10
Jan
Reading for Newbery
I mentioned a few days back that I was doing a large amount of reading in anticipation of the Kansas City Mock Newbery Awards.
I finished with my “required reading” as of last night.
And I read a book in between that wasn’t on the list.
So what?
And I skimmed a couple that I just couldn’t get through.
So what?
Life is too short. You have to read what you like.
Anyway… there were 12 titles on the list. These were my notables:
I stayed up until 3am reading this book.
I haven’t done that since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released in 2007.
I really enjoyed Okay for Now. It was raw and real and funny and emotional and I couldn’t put it down. Gary D. Schmidt has devolved a truly original voice for middle-grade readers. Hands down exceptional, distinguished, and kid-approachable writing.
This book goes down as one of the best historical fiction books for I’ve read in a long time. Adult or kid books. I feel as though Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s book has great historical value for people of all ages, but I feel the points she drives home, especially at the end, are relevant and topical for today as well. Her writing was approachable and eloquent, and still remains with me weeks after reading Jefferson’s Sons.
I think I would have loved this book as a girl. Specifically, me at age 11 or 12. I bet if I read this book then, I would have wished I was the main character, Raine. I would have wanted to live in that old, broken down mansion, with all those interesting artists, and write, and dream, and write, and dream.
by Linda Urban
Hound Dog True was one of those books that as I’m reading it I’m thinking:
“wow.”
and
“this is good.”
and
“I could never in a million years write like this.”
and
“this is really good work.”
Before reading Hound Dog True, I wasn’t familiar with Linda Urban. Now, she’s kinda my author idol.
by Jack Gantos
Read this excerpt from the inside jacket cover about character Jack Gantos by author Jack Gantos and tell me this isn’t going to be a good story..
“Jack’s mother loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with an unusual chore– typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels… and possibly murder.”
Read it in two days.
Not on the Mock list but I read anyway…
No, The Aviary wasn’t on the mock list but it sounded intriguing, so here it is. A mixing of many of my favorite things… Victorian times, enchantment, mystery, old houses, friendship. A good book for a girl who likes Anne of Green Gables or The Secret Garden with a few supernatural twists.
Books Previously Read…
Excellent! Another masterful, fun read by Selznick.
Full review from October here.
by Thanhha Lai
Loved it. My guess is Inside Out and Back Again will be at least a Newbery Honor.
Winner of The National Book Award. Full review from November here.
by Patrick Ness, from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd
Heartbreaking and beautiful.
Full review from November here.
by Anne Ursa
A timeless story of friendship to be read on a cold winter day.
Full review here.
As a side note, the author of Breadcrumbs, Anne Ursa, and two other of the above authors, Gary D. Schmit (Okay for Now), Sheila O’Conner (Sparrow Road), are educators for Hamline University. What a draw for budding writers!
by John Stephens
…I was really surprised this title made the selection. I think it was an adventurous read, especially for Rick Riordan fans, but as far as Newbery criteria goes I don’t see how it stands out as being a“distinguished contribution to American literature”. Then again, I’m no expert. I’m merely a reader. And maybe I need to re-read it, because when I went back to see how I ranked with my other summer reading books, I didn’t even include it in my notables list.
If I could pick one book…
This would be it.
It was a tough call for me. Inside Out and Back Again and Jefferson’s Sons were also big contenders, but Okay for Now remains my champion.
The Mock Awards were all day today and Okay For Now was also voted the big winner among the attendees with Jefferson’s Sons coming in as the second place honor book.
What are your predictions?
More Newbery Info
If you’re looking for more Mock Newbery lists, I find that Heavy Medal has a good one as well as the Allen County Public Library.
Also, be sure to check out the Goodreads Newbery Poll to see how these books rank among other readers.
The Newbery Award winner for 2012 will be announced January 23rd!
You can go here for more details.
image sources: okay for now, jefferson’s sons, sparrow road, hound dog true, dead end in norvelt, aviary, wonderstruck, inside out, monster calls, breadcrumbs, emerald atlas
5
Jan
Reading Together: Mock Caldecott Awards
This edition of “Reading Together” is going to be a little different.
I’m not just going to go over a few of our favorite books lately. For this post, the picture books below are a few of our favorites from this year’s Kansas City Mock Caldecott & King Awards list. Next Tuesday, I will be attending the Kansas City Mock Literary Awards, which is a local discussion of the best picture books, middle grade fiction books, and young adult fiction books from the previous year (2011). Mock Literary Awards discussions will be going on all over the country during the month of January in anticipation of the official awards announcement at the ALA Midwinter Meeting on the morning of January 23rd.
