Mock Newbery: On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck

Title:  On the Wings of Heroes
Author: Richard Peck
Publisher:  New York : Dial Books,c2007
ISBN: 0803730810

Annotation: A boy in Illinois remembers the home front years of World
War II, especially his two heroes--his brother in the Air Force and
his father, who fought in the previous war.

When I opened the delivery of books, this title was on the top of the box.
"Oh, no" I groaned inwardly, "Not another Peck book to read". Even the
cover was unappealing to me. His books are always well written, but do
they have kid appeal? I find adults like them more than any child I have
recommended his titles to. Still, when I started to read, I found myself
liking these new characters, even chuckling at his homey, heartwarming
humor. This was a pleasure to read. A charming tribute to a loving
father. However, not groundbreaking or new. A recommended purchase,
not a Newbery contender.

Mock Newbery: Call me Hope by Gretchen Olson

Title:  Call me Hope 
Author: Gretchen Olson
Publisher: New York, NY : Little, Brown & Company,2007
ISBN 9780316012362

Annotation: In Oregon, eleven-year-old Hope begins coping with her mother's verbal
abuse by devising survival strategies for herself based on a history unit about the
Holocaust, and meanwhile she works toward buying a pair of purple hiking boots by
helping at a second-hand shop.


I just finished Call me Hope, a novel by Gretchen Olson, who lives in Oregon.  This
a satisfying book about verbal abuse beween a mother and a child.
Satisfying because it was more than an issue book. The main character, Hope, reads
"Anne Frank" and draws inspiration from Anne's diary to help her deal with her own
life. I worried about whether to make it J or YA. In the end I thought it would find
more J readers. I thought the author's choice of the Thrift shop friends was a good
choice, gently used things being new again. The character's name Hope, the sixth
grade class trip as a reward for responsibility, all fit with the theme. Hope's
survival tips are listed in the back of the book. Recommended.

Review by:  Beth J., CLTR

Mock Newbery: Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree

Title:  Emma-Jean Lazarus fell out of a tree / Lauren Tarshis.
Publisher:  New York : Dial Books for Young Readers,2007
ISBN  9780803731646

Annotation:  A quirky and utterly logical seventh-grade girl named Emma-Jean
Lazarus discovers some interesting results when she gets involved in the messy
everyday problems of her peers.

Review: Emma Jean Lazarus fits the definition of strange. She is a girl separate
from the crowd. When confronted with Colleen (nice girl) Pomerantz sobbing at the sink,
Emma Jean steps in to solve problems and sets into motion an avalanche of events. A
charming novel filled with middle school personalities. Wonderfully written in a
fresh voice. In my top ten!

Reviewed by:  Beth J., CLTR

Mock NEWBERY: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Starred Review: Kirkus 01/15/07
Author: Kinney, Jeff
Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
ISBN: 97801810993136


This book is funny and interesting, but very episodic and I didn't feel there was a cohesive plot through the whole book. The main character did 'do the right thing' at the very end of the book, but still didn't seem to have developed much. It felt more like a one shot deal. Again and again through the book the main character, Greg, disreguards others feelings, uses his 'best friend', and just generally acts like a jerk. There is no eppifany when he realizes that he's been treating his friend badly and owes him an apology or even that how he acts is wrong. It's a good read and funny, but could be so much better if the plot and characters were developed more.

I know that boys will pick up the book and may even enjoy the unique blend of prose and comic art. It reminded me of Moss' Amelia's Notebooks. A good pick for the collection, but not an award winner in my eyes.

Mock Printz: Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox

Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox

ISBN 0374318549

Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2007

Laura Hame is the last in a long line of Dreamers. She was first introduced in the book, Dreamhunters. She, with assistance from her family, continues her quest to discover the truth about the Place, a separate, barren piece of earth containing powerful influential dreams, where only but a few people have the ability to dissolve into. In this alternative world, dreams have replaced technology and a whole different society has formed. Dreams are used to punish criminals, dreams are used to provide contentment and stop people from thinking, and ultimately, dreams are used to wield power. Laura, like any true hero, figures out the mystery of the Place and in turn heals the world. Even though this book is second in a series, I think it can stand on its own. The fantasy is highly imaginative with excellent characterizations. There is plenty of drama and adventure with girls being the risk takers. It left quite an impression on me and it was disappointing to finish the book.

