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Favorite books of 1999
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From: McClelland, Kate <mcclelland>
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 14:58:30 -0500
I am taking advantage of your generous invitation to send you ALL of my favorites divided into: picture books, fiction and nonfiction with the briefest descriptions of "why". These all seem like keepers to me and to my young readers who tested them with me over the year.
Kate McClelland PICTURE BOOKS
Christopher Meyers BLACK CAT for its use of collage and multi-media to evoke the many aspects of the city... gritty and beautiful, edgy and provocative... using the proud, independent cat as symbol. Totally unique art and my personal first choice for Caldecott.
Carl Sandberg with illustrations by David Small THE HUCKABUCK FAMILY AND HOW THEY RAISED POPCORN IN NEBRASKA AND QUIT AND CAME BACK for the new life it imparts to an old favorite, the art evoking WPA era murals appropriate to this Depression era fairy tale.
Pam Munoz Ryan Illus by Brian Selznick AMELIA AND ELEANOR GO FOR A RIDE for elegant bookmaking and design, from the shape that reminds readers of the extended horizontal wings of a plane to the stylized evocation of the art deco era and the choice of black and white pencil illustrations. Author's Note details what is fact and what is fiction. The text illuminates the parallels between two women, icons of American history, who, in their embrace of independence, are natural allies.
Allan Say TEA WITH MILK because the book can be read entirely through its pictures... pictures that convey May's intense emotions and feelings of isolation through carefully restrained composition, design and palette. The cover illustration taken alone presents May so forcefully as an outsider that it is heartbreaking to study. It continues the story begun in GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY.
FICTION: Polly Horvath THE TROLLS for its rich interweaving of humor and poignant darkness and a fresh look at family story. The buildup to the story of Robbie and the Trolls gives shape and momentum. This is my personal first choice for Newbery.
Louise Erdrich BIRCHBARK HOUSE For all the reasons people have appreciated it on CCBC-net this Fall... We have not heard this voice in such rich, authentic detail before. Here we have accurate cultural information about food, entertainment, clothes, beliefs and customs integrated perfectly into a compelling and accessible story filled with memorable characters.
Franny Billingsley FOLK KEEPER A beautifully realized classic fantasy based upon the ancient Selkie legends. The setting is eloquently realized in all its wildness and mystery, from the sea, to the castle, to the cellar and underground world of the Folk. Interwoven throughout is the power of "The Word". Already a huge favorite among young readers.
Janet Taylor Lisle LOST FLOWER CHILDREN for its delicately woven parallel stories: one the realistic story of sisters healing after their mother's death; the other an open-ended fantasy story involving... what else... loss and discovery. A real hit with 3rd and 4th graders.
Karen English FRANCIE because it is steeped in its period setting without being overwhelmed (rural Jim Crow era Alabama) and its rich cast of characters is never stereotypically drawn. What lasts long after the last page is the authenticity of the culture which this book describes... where a sense of African American community helps people survive a truly dangerous society and a sense of family prevents the working poor from a sense of impoverishment.
Audrey Couloumbis GETTING NEAR TO BABY for its fresh, uncontrived look at grieving that is strengthened by solid characterizations, humor and intricate structure. From the provocative opening sentence the reader is engaged by a nonlinear structure that shifts from the present to the past, each time delving ever deeper and ever closer to the central event: the death of Baby.
Lynne Rae Perkins ALL ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE for the fresh way it explores the adolescent loss of a best friend and the disorienting effect of
"triangularity" in a relationship. Universal, humorous, poignant.
David Almond SKELLIG for the details Almond chooses that edge between Gothic creepiness and Heavenly innocence and create an unforgettable atmosphere juxtaposing life and death, dark and light. This mysterious story tells of a child moving between the worlds of his school and neighborhood his deep-seated fears that his baby sister is dying. Kids love it.
NONFICTION; Sheila Hamanaka IN SEARCH OF THE SPIRIT for its authentic descriptions of Japan's Living National Treasures in the arts, presented through elegant design, history, interviews and information on the processes involved. The result is a book that not only looks but feels as contemplative as the spirit of traditional Japan.
Steve Jenkins TOP OF THE WORLD:CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST for the astonishing, artful use of torn paper collage to provide history, geography, climate and the physical challenge of climbing to the peak, PLUS... the dramatic anatomy of an avalanche.
Charles R. Smith, Jr. RIMSHOTS: Basketball Pix, Rolls and Rhythms bc design choices seem perfect for the subject... from the duotone photos that seem artistically gritty yet truthful, to the innovative graphics that replicate the effect of a bouncing ball or the escalating score on a scoreboard. Selections range from poignant to funny.
Judy Sierra TASTY BABY BELLY BUTTONS. This is an unusual variant of the well-known Momotaro tale with a fearless heroine, an excellent Author's Note, a plot that is both funny and scary, and lots of opportunity for participation that makes it a real crowd pleaser.
