Reposted from my blog:
The BCCLS Youth Services Committee has been very hard at work this year, reading and making lists of the books they deem most worthy of appearing in the finals for our Mock Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz Awards. The lists are final and available to all in several places.
First, you can see our flyer for the event (all are welcome!), which lists all of our favorites.
Second, you can visit BCCLSVisor, where the lists appear individually.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Caldecott contenders for 2009
I noticed that Richie Partington has posted his "Best of 2008" picks. His list includes several picture books, and because Richie is serving on the 2009 Caldecott, I would say that his picture book selections are ones to check out.
The BCCLS Mock Caldecott shortlist is here.
The BCCLS Mock Caldecott shortlist is here.
Archives of Mock Awards chats available
For those who were unable to attend our three online Mock Awards chats, don't worry! You can read the chat transcripts here: BCCLS 2009 Mock Awards Chats, November 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Mock Awards chats November 12, 13, 14
This week and next, we're hosting the BCCLS Mock Awards online chats. Everyone is invited to attend regardless of whether you work in a BCCLS library.
November 12 (Wednesday) is the Mock Caldecott chat at 11 a.m. To see the committee's current favorites for the Mock Caldecott, go to http://www.bccls.org/BCCLSVisor/Caldecott.shtml
November 13 (Thursday) is the Mock Newbery chat, also at 11 a.m. To see the committee's current favorites for the Mock Newbery, go to http://www.bccls.org/BCCLSVisor/Newbery.shtml
November 18 (Tuesday) is the Mock Printz chat at...yes, 11 a.m.! To see the committee's current favorites for the Mock Printz, go to http://www.bccls.org/BCCLSVisor/Printz.shtml
To enter the chat, just go to http://www.bccls.org/mockChat/ when the chat you want to attend is scheduled.
November 12 (Wednesday) is the Mock Caldecott chat at 11 a.m. To see the committee's current favorites for the Mock Caldecott, go to http://www.bccls.org/BCCLSVisor/Caldecott.shtml
November 13 (Thursday) is the Mock Newbery chat, also at 11 a.m. To see the committee's current favorites for the Mock Newbery, go to http://www.bccls.org/BCCLSVisor/Newbery.shtml
November 18 (Tuesday) is the Mock Printz chat at...yes, 11 a.m.! To see the committee's current favorites for the Mock Printz, go to http://www.bccls.org/BCCLSVisor/Printz.shtml
To enter the chat, just go to http://www.bccls.org/mockChat/ when the chat you want to attend is scheduled.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Mock Printz: Eon, Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
Title:Eon, Dragoneye Reborn
Author:Alison Goodman
Publisher:Viking
ISBN:9780670062270
Starred Review: PW,9/29/08
Eon was the weakest candidate to be chosen as a dragoneye, mostly because of her lameness. However, the gambling rings who set the odds at 1000:1 would have given her far worse odds especially had they known she was a girl, not a boy. But chosen she is, in a twist of fate, by the Mirror Dragon, absent from the competition for 500 years. This dramatic and unexpected outcome shifts the entire power structure of their world. So begins the intricate and clever fantasy dealing with gender identity, sexuality, in addition to palace intrigue, magical dragons and adventures galore. This is a long book that I wished would never end and I am impatiently waiting for the sequel. Sharyn November said that Penguin intends to publish it with a big splash. This book needs little help. It was one of my favorites and I think it will be a big hit.
Susan Rappaport, Rutherford Public Library
Author:Alison Goodman
Publisher:Viking
ISBN:9780670062270
Starred Review: PW,9/29/08
Eon was the weakest candidate to be chosen as a dragoneye, mostly because of her lameness. However, the gambling rings who set the odds at 1000:1 would have given her far worse odds especially had they known she was a girl, not a boy. But chosen she is, in a twist of fate, by the Mirror Dragon, absent from the competition for 500 years. This dramatic and unexpected outcome shifts the entire power structure of their world. So begins the intricate and clever fantasy dealing with gender identity, sexuality, in addition to palace intrigue, magical dragons and adventures galore. This is a long book that I wished would never end and I am impatiently waiting for the sequel. Sharyn November said that Penguin intends to publish it with a big splash. This book needs little help. It was one of my favorites and I think it will be a big hit.
Susan Rappaport, Rutherford Public Library
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Mock Printz: Paper Towns by John Green
Paper towns by John Green
ISBN: 9780525478188
Dutton
Plot: The book opens as nine year old Quentin and Margo Roth Spiegelman (one of those names you say all in one breath) find a dead body in the park. Then jumps to senior year of high school, where Quentin, now called Q, is still enthralled by Margo Roth Spiegelman, who has become one of the 'in' crowd. She dates the right guy, hangs out with the right people, and doesn't speak to Q, though he suspects that she's the one who keeps the bullies from leaning too hard on him and his band geek friends. Then one night about a month before graduation Margo show up outside Q's window and leads him on a night full of pranks before disappearing and leaving only a few mysterious clues, an upset best friend, and angry parents who seem just as happy she's gone.
Q with the help of his two best friends and Margo's best friend follow the clues a bit farther than Margo expected and skip graduation for a wild road trip from central FL to central NY state in just a little over a day.
Thoughts: I wasn't a huge fan of Green's before reading this. I admired what he did in Katherine's and in Looking for Alaska, but they were by no means favorites of mine. I've read reviews and comments where readers (both professional and teen) ask why Green keeps writing books about the 'ideal' girl who teaches the boy something and if all the books aren't just rifts on the same story. I don't get how they can say that after reading _Paper towns_ though. I would argue that Margo doesn't teach Q a thing. Oh, yeah she takes him out and gets him to loosen up on their night of pranks and he feel drawn to the clues she left, but he learns so much more once she's gone. He learns it from the journey, from looking into the clue, from the process of learning that the Margo he saw wasn't real. Ultimately, he learns about himself from himself and his friends NOT Margo. And Margo, as little as you see her, learns from Quentin. The reader doesn't find this out until the end of the novel, but Margo learns that the person she thought of as weak and cowardly, was probably the bravest and most daring person she never knew.
This novel is at turns serious and thoughtful and at others it's hilariously funny. In the end, these two teenagers learn that the people who were the corner stone of their lives and definitions of themselves are real people and had very little in common with who they thought they were.
Review by Latricia Markle
ISBN: 9780525478188
Dutton
Plot: The book opens as nine year old Quentin and Margo Roth Spiegelman (one of those names you say all in one breath) find a dead body in the park. Then jumps to senior year of high school, where Quentin, now called Q, is still enthralled by Margo Roth Spiegelman, who has become one of the 'in' crowd. She dates the right guy, hangs out with the right people, and doesn't speak to Q, though he suspects that she's the one who keeps the bullies from leaning too hard on him and his band geek friends. Then one night about a month before graduation Margo show up outside Q's window and leads him on a night full of pranks before disappearing and leaving only a few mysterious clues, an upset best friend, and angry parents who seem just as happy she's gone.
