The Stone Girl's Story

The Stone Girl's Story
by Sarah Beth Durst
Clarion Books, 2018

Mayka's father was a stone mason. He brought her to life by carving her story onto her body. She and the other living stone creatures her father created live happily together in seclusion on the mountain. But Mayka's flesh-and-blood father has long been gone, and as the reader sees in the opening scenes of the book with Mayka and her dear friend Turtle, as the marks on their bodies fade, the creatures...stop. So Mayka leaves her mountain in search of a stonemason who will return with her and repair the marks on all of her friends. When she gets to the city, she discovers an evil plot that endangers all stone creatures.

I love fantasy, but only if the author can build a world that is absolutely believable. Sarah Beth Durst has done that in The Stone Girl's Story.

This is fantasy at its best: a hero's journey to save family and friends. An Oz-like journey with fellow travelers who are also looking for help. A story with big themes:

• the quest to be accepted for who you are is a worthy one
• don't judge others based on their appearance or your assumptions
• absolute power is dangerous
• pay attention to who is telling the stories
• know your own story and tell it proudly
• choice is important...necessary...vital to your story
• you have the power to shape your own story
• an obedience mark is dangerous
• the right words can give you freedom
• you can learn to be brave
• together we can rise up against evil and overpower it
• even a monster's story can be rewritten to be AWESOME

Move this book to the top of your TBR pile. I hope you love it as much as I do. It might just be one of my first read alouds of the year next year!

Reading Without Walls

Forever, or a Long, Long Time
by Caela Carter
HarperCollins, 2017
review copy provided by the publisher

This was a Gene Yang "Reading Without Walls" book for me. Gene Luen Yang, the National Ambassador of Young People's Literature, has chosen as his platform/project to encourage readers to

1. Read a book about a character who doesn’t look like you or live like you.
2. Read a book about a topic you don’t know much about.
3. Read a book in a format that you don’t normally read for fun. This might be a chapter book, a graphic novel, a book in verse, a picture book, or a hybrid book.

Forever, or a Long, Long Time fits the first two categories for me. The foster care system is filled with characters who aren't like me -- I've never been on either the giving or receiving end of foster care. And foster care is a topic about which I know little.

Both fourth grader Flora and her younger brother Julian have been traumatized by the foster care system, but the trauma manifests itself differently in each child. To balance the pain of seeing how these two children have been damaged, the author gives them a loving "forever family" that does everything possible to help the children adapt, learn to trust, and heal. She gives Flora an amazing teacher, who has a realistically nearly boundless supply of patience and differentiation to help Flora succeed. And because the main character is 4th -- going into 5th grade, the book is very sensitively written.

More than anything, this book is a deeply insightful look at what FAMILY means. Flora and Julian's new mom has married a divorced man with a daughter,  plus she's pregnant. When she takes Flora and Julian on a quest to discover their birth family roots, every possible variant of what foster care might look like is in their past, from loving to chaotic to brutally regimented.

This is a book about what IDENTITY means. Flora and Julian doubt the very existence of their birth because they have no baby pictures.

This is a book about TRUST, and what it takes to build trust where none has ever existed.

This is a book about HOPE. Everything doesn't get tied up in tidy bows, but by the end of the book you can see that all the parents' (and teacher's) hard work is paying off and although there will be challenges in the future when the baby comes, progress has been made. Flora and Julian are going to be okay.

This book is NOT The Great Gilly Hopkins (but they might make an interesting pairing). It's been a long time (very long time) since I read Gilly Hopkins, but I don't remember the characters seeming real -- they were more like caricatures. The characters in Forever, or a Long, Long Time are multi-faceted people you get to know from the inside. They are very real. They aren't perfect; they make mistakes.

There is one way that this book might be like Gilly Hopkins. There might be a shiny sticker in its cover's future...

How Much You Love a Book

Did you ever love a book so much that you deliberately slowed down your reading for the last third so you wouldn't have to come to the final page?