Reviewd by Susan R., Rutherford Library

Mock Printz: Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

Title: Shark Girl
Author: Kelly Bingham
Publisher: Candlewick
ISBN: 9780763632076
Starred review in: PW

While swimming at the beach one day, aspiring professional artist Jane is attacked by a shark. Although she is able to escape with her life, thanks to her brother, she loses her right arm above the elbow. As she lies in the hospital, the sympathy cards and letters pour in, but she doesn't want any of them. She wants the man who sold his home video of her attack to the news to suffer. She wants her life back. While in the hospital, she meets another amputee, Justin (age 9), who has only one request for her: He wants her to draw a picture for him. To Jane, that's an impossible request. Her drawing arm is gone, and drawing a computer, to her, is NOT art.

When Jane returns to school in the fall, things are different between her and her friends. Her best friend Rachel is as loyal and caring as ever, but it seems like their other friend Angela can do nothing but criticize Jane about the way she looks. And does swimming hottie Max really like Jane for who she is, or does he just feel sorry for her?

Like many novels in verse, this is a quick read with moments of brilliance. Interspersed with the poems are some of the letters Jane receives while she recovers and receives therapy in the hospital. It's an excellent readalike for fans of Sonya Sones and Ellen Hopkins, with depth, despair, and an eventual turn towards a mental and physical recovery. Is it Printz-worthy? I don't think so. But it is a worthy buy for many libraries and a solid read.

Reviewed by Carlie W., BCCLS

Mock Newbery: Reaching for the Sun

Starred Review: Kirkus 01/15/07
Author: Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn
Title: Reaching for sun
9-12
ISBN: 1599900378

The annotation in the catalogue reads simply: "Josie, who lives with her mother and grandmother and has cerebral palsy, befriends a boy who moves into one of the rich houses behind her old farmhouse."

This one simple sentence just doesn't do it justice. Reaching for the Sun is a short, but elegant, novel in verse about a year in the life of young girl with CP who lives with her single working mom and her grandmother. The short verses communicate clearly the voice of Josie as she befriends a new boy, learns to stand up for what SHE wants, deals with her Grandmother being sick, and reconnects with her mother. So much happens in the few words that the author writes and yet nothing feels glossed over or neglected.

With quotes like: "like a blip on the radar of my life" refering to how little Josie sees of her mother between her job and her classes in the evening, this story of a young girl turning into a woman and learning about ethics, friendship, and herself will stay with you long after you close the book itself.

Review by:
Latricia Batchelor Markle
Tenafy Public Library

MOCK NEWBERY: Corydon and the Fall of Atlantis

Starred Review: Kirkus 12/15/06
Author: Druitt, Tobias
Title: Corydon and the Fall of Atlantis
Fantasy 12-15
ISBN: 375833838
This sequal to Corydon and the Island of Monsters is of course similar to its predicessor in style and language. It is full of references to classical mythology some of which the 12-15 yr old readers will be familiar with and even more which they won't be. It sometimes reads as a more serious version of the Percy Jackson books.
The cover of the book and the flap noes do grab your interest and the premis of the book will grab the interest of many readers who like adventure or mythology. The problem comes once you actually get into the book. The adventurous plot starts to slow down and get bogged downin details. Then even more characters are added to a fairly large original group of monsters.
I can't tell you how the book ends or if the slow plot picks up speed again, though I will wager a guess that it does about 3/4 or so through the book, because I stopped reading and just couldn't dredge up the interest in it to even peak at the ending.
Review by:
Latricia Batchelor Markle
Tenafly Public Library

Mock Newbery: Way Down Deep

Title:  Way Down Deep
Author: Ruth White
ISBN:  0374382514
Publisher: New York : Farrar Straus Giroux,2007
Starred review in: PW April 2007

"God is in that place where sleep takes us. Way down deep inside, where all the
answers lie."