Q with the help of his two best friends and Margo's best friend follow the clues a bit farther than Margo expected and skip graduation for a wild road trip from central FL to central NY state in just a little over a day.
Thoughts: I wasn't a huge fan of Green's before reading this. I admired what he did in Katherine's and in Looking for Alaska, but they were by no means favorites of mine. I've read reviews and comments where readers (both professional and teen) ask why Green keeps writing books about the 'ideal' girl who teaches the boy something and if all the books aren't just rifts on the same story. I don't get how they can say that after reading _Paper towns_ though. I would argue that Margo doesn't teach Q a thing. Oh, yeah she takes him out and gets him to loosen up on their night of pranks and he feel drawn to the clues she left, but he learns so much more once she's gone. He learns it from the journey, from looking into the clue, from the process of learning that the Margo he saw wasn't real. Ultimately, he learns about himself from himself and his friends NOT Margo. And Margo, as little as you see her, learns from Quentin. The reader doesn't find this out until the end of the novel, but Margo learns that the person she thought of as weak and cowardly, was probably the bravest and most daring person she never knew.
This novel is at turns serious and thoughtful and at others it's hilariously funny. In the end, these two teenagers learn that the people who were the corner stone of their lives and definitions of themselves are real people and had very little in common with who they thought they were.
Review by Latricia Markle
Mock Printz: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3931-0
Candlewick Press
Plot:
Todd Hewitt is the last boy is Prentisstown. All the men in Prentisstown can hear the thoughts of other men and animals. These thoughts are called Noise. As Todd nears his 13th birthday, he learns that even when you can hear other men's thoughts that there can be secrets. His adopted fathers send him running for his life from power-hungry Prentiss and his men. Once he's on the run, Todd finds the first girl he's ever seen, Viola. Viola crashed in a nearby swamp and join Todd on the run from the men of Prentisstown. On their travels Todd learns that everything he knew was a lie and now he and Viola are racing to warn the new settlers of the dangers that lurk on New World.
Thoughts:
If your looking for a fantasy where the main character speaks with intelligent animals and good always wins, don't look here! Ness begins the book by slapping the reader in the face with the reality of hearing a dog talk and that's about the nicest reality check you get. That's not to say there are not good people or good moments in this book, but it is stark cold reality with no punches held back. The reality is not ours obviously, but it sucks the reader in and doesn't let go.
When Viola enters the story, she is the first silence that Todd has ever known. To extend that to the readers, she doesn't speak and so she remains as silent a blank to the read as she does to Todd. As Todd slowly gets used to reading her face and body language, she slowly begins to speak more opening herself as slowly to the reader as she does to Todd. Ness, also, strategically keeps ideas and images which Todd doesn't want to believe from the reader so that even in a first person narrative there are secrets as there were secrets even though everyone could read other's Noise. At times this drove me nuts, because I wanted him to give up the good and let the 'sad history' of Prentisstown out into the light, but overall that's a minor quibble with a very well written opening to what I'm guessing will be a trilogy and an excellent coming of age story.
Review by Latricia Markle
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3931-0
Candlewick Press
Plot:
Todd Hewitt is the last boy is Prentisstown. All the men in Prentisstown can hear the thoughts of other men and animals. These thoughts are called Noise. As Todd nears his 13th birthday, he learns that even when you can hear other men's thoughts that there can be secrets. His adopted fathers send him running for his life from power-hungry Prentiss and his men. Once he's on the run, Todd finds the first girl he's ever seen, Viola. Viola crashed in a nearby swamp and join Todd on the run from the men of Prentisstown. On their travels Todd learns that everything he knew was a lie and now he and Viola are racing to warn the new settlers of the dangers that lurk on New World.
Thoughts:
If your looking for a fantasy where the main character speaks with intelligent animals and good always wins, don't look here! Ness begins the book by slapping the reader in the face with the reality of hearing a dog talk and that's about the nicest reality check you get. That's not to say there are not good people or good moments in this book, but it is stark cold reality with no punches held back. The reality is not ours obviously, but it sucks the reader in and doesn't let go.
When Viola enters the story, she is the first silence that Todd has ever known. To extend that to the readers, she doesn't speak and so she remains as silent a blank to the read as she does to Todd. As Todd slowly gets used to reading her face and body language, she slowly begins to speak more opening herself as slowly to the reader as she does to Todd. Ness, also, strategically keeps ideas and images which Todd doesn't want to believe from the reader so that even in a first person narrative there are secrets as there were secrets even though everyone could read other's Noise. At times this drove me nuts, because I wanted him to give up the good and let the 'sad history' of Prentisstown out into the light, but overall that's a minor quibble with a very well written opening to what I'm guessing will be a trilogy and an excellent coming of age story.
Review by Latricia Markle
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Mock Printz: The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Title: The Boy Who Dared
Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-0-439-68013-4
Starred review in: PW, nominated to BBYA
From my blog:
Helmuth Guddat Huebneris eight years old when Hitler comes to power, but even at eight Helmuth can see that not everything Hitler does is really in the best interests of Germany. Hitler may talk about protecting Germans, but Helmuth knows he is losing freedoms and being told what to think about non-Germans. He fights with his mother's boyfriend, a Nazi who believes that Hitler is in the right. He also defies his teachers, who want him to write pro-Nazi school papers. Because of his views on humanity and equality, Helmuth is encouraged to stay silent. But as we know, quiet people don't have books written about their lives. Using information he hears from the BBC on a black-market radio, Helmuth begins distributing flyers that speak against the Nazi party and its propaganda. He is eventually caught by the Nazis and put on trial. Even with the knowledge that he is facing imprisonment, maybe execution, Helmuth refuses to stay silent or allow others to take his punishment.
The book is... a fast yet thought-provoking read, and I am always supportive of books that show young readers why defiance in an oppressive time (WWII or not) is never as easy as it looks. Bartoletti keeps the focus on Helmuth tight and shows the reader German history really well without going off into history data-dumping tangents. We see the struggle Helmuth must fight between speaking for what he believes is right and the knowledge that doing so could get him sent to prison, or worse. Bartoletti makes us understand why even those who did not believe in the Nazi ideals joined the party and fought in the war.
With all this, do I think it's a Printz book? As much as I liked it, I'm leaning toward no. I would definitely buy it for my library, booktalk it, and perhaps even use it in a book discussion group. It's nominated to BBYA and is quite deserving of a spot on that list. I just don't think that it terms of "literary" it's in the same field as some of my other favorites.
Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-0-439-68013-4
Starred review in: PW, nominated to BBYA
From my blog:
Helmuth Guddat Huebneris eight years old when Hitler comes to power, but even at eight Helmuth can see that not everything Hitler does is really in the best interests of Germany. Hitler may talk about protecting Germans, but Helmuth knows he is losing freedoms and being told what to think about non-Germans. He fights with his mother's boyfriend, a Nazi who believes that Hitler is in the right. He also defies his teachers, who want him to write pro-Nazi school papers. Because of his views on humanity and equality, Helmuth is encouraged to stay silent. But as we know, quiet people don't have books written about their lives. Using information he hears from the BBC on a black-market radio, Helmuth begins distributing flyers that speak against the Nazi party and its propaganda. He is eventually caught by the Nazis and put on trial. Even with the knowledge that he is facing imprisonment, maybe execution, Helmuth refuses to stay silent or allow others to take his punishment.
The book is... a fast yet thought-provoking read, and I am always supportive of books that show young readers why defiance in an oppressive time (WWII or not) is never as easy as it looks. Bartoletti keeps the focus on Helmuth tight and shows the reader German history really well without going off into history data-dumping tangents. We see the struggle Helmuth must fight between speaking for what he believes is right and the knowledge that doing so could get him sent to prison, or worse. Bartoletti makes us understand why even those who did not believe in the Nazi ideals joined the party and fought in the war.
With all this, do I think it's a Printz book? As much as I liked it, I'm leaning toward no. I would definitely buy it for my library, booktalk it, and perhaps even use it in a book discussion group. It's nominated to BBYA and is quite deserving of a spot on that list. I just don't think that it terms of "literary" it's in the same field as some of my other favorites.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Mock Printz: Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
Title: Pretty Monsters
Author: Kelly Link
Publisher: Viking
ISBN: 9780670010905
Starred review in: Kirkus, Booklist, PW
I'm not big into speculative fiction but I do love short stories and this book and Kelly Link herself are getting tons of buzz, deservedly so. This is Link's first all-YA collection. Each of the stories focus on a teenager in an offbeat situation. The opening story, "The Wrong Grave," is about a boy who wants to dig up his girlfriend because he buried some of his poetry with her and he wants it back. Being in fandom, I also enjoyed "Magic for Beginners," where a group of teens form a bond around a TV show. These stories are definitely a step off reality, but that's what makes them stand out. The language in the stories is simple yet elegant. Many of the stories are in first-person but feel as though they're in third, a technique I find fascinating because it makes me question my belief that all first-person narrators are inherently unreliable.
I definitely feel that this book is high on the "literary quality" scale, and it's one I'd fight for at the Mock Printz.
Author: Kelly Link
Publisher: Viking
ISBN: 9780670010905
Starred review in: Kirkus, Booklist, PW
I'm not big into speculative fiction but I do love short stories and this book and Kelly Link herself are getting tons of buzz, deservedly so. This is Link's first all-YA collection. Each of the stories focus on a teenager in an offbeat situation. The opening story, "The Wrong Grave," is about a boy who wants to dig up his girlfriend because he buried some of his poetry with her and he wants it back. Being in fandom, I also enjoyed "Magic for Beginners," where a group of teens form a bond around a TV show. These stories are definitely a step off reality, but that's what makes them stand out. The language in the stories is simple yet elegant. Many of the stories are in first-person but feel as though they're in third, a technique I find fascinating because it makes me question my belief that all first-person narrators are inherently unreliable.
I definitely feel that this book is high on the "literary quality" scale, and it's one I'd fight for at the Mock Printz.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Mock Printz: How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt
Title: How to Build a House
Author: Dana Reinhardt
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books, 2008
ISBN: 9780375844539
Starred Review: SLJ, PW
Summary:
The family seventeen year-old Harper Evan’s been a part of since age 6, fractures when her father and stepmother, Jane, divorce. Formerly close (currently angry) ex-stepsister Tess hasn’t only left their shared bedroom- she’s left Harper's life. The limited interaction between them is on Tess’ terms. Half-brother Cole lives with Jane and visits the glum, emptier Harper house for weekends with Dad, Harper and the family dog. To hide from the pain and feelings of abandonment, Harper sleeps with childhood best friend, the geek-to-sheik and apathetic (unless someone else is interested), Gabriel. Their relationship deteriorates further. Harper knowingly tries to escape LA, these situations and her metaphorically broken home by volunteering to spend her summer in Tennessee, rebuilding the home of a family who’d lost theirs to a devastating tornado. With no prior building experience and under the leadership of Zen-like Linus, Harper learns the power of the circular saw. Living out of a motel with a group of other altruistic teens from all over the country means new friendships (some probably more lasting than others). Their shared experiences being part of the volunteer program and the fun they have flouting some of the rules proves good for Harper. Romance blossoms with southern sweetheart and Bailey local, Teddy. His love and affection also helps Harper heal her house while she’s hammering shingles and putting the finishing touches on his new one.
Thoughts:
The combination of physically repairing an actual brick and mortar home and healing the home people build in the lives of those they love worked as a nice plot device. Harper can be a bit preachy and a stickler for the rules (not necessarily bad mind you) but she's also witty and wounded and a real protagonist. Her voice is genuine and honest. Reinhardt successfully alternates between Harper's "Home" (the past in Los Angeles) and "Here" (present in Bailey, TN) and doesn't reveal too much too soon. The complicated relationship Harper finds herself in with the new hostile Tess, the bittersweet one she has with Teddy (is this just a summer fling?) and even the confusing, undefined (and aggravating) one she has with Gabriel are realistic as well. The premise of volunteering and rebuilding after a disaster is timely and relevant and the issues Harper thinks about (i.e. Global Warming) are never far from most of our minds these days. All and all, I thought this was a good book and reccommend people purchase a copy for their libraries. Do I think it could bump anything on our current "favorites" list--possibly. But there are others I'd root for more.
Author: Dana Reinhardt
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books, 2008
ISBN: 9780375844539
Starred Review: SLJ, PW
Summary:
The family seventeen year-old Harper Evan’s been a part of since age 6, fractures when her father and stepmother, Jane, divorce. Formerly close (currently angry) ex-stepsister Tess hasn’t only left their shared bedroom- she’s left Harper's life. The limited interaction between them is on Tess’ terms. Half-brother Cole lives with Jane and visits the glum, emptier Harper house for weekends with Dad, Harper and the family dog. To hide from the pain and feelings of abandonment, Harper sleeps with childhood best friend, the geek-to-sheik and apathetic (unless someone else is interested), Gabriel. Their relationship deteriorates further. Harper knowingly tries to escape LA, these situations and her metaphorically broken home by volunteering to spend her summer in Tennessee, rebuilding the home of a family who’d lost theirs to a devastating tornado. With no prior building experience and under the leadership of Zen-like Linus, Harper learns the power of the circular saw. Living out of a motel with a group of other altruistic teens from all over the country means new friendships (some probably more lasting than others). Their shared experiences being part of the volunteer program and the fun they have flouting some of the rules proves good for Harper. Romance blossoms with southern sweetheart and Bailey local, Teddy. His love and affection also helps Harper heal her house while she’s hammering shingles and putting the finishing touches on his new one.