That's why I'm blogging instead of reading -- I'm desperate to find out what happens, desperate to see how Kelly Barnhill completes her masterful weaving of story strands, hopeful that the small stories will be strong enough to heal the big story.

I'm in love with the characters -- the lumpy, multi-armed monster-poet; the adorable little dragon whose sense of self is starting to match his reality; the "mad woman" in the tower ("hope is the thing with feathers..."); the witch who hides in plain sight for the first half of the book, while the one called "witch" clearly isn't. And of course, the girl who drank the moon.

I thought about her on my early morning walk today. There were puddles of moonlight on the street and sidewalks. The moonlight pouring down on me felt substantial enough to catch on my fingers and drink...almost.

While I walked, I thought of the dark cloud that's looming over our country. I'll try to remember this story's insistence on the power of hope. No matter how much darkness there is, hope has the power of light to overcome it.

Thank you, Kelly Barnhill, for this beautiful story. Thank you, Franki, for insisting I read it. I'm not sure when I'll finish the last 30 pages, but I know they'll be magical.



The Girl Who Drank the Moon
by Kelly Barnhill
Algonquin Young Readers, August 2016

Summer Reading at its Best

Wolf Hollow

by Lauren Wolk

Dutton Children's Books, 2016

I almost couldn't read this book. The tension and conflict from the very beginning nearly did me in. But the language and the characters kept me going. I was not at all surprised to find that Lauren Wolk is a poet.

Maybe this could be a read aloud in 5th grade. It's a hard story, but the stories on the news aren't much better. Perhaps it would give us a safe way to talk about the wolves out there, about honesty, about the choices we make, about how we can't control what happens...but we can try.

Whew. Just thankful that it's summer and I could curl up on the couch for four hours straight and read this all in one gulp. I feel like going right back and rereading it for the beautiful language.

Navigating Early

Navigating Early
by Clare Vanderpool
Delacorte Press, 2013
review copy ARC provided by Cover to Cover Books for Young Readers

It's been a long time since a book has grabbed me by the collar and sat me down in a chair and refused to let me up until I finished it.

Navigating Early wiggled its way into my school bag and forced me to read during SSR time, as I ate lunch, and while my students were at art.

I fell in love with Jack, from flat, wide open Kansas, who pukes the first time he looks at the ocean. And I fell in love with Early, who listens to Billie Holiday when it rains. I fell in love with the stories within the story -- the travels of Pi that match both the digits of Pi as well as the adventure Jack and Early have in the backwoods of Maine.

I couldn't help myself -- I dogeared the page corner at Chapter 21 -- the first time I can ever remember encountering fly fishing in a children's book (not to mention a spirited argument about why Jesus could possibly have been "a likely candidate for fly-fishing").

Navigating Early is mysterious and magical, brimful of surprising characters, and with an ending that's a sigh of satisfaction.

Move Navigating Early to the top of your must-read list. You won't regret it.



Also reviewed by
Kevin at Kevin's Meandering Mind
Katherine at Read, Write, Reflect
Colby at Sharpread

OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt

Can I tell you right off how much I LOVED LOVED LOVED OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt. I loved every word of this book. I was hooked in the first few pages and loved it more and more as the book went on.

The story is about Doug Sweiteck who is having a tough time of things. His father (who is not so nice to him or any of his brothers) loses his job so moves the family to a new town. Doug isn't happy and has trouble making friends. His older bother is a trouble-maker and his reputation seems to impact the expectations people have for Doug too. His oldest brother is in the Vietnam War but returns home injured. Life at home is not good for Doug.

The good news is that Doug finds some people who learn to trust and believe in him for who he is. This is a story of art and survival. It is a story of friendship and resilience. It is a story of hope and of suffering. The people in Doug's life are very believable. Many are teachers and librarians. Many would make our "COOL TEACHERS IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE" list (although many might not...).

