Kiddy Lit; The World of Children's Literature Quiz

Answer: Young adult literature

Michael Printz was a high school librarian in Kansas who loved to introduce teenagers to the wonders of reading. In his memory, the American Library Association created an award for the 'best young adult book.' The first recipient of the Printz Award, in 2000, was Walter Dean Myers for his book "Monster."

Answer: Advertising illustrator; his slogan for Flit Bug Spray became a nationwide catchphrase

"Quick, Henry, the Flit!" was first used in 1928 and was an oft-quoted catchphrase until the 1950s; along with his slogan, Geisel drew some clever cartoons for the ad campaign. Look up these cartoons on the website http://orpheus.ucsd/speccoll/dsads/index.shtml; you'll see the beginnings of the unique Dr. Seuss drawings. Geisel also worked on ad campaigns for such companies as Ajax Cups, Ford, and Holly Sugar.

Answer: Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)

In "Peter Rabbit" (1901), Potter introduced her special method of integrating illustration with text and minute realism in drawing. She was also one of the first children's authors to use convincing villains; Samuel Whiskers, Mr. Tod, and Tommy Brock were just a few of the characters that gave children the shivers.

Answer: "In The Night Kitchen" (1970) and "Outside Over There" (1981)

Both "Where The Wild Things Are" and "In The Night Kitchen" have been on many a school board's list of 'objectionable materials' and banned from school libraries. "Wild Things" smacked of witchcraft and the occult, while "Kitchen" had one frame showing the naughty bits of Max tumbling out of bed.

Answer: The Moffats

"The Moffats" (1941) and "The Middle Moffat" (1942) were realistic stories of a slightly screwy fatherless family in Cranbury, CT. and focused on life during World War One. Two more 'Moffat' family books followed: "Rufus M" (1943) and "The Mofat Museum" (1983). Ms. Estes won the Newbery Award in 1951 for "Ginger Pye", the story of a dog.

Answer: Playboy

Sheldon Allan Silverstein (1930-1999) received his first paycheck as a cartoonist from Hugh Hefner in 1957 and was soon sent around the world for a 23-installment feature known as "Shel Silverstein Visits..." for 'Playboy.' In a 'Publishers Weekly' interview, he stated that he never thought he would ever do children's literature, but the success of "The Giving Tree" (1964) gave him recognition as a poet who was not afraid to expose children to reality.

Answer: Mark Twain

Over the years, such classics as "To Kill A Mockingbird", "The Call of the Wild", and "The Great Gatsby" have offended sensitive souls who demanded that these smutty books be removed from library shelves. Of course, Mark Twain's books have shocked people ever since they appeared in print. The latest Twain controversy was over the bowdlerizing of "Huckleberry Finn" in 2010.

Answer: Mother Goose

Before Sambler cleaned up the Mother Goose stories, they were associated with a magical old lady named Mother Bunch. In 1650, Mother Goose (Mere L'Oye) made an appearance in a book filled with horrifying and sexual tales. Her current image -- that of a goose dressed in Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes -- stems from the 1780 book "Mother Goose Melodies, or Sonnets For The Cradle."

Answer: Jay Leno

Although all of the hosts have written books, only Jay has been successful with a children's book. It's the story of his childhood and of the often wild adventures he had with his father while trying to accomplish one of Dad's 'projects.'

Answer: All are correct

Since John Cotton published the first children's book in 1646 ("Milk For Babes; Drawn out of the Breast of Both Testaments"), juvenile titles have been an important segment of the publishing industry. Although there has been a gradual decline in the number of titles produced annually, the emphasis on improving educational standards, especially in reading, is expected to increase the number of books published.