Thoughts:
The combination of physically repairing an actual brick and mortar home and healing the home people build in the lives of those they love worked as a nice plot device. Harper can be a bit preachy and a stickler for the rules (not necessarily bad mind you) but she's also witty and wounded and a real protagonist. Her voice is genuine and honest. Reinhardt successfully alternates between Harper's "Home" (the past in Los Angeles) and "Here" (present in Bailey, TN) and doesn't reveal too much too soon. The complicated relationship Harper finds herself in with the new hostile Tess, the bittersweet one she has with Teddy (is this just a summer fling?) and even the confusing, undefined (and aggravating) one she has with Gabriel are realistic as well. The premise of volunteering and rebuilding after a disaster is timely and relevant and the issues Harper thinks about (i.e. Global Warming) are never far from most of our minds these days. All and all, I thought this was a good book and reccommend people purchase a copy for their libraries. Do I think it could bump anything on our current "favorites" list--possibly. But there are others I'd root for more.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Mock Printz: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-0-439-02348-1
Publication date set for October, 2008
From my blog:
The plot: In the ruins of a place that used to be called North America, the country of Panem has emerged. Panem consists of a Capitol and twelve districts, each with a different economical focus. At one time, there was a thirteenth district, but it was destroyed by the Panem government when its people tried to rebel. Seventy-four years ago, the Capitol began the Hunger Games, in which one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen from each district, called tributes, are sent to the Capitol each year to compete in a fight to the death. The winner's district receives food, which is in scarce supply in many of the districts, and money and great honor.
The protagonist, sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, took over the role of family provider when her father died in a mine explosion. She and her mother and younger sister, the delicate and sensitive Prim, live on the Seam, a poor area of District 12. When the book opens, it is reaping day, the day the tributes from each district are chosen. In some districts, being chosen on reaping day is an honor, but not in District 12, which has only had two Hunger Games winners in 74 years. When Prim is chosen, Katniss volunteers to go in her place.
Katniss is sure her participation in the Hunger Games is a death sentence. After all, there are tributes from other, richer districts that have been trained all their lives for these games. She's one of the smallest competitors, the least educated, the poorest, the hungriest. But she's also got a few things the other competitors don't.
Why you'll love it: Not a single word is wasted in this book. Although Collins could easily have gone on at length about the state of Panem, the outdoor arena, and Katniss's home, she doesn't. She gives us just enough to work with. The readers know the setting is dystopian, even dire, without being drowned in details of the horror. Katniss has a bitter edge to her and is always sympathetic if not always likable. There's a well-paced romance storyline as well, and everyone I know who's read this book is excited to know where it's going in book 2. (The Hunger Games is the opening of a trilogy.) Even better? The ending leads us to believe that book 2 could go anywhere. It could pick up where book 1 left off, or take place 10 years in the future, or be told from a different character's perspective. Katniss's world is so wide, but Collins uses first-person narration very, very well so we only get to see what matters in Katniss's immediate moments. The possibilities are near endless. By using just the right descriptors, Collins puts you right into the Games, complete with evil politicking and near-death experiences for Katniss. It is frightening on so many levels, and just as brilliant.
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-0-439-02348-1
Publication date set for October, 2008
From my blog:
The plot: In the ruins of a place that used to be called North America, the country of Panem has emerged. Panem consists of a Capitol and twelve districts, each with a different economical focus. At one time, there was a thirteenth district, but it was destroyed by the Panem government when its people tried to rebel. Seventy-four years ago, the Capitol began the Hunger Games, in which one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen from each district, called tributes, are sent to the Capitol each year to compete in a fight to the death. The winner's district receives food, which is in scarce supply in many of the districts, and money and great honor.
The protagonist, sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, took over the role of family provider when her father died in a mine explosion. She and her mother and younger sister, the delicate and sensitive Prim, live on the Seam, a poor area of District 12. When the book opens, it is reaping day, the day the tributes from each district are chosen. In some districts, being chosen on reaping day is an honor, but not in District 12, which has only had two Hunger Games winners in 74 years. When Prim is chosen, Katniss volunteers to go in her place.
Katniss is sure her participation in the Hunger Games is a death sentence. After all, there are tributes from other, richer districts that have been trained all their lives for these games. She's one of the smallest competitors, the least educated, the poorest, the hungriest. But she's also got a few things the other competitors don't.
Why you'll love it: Not a single word is wasted in this book. Although Collins could easily have gone on at length about the state of Panem, the outdoor arena, and Katniss's home, she doesn't. She gives us just enough to work with. The readers know the setting is dystopian, even dire, without being drowned in details of the horror. Katniss has a bitter edge to her and is always sympathetic if not always likable. There's a well-paced romance storyline as well, and everyone I know who's read this book is excited to know where it's going in book 2. (The Hunger Games is the opening of a trilogy.) Even better? The ending leads us to believe that book 2 could go anywhere. It could pick up where book 1 left off, or take place 10 years in the future, or be told from a different character's perspective. Katniss's world is so wide, but Collins uses first-person narration very, very well so we only get to see what matters in Katniss's immediate moments. The possibilities are near endless. By using just the right descriptors, Collins puts you right into the Games, complete with evil politicking and near-death experiences for Katniss. It is frightening on so many levels, and just as brilliant.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Mock Printz: Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Title:Uprising
Author:Margaret Peterson Haddix
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
ISBN:9781416911715
Three teens, one Jewish, one Italian and one wealthy, all meet each other during a strike at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Yetta speaks Yiddish, Bella speaks only Italian and Jane doesn't know how to do her own hair because servants do it for her. It is 1910 and these young women are living when all women are just property with no legal rights. As a reader, you get to know their stories-- Yetta who left her parent behind in Russia, Belaa, who can't read or write and does not know that her family all died back in Italy and then there is Jane, who had the saddest story since her mother died and her father is mainly interested in his business. Their lives intersect in this one period of time and the fire ultimately ties them together permanently. I loved this book !!! The characters are so enjoyable and the book was great. There are some brief historical notes in the back about the union, the fire and the suffragette movement. It was very touching and memorable.
Susan Rappaport, Rutherford Public Library
Author:Margaret Peterson Haddix
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
ISBN:9781416911715
Three teens, one Jewish, one Italian and one wealthy, all meet each other during a strike at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Yetta speaks Yiddish, Bella speaks only Italian and Jane doesn't know how to do her own hair because servants do it for her. It is 1910 and these young women are living when all women are just property with no legal rights. As a reader, you get to know their stories-- Yetta who left her parent behind in Russia, Belaa, who can't read or write and does not know that her family all died back in Italy and then there is Jane, who had the saddest story since her mother died and her father is mainly interested in his business. Their lives intersect in this one period of time and the fire ultimately ties them together permanently. I loved this book !!! The characters are so enjoyable and the book was great. There are some brief historical notes in the back about the union, the fire and the suffragette movement. It was very touching and memorable.