The author is amazing at weaving together many themes in a way that give a great amount of depth to Doug's story. I am hoping to reread it soon to read for these threads that Schmidt weaves through the entire book.

I think the thing I love best about this book is the character's voice. He is a character I care deeply about and one who I am pretty sure will stay with me for a very long time. He is complex and very human.

I think this book is a good one for grades 5 and up. It is marketed as YA in some places but it seems between middle grade and YA to me.

When I sat down after finishing the book, I realized how brilliant the title is. I LOVED the WEDNESDAY WARS but I LOVED LOVED LOVED this one. I am already hoping it wins some prize for 2011. (This is the first book I have dared to say this about in 2011!)

Books I Hope Win Awards

There are so many great books from 2010, that I can't possibly choose the one book I hope to win the Caldecott and Newbery medals. This is a list of books I've loved that seem like contenders.  I'd be happy if any of these books won an award. They are all deserving.  There are others too but these are the ones that come to mind first.


Caldecott
Chalk
A Fabulous Fair Alphabet by Deborah Frasier
City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems
All Things Bright and Beautiful by Ashley Bryant
Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli
Mirror by Jeannie Baker
Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Phillip Stead


Newbery
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Keeper by Kathi Appelt
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord
As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt
Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder

Potential Award Winners

As Franki reminded us all last week, predicting the Newbery was the reason this blog was born 4 years ago.

We started by trying to predict the winner.

That devolved to having read the winner.

Then we decided that it was good enough to have the winner in our Amazon shopping cart.

Last year, Franki and a few other people around here had read The Graveyard Book, even though it wasn't necessarily their pick for the winner.

This year, Bill and Karen at Literate Lives are putting us to shame with their series of Newbery posts.

Here are my favorite books of 2009. I'd be happy if any of them won!

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Crossing Stones by Helen Frost

The Sweethearts of Rhythm by Marilyn Nelson

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graf

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan (I'm glad it already won a shiny sticker!)

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Mare's War by Tanita Davis

Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes

Wild Things by Clay Carmichael

Last year was the first year I ventured into Caldecott territory, when I was cheering for River of Words from the moment I set eyes on it. Because of that one "honorable" pick, I'll give it a try again this year. Here are some of my favorite picture books for 2009:

The Lion and the Mouse, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

14 Cows for America, illustrated by Thomas Gonzales

All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee

Day is Done, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Tsunami, illustrated by Ed Young

When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead

Wendy Lamb Books, July 2009

review copy provided by Educating Alice's ARC give-away contest (a million thanks to the "judges" in the contest for picking my entry!!!)

I've only read this book once so far. When I finished it, I immediately went back to the beginning and started rereading. Then I looked again at all the chapter titles. Then I studied the Peter Sis-esque cover and noticed all the hidden clues to parts of the story. I'll probably need to reread A Wrinkle In Time after I finish When You Reach Me for the second time. (A Wrinkle In Time was my favorite book when I was the age of Stead's main character, Miranda. I'm jealous that she got a signed first edition for Christmas in the book.)

All I'm going to tell you about this book is that you'll be reading it. I'm not going to spoil a single bit of the story for you. Let me know when you're finished so we can talk.

Here are some reviews, but if you read them, you run the risk of spoilers, so don't say I didn't warn you:

Educating Alice

100 Scope Notes

ACPL Mock Newbery

Fuse #8

Becky's Book Reviews

Newbery: Predictions? Thoughts? Ramblings?

Mary Lee:

Franki and I had many years worth of Newbery discussions before this blog was ever born.

We started by trying to pick the winner. We were never right. I think my pick was an honor book once.

Then we decided you could count it a success if you had read the winner. We came closer those years.

The next stretch was "if you own it, you can count it." That was the year Franki claimed success because she had the winner in her shopping cart at Amazon.

