started dancing around my office.

Why Roger? Why a picture book about words?

The thesaurus is so common for everyone, but no one has poked around in it [Peter Mark Roget’s] life and written about him for children. He was fascinating. Actually, I came across the topic by chance. My husband's family lives in the Pittsburgh area and I decided to attend the visit. I thought I had thrown in a book from the library to read, but I had brought the thesaurus with me. … It was not arranged alphabetically but according to its own categories. This really introduced me to the person behind the book and sparked the rest of my research. There was a lot of trauma [Roget’s] Family, a lot of transience. He started making these lists as something he could rely on, like driving stakes into a tent to keep it from blowing away.

What interested you in picture book biographies?

[Children’s book author Eileen Spinelli] pointed out the connection between the poems I wrote for magazines and the art of picture book manuscripts. Jerry [Spinelli] was also extremely helpful. Drawing on poetry, I also began writing novels in verse, combining individual poems to tell a whole narrative, as in The Trial. [about the 1935 Lindbergh baby kidnapping].

How do you get used to the mindset of your young audience?

I think that the emotional memory of what it was like to read as a child is a kind of timeless practice that all children's book authors do, even though children today have smartphones and other devices and their lives are more organized than ours. The emotional foundations of being a child are the same. It's important to remember this. So if you're writing for children, don't write anything down for them.

I go to the local YMCA. There are conversations here and there at the mall and the grocery store. I have four younger nephews. I also do a lot of school visits. Between my lectures I find out what they are reading and what they are doing. When I had a verse novel, especially when [daughter Leigh] I was in upper elementary, middle, and high school and asked, “What do you notice?” What do you like about it? What is unclear?”

Describe your collaboration process with illustrator Melissa Sweet.

[My publishers] chose Melissa Sweet for it [2008 book A River of Words] about William Carlos Williams. This book happened to win a Caldecott Award. …I don't advise her or tell her what to do during the illustration process. She has my finished manuscript in front of her and makes the artistic decisions for each page. The exception was the time we were working on it [Horace] Pippin Book: We went to the Brandywine River Museum. . . . She goes back to her studio in Maine and does her art separately.

We asked Jen Bryant

Favorite moments from “The Right Word”: The two-page London street scene where a chimney sweep says, “Do you need to clean, sweep, mop your chimney?” Bryant comments, “Roget really understands people and knows that they speak differently depending on their background .”

What picture books did she read as a child? Books by Dr. Seuss (Green Eggs and Ham) and PD Eastman (Put Me in the Zoo or Go, Dog, Go!) and Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.

Who are some of your favorite children’s authors right now?

Kate DiCamillo, Jerry and Eileen Spinelli and Cynthia Rylant.

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Photo: Cubs / Twitter

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Photo: Cubs / Twitter

On a cool, rainy Thursday in Chicago, Cubs fans may have read something that might surprise you. According to reports from Andrew Baggarly, Kris Bryant is unlikely to be returning to the Giants this off-season. According to the report, Bryant’s Giants were unfazed, especially defensively.

Andrew Baggarly was on the MLB Network and mentioned that Kris Bryant is unlikely to be returning to SF and the Giants have not been very impressed with KB, especially defensively at 3B / CF / RF. Also note that the swing does not age well.

– Greg Zumach (@IvyFutures) November 11, 2021

It remains to be seen whether this report is “planted”. However, if that is any clue to the truth, Bryant’s list of suitors shrinks by at least one team.

The 2016 NL MVP found after his trade to San Francisco that the door is not closed on a return to the Cubs. In fact, of all the players traded at the infamous close of trading, Bryant seems the most likely to return as he exhibited his emotions while trading and later at Wrigley Field. Perhaps a reunion with the Cubs is okay for the former Chicago first-round selection.

The facts

In 144 games split between Chicago and San Francisco, Bryant scored 0.265 / 0.353 / 0.481 with 25 homers and 73 RBIs. In addition, Bryant scored 86 runs and added 32 doubles during the campaign. While those numbers may not justify the super contract many predicted, Bryant is still a high quality player that the teams would love to have for the foreseeable future.

