Juvenile Nonfiction

NEWS: 2013 Youth Media Awards—Tracy Weighs In

… Cause what ya’ll really want to know is what I think, right? Hey, humor me here.

So, the Newberys, Caldecotts, Printz Awards, and other key ALA book awards were announced yesterday, and I was rather proud of myself for having read so many of the honorees. Here’s how things played out (with a little commentary from me :)).

John Newbery Medal

Medal Winner: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
This book was unique and absorbing, bittersweet and altogether lovely. I approve 1oo%. Many of the past medal winners have skewed more toward tweens (10–14), but The One and Only Ivan is perfect for younger ages as well. Again, I approve.

Newbery Honor: Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
Not long after I started reading this book, I found myself thinking This is a book that will win awards. I also thought that it was a book that might have more appeal for adults than kids, one of those books that adults really, really want kids to love, but which turn out to be right only for that small, perfect audience. Who will love it with a passion. It’s undeniably well written, but I couldn’t bring myself to get excited about it although I enjoyed it and admired it in a impersonal kind of way. But if you (or your child) always wished Oliver Twist had a bit of dark fantasy mixed in, this may be just the book for you. (Okay, that sounds really intriguing. Maybe I should give this one another go…)

Newbery Honor: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
In my mind, this one was pretty much a shoe-in for a nod. I’m not a huge reader of juvenile nonfiction, but the storytelling here was compelling and informative. Thumbs up. Bomb was also the winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award and of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.

Newbery Honor: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
I was so excited—and the teeniest bit surprised—to see this one get an honor nod. While there is no magic in this book in the supernatural sense, it is magical nonetheless. Turnage’s storytelling—the sense of place, character, voice, and tone—here is fantastic, and Mo is an unforgettable heroine if there ever was one.

**What’s Missing: Wonder by R.J. Palacio
I adored Wonder and firmly believe it should be required reading for every upper elementary or middle school student. And then their parents and older siblings need to read it too.

Randolph Caldecott Medal

Medal Winner: This Is Not My Hat, illustrated and written by Jon Klassen
Personally, I thought Klassen was cheated out of a Caldecott last year for I Want My Hat Back. He’s a genius when it comes to providing subtle visual cues to punctuate the sly humor that makes both of his “hat” book shine.

Caldecott Honor: Creepy Carrots!, illustrated by Peter Brown and written by Arron Reynolds
This was one of my absolute favorite picture books of 2012, and I am pleasantly surprised to see it get a nod here. I loved the cinematic feel (one review I read likened it to a Hitchcock horror movie—for kids of course), and the palette of orange, black, and gray. A fascinating combo of kiddie horror and humor. Well done, Caldecott committee.

Caldecott Honor: Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen and written by Mac Barnett
So they’re really making up for overlooking Klassen last year. Although the text/story of Extra Yarn didn’t completely do it for me, I loved Klassen’s artwork—which is what counts for the purpose of this award.

Caldecott Honor: Green, illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
This is the book I expected to win, though I am quite pleased with the final outcome. Seeger’s work here is innovative, and the wonder of Green is made abundantly clear in this book trailer.

Caldecott Honor: One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small and written by Tony Buzzeo
I liked it, but didn’t love it, which is why it didn’t make the cut for our list of the Best Children’s Picture Books of 2012. But, as with Extra Yarn, I quite liked the illustrations. So I’m totally “cool” with this one too.

Caldecott Honor: Sleep Like A Tiger, illustrated by Pamela Zagaresnski and written by Mary Logue
Once again, I liked the book and the illustrations but it didn’t really make a strong impression on me one way or the other.

**What’s Missing: Oh, No!, illustrated by Eric Rohmann and written by Candace Fleming and Nighttime Ninja by illustrated by Ed Young and written by Barbara DaCosta, both of which I expected to make the list. And—while I always saw it as a long shot—I really, really love Ashley Wolff’s artwork in Baby Bear Sees Blue. I also think illustrator Doug Santat did some phenomenal work this year. But then, everybody can’t win 🙂

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award
(Aka, the category that totally breaks my streak of having read the material…)

Medal Winner: Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Okay, not only does this one break my reading streak—I hadn’t even heard of this book yet. But then I already admitted that I’m not much of a juvenile nonfiction reader…

King (Author) Honor: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
A gentle yet powerful picture book about bullying from the side of the (belatedly regretful) bully, and one of our picks for Best Children’s Picture Books of 2012

King (Author) Honor: No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller by  Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
 I’ve heard fabulous things about this one, and it is currently sitting at home waiting for me to find time to read it.




Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award

King (Illustrator) Medal: I, Too, Am America, illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Langston Hughes
I read it and loved the art. Unfortunately, the Langston Hughes text didn’t quite resonate for me (I know; awful, right?). As a result, the book wasn’t very memorable for me. But I may have to take anthor look.

King (Illustrator) Honor: H.O.R.S.E., illustrated and written by Christopher Myers
I am not familiar with this title 🙁 .

King (Illustrator) Honor: Ellen’s Broom., illustrated by Daniel minter and written by Kelly Starling Lyons
Don’t know this one either.

King (Illustrator) Honor: I Have a Dream., illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Yay!!!! Enough said.

Michael L. Printz Award
As a side note, I must say: There was LOTS of debate yesterday and into today on librarian listservs and blogs about the recent winners of this category, some stating that the winners are often too literary to appeal to teen readers or that engaging stories are overlooked in favor of technical writing or literary experimentation. As this is an award for literary excellence, I would say the winners should be extremely well written. But in my view, literary merit depends upon that magical element of good storytelling as well as good technical writing. I’m not going to comment on how these specific qualities do or don’t apply to the specific winners and honorees (past or present) because here’s the thing: judging books—anything really—is SUBJECTIVE. Rant over.

Medal Winner: In Darkness by Nick Lake
I haven’t read this one yet and have read mixed reviews, but can’t wait to read for myself.

Printz Honor: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Just finished this last weekend and immediately it became my Printz sleeper favorite. It’s compulsively readable plus incredibly well written (but not in a showy or gimmicky way). I couldn’t be happier that Sáenz also nabbed the Pura Belpré (Author) Award and the Stonewall Book Award. I really have to read his highly praised book Last Night I Sang to the Monster ASAP.

Printz Honor: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
I know people who absolutely LOVED this book and others who found it so confusing they couldn’t finish it. Based on early buzz, I thought for sure it was going to be selected as the medal winner. It’s still sitting at home in my (rather tall and wobbly) to-be-read pile.

Printz Honor: Dodger by Terry Pratchett
Haven’t read this one, and haven’t heard too much buzz up till now. But you can never count out Terry Pratchett, and I will get to this one someday…

Printz Honor: The White Bicycle by Beverly Brenna
This one was a surprise to many; at least many of the commenters to my various listservs hadn’t yet heard of it. But then, that’s what I love about book awards: the chance to discover wonderful books that might’ve been otherwise overlooked.

**What’s Missing: Lots of people are up in arms over the exclusion of John Green’s A Fault in Their Stars, which I adored and agree to be incredibly well written. At the same time, I didn’t think it was a perfect book and am not overly disappointed. Maybe I’m just too happy about Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  And A Fault in Our Stars wasn’t completely left out as it garnered the Odyssey Award for the audiobook.

Other ALA Award winners announced yesterday include:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman,  William C. Morris Award winner
I found this to be an excellent debut novel featuring a well-developed fantasy world and an intriguing take on dragons. I can’t wait for the sequel.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by emily m. danforth, William C. Morris Award finalist
I found this book quite engaging, but for me it begins to drag a bit in the middle. I actually had to set it aside for a while. That being said, even though I wasn’t reading it for a while, the writing and characters stayed in the back of my mind. I completely understand why the book has been compared to The Catcher in the Rye, although Cameron is a gay girl in 1980s small-town America and the book actually takes place across several years (as opposed to a few days). That being said, I was surprised that it wasn’t a Stonewall Honor Book

For a complete list of awards, winners, and honorees (if you’re not sick of awards lists by now), you can read yesterday’s ALA Press Release.

BEST OF 2012: Middle Grade/Tween Books

Sorry for the long wait between Best of 2012 posts. We’ve been frantically reading books that we somehow missed last year, books we felt needed to be considered for our Best of 2012 list. And our reading certainly paid off—otherwise, we would have missed out on the fabulous The One and Only Ivan, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal. (But more on that tomorrow…)

So, without further ado, here are our favorite 2012 books for middle-grade readers and tweens:

Fiction:

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Ascendance Trilogy #1
In the country of Carthya, a devious nobleman
engages four orphans in a brutal competition to be selected to
impersonate the king’s long-missing son in an effort to avoid a civil
war. –NoveList