Due to the avalanche of Notables Nominees that are shelved in my basement, I figure there's a pretty good chance the Newbery is in my house, so I'll be contrary this year and predict that the Newbery will be a book that hasn't darkened my door: Jimmy's Stars, Highway Cats, The Graveyard Book, The Porcupine Year, After Tupac and D Foster, Seer of Shadows, or The Trouble Begins at 8.

Franki:

This year, I am going to think of it more as a wish, than a prediction.  There are lots of books that I would be happy to see win. I can't name them all but I had a great reading year and I think there are so many that could win. Narrowing it down to a few, here are my wishes for Newbery (in no particular order):

THE UNDERNEATH--really, nothing could compare to the writing.  I reread the lead the other day and it is definitely "distinguished".

GREETINGS FROM NOWHERE by Barbara O'Conner-a book that has stayed with me all year. Love the characters, the story and the writing.

MY ONE HUNDRED ADVENTURES by Polly Horvath--Horvath at her best.  She is amazing and quirky with great characters and amazing writing.

JIMMY'S STARS by Mary Ann Rodman  I just finished this one. If you haven't read it, it is a must-read. I can't explain the way I felt reading it--through the whole thing.  She captured the characters perfectly.

SHOOTING THE MOON by Frances O'Roark Dowell--another one that stuck with me all year. I could easily see this one winning.

I also loved Lisa Graff's, THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF BERNETTA WALLFLOWER and DIAMOND WILLOW by Helen Frost.

There were so many others that I liked a lot!

And I'm not done reading for 2008! Next on my pile: ONE THOUSAND NEVER EVERS, THE UNNAMEABLES, ITCH, and EVER.

I think WE ARE THE SHIP can win every award out there. I would love to see it win the Newbery as well as others! An amazing book.

I would LOVE for PAPER TOWNS to win the Prinz. Love John Green and the book.  

Bottom line: in less than a week, we'll know who won for 2008 and we'll start reading the 2009 books!

Two Countdowns

First, the entire Kidlitosphere community is counting down to the announcement of the Cybils shortlists on January 1. The bloggers who have read through all the nominations in their category to create these shortlists deserve pats on the back and sighs of relief. (We know; Franki and I have both been there!)

Second, over at Literate Lives, Karen and Bill are counting down to the announcement of the Newbery with a daily post on a possible winner. Go check your reading and your opinions against theirs.

Newbery Readiness--So Many Books, So Little Time!

So, as you all know, we are never right in predicting the Newbery and I have learned that I can never read all of the books that I read about that are possibilities for the award.  But I do think it is fun to read and guess and pay attention to all of the conversations going on about the award.  I have been following several Mock Newbery sites and cannot possibly read all of the books that are listed on multiple sites. Really, I have no idea how the committee does this work.  To narrow the list for myself, I really want to read those books that will make good additions to our library collection. So, I've decided to set my goal on reading a few that sound like they'd be great for the kids at my school.  So, here are the five that I am hoping to read before the Newbery is announced in late January.  I'll keep you posted.

Jimmy's Stars by Mary Ann Rodman

Highway Cats by Jane Taylor Lisle

My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath

Itch by Michelle Kwasney

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

It is not every year that readers get a book as wonderful as THE UNDERNEATH by Kathi Appelt. I knew after the first few pages that this was a book that I was lucky to be reading. I have had the same feeling when I read WALK TWO MOONS by Sharon Creech and THE GIVER by Lois Lowry. And I think I felt this way, years and years ago when I read THE SECRET GARDEN. Other people seem to be having the same reaction to this book—feeling the same way when they read a book that has been a lifetime favorite.

I even remember the talk around these books being similar to the talk I am hearing now about THE UNDERNEATH. Lots of my children’s lit friends are telling me that I need to read this book but they don't really say much about it. "It is just worth reading." You can’t really explain the book without actually reading it.

There is lots to this book to love and I am sure that it must be the talk of the current Newbery Committee. Kathi Appelt has woven together a brilliant story and she has crafted in a way that it is more than a story. The writing is powerful. She is able to weave several stories together in a way that tells an even bigger story.