Susan Rappaport, Rutherford Public Library
Mock Printz: Madapple by Christina Meldrum
Title: Madapple
Author:Christina Meldrum
Publisher:Knopf
ISBN:9780375851766
Madapple is strange and exotic, perhaps a little too strange and exotic. Aslaug lives a highly isolated life with her mom, a fundamentalist and herbologist. Aslaug is home-schooled, spending all of her time with her mother. When her mother unexpectedly dies, Aslaug is exposed to society when she is accused of poisoning her mother. When authorities perform the autopsy, they learn the woman had cancer. That first brush with the law sets up the main suspense of the book. Aslaug searches for her father, even though her mom claims it was a virgin birth. Aslaug discovers her real family composed of two cousins and an aunt/pastor. From them she learns more of her origins. Eventually she gets pregnant herself by her cousin and "herbs" snuck into her food. The dream-like quality of the time with her cousin makes her think that her pregnancy is virginal also. Eventually she is accused of killing her other cousin and aunt. To cite the occurrences in this book sound very far-fetched but the book is written so well and paced so beautifully that it is captivating. The structure of the book is alternating chapters between the murder trial and the story behind it. This framework makes it very suspenseful and the writing itself is good. Ultimately the book is about incest and drugs and sets up a conflict between religion/mythology and then plays around with different realities. Who knew all this could exist in a Young Adult novel. Although I enjoyed the book while reading it, the values are odd, the content is peculiar....There is a lot of Danish mythology...
Susan Rappaport, Rutherford Public Library
Author:Christina Meldrum
Publisher:Knopf
ISBN:9780375851766
Madapple is strange and exotic, perhaps a little too strange and exotic. Aslaug lives a highly isolated life with her mom, a fundamentalist and herbologist. Aslaug is home-schooled, spending all of her time with her mother. When her mother unexpectedly dies, Aslaug is exposed to society when she is accused of poisoning her mother. When authorities perform the autopsy, they learn the woman had cancer. That first brush with the law sets up the main suspense of the book. Aslaug searches for her father, even though her mom claims it was a virgin birth. Aslaug discovers her real family composed of two cousins and an aunt/pastor. From them she learns more of her origins. Eventually she gets pregnant herself by her cousin and "herbs" snuck into her food. The dream-like quality of the time with her cousin makes her think that her pregnancy is virginal also. Eventually she is accused of killing her other cousin and aunt. To cite the occurrences in this book sound very far-fetched but the book is written so well and paced so beautifully that it is captivating. The structure of the book is alternating chapters between the murder trial and the story behind it. This framework makes it very suspenseful and the writing itself is good. Ultimately the book is about incest and drugs and sets up a conflict between religion/mythology and then plays around with different realities. Who knew all this could exist in a Young Adult novel. Although I enjoyed the book while reading it, the values are odd, the content is peculiar....There is a lot of Danish mythology...
Susan Rappaport, Rutherford Public Library
Monday, June 02, 2008
Mock Caldecott: Notes from the committee
The Mock Caldecott committee is reading a ton of picture books. Here are some notes on what they've read:
Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus (9780152059903) is the book we all thought was truly remarkable. The illustrations seem to vibrate and want to jump off the page. Cyrus uses scratch board and digital colorization so well the claws look like they could leave a mark. Unique and exciting.
We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson (9780786808328). The vivid illustrations are from oil paintings done by the author. You can feel the respect and admiration he feels for his subject and lets their strength and dignity shine through his art.
Scoot! by Cathryn Falwell (9780061288821). The lives and adventures of "six silent turtles" is brought vividly to life by the use of paper collages. The blues and greens capture the lush world the creatures inhabit and there is a "Printing Textures" page for readers with information on creating different effects by the use of found things such as bubble wrap or a broccoli flower. Very lively and fun use of collage. Illustrated by the author.
Wave by Suzy Lee (9780811859240). This is a wordless picture book, illustrated by the author in charcoal and acrylics. There are only two characters, the ocean and the little girl and very few colors but all the playfulness and excitement of a child's first encounter with the ocean is evident.
I'm Bad! by Kate McMullan, illustrations by Jim McMullan (9780061229718). This is by far the book that had the whole group saying "I love this book." The review in SLJ calls it a "wonderfully illustrated psychedelic spread" and it is. The greens, oranges and violets are as bold and vibrant as the T-rex himself.
Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus (9780152059903) is the book we all thought was truly remarkable. The illustrations seem to vibrate and want to jump off the page. Cyrus uses scratch board and digital colorization so well the claws look like they could leave a mark. Unique and exciting.
We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson (9780786808328). The vivid illustrations are from oil paintings done by the author. You can feel the respect and admiration he feels for his subject and lets their strength and dignity shine through his art.
Scoot! by Cathryn Falwell (9780061288821). The lives and adventures of "six silent turtles" is brought vividly to life by the use of paper collages. The blues and greens capture the lush world the creatures inhabit and there is a "Printing Textures" page for readers with information on creating different effects by the use of found things such as bubble wrap or a broccoli flower. Very lively and fun use of collage. Illustrated by the author.
Wave by Suzy Lee (9780811859240). This is a wordless picture book, illustrated by the author in charcoal and acrylics. There are only two characters, the ocean and the little girl and very few colors but all the playfulness and excitement of a child's first encounter with the ocean is evident.
I'm Bad! by Kate McMullan, illustrations by Jim McMullan (9780061229718). This is by far the book that had the whole group saying "I love this book." The review in SLJ calls it a "wonderfully illustrated psychedelic spread" and it is. The greens, oranges and violets are as bold and vibrant as the T-rex himself.
Mock Printz:Bewitching Season
Title: Bewitching Season
Author: Marissa Doyle
Publisher: Holt, 2008
ISBN:9780805082514
Starred Reviews:Booklist, Kirkus
This historical fiction taking place in 1837 London involves twin sisters who are about to make their debut with the queen. Just when they arrive in London for the beginning of the social season, their governess is kidnapped. Add to this mystery that the girls have magical powers and the kidnapped governess is their magical mentor. As the twins become the toast of the town and fall in and out of love, their suitors, families, the governess' family all become enmeshed with a plot to overthrow a young Princess Victoria. The book is fun with good characters you care about and a storyline that crosses genres. Unfortunately, the book got a bit overlong for me and I wish she had a better editor. The end leaves it obvious that a sequel is following. Even though it has gotten two stars and I did like it, I would not consider it a top contender for the Printz.
