John Grandits has worked in publishing most of his life. As a designer and art director, he's attacked adult trade, college text, scholarly, juvenile trade and juvenile text books. For many years he was an art director at the Cricket Magazine Group where he helped launch Muse and Click.
More information can be found about John Grandits on his website.
Concrete Poems
2008 Notable Children's Books and 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers lists
(Clarion Books, 2007)
Lee Bennet Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2008
2008 Notable Children's Books,
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC),
2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Non-fiction,
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA),
One of the Best Books of 2007, School Library Journal
Technically, It's Not My Fault
Concrete Poems
(Clarion Books, 2004)
A Notable Book for Children and
a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers,
American Library Association
"Youth will fall for this kind of word play, as will adults...smart, clever, and just plain fun."
- VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
"An exuberant celebration of wordplay that's certain to broaden kids' understanding and appreciation of the possibilities of poetry."
- Kirkus Reviews
"combines technical brilliance and goofy good humor to provide an accessible, fun-filled collection of poems...brilliant book design"
- School Library Journal, Starred
"graphically inventive sequence of concrete poems...mimes an 11-year-old's sarcastic perspective...A technically (and imaginatively) inspired typeface experiement."
- Publishers Weekly
"humorous...kid-relevant or kid-voiced...well-pitched to a youthful readership...playful layouts...a quick, funny, and painlessly poetic read." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books