This book is so much more than what the blurb on the front tells us. It is so much more than a dog book. So much more than a book about love and hate. It is so much more than a book about wisdom and innocence.

I am pretty sure that these characters will stay with me forever and that I will read this book again sometime soon. I think there are layers of meaning that I missed the first time through—I kind of thought about them quickly but was too invested in the plot to focus too much on the depth that Appelt has created with this story.

I am anxious to see how kids will respond to this book. I am thinking 5th grade is perfect. Maybe 4th or 6th. I have a few past students in mind who may read this and fall in love with it like I did. If I were teaching 4th or 5th grade next year, I would probably read this one aloud for sure. But I would save it for later in the year, once kids understand the possibilities in books, once they have learned to talk together about books. It would definitely be on my read aloud list but I would have to make sure to read it when they were ready for the depth and the emotion.

I’ve heard this book described as “dark”. I didn’t think so. I found some unpleasant things—some hate and some hateful characters, but the story is a hopeful one and one that I think will be around for a very long time.

This book is a MUST READ! Really, as you read it, you feel so lucky to have found such an amazing story!

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

I’m not afraid of animal stories that might make me cry. I’ve read and reread (with tears streaming down my face) Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, Little Britches, and Each Little Bird That Sings.

The Underneath came along at a time when my heart was a little wobbly with pet emotions – our ancient (20 year-old) cat passed away while we were in Europe, and we were in the midst of adopting a rescue cat who had been chewed on by a dog and shot with BBs.

And yet, The Underneath did not make me cry. I was drawn in immediately by the animal characters and completely repulsed by the human characters. I was captivated by the language. (This book is a poem. A long prose poem. I think it would make an amazing read aloud.) I followed the weaving of all of the stories mesmerized, as if in a dream. As the tension in the story built, I read urgently. I raced to the end, and yet when I finished I wanted nothing more than to read it again. Immediately.

There is no easy way to tell what this book is about. Good and evil, hate and love, the piney woods of East Texas, ancient trees and ancient spirits, hummingbirds, life and death. You just have to read it. You must read it. What are you waiting for? Read it!

Reviews with plot summaries and glowing praise abound. This is a book that’s Going Places. Be sure not to miss Kimberly Willis Holt’s conversations with Kathi Appelt here (part one) and here (part two).

Newbery Hopefuls, Reflections

We hope you all enjoyed our Newbery Hopefuls series. It certainly gave us lots to read over our winter break. We love all of our friends who participated in the series and can't wait to see which book wins! It is always so fun to predict. We'll definitely have our own predictions/hopefuls list up in January--before the award is announced. We'll also do a round-up of other bloggers' predictions the week before so stay tuned so that you can share your thoughts!


In the meantime, don't miss Sharon's Newbery blog. They have chosen their finalist and it is another great list!
Happy reading:-)

Newbery Hopefuls, Day 8 From Sally Oddi at Cover to Cover Bookstore

Today's Newbery predictions come from Sally Oddi, owner of our VERY FAVORITE children's bookstore in the world--Cover to Cover. (You may want to subscribe to their newsletter on the site!) Sally is a genius when it comes to children's books and if you live anywhere near Columbus, Ohio, you already know that. So, here is her Newbery thinking:

Edward's Eyes. Patricia MacLachlan. Atheneum, 2007.

This short novel is a gem. The author introduces the reader to a rambling
family and their extended family of friends that live on the Cape (Cod) and
love baseball. As we follow the family through a year, they experience love
and heartbreaking loss, but show us the resiliency that comes with hope.


Fire From the Rock. Sharon M. Draper. Dutton, 2007.

The integration of schools in Little Rock is the setting for this novel and
Sharon Draper illustrates the many points of view of families, both black
and white, with understanding and care. One of the pivotal events of the
civil rights movement, school integration affected young and old alike. The
complexities of institutional racism and efforts to end it, as experienced
by Sylvia Patterson and her family, brings the civil rights movement to
life for another generation.