Susan Rappaport, Rutherford Public Library
Author: Marissa Doyle
Publisher: Holt, 2008
ISBN:9780805082514
Starred Reviews:Booklist, Kirkus
This historical fiction taking place in 1837 London involves twin sisters who are about to make their debut with the queen. Just when they arrive in London for the beginning of the social season, their governess is kidnapped. Add to this mystery that the girls have magical powers and the kidnapped governess is their magical mentor. As the twins become the toast of the town and fall in and out of love, their suitors, families, the governess' family all become enmeshed with a plot to overthrow a young Princess Victoria. The book is fun with good characters you care about and a storyline that crosses genres. Unfortunately, the book got a bit overlong for me and I wish she had a better editor. The end leaves it obvious that a sequel is following. Even though it has gotten two stars and I did like it, I would not consider it a top contender for the Printz.
Susan Rappaport, Rutherford Public Library
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Mock Printz: Night Road by A.M. Jenkins
Title: Night Road
Author: A.M. Jenkins
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 978006054605
YALSA Best Books Nomination 2009
Summary:
Cole isn’t a vampire. He and others just like him prefer the term “heme”, short for hemovore. At the start of Night Road, Cole is summoned to The Building, the New York headquarters of The Colony (organized heme community). A building with covered windows, company and conversation not to mention a willing supply of omnis (that would be us humans) offering veins, arteries and anything else the hemes desire. Reluctant to be there but unable to shrug off his friend Johnny’s request, Cole reunites with faces of old. When a new heme, an “accident” named Gordon, takes a bit too much from an omni, Cole learns the reason of his visit. Johnny, who runs the building (possibly the Colony) needs his help. Gordon must learn the heme basics, separate lore from reality and realize the responsibilies and limitations. A painful lesson Cole thought he’d learned himself a long long time ago. One tied to what’s housed in the Building’s fifth floor and the reason why Cole prefers life on the lonely road to the lazy, spoiled, slightly crowded atmosphere of the Building. Cole and his friend, the ever optimistic and kind, Sandor (responsible for turning Gordon) will take the young newbie on the road. The idea being Gordon will have the benefit of Sandor’s warm heart and Cole’s cool head. A string of motels, bars, battles of will, heme lessons on feeding techniques, avoiding sunlight, strays, immortality and personal experiences make this road trip a little flip-side Supernatural (Dean & Sam) and a little Kerouac (Dean and Sal). Cole might have started out as the teacher but by book’s end he learns just as much from his student as Gordon learns from him.
Thoughts:
Admittedly, I’m a big vampire-novel fan girl. That said, I can be particular about the genre. This book passed muster. The noir-ish tone. The clear pictured settings of the seedy motels. All of that worked for me. What heme lore Jenkins’ imparts also gels nicely. But the strongest element is characterization; especially Cole and Gordon, be it as individuals or when they interact on the road. Gordon moves from petulant frat boy and spoiled heme to a more responsible, controlled one. Cole, who’s closed himself off from nearly everyone, reluctantly allows a new connection, loses some of his own footing for the first time in a while. Teaching Gordon is a sort of positive penance for Cole for a past mistake and Cole is able to work through issues he’s been harboring for over a century. Gordon is overtly vulnerable. Cole just hides it better.
The pace of Jenkins’ revelations is teasing and bubbles to the surface in a way that gives readers hints but taunts Cole like submerged memories.
All in all Jenkins doesn’t disappoint and people who appreciate her other supernatural tales (Repossessed and Beating Heart) will enjoy her very human hemes. I’m hoping for more from this traveling trio.
Author: A.M. Jenkins
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 978006054605
YALSA Best Books Nomination 2009
Summary:
Cole isn’t a vampire. He and others just like him prefer the term “heme”, short for hemovore. At the start of Night Road, Cole is summoned to The Building, the New York headquarters of The Colony (organized heme community). A building with covered windows, company and conversation not to mention a willing supply of omnis (that would be us humans) offering veins, arteries and anything else the hemes desire. Reluctant to be there but unable to shrug off his friend Johnny’s request, Cole reunites with faces of old. When a new heme, an “accident” named Gordon, takes a bit too much from an omni, Cole learns the reason of his visit. Johnny, who runs the building (possibly the Colony) needs his help. Gordon must learn the heme basics, separate lore from reality and realize the responsibilies and limitations. A painful lesson Cole thought he’d learned himself a long long time ago. One tied to what’s housed in the Building’s fifth floor and the reason why Cole prefers life on the lonely road to the lazy, spoiled, slightly crowded atmosphere of the Building. Cole and his friend, the ever optimistic and kind, Sandor (responsible for turning Gordon) will take the young newbie on the road. The idea being Gordon will have the benefit of Sandor’s warm heart and Cole’s cool head. A string of motels, bars, battles of will, heme lessons on feeding techniques, avoiding sunlight, strays, immortality and personal experiences make this road trip a little flip-side Supernatural (Dean & Sam) and a little Kerouac (Dean and Sal). Cole might have started out as the teacher but by book’s end he learns just as much from his student as Gordon learns from him.
Thoughts:
Admittedly, I’m a big vampire-novel fan girl. That said, I can be particular about the genre. This book passed muster. The noir-ish tone. The clear pictured settings of the seedy motels. All of that worked for me. What heme lore Jenkins’ imparts also gels nicely. But the strongest element is characterization; especially Cole and Gordon, be it as individuals or when they interact on the road. Gordon moves from petulant frat boy and spoiled heme to a more responsible, controlled one. Cole, who’s closed himself off from nearly everyone, reluctantly allows a new connection, loses some of his own footing for the first time in a while. Teaching Gordon is a sort of positive penance for Cole for a past mistake and Cole is able to work through issues he’s been harboring for over a century. Gordon is overtly vulnerable. Cole just hides it better.
The pace of Jenkins’ revelations is teasing and bubbles to the surface in a way that gives readers hints but taunts Cole like submerged memories.
All in all Jenkins doesn’t disappoint and people who appreciate her other supernatural tales (Repossessed and Beating Heart) will enjoy her very human hemes. I’m hoping for more from this traveling trio.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Mock Printz (or Newbery): Savvy by Ingrid Law
Title: Savvy
Author: Ingrid Law
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780803733060
Review: PW
Plot: A savvy is a special gift that every member of Mibs (Mississippi) Beaumont's family gets on their 13th birthday. Everyone except Poppa, of course, because he married into the family. One of her brothers and control electricity and another can cause rain and wind to blow when he gets upset. This is why Mibs will be home schooled after her thirteenth birthday and Mibs is looking forward to it. She can't wait to have a great birthday with her perfect mother (her savvy is doing everything perfectly) and family, but a bad accident puts her beloved Poppa in the hospital the day before her birthday. Mibs is positive her savvy will be something that can help her Poppa. She believes so strongly that on her birthday she skips out of the party the preacher's wife organized for her and stows away on a bible seller's bus to get to her Poppa. One of her brother's and the preacher's children end up stowed away on the bus with her. In some fairly unbelievable plotting (but hey if you'll believe in savvys why not in weak adults), the kids convince the bus driver to keep them on the bus and not report back to either set of parents. It's a wild ride that covers almost two whole days because the driver can't miss any more appointments selling bibles, pink bibles. The ride includes: rescuing a waitress with a dead car, a confrontation with her nasty manager, seeing a passed out homeless man, a fake call home, an almost arrest by state troopers, and some secrets revealed...including Poppa does have a savvy of his very own.