I’ve been fervently reading the 12 selected books for the Mock Newbery Awards. Currently, I’m at 7 out of 12 and will be writing about them all when I finish later this weekend.
As always, this is just a list of books we liked reading together.
Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes
We’ve checked out this book a couple times this year and are obviously Kevin Henkes fans (see here and here). He’s found something very special with his illustration style that really speaks to children and adults alike. Kevin Henkes won the Caldecott Medal for his book Kitten’s First Full Moon back in 2005.
Hopper and Wilson by Maria Van Lieshout
I seen a few reviews that relate Hopper and Wilson to a Piglet and Pooh, which I think is pretty accurate. Stuffed animals on an adventure, full of simple wisdom.
All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson
I think this was fantastic. It was lyrical and to the point. And the illustrations…. well, the illustrations you just have to see for yourself.
We read this one a lot over the summer!
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
In 2006, Chris Raschka was awarded the Caldecott Medal for The Hello, Goodbye Window. Checked this one out over the summer. I love the illustrations, but LBD seemed to prefer Rrralph over Daisy.
Stars by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Marla Frazee
This is such a cute book. I like it so much that I’m pretty sure I’m going to create a storytime about “stars” just so I can read it aloud.
I especially enjoyed this book, but I’m not sure the audience it is written for. It seems that the adults ohh and ahh when they see it, but I haven’t seen many kids pick it up.
Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes
One of my favorite children’s poetry books is Dark Emperor (which won a Caldecot Honor), so naturally when Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes paired up for Swirl by Swirl I was an instant fan. Beth Krommes was previous awarded the Caldecott Medal in 2009 for House in the Night.
This was another one I checked out over the summer and really enjoyed. Brought it home to show Will not thinking LBD would like it, but she did. It was just the perfect length and the pictures were simple enough to keep her attention. Will and I like it because it takes place in NYC during the first major blackout in the 70’s.
Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat by Philip Christian Stead
The illustrations in this book are nice. The story is a little bizarre, but LBD liked looking at the pictures. Philip C. Stead won the Caldecott Medal last year for his A Sick Day for Amos McGee.
A Nations’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legand Joe Louis by Matt De La Pena, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
This book was a selection for both the Caldecott and the King discussion. This is my favorite by far. LBD didn’t pay much attention to it, as most of the books nominated for the King award were too long for her, but I couldn’t resist not having it up here. I still can’t get that image of Joe Louis as a young boy out of my mind. An incredible story with incredible illustrations.
All the Mock Coretta Scott King Award books were a little out of LBD’s league. They are all for a much older reader. BUT I do want to mention how much I enjoyed Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom by Shane W. Evans, Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson (same illustrator as the above book, A Nation’s Hope… my bets are on him winning the King award this year), Roots and Blues by Arnold Adoff and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, and Giant Steps to Change the World by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee and illustrated by Sean Qualls (probably going to use this one for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Storytime in a couple weeks).
Now, it’s time for me to get back to reading while the wee one takes her afternoon nap.
Gotta finish that Mock Newbery list.
***’Reading Together is a sampling of picture books I’m currently reading aloud to LBD (also known as L or Little L), my toddler daughter. As a children’s librarian, I’m always bringing home stacks and stacks of books to share together. Old and new. These are our favorites. Sometimes read over and over and over again…. Times thirty. To the tenth power.***
image source: white rabbit, hopper and wilson, water in the world, jane, ball for daisy, stars, grandpa green, swirl, blackout, jonathan, joe louis
17
Dec
End of Year Notable Reads
I’ve been extremely impressed with the last few books I’ve read. I mean.. a great book is hard to come by. Usually they are sprinkled here and there between a couple “okay books”, maybe one that bored you to tears, but you believed it “might get better”. And it never did. They come along only ever few months and maybe even years. So, I was surprise to find myself reading such beautiful, thought-provoking, clever youth fiction novels.
By Thanhha Lai
Recommended Reading Age: 8 & Up
Published: Harper Collins, February 2011
What luck I had when checking this book out. I had seen it on the “New Bookshelf” a couple of times while re-shelving at the library and finally committed to checking it out. The afternoon I read it, it won The National Book Award that evening! And deservingly so. Written entirely in verse, Inside Out & Back Again is a story of a girl, Ha, and her family’s escape from Saigon before it’s collapse to communism. They end up in Alabama, of all places, and have to cope with the racial oppression that befell them.