Iron Thunder. Avi. Hyperion, 2007.

The building of the ironclad the Monitor was an endeavor filled with physical, financial, scientific and political challenges and 13-year-old Tom Carroll is in thick of it. Because of his small size he is recruited to work on welding particularly small spaces in the interior of the ship and becomes a witness to historic events that changed the course of the Civil War. Adventure and excitement are found on every page as Tom is pursued by spies, thugs, and eventually the Merrimac!

Book of a Thousand Days. Shannon Hale.Bloomsbury, 2007.

Lady Saren and her maid Dashti are imprisoned in the tower because Lady
Saren has refused to marry the man her father has chosen. In this little
known Grimm tale adapted by Hale, Dashti keeps a journal of their days, both
hopeful; and frightening. This is a romantic retelling with a satisfying
fairytale ending.


Uprising. Maragaret Peterson Haddix. Simon & Schuster, 2007.

Haddix weaves a compelling tale of three young woman, one wealthy and two
working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, with the history of labor
unionization, the plight of young immigrant workers, and the birth of the
women rights movement. It is both believable and possible that these young
women could have met and become friends, had they been real historical
figures. The tragedy of the fire that is a part of our early industrial
history is handled with precision and care, and the historical details are
well-researched but not overwhelming.

Wednesday Wars. Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion, 2007.

Holling HoodHood spends his Wednesday afternoons in 1967 reading Shakespeare with his 7th grade teacher, because he is the lone Protestant, not Jewish or Catholic and therefore not excused for an afternoon of religious education. The Vietnam War is raging, many families and friends are affected, and Holling is just trying to find his way through the middle school in what is a crazy world. Lots of funny classroom incidents and characteristically uncomfortable adolescent moments will be all-too-familiar to Schmidt's audience.

Newbery Hopefuls, Day 7

Today, we hear from our friend Beth from Cover to Cover. You can tell she is young and hip since she doesn't use capital letters or much punctuation! She reads a ton and always has a stack of books waiting for me when I visit the store. I end up spending a ton of money on her recommendations and I am never sorry!
Here's Beth:

thanks for the opportunity to share my favorites!

well. i obviously hope that the invention of hugo cabret wins everything. obviously.
in the event that this is not possible...

a friendship for today by patricia mckissack
book of a thousand days by shannon hale
talented clementine by sara pennypacker
bone by bone by bone by tony johnston
into the wild by sarah beth durst
crooked kind of perfect by linda urban


i am also reading grimpow by rafael abalos, true meaning of smekday by adam rex, and plan on reading home of the brave by katherine applegate. apparently this could change everything.

books that can't but should get shiny stickers:

woolvs in the sitee by margaret wild
the arrival by shaun tan
snow goose by paul gallico and illustrated by angela barrett
professor's daughter by joann sfar and emmanuel guibert

it isn't new, but if anyone needs to have their day made by a sheep on a vespa, read the surprise by sylvia van ommen.

Newbery Hopefuls, Day 6

Today, we hear from Karen--our friend from Cover to Cover. As you know, we love the Cover to Cover staff and they all help us choose books all year.

My favorite book this year is Red Glass by Laura Resau. She also wrote What the Moon Saw, which I enjoyed. I loved Red Glass. The descriptions in the book made me actually smell the tortillas and eggs that are typically eaten in Guatemala. I could feel the warm breezes and the close humid jungle air, too. Seeing life through the eyes of someone with a belief system and heritage so different yet so much the same as my own reminded me of experiencing this myself in the people I met in Guatemala. Sophie, the main character learns to be strong and to love herself. Her tellings of how she feels weak and plain and wants to burst out of herself are all too real to many people. I think this book might be a little to old of an audience for the Newbery but you never know.