Thoughts:
A really cute fantasy that is perfect for the tween age. The main character is part of a family where all the members (except Poppa) has a savvy (a special gift for doing something special) – it should be noted that while many would call these talents magic, the author makes a point of the grandfather expressing that the family does not consider them magic or particularly different from 'regular' people. At it's heart, this book is about a girl finding something special in herself and confronting the fact that her parents are real people and invincible or perfect. Some of the dialect in the book grated on me a bit and a boy named Fish (no mention that it was a nickname) made me twitch, but the story held my interest and the ending satisfied me. A balance of happy ever after and reality. Some of the plotting may have stretch believability to the limit, but that is a small complaint about a really good story.
Author: Ingrid Law
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780803733060
Review: PW
Plot: A savvy is a special gift that every member of Mibs (Mississippi) Beaumont's family gets on their 13th birthday. Everyone except Poppa, of course, because he married into the family. One of her brothers and control electricity and another can cause rain and wind to blow when he gets upset. This is why Mibs will be home schooled after her thirteenth birthday and Mibs is looking forward to it. She can't wait to have a great birthday with her perfect mother (her savvy is doing everything perfectly) and family, but a bad accident puts her beloved Poppa in the hospital the day before her birthday. Mibs is positive her savvy will be something that can help her Poppa. She believes so strongly that on her birthday she skips out of the party the preacher's wife organized for her and stows away on a bible seller's bus to get to her Poppa. One of her brother's and the preacher's children end up stowed away on the bus with her. In some fairly unbelievable plotting (but hey if you'll believe in savvys why not in weak adults), the kids convince the bus driver to keep them on the bus and not report back to either set of parents. It's a wild ride that covers almost two whole days because the driver can't miss any more appointments selling bibles, pink bibles. The ride includes: rescuing a waitress with a dead car, a confrontation with her nasty manager, seeing a passed out homeless man, a fake call home, an almost arrest by state troopers, and some secrets revealed...including Poppa does have a savvy of his very own.
Thoughts:
A really cute fantasy that is perfect for the tween age. The main character is part of a family where all the members (except Poppa) has a savvy (a special gift for doing something special) – it should be noted that while many would call these talents magic, the author makes a point of the grandfather expressing that the family does not consider them magic or particularly different from 'regular' people. At it's heart, this book is about a girl finding something special in herself and confronting the fact that her parents are real people and invincible or perfect. Some of the dialect in the book grated on me a bit and a boy named Fish (no mention that it was a nickname) made me twitch, but the story held my interest and the ending satisfied me. A balance of happy ever after and reality. Some of the plotting may have stretch believability to the limit, but that is a small complaint about a really good story.
Mock Printz: The Fold by An Na
Title: The Fold
Author: An Na
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-399-24276-2
Plot:
A Korean American teen, Joyce, is offered plastic surgery on her eyes by an Aunt who has come into some lottery money. Joyce has always been the plain sister and is tempted by the surgery which would give her eyes 'the fold'. Joyce debates the idea of getting the surgery with her best friend, Sam (a boy who lives in her apartment building who struggles with severe acne), and her older sister who has always been the pretty and smart one.
Joyce's aunt railroads her a bit and makes appointments with a plastic surgeon before Joyce has made up her mind. Her sister thinks she's insane to even consider it, her best friend thinks that she is insane NOT to do it, and Sam won't weigh in - but it's clear he's been crushing on Joyce. At the surgeon's office, Joyce gets some much needed impartial information and gets to see what a difference the surgery will make. The doctor glues her eyelids into place as they would look after the surgery.
The normal teen dramas happen: Joyce's new eyes are a hit and she's rocketed to the in crowd for an afternoon at the beach and her best friend feels left out, she disses Sam, realizes that the 'in' group isn't all it's cracked up to be, learns there is more to her sister than pretty, and eventually makes up with her friend and Sam and her sister.
Thoughts:
Even now after at least a week of thinking about this book I am still unsure of it. There are times in this book that the stereotypes drove me nuts. But as soon as I was about to be truly fed up, Na would lift the curtain and give a peek behind the curtain. Whether it was the pretty and perfect sister who was studying to be a doctor (though it sounded from the text more like a therapist than a doctor), who was hiding the fact that she was 'in love' with her best friend and that she was afraid to come out of the close because she would embarrass the family, or the bossy aunt who everyone thinks is addicted to plastic surgery because she's vain and has had many American husbands, who reveals to Joyce what happened when her first husband brought her to America and how she was treated. The biggest twist was at the end....
SPOILER - for any who care
Joyce decides at the very last second not to do the surgery, but she keeps the glue the doctor gives her because sometimes she might want an adventure. She asks her aunt to give the money to her friend to help her get clear braces instead of regular metal ones. So does substance win over beauty? A very intriguing book which will definitely get readers talking about issues of beauty, family, stereotypes, and lots more.
Author: An Na
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-399-24276-2
Plot:
A Korean American teen, Joyce, is offered plastic surgery on her eyes by an Aunt who has come into some lottery money. Joyce has always been the plain sister and is tempted by the surgery which would give her eyes 'the fold'. Joyce debates the idea of getting the surgery with her best friend, Sam (a boy who lives in her apartment building who struggles with severe acne), and her older sister who has always been the pretty and smart one.
Joyce's aunt railroads her a bit and makes appointments with a plastic surgeon before Joyce has made up her mind. Her sister thinks she's insane to even consider it, her best friend thinks that she is insane NOT to do it, and Sam won't weigh in - but it's clear he's been crushing on Joyce. At the surgeon's office, Joyce gets some much needed impartial information and gets to see what a difference the surgery will make. The doctor glues her eyelids into place as they would look after the surgery.
The normal teen dramas happen: Joyce's new eyes are a hit and she's rocketed to the in crowd for an afternoon at the beach and her best friend feels left out, she disses Sam, realizes that the 'in' group isn't all it's cracked up to be, learns there is more to her sister than pretty, and eventually makes up with her friend and Sam and her sister.