The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
The four princes erroneously
dubbed Prince Charming and rudely marginalized in their respective fairy
tales form an unlikely team when a witch threatens the whole kingdom.  –Provided by publisher.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
At age twelve, Sophie learns that the remarkable abilities that have
always caused her to stand out identify her as an elf, and after being
brought to Eternalia to hone her skills, discovers that she has secrets
buried in her memory for which some would kill.  –NoveList

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
Seventh-grader Georges adjusts to moving from a
house to an apartment, his father’s efforts to start a new business,
his mother’s extra shifts as a nurse, being picked on at school, and
Safer, a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their
building.  –NoveList

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
With love and determination befitting the “world’s greatest family,” twelve-year-old Deza Malone,
her older brother Jimmie, and their parents endure tough times in Gary,
Indiana, and later Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression.  –NoveList
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pilcher
With his family still grieving over his sister’s death
in a terrorist bombing seven years earlier, twelve-year-old Jamie is far
more interested in his cat, Roger, his birthday Spiderman T-shirt, and
keeping his new Muslim friend Sunya a secret from his father. –NoveList

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a
down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has
been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.  –NoveList

The Second Life of Abigail Walker by Frances O’Roark Dowell
Bullied by two mean girls in her sixth-grade class, a lonely, plump girl
gains self-confidence and makes new friends after a mysterious fox
gently bites her.  –NoveList

See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles
Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible in her family, where grumpy eighteen-year-old Sarah is working at
the family restaurant, fourteen-year-old Holden is struggling with
school bullies and his emerging homosexuality, and adorable,
three-year-old Charlie is always the center of attention, and when
tragedy strikes, the fragile bond holding the family together is
stretched almost to the breaking point.  –NoveList
Read Tracy’s Review

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker
A foster child named Angel and eleven-year-old Stella, who are living with Stella’s great-aunt Louise at the Linger Longer Cottage Colony on Cape Cod, secretly assume responsibility for the vacation rentals when Louise unexpectedly dies and the girls are afraid of being returned to the foster care system.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
Washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo
Landing, North Carolina, Mo LoBeau, now eleven, and her best friend Dale
turn detective when the amnesiac Colonel, owner of a cafe and co-parent
of Mo with his cook, Miss Lana, seems implicated in a murder.

The Unfortunate Son by Constance Leeds
Luc, a youth born with one ear and raised by a
drunken father in fifteenth-century France, finds a better home with
fisherman Pons, his sister Mattie, and their ward Beatrice, the daughter
of a disgraced knight, and even after being kidnapped and sold into
slavery in Africa, he remains remarkably fortunate.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial
abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being
home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in
Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his
classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

Nonfiction:

Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Recounts the scientific discoveries that
enabled atom splitting, the military intelligence operations that
occurred in rival countries, and the work of brilliant scientists hidden
at Los Alamos.

We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March by Cynthia Y. Levinson
Discusses the events of the 4,000 African American students who marched to jail to secure their freedom in May 1963

REVIEW: Bones by Steve Jenkins

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: All Ages
Genre: Nonfiction

Summary: In this offering from Caldecott winner Steve Jenkins, children of all ages can see in-depth the bones of both human and various animal skeletons.  Fold out pages and large illustrations fill the pages of this well-done non-fiction book for all.

Lucinda’s Views:  With its detailed cut-paper illustrations of both human and animal bones, this book allows kids-of-all ages to compare their own bones with that of various other animals.  Many bones in this book are actual size and the cut paper illustrations are fascinating in a macabre way.  The text offers simply yet direct explanations of anatomy and physiology in a manner that most will easily understand.  On the whole, a very enjoyable, fascinating read.

REVIEW: How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

   

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Middle School
Genre: Juvenile Non-Fiction

Summary: Ever wonder how some of the most famous people in history really died?  This book offers an answer.  Among the people profiled are Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Marie Curie, Henry VIII, just to name a few.  For example, did you know that Cleopatra really died from a poised hairpin, not an asp as legend tells.  Did you also know that Edgar Allen Poe may have perished from rabies and not alcohol poisoning as alleged? Interspersed between the profiles of the deaths of the famous are interesting factoids about disease, death, and historic trivia.   If you do not like gore or gross tales do not read this book.  

Lucinda’s Views:   I really enjoyed this book and read it in under an hour.  It is a quick, interesting read, which captures the reader’s interest from the start to the finish.  The interspersed factoids and trivia serve to enlighten the reader and do not detract from the book’s content at all. Rather, they add just a dash of fun to an already spicy topic.  A good pick for both reluctant readers and fans of the macabre!