Newbery Hopefuls From Our Reading Friends, Day 5: A Friend from Canada

Today's predictions come from our friend, Larry Swartz. Larry knows books! Larry Swartz is an instructor in the Elementary Pre-service Program at OISE/University of Toronto.He reads a ton and always has great recommendations for amazing books. Larry has written several books for teachers about books, literacy, drama, etc. One of his newer resources is The Novel Experience--a great flipchart on using fiction in the classroom. And, he is an expert on Books for Boys.

NEWBERY… OR NOT NEWBERY?

Hey folks

For what it's worth.. here's an opinion (north of the border) about possible NEWBERY winners...

The two best books I read this year haven’t' got a 'chance'

Sherman Alexis THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN
knocked me out.. but if 'they' couldn't handle the word scrotum.. I don't think 'they' would take to this...I think too the word 'Indian' might be jarring for some nitpickers... I also hesitate to recommend books when 'adult' authors cross-over into young people's territory.. (Carl Hiassen, Roddy Doyle, Nick Hornsby)...But I loved this book for its' humour and honesty... and really wish it could replace (ok maybe not replace.. but be read alongside) TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD to help young folk understand contemporary issues with social justice, diversity and equity... life on the rez.. poverty… hope.. belonging… funny…. I loved this book! (and there’s pictures too)

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS was a knockout read.. I think best suited for over 11 year olds...The voice of innocence and irony... puts readers against the fence of a concentration camp...JOHN BOYNE is not American (i.e. IRISH).. this book is being translated throughout the world.. and needs to be read!!!! Soon to be a motion picture (YIKES!!!)

Jerry Spinelli gets my vote (ALWAYS)... bravo to him for the sequel to STARGIRL (a great love story).. but EGGS is a special read.. As I was reading, I couldn’t help thinking about the novels that I recently read that featured characters whose parents have died. . Give me a fifth grade class and I would love to organize Literature Circles (when all titles are available in paperback ) around The Higher Power of Lucky, The Meaning of Life According to Jeremy Fink, Wing Nut and Eggs not only because one or more character has a missing parent, but because they get inside the skin and hearts of these kids who are coping with life’s rotten eggs and hoping make omelettes out of life’s dilemmas large and small. …boy girl protagonists..... a quirky character or two.. and how bad could a book be that highlights the read aloud experience. Hooray for Mr. Spinelli... the best, the best, the best
(Best cover of the year too)
(See Larry's Guest Review of EGGS here!)

Early in the year, I predicted that THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick should win the Newbery.. It would be a brave choice.. but one that supports the reading session of graphic texts...I noticed that it was one of the top ten books featured as best illustrated books in the NEW YORK times list... but this is a novel... (isn't it?) and one that would hook a buncha readers.. (hey miss, can you believe I read a 530 page book?).. and yes.. appeal to those BOYS...

REALLY LIKED
THE CASTLE CORONA by Sharon Creech (a good adventure)
JACK PLANK TELLS TALES by Natalie Babbitt (great storytelling)

Sort of liked LARGER-THAN-LIFE LARA.. the kids were too mean .. by dandi daley mackall

Next on my book pile is ELIJAH OF BUXTON by Christopher Paul Curtis... a colleague declared 'it' should be the winner.. another friend at work.. said he needed an editor....

But end of discussion.. the award goes to HOME OF THE BRAVE by Katherine Applegate...
A beautiful beautiful read...
Wow! Let’s give ‘em a strong book that deals with refugees
And a strong first person (male) voice
And (exquisitely) written in free verse
And lets us care about ELL learners
And fills our hearts about the plight of longing and belonging

Here’s what my (smart) friend Nancy says about Home of the Brave…
The story is told through in the voice of the main character who speaks English in the way someone from a very different culture would speak it. The peculiarities of his speech draw you into the world he has left behind in a way that telling you about that world never would

We believe everything about his story. Having read memoirs written by children who have escaped similar situations I found everything I was being told rang true.
He and his cousin are real boys we've known.