Based on the personal experience of the author, Thanhha Lai, this book will capture you early on and you’ll wish it didn’t only take an hour or two to read.
By Patrick Ness, From an original idea by Siobhan Dowd
Recommended Reading Age: 12 & Up
Published: Candlewick, September 2011
I cried. Oh, how I cried reading this book. I don’t remember crying while reading a book since I read Black Beauty in fourth grade. Usually, I’m not drawn to darker novels. I try and keep it light. But I am so glad I read this book.
What I loved the most about this book is that it isn’t about being honest with other people. It deals with the complex nature of being honest with yourself; y`our own thoughts and desires. How we cope and how we over come and how we forgive and how we say goodbye. Inspired from a story by Siobhan Dowd who died of cancer before she was able to finish her story, Patrick Ness does a masterful job with it’s completion. And props to Jim Kay for his eerie, yet alluring illustration.
By Anne Ursa
Recommended Reading Age: 8 & Up
Published: Walden Pond Press, September 2011
This books was another luck of the draw. It was named the December book selection for NPR’s Backseat Book Club while it was checked out under my name, awaiting my read, atop a pile of books on my nightstand. I’m glad I didn’t write this post yesterday after I finished reading this book. Yesterday, I would have commented on the nice writing style, but how the beginning was a bit slow. That it was worth it after you get to “Part 2”.
Not today.
Since yesterday Anne Ursa’s story was able to linger a spell. You can scratch the above. Each waking hour since reading Breadcrumbs, I’ve found myself thinking of it more and more and liking it more and more. It’s a story of change and of friendship. Of how the world can be cold and cruel, but how the warmth of those that are close to hearts help us endure it all.
image source: my vintage avenue, inside out, a monster calls, breadcrumbs,
14
Dec
Reading Together
For this past Sunday’s Winter Storytime, I had a reeeeaallly hard time selecting books. There were just too many good one’s about winter and/or snow to choose from. So good that we’ve continued reading a handful of them of them at our house.
Here are the honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the storytime cut:
White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
I’m a sucker for this illustration style from the 40’s & 50’s. It’s a Caldecott winner to boot!
This is one of LBD’s favorites of the moment. We read this one before bed every night.
When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan, illustrated by Susan Gaber
If you couldn’t tell already (here and here and here)… we’re kinda big fans of Lois Ehlert.
Grandmother Winter by Phillis Root, illustrations by Beth Krommes
A sweet little story about winter’s progression and another Beth Krommes appearance this week.
Snow Music by Lynne Ray Perkins
A day of snow, a day of song.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The classic winter tale.
The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel, illustrations by Nancy Winslow Parker
Similar to Under My Hood I Wear a Hat read for Silly Hat Storytime. A good pick for toddlers and pre-readers.
A Winter’s Tale by Robert Sabuda
POP-UP!
First Snow by Emily Arnold McCully
A fun read recommend to me by a middle school teacher. Now I’m hooked on Emily Arnold McCully.
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Brigs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian
Because “no two snowflakes are alike” and “each one is startlingly beautiful”.
Snow by Uri Shulevitz
A snow no one predicted… well, all except one special boy.
And what a magical snow it was.
***’Reading Together’ is a sampling of picture books my husband and I are currently reading with our toddler daughter, LBD. Some are brand new, some oldies, but goodies. 90% are her personal favorites of which we’ve read, over, and over, and over again…. Times thirty. To the tenth power.***
image sources: white snow bright snow, red sled, when winter comes, snowballs, grandmother winter, snow music, snowy day, the jacket i wear, winter’s tale, first snow, snowflake bentley, snow
14
Dec
Before There Was…
Storytelling is cyclical. Re-tellings, adaptations, similarities are unavoidable. When recovering stray books left out after the library day is over or when assisting patrons, I’ve been finding a lot of them recently.
So, here is my new blog experiment: A regular feature called “Before There Was…” in which I’ll highlight a popular new title and also an older classic that has been around for generations. I’m a sucker for the old books in our library’s collection and I’m always sad to see when they have to be removed due to minimal checkouts.
So this is my tribute to the older copies that seem to sit on the shelf a lot longer than the newer models. This is my attempt at gently encouraging you to give them a chance.
Before There Was…..
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrations by Beth Krommes
2008
……….There Was…
Goodnight, Goodnight by Eve Rice
1980
Beautiful, beautiful black, white, and gold illustrations. Both nighttime picture books for young children. Both are worth the read.
image sources: house in the night, goodnight, goodnight
8
Dec
Castles: Moving, Growing, and Forgotten
There has been a building trend in my reading recently. I’m repeatedly drawn to stories about castles. Completely coincidental and each book extremely different from the next. Well, except for the whole castle part.