Annotation In the West Virginia town of Way Down Deep in the 1950s, a foundling
called Ruby June is happily living with Miss Arbutus at the local boarding house
when suddenly, after the arrival of a family of outsiders, the mystery of Ruby's
past begins to unravel.

Appalachian fable with themes of sleep and dreams, reads like a fairytale. Opening
the book to find a map and cast of characters as long as your arm, this might
intimidate rather than inform. A sweet, charming dream of a book. A place where the
goodness of people is the rule for conduct. Who wouldn't want to live here?

Review by: Beth J., CLTR

Mock Newbery: Remembering Mrs. Rossi

Title: Remembering Mrs Rossi
Author: Amy Hest
Publisher: Cambridge, MA : Candlewick Press,2007
ISBN: 0763621633


Without being overly maudlin, Amy Hest manages to explore a child's grief. Third
grader Annie and her father settle into their motherless life. Set in NYC.
Sympathetic teacher Misss Meadows. Bewildered father. Former students of her mother
write a touching eulogy book and present it Annie and her father. The students book
is presented as a conclusion. A fine introduction to the quiet grief that hopefully
none of the readers will ever experience. Was it too quiet, was it bibliotherapy?

Review by:  Beth J., CLTR

Mock Newbery: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Title: The Invention of HUGO CABRET
Author:  Brian Selznick
Publisher: New York : Scholastic Press,2007
ISBN: 0439813786


Imagine a combination of "Griffin and Sabine" and "The Thief Lord". Abandoned
(orphaned) child in a Parisian train station, theives out of necessistiy and keeps
the clocks running so as not to have his uncles's disappeatrance noticed. This
tender book is a combination of art that unfolds in cinematic fashion, echoing
(presaging) the events in the text. An automaton in need of repair holds the clue to
characters pasts and their futures. Skillful blending of text and art brings an
added dimension to the storytelling. While the book works on more than one level, is
this the finest of literature or an author's fancy?

Review by:  Beth J., CLTR

Mock Newbery: A Friendship for Today

Title:  A Friendship for Today
Author:  McKissack, Patricia C
Publisher:  New York : Scholastic Press,2007
ISBN:  043966098X
Starred review:  PW 1/8/07

Based on the author's real life experience, this novel of intergration in the 1950's 
skillfully layers storylines. Rosemary is the only black student in her fifth grade
class. Her best friend JJ contracts polio, her parents marriage is dissolving and she
changes schools. Rosemary's family and community lend her the strength and dignity
to face these challenges. Rosemary starts an unlikely friendship with Grace, one the
whiteDead End kids, who used to make her life miserable.  Rosemary and Grace team
up to counter prejudice. Tolerance is the theme in and out of the classroom.

Review by: Beth J., CLTR

F.A.Q. for the 2008 Mock Awards

F.A.Q.s for the BCCLS Mock Awards, 2007:

Q: How do you choose the books you read?

A: All the books we choose receive starred reviews from authoritative review sources, including Booklist, KLIATT, SLJ, VOYA (we add books to our reading list that receive a 5Q, regardless of the P rating), Kirkus, PW, Horn Book. In the case of the Mock Printz, we also consider a nomination to YALSA's Best Books for Young Adults equivalent to a starred review. From the list of starred reviews, we see which books have garnered the most praise and begin with those. We also read according to our personal interests.

Q: How do you choose the books that appear on your short list?

A: Everyone on a Mock Awards committee puts a list together of their personal top ten candidates for their award. The ten books that appear on the largest number of top ten lists are the ones shortlisted for the Mock Awards.

Q: What other criteria do you use in choosing books?

A: When deciding what books to honor, we use the criteria from the ALA Awards. Most importantly, the awards are about writing quality, not popularity, and not emotional reaction. A book that sits on the shelf and collects dust could still be eligible for a Mock Award if the writing is strong enough.

For more information on the ALA Awards, visit the Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz sites.

Q. Can I come to the Mock Awards program in January even though I'm a director? Not a youth services librarian? Employed by a non-BCCLS library?

A: Absolutely. All professional and paraprofessional library employees with an interest in literature for children and young adults are welcome to attend.