As with all important stories about tragedy, you are not spared the details of the terrible evil of which humans are capable but you find hope in the acts of kindness that are shown. The story would have worked even if his mother had not been found but I enjoyed that little gift at the end.


So.. if the author’s won before do we* want to give another author a chance?
Do we want a novel that will get the BOYS reading and caring about a book?
Do we want a book that will be popular with boys and girls and not a hard sell?
Do we want a book that will lead them to other books?
Do we want to be brave about choosing a book with outside of the box format?

Do we care about ‘certain’ words / themes? Is safe the way to go?
Do we care about the cover?
Do we care what the kids think?

* we = the awards committee

Newbery Hopefuls From Our Reading Friends, Day 4: A Librarian Weighs In

Bill Prosser is a teacher/librarian, new to the school library this year after many years in the classroom. He is LOVING the change. Here are his thoughtful picks for both the Newbery and the Caldecott:

NEWBERY:

Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson
I loved the plot of this book and the way the author reveals bits and pieces to you if you pay attention while you read. It was a book that I couldn’t put down and seemed to always be leaving you with a cliffhanger that brought you back. It has adventure, intrigue, hidden treasure, and mysterious bad guys. When I first began reading the book I thought it would be another single mom meets new husband that wants to be dad but can’t get along with the son story, but not even close. Great writing!

Greetings From Planet Earth by Barbara Kerley
I thought this book had an interesting hook to it. A science teacher gives the class the assignment to present Earth to alien life forms on a distant planet, much like the early satellite space probes did in the 70s. The author uses the assignment to take a 12 year old boy through some research, which leads him to discover some family secrets about his father’s return from Vietnam. The author does a great job of connecting all of the story lines and keeping the reader interested. It’s a great story of a family and how they deal with the “skeletons in the closet.” Well developed characters and plot.

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
The story of an extremely bright girl who struggles to fit in with her peers because of her intelligence. She tries to handle all middle school problems logically, but middle school is anything but logical. This leads to some bigger problems including bullying, and all the other things middle school girls are good at! I really liked the way the author presented the story through three different perspectives, the gifted student, the girl who just wants to please everyone and be popular, and the just plain mean girl who likes to control everything. It was easy to see students in all three characters.

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
I am not a big fan of fantasy, so if a story about dragons keeps me reading, it must be pretty good! This fantasy is more in the lines of an old fashioned fairy tale, only it has a heroine instead of a handsome prince saving the day. I liked it because of the simple fantasy story line, nothing really dark or “weird” involved. The author creates a world that is almost believable aside from the mythical dragons. It was easy to relate to and understand all of the characters in the book which made it a very enjoyable read.

CALDECOTT:

Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson Illustrated by Loren Long
Both author and illustrator are from Ohio, which had a certain appeal to me, but besides that this is a beautiful book. The story of a boy who dreams of flying and becomes a Tuskegee Airman is moving. The pictures, some of them are views from the airplane, are brightly colored and really take the reader into the pages with the pilots.

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Simple text highlights the paintings in this book. The pictures look like they are paint on canvas and all of the texture of the medium comes through. To set it all off, it is a “cut out” book, that is the pages have space cut out that appears as part of the next picture as you turn the page. Very clever and fun for younger readers.

Seventeen Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore by Jenny Offill Illustrated by Nancy Capenter
Very funny text is set off by the collage type illustrations. The artist uses actual things like notebook paper, a pillow, and carpet as the backgrounds, then the characters are drawn on top of it. The illustrations also include real things like staplers, glue, toys and others. Very fun to read and look at.

The Cheese by Margie Palatini illustrated by S. Johnson & L. Fancher
A twist on “The Farmer in the Dell” in which the characters try to answer the question of “Why does The Cheese stand alone?” Since they can’t answer it, they eat the cheese! The pictures are very colorful and detailed but the truly interesting part is how the illustrators incorporate words from the text into them. A reader can look several times at the pictures and see different things each time. The illustrators have another book called Casey Back at the Bat done in the same way, but I like the story of The Cheese better.