Recommended Reading Age: 10 & Up
Published: April 1986, Eos
Will has been trying to get me to watch the movie with him for awhile now, but I didn’t want to watch it until I read the book. It’s been on my to-read list for a long, long time and I’ve been dragging my feet until a co-worker started reading it which finally inspired me to finally follow through. And I’m very glad I did so, because it was charming, and bizarre, with clever characters, and felt I was in a delightful dream when reading it. I don’t even know how I begin to describe it. Maybe it’s a cop-out, but you have to read it for yourself. It’s a charming tale.
Recommended Reading Age: 8 & Up
Published: October 2011, Bloomsbury
I want to start out by saying, I feel really bad for Tuesdays at the Castle. I read it right after I read Howl’s Moving Castle in which there is no comparison. If I had read it before, it might of had a good chance chance to receive a higher rating from myself, but I didn’t and in the end it was merely “a cute story”. Just didn’t have the panache Howl did.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. It’s actually a really good book for 3rd and 4th graders. I loved the concept of the castle transforming every Tuesday, playing favorites of those who lived or visited there, especially when the good of the royal family is concerned. Princess Celie, the youngest of the royal siblings living at Castle Glower, has a relationship with Castle Glower unlike anyone can recall since Castle Glower was built. As if they understand each others thoughts and wishes. If I read this as a girl, I would have adored it.
By Linda Medley, Introduction by Jane Yolen
Recommended Reading Age: 13 & Up
Published: June 2006, Fantagraphics Books
An adult book!! Well, sorta. It’s classified as an adult graphic novel in our library, which is exciting for me because I haven’t read an adult book in quite awhile. A short vacation from kiddoland reading.
Before this book I tried reading graphic novels, but couldn’t quite get into it. At first it was as if reading a foreign language and my patience was lacking. But I kept trying and lo and behold I finally got into it with Castle Waiting. Interestingly enough, it was my gateway into youth and teen graphic novels of which I’ve been checking out every week since.
Have you read any of these books? Do you have any castle recommendations of your own?
image source: castle pic, howl, tuesdays, castle waiting
18
Nov
Reading Together
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrations by James Dean
I’m going to have to buy a copy of this book for LBD for xmas. Not only is it fun to read, and the illustrations hysterical, but she already knows the colors red, blue, and brown from reading it.
Perfect Square by Michael Hall
A must read for all ages about the many possibilities of a perfect square. Another good read to check out by by this author, My Heart is Like a Zoo, featuring the most complex of shapes (and human attributes), the heart.
Humpty Dumpty and Other Nursery Rhymes by Lucy Cousins
LBD dances to “Three Blind Mice”. Every time.
Bedtime Bunnies by Wendy Watson
A sweet, little family bedtime story.
Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson
Okay, now this book is way too old for a 16-month old, but I included it because both Will and I thought it was really funny and great for a children ages 4 & up.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault, illutstrated by Lois Ehlert
Did you know this week is Kansas Read to Preschoolers? Well, it is! And this is the feature title for 2011.
***”Reading Together” is a sampling of books my husband and I are currently reading with our toddler, LBD. Some are brand new, some are oldies, but goodies. 90% are her personal favorites of which we’ve read, over, and over, and over again…. Times thirty. To the tenth power.***
image sources: pete the cat, perfect square, bedtime bunnies, limelight larry, chicka chicka
11
Nov
Art Appreciation
Next child art prodigy?
LBD has recently taken an interest in the art of coloring. She’ll sit down for up to 10 minutes (which is hours in toddler world) scribbling away before trying to color her face. After watching this evolution I got to thinking…. Am I a creativity encourager or an inhibitor (e.g. “Don’t color on your face”). Should I be more concerned with cultivating creativity than teaching boundaries? (“We color on paper and not our face. Or the walls. Or the kitty cat.”)
Have you ever seen this video of Aelita Andre? I would love to be able to provide a creative space like the one Aelita has. I can only picture my landlords face now if he walked in and saw a display red and blue paint globs hiding the dark wood paneling that covers 80% or our home. I don’t believe L’s in line to be the next child art prodigy, but I do want to be able to give her the type of environment that will allow her to explore different artistic outlets.
Is there anything special you do with your own kids or students?
For now we’ll have to make due with a large pad of paper and a few crayons.