Q. Do I have to read every page of every book listed?

A: No, but it helps to have some familiarity with the book. Read enough to find out whether it's worthy or not. Read reviews! Check to see if the book has generated buzz among librarians, including discussion on children's and YA literature listservs like PUBYAC, YALSA-BK, and Adbooks.

Q: Does my library have to buy everything on the list?

A: No, but everything on the list should have a starred review from an authoritative review source. Check to see if this type of book is well-received at your library. Lists like these are a fast checkup for your collection.

Q: How can I give my favorite title the best chance of being on your list?

A: Contact one of the members of the BCCLS Youth Services Committee and ask that your book be read and considered. Campaign for it on the blog, or on the BCCLSYouth mailing list. Bring it to the program anyway and find out why it didn't make the list.

Q: Why isn't the final list published earlier?

A: We would miss too many great books fromt he fall publishing season. September and October are big months in publishing, and we have to allow time for libraries to acquire copies of these books and for committee members to read them.

Q: How do you read that many books in a short period of time?

A: Start by reading some star-reviewed items as they come into your library, especially items that have more than one starred review or are nominated to YALSA's Best Books for Young Adults. Look at the blog to find out what's getting a lot of discussion. Chances are some of the books you see listed here will make the final cut.

As for the rest, reading is part of the job. Turn off the TV, stay up late reading, and come in to work a little bleary-eyed in the morning. Also, consider listening to some of the selections. It's a great way to handle that horrible rush-hour commute, or to make time pass while you're chopping vegetables or on the treadmill.

MocK Newbery: On the Wings of Heroes by Peck

The first title I finished for the Mock Newbery is On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck (Specifics at the end). Note I said finished and not the first started. I'm still attempting to slog my way through Corydon and the fall of Atlantis.

When I started Wings, I had a bit of trouble getting into the book, but I was soon drawn into Peck's characters and I kept thinking just a few more pages until I find out...xyz. Of course by the time I answered that question or plot point there was something else I wanted to know so I was strung along to the end mostly in one sitting. The plot wasn't terrifically original or new, but the characters felt real and the narrator's voice rang true, though slightly old for the age in the book, excusable since it's told looking back on the events. I liked the book, but don't feel that there was anything groundbreaking about it. The ending was a lose/lose situation for Peck....if the brother dies, then it's cliche and old; if the brother comes home alive from war, then it's too neat and idyllic. I'm not going to say which happens....just that I don't think there is a way he could have made everyone happy with any ending. Personally, I have mixed feeling about the end and wish that a few of the episodes in the book got a bit more attention (like the Chicago gangsters & fake gas books or even a bit of explaining about rationing and war stamps).


Starred review in: Kirkus 01/01/07
Peck, Richard
On the Wings of Heroes
Fiction 10+
9780803730816

Awards announced, 2007!

Thanks to everyone who attended and voted at the Mock Awards this week. The winners are:

Mock Caldecott:

WINNER: Flotsam by David Wiesner
HONORS: The Secret Science Project that Almost ate the School by Judy Sierra and John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith

Mock Newbery:

WINNER: Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
HONORS: Toys Go Out: Being the adventures of a knowledgeable Stingray, a toughy little Buffalo, and someone called Plastic by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul Zelinsky and The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Mock Printz:

WINNER: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
HONORS: Life as we Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer and The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Remember that although the final list is compiled by members of the Youth Services Committee, anyone is welcome to suggest a book for consideration. Here's to a great 2006, and we're looking at 2007 to be even better.

Final reading lists: Mock Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz

Welcome to all readers for the 2007 BCCLS Mock Awards! Here are the dates and places for awards selection:

Mock Caldecott: Tuesday, January 9, 2007, 9: 30 a.m. at the New Milford Library
Mock Newbery: Tuesday, January 9, 2007, 1:30 p.m. at the New Milford Library
Mock Printz: Thursday, January 11, 2007, 9:30 a.m. at the Paramus Library


To RSVP for one, two, or all three Mock Awards, send an email to carlie @ bccls.org (without the spaces) and include in your email which programs you plan to attend.