Thoughts:
Even now after at least a week of thinking about this book I am still unsure of it. There are times in this book that the stereotypes drove me nuts. But as soon as I was about to be truly fed up, Na would lift the curtain and give a peek behind the curtain. Whether it was the pretty and perfect sister who was studying to be a doctor (though it sounded from the text more like a therapist than a doctor), who was hiding the fact that she was 'in love' with her best friend and that she was afraid to come out of the close because she would embarrass the family, or the bossy aunt who everyone thinks is addicted to plastic surgery because she's vain and has had many American husbands, who reveals to Joyce what happened when her first husband brought her to America and how she was treated. The biggest twist was at the end....
SPOILER - for any who care
Joyce decides at the very last second not to do the surgery, but she keeps the glue the doctor gives her because sometimes she might want an adventure. She asks her aunt to give the money to her friend to help her get clear braces instead of regular metal ones. So does substance win over beauty? A very intriguing book which will definitely get readers talking about issues of beauty, family, stereotypes, and lots more.
Mock Printz: Wake
Title: Wake
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5357-9
Review - Nominated for BBYA 2009
Plot: Ever since she was eight years old, high school student Janie Hannagan has been uncontrollably drawn into other people's dreams, but it is not until she befriends an elderly nursing home patient and becomes involved with an enigmatic fellow-student that she discovers her true power. Working in the nursing home is a way for Janie to save for college, but sometimes it's torture when the residents pull her into dreams of wartime and it's getting worse. School isn't any better, when classmates regularly nod off in class or in study hall and drag Janie with them. You see Janie can't escape the dreams and when she's dragged in she often passes out or appears to be having a seizure. After one incident at work, she's forced to go to a doctor and he begs her not to drive. She, of course, ignores him and buys a car. On the way home one night, she's dragged into a boy's nightmare and in time she find out it's the cute skater guy who came to her rescue the spring before. As he and Janie become friends and more the lies and complications mount until it climaxes in an unbelievable, but happy ending for the main characters.
Thoughts:
This book was much deeper than I thought it was going to be. Not mentioned in the cover flap info is the alcoholic mother (Janie's), the dead brother (her best friend's), the abusive father (the boy's) and the drug dealing at parties. It mixes fantasy, teen romance, and police drama complete with rich bad girls and teen drama. Sex is talked about but there is nothing explicit and while some of the secrets and consistences just seem too unreal the story was a much better read than anticipated. From the ending of this book, I'm betting that it's the start of a series.
Another book that I doubt will remain on my list for Printz conteder through the whole year, but it has a place for now. And it might suprise me again.
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5357-9
Review - Nominated for BBYA 2009
Plot: Ever since she was eight years old, high school student Janie Hannagan has been uncontrollably drawn into other people's dreams, but it is not until she befriends an elderly nursing home patient and becomes involved with an enigmatic fellow-student that she discovers her true power. Working in the nursing home is a way for Janie to save for college, but sometimes it's torture when the residents pull her into dreams of wartime and it's getting worse. School isn't any better, when classmates regularly nod off in class or in study hall and drag Janie with them. You see Janie can't escape the dreams and when she's dragged in she often passes out or appears to be having a seizure. After one incident at work, she's forced to go to a doctor and he begs her not to drive. She, of course, ignores him and buys a car. On the way home one night, she's dragged into a boy's nightmare and in time she find out it's the cute skater guy who came to her rescue the spring before. As he and Janie become friends and more the lies and complications mount until it climaxes in an unbelievable, but happy ending for the main characters.
Thoughts:
This book was much deeper than I thought it was going to be. Not mentioned in the cover flap info is the alcoholic mother (Janie's), the dead brother (her best friend's), the abusive father (the boy's) and the drug dealing at parties. It mixes fantasy, teen romance, and police drama complete with rich bad girls and teen drama. Sex is talked about but there is nothing explicit and while some of the secrets and consistences just seem too unreal the story was a much better read than anticipated. From the ending of this book, I'm betting that it's the start of a series.
Another book that I doubt will remain on my list for Printz conteder through the whole year, but it has a place for now. And it might suprise me again.
Mock Printz: Lock and Key by Dessen
Title: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking, 2008
Plot: Ruby is 'rescued' from living by herself after her mother takes off. At first Ruby resents being told she can't live on her own and believes that she doesn't need anyone, especially not the sister who left for school 10 yrs ago and didn't want Ruby or her mom in her life anymore. But with time Ruby comes to realize that not everything in the past is what she thought it was and that having ties to people who care about you isn't the worst thing in the world. Just about when she's figuring this our she discovers one of her new found friends has a dangerous secret. Ruby has to decide if she wants to get involved or stay separate.
Thoughts:
In this coming of age story, Ruby doesn't have to battle to survive in the wilderness or confront a horrible secret in her part, her coming of age is much quieter. Ruby has to admit at least to herself that she DID need rescuing and that her mother had lied to her about many different things. Her moment of truth is when she decides to get involved in other people's lives, but this doesn't happen in one crystal clear shining moment. It happens slowly as different people in her life begin to matter to her. It also isn't smooth sailing, Ruby makes mistakes though the one time her sister and brother-in-law tell her she has to deal with the consequences it doesn't really happen. They ground her and put on restrictions, however as the story continues she doesn't seem all that restricted. She still hangs with her friends and going with her friend/romantic interest while he runs errands for his father's business. So I'm not sure you can say she lives with the consequences of her mistakes.
Overall, I really liked the book with just a few minor points that I thought wrapped up too easily.
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking, 2008
Plot: Ruby is 'rescued' from living by herself after her mother takes off. At first Ruby resents being told she can't live on her own and believes that she doesn't need anyone, especially not the sister who left for school 10 yrs ago and didn't want Ruby or her mom in her life anymore. But with time Ruby comes to realize that not everything in the past is what she thought it was and that having ties to people who care about you isn't the worst thing in the world. Just about when she's figuring this our she discovers one of her new found friends has a dangerous secret. Ruby has to decide if she wants to get involved or stay separate.
Thoughts:
In this coming of age story, Ruby doesn't have to battle to survive in the wilderness or confront a horrible secret in her part, her coming of age is much quieter. Ruby has to admit at least to herself that she DID need rescuing and that her mother had lied to her about many different things. Her moment of truth is when she decides to get involved in other people's lives, but this doesn't happen in one crystal clear shining moment. It happens slowly as different people in her life begin to matter to her. It also isn't smooth sailing, Ruby makes mistakes though the one time her sister and brother-in-law tell her she has to deal with the consequences it doesn't really happen. They ground her and put on restrictions, however as the story continues she doesn't seem all that restricted. She still hangs with her friends and going with her friend/romantic interest while he runs errands for his father's business. So I'm not sure you can say she lives with the consequences of her mistakes.
Overall, I really liked the book with just a few minor points that I thought wrapped up too easily.
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