And because I can’t make it through a blog post without a book list… here are a few books we like about ART:
Art by Patrick McDonnell
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Leonni
Action Jackson by Jan Greenburg, illustrated by Sandra Jordon
Art and Max by David Weisner
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Salzburg
Georgia’s Bones by Jennifer Fisher Bryant
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
And before you go. A gem of an outake…
Have a great weekend!
image sources: Art,
5
Nov
New Kids Fiction Must Reads
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
By: Caherynne M. Valente, Illustrations by Ana Juan
Recommend Reading Age: 10 & up
Published: May 2011, Feiwell & Friends
“September is a girl who longs for adventure. When she is invited to Fairyland by a Green Wind and a Leopard, well, of course she accepts. (Mightn’t you?) But Fairyland is in turmoil, and it will take one twelve-year-old girl, a book-loving dragon, and a strange and almost human boy named Saturday to vanquish an evil Marquess and restore order.” (Amazon)
I’m going to go ahead and go there and say The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making was the most enjoyable book I’ve read all year. I adored this gorgeous, heartfelt book from start to finish and have been recommending it to children and adults alike. The language is lush, full of depth and whimsy and I don’t think there was one chapter where I didn’t want to pick up my red pen, marking passages with large stars and bold underlines in the library’s copy. That will have to wait until I own a copy of my own.
By: Brian Selznick
Recommended reading age: 9 & up
Published: September 2011, Scholastic
“Set fifty years apart, two independent stories—Ben’s told in words and Rose’s in pictures—weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder.” (Goodreads)
After reading Selznick’s 2008 Caldecot winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, over the summer I was impatient for Selznick’s latest, Wonderstruck, to be released. And while I enjoyed reading Wonderstruck as much as The Invention of Hugo Cabret (and maybe even a pinch more), I was surprised to find the story so distinctively different. Perhaps in my mind I was anticipating a Hugo Cabret II, but other than Selznick’s prized picture/text format, Wonderstruck was more mysterious and at the same time more real/realatable. The book starts in two parallel stories being told, one in pictures and one in words, but eventually fuses into one where the central characters learn about their family, and thus find themselves.
ps. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is to be released as a movie this Thanksgiving. You can view the movie trailer here.
by Lauren Oliver, Illustrations by Kei Acedera
Recommended Reading Age: 8 & up
Published: October 2011, Harper Collins
“Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.
That same night, an alchemist’s apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.
Will’s mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.” (Goodreads)
Rising star author of the extremely popular teen titles Before I Fall and Delirium, Lauren Oliver, makes her debut appearance into the world of children’s books with Liesl & Po. Ghosts, murder, and “The Otherside”. When I first started to read this book, it crossed my mind that it may be too dark for children. Ghosts, murder, “The Otherside”…. but the more I thought about it, death is something we all have to face at various stages of life. It is a part of life. When we censor death from children, I feel like it leaves them even more confused and uncomfortable with it’s nature. Even I uncomfortably squirm when the subject arises, but I feel Lauren Oliver did a masterful job approaching such a difficult subject. In Liesl & Po‘s adventurous world of magic and supernatural, their story isn’t one of loss, rather it’s a tale of friendship, perseverance, and moving on.
Image Sources: The Girl Who Circumnavigated.., Wonderstruck, Liesl & P0
25
Oct
Cluck, Cluck, Who’s There?
Our chicken friend has made a few return appearances since the first encounter. She also has the three of us wishing for one (…or two, or three) chickens of our very own. But since we’re renting our house, having chickens is not in the immediate future. Regardless, Will and I have already been doing our research and these titles have us on our second round of renewals at the library– thought I’d share:
Homemade Living: Keeping Chickens With Ashley English: All You Need To Know to Care for a Happy, Healthy Flock by Ashley English is inspiring. We’re already set on what coop we’d like to build, plans provided in the pages. I first became acquainted with this author through her blog, Small Measure, which coincidentally did a recent giveaway of the next title I’m with in love with…
Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life by Julia Rothman (who also has a blog home at Book By It’s Cover) makes me want to go buy property in the outskirts of Lawrence and start a farm. Tomorrow. Get up and leave city life all together. An expansive garden… no… a crop! And chickens, and cows, and bees, and freshly laundered sheets blowing in the wind, and open rolling hills, and bright starry nights.
But I enjoy being able to walk into town every day. Going to the park, the library, being around people. Living on a farm doesn’t make these places off limits, but they aren’t as accessible as they are where we live today. The country farm picture is pretty one, and within reach, but would I be able to forgo my city life comforts?
We’re going to start small. Beginning with chickens.