Defensively, Bryant will likely never win a gold glove. However, that’s not a big deal when he’s in the right place. The San Francisco outfield is huge and one of the hardest to play players in the league. That may be one reason the Giants were unimpressed. At Wrigley Field, Bryant had minimal problems playing the outfield when he didn’t pass at third base.

Maybe that’s what it means. The Cubs may feel good that they can get Bryant on a bargain deal that still allows flexibility to go this off-season and beyond. Given that the Giants, a team believed to be looking to sign Bryant long term at some point, seem to be moving on, Kris Bryant could return home to friendly Wrigley Field.

Related

Work as an accountant during the day. Big sports fan from Chicago. I played college football and I just wish I could skate well enough to play hockey. Twitter: @rnldluce Instagram: @rnldluce

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A video tribute, a # 17 tile from the scoreboard, and two standing ovations were part of Kris Bryant’s day when he returned to Wrigley Field for the first time since his July swap from the Chicago Cubs to the San Francisco Giants on Friday.

“I’ve never set foot in this [visitors] Side of the hall, “said Bryant, laughing in the dugout before the game.” I was lost. I had no idea where I was going. “

Bryant, 29, seemed destined to become a career cub after winning minor league player of the year, rookie of the year, and league MVP over three seasons from 2014 to 2016. A long-term contract never came about but was traded to the Giants for prospects just a few months before they first met the free agency.

Kris Bryant of San Francisco hands his cap to Chicago Cubs fans, which gave him several standing ovations on Friday, his first appearance at Wrigley Field since joining the Giants in July. AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh

“I got the thought, ‘Yeah, it would be super cool to play for a team in my career,'” said Bryant, number 2 in the 2013 amateur draft. “I had these thoughts but didn’t think about when it was will end. I never had these thoughts.

“I made a decision to look back at my time here and smile at it. There have been some tougher times, but if you told me when I got drafted, I’d be here 6.5 years and have a World Series and an MVP to win.” and Rookie of the Year and four all-star games and loads of great memories, I would tell you you were crazy.

“Now I’m sitting here today and it actually happened to me.”

Bryant was visibly emotional during a pre-game video tribute when he received his first standing ovation. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts was among those in attendance at the ceremony. Team President Jed Hoyer and manager David Ross were absent as they isolate themselves after testing positive for COVID-19 last week.

“I’m not the best at soaking up big moments,” said Bryant. “But I hope I can find a way to really absorb everything. Today I’m in the left field. I’m really pumped for that. It will be nice to run out there and listen to the fans the whole game.”

Bryant received his second standing ovation when he hit the record with two ons and two outs in the first inning against former teammate Kyle Hendricks. He hit three pitches.

Bryant’s morning started with a large crowd waiting for him as the Giants bus pulled up on the visitor side of Wrigley Field. He compared it to fans waiting for the team when the Cubs returned home from Cleveland in the early hours of the morning after winning the 2016 World Series.

Bryant said he’ll try to capture the special moments of the three-game series every day, and despite some ups and downs towards the end of his Cubs career – he left Twitter for a while and his contract became a talking point – he doesn’t have any negative feelings about his time in Chicago. But on the contrary.

“Yes, you can be pissed off with the way certain situations are dealt with, but I basically had to wear the Cubs uniform whenever I wanted,” he said. “It’s so special. Not many people can do it. And a lot of money is paid for it. I have great respect for every person in this organization, and it always will be.”

Most of all, Bryant is grateful to have played on winning teams every year of his career – the Giants are no exception. He didn’t close the door when reporting back to them or returning to the Cubs through vacant agency, although the latter idea is far-fetched.

The Cubs and Bryant haven’t had meaningful contract talks in several seasons. Now that the other 29 teams can bid on his services, a return to Chicago would be a shocking turn of events.

“I didn’t answer any trade questions [anymore]but there are many other questions of the same kind, “said Bryant of his future.” I never close the book on this place.

Whatever happens, Bryant’s time in Chicago will be fondly remembered as he was part of a team that broke the longest championship drought in American sports history.

“Being part of the winning teams from the moment I arrive means a lot to me,” said Bryant. “All I have ever seen playing for the Cubs is to be won.

“This place is my home. It always will be.”

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