Reading lists:

Mock Caldecott:

1. Grandfather Buffalo by Jim Arnosky
2. An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston.
3. Max's Words by Kate Banks
4. Tiger of the Snows by Robert Burleigh
5. Sea Horse, the Shyest Fish in the Sea by Chris Butterworth
6. Walk On! by Marla Frazee
7. The Boy Who Cried Wolf by B.G. Hennessy
8. Sleepy Boy by Polly Kanevsky
9. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
10. Moon Plane by Peter McCarty
11. Jazz by Walter Dean Myers
12. Cookies, Bite Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
13. Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman
14. The Secret Science Project that Almost Ate the School by Judy Sierra
15. John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith
16. Flotsam by David Weisner

Mock Newbery:

1. Defining Dulcie by Paul Acampora
2. Victory by Susan Cooper
3. The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman
4. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
5. Penny from Heaven by Jennifer Holm
6. Part of Me by Kimberly Willis Holt
7. Toys Go Out: Being the adventures of a knowledgeable Stingray, a toughy little Buffalo, and someone called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
8. Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
9. Alabama Moon by Watt Key
10. Gossamer by Lois Lowry
11. Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson
12. Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
13. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Mock Printz:

1. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
2. Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr
3. The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos
4. Rash by Pete Hautman
5. Time's Memory by Julius Lester

6. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
7. a brief chapter in my impossible life by Dana Reinhardt
8. Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
9. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
10. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
11. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

A change to my top picks: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I know I've already posted my top ten, but this is a book I can't stop thinking about. I read it in two sittings (and I was sorely tempted to read it instead of getting some much-needed sleep) and the buzz on YALSA-BK and Adbooks has been huge.


Title: Life as we Knew It
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
ISBN: 0-15-205826-5
Starred review in: Booklist and PW
Review: Miranda is as normal a teenage girl as anyone can get. Her divorced parents make an effort to get along (even though her dad's new wife is pregnant), her older brother is away at college, and her younger brother is a rising baseball star. She enjoys hanging out with her friends, swimming, skating, and obsessing over her favorite Olympic men's figure-skating hopeful. Everything in her life changes, however, when an asteroid hits the moon. In the days before the asteroid hits, no one seems too worried, because asteroids hit the moon all the time. When the force of the asteroid knocks the moon out of its orbit, however, disastrous climate changes occur. Massive tsunamis wipe out millions of coastal dwellers. Earthquakes occur in Missouri. Volcanic eruptions cause a nuclear winter. Miranda's concerns quickly go from whether the captain of the swim team likes her to her family's dwindling food supply. Told in diary format, this is a frightening look at a dystopian future no one can control. Through illness, starvation, death, and subzero temperatures Miranda tries to cling to normalcy.

This title would make an excellent group discussion book, as it covers so many subjects: environmentalism, family relations, love, and survival, just to start. It's a quick read, great for both the junior high and high school set, and tense from start to finish. If you don't already have this in your collection, please consider buying it. I believe it has a wide audience and the potential to win a lot of honors.

Carlie, BCCLS

Mock Printz: Barbara's top eleven

From Barbara W. at Wyckoff:

• Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr
  
• Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
  
• Surrender by Sonya Hartnett
  
• The Wish House by Celia Rees
  
• a brief chapter in my impossible life by Dana Reinhardt
  
• A Bad Boy Can be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
  
• It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
• The Unresolved by T.K. Welsh
• The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
  
• Storm Thief by Chris Wooding
  
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  

Mock Printz: Lynn's top ten

From Lynn K. at Englewood:

• Time's Memory by Julius Lester
• Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr
• St. Iggy by K.L. Going
• It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
• The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Clay by David Almond
• Rash by Pete Hautman
• Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hannah Jansen
• Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger

Mock Newbery: Carol's top twelve

From Carol H. at Franklin Lakes:

• Penny from Heaven by Jennifer Holm
  
• Gossamer by Lois Lowry
• Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
• Singing Hands by Delia Ray
• Bread and Roses Too by Katherine Paterson
• Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
• Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
• Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
• The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
• I'll Sing You One-O by Nancy Gregory
• Defining Dulcie by Paul Acampora