Robie H. Harris IT'S SO AMAZING! For its respect for young readers and their
right to accurate information, respect for all kinds of families and respect for divergent points of view. For its inviting format, comic relief and accessible anologies.
Aliki WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND THE GLOBE for the enormous amount of information packed into a slim book and presented with an inviting generosity of design, graceful and accessible language and convincing scholarship.
David Macaulay. Building the Book Cathedral for the multilayered insights it provides into the choices to be made in book design and production as well as a fascinating look into the often-humorous mind of one of our most brilliantly process-oriented artists... all this PLUS the original 1974 Caldecott Honor book.
Received on Wed 08 Dec 1999 01:58:30 PM CST
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 14:58:30 -0500
I am taking advantage of your generous invitation to send you ALL of my favorites divided into: picture books, fiction and nonfiction with the briefest descriptions of "why". These all seem like keepers to me and to my young readers who tested them with me over the year.
Kate McClelland PICTURE BOOKS
Christopher Meyers BLACK CAT for its use of collage and multi-media to evoke the many aspects of the city... gritty and beautiful, edgy and provocative... using the proud, independent cat as symbol. Totally unique art and my personal first choice for Caldecott.
Carl Sandberg with illustrations by David Small THE HUCKABUCK FAMILY AND HOW THEY RAISED POPCORN IN NEBRASKA AND QUIT AND CAME BACK for the new life it imparts to an old favorite, the art evoking WPA era murals appropriate to this Depression era fairy tale.
Pam Munoz Ryan Illus by Brian Selznick AMELIA AND ELEANOR GO FOR A RIDE for elegant bookmaking and design, from the shape that reminds readers of the extended horizontal wings of a plane to the stylized evocation of the art deco era and the choice of black and white pencil illustrations. Author's Note details what is fact and what is fiction. The text illuminates the parallels between two women, icons of American history, who, in their embrace of independence, are natural allies.
Allan Say TEA WITH MILK because the book can be read entirely through its pictures... pictures that convey May's intense emotions and feelings of isolation through carefully restrained composition, design and palette. The cover illustration taken alone presents May so forcefully as an outsider that it is heartbreaking to study. It continues the story begun in GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY.
FICTION: Polly Horvath THE TROLLS for its rich interweaving of humor and poignant darkness and a fresh look at family story. The buildup to the story of Robbie and the Trolls gives shape and momentum. This is my personal first choice for Newbery.
Louise Erdrich BIRCHBARK HOUSE For all the reasons people have appreciated it on CCBC-net this Fall... We have not heard this voice in such rich, authentic detail before. Here we have accurate cultural information about food, entertainment, clothes, beliefs and customs integrated perfectly into a compelling and accessible story filled with memorable characters.
Franny Billingsley FOLK KEEPER A beautifully realized classic fantasy based upon the ancient Selkie legends. The setting is eloquently realized in all its wildness and mystery, from the sea, to the castle, to the cellar and underground world of the Folk. Interwoven throughout is the power of "The Word". Already a huge favorite among young readers.
Janet Taylor Lisle LOST FLOWER CHILDREN for its delicately woven parallel stories: one the realistic story of sisters healing after their mother's death; the other an open-ended fantasy story involving... what else... loss and discovery. A real hit with 3rd and 4th graders.
Karen English FRANCIE because it is steeped in its period setting without being overwhelmed (rural Jim Crow era Alabama) and its rich cast of characters is never stereotypically drawn. What lasts long after the last page is the authenticity of the culture which this book describes... where a sense of African American community helps people survive a truly dangerous society and a sense of family prevents the working poor from a sense of impoverishment.
Audrey Couloumbis GETTING NEAR TO BABY for its fresh, uncontrived look at grieving that is strengthened by solid characterizations, humor and intricate structure. From the provocative opening sentence the reader is engaged by a nonlinear structure that shifts from the present to the past, each time delving ever deeper and ever closer to the central event: the death of Baby.
Lynne Rae Perkins ALL ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE for the fresh way it explores the adolescent loss of a best friend and the disorienting effect of
"triangularity" in a relationship. Universal, humorous, poignant.
David Almond SKELLIG for the details Almond chooses that edge between Gothic creepiness and Heavenly innocence and create an unforgettable atmosphere juxtaposing life and death, dark and light. This mysterious story tells of a child moving between the worlds of his school and neighborhood his deep-seated fears that his baby sister is dying. Kids love it.
NONFICTION; Sheila Hamanaka IN SEARCH OF THE SPIRIT for its authentic descriptions of Japan's Living National Treasures in the arts, presented through elegant design, history, interviews and information on the processes involved. The result is a book that not only looks but feels as contemplative as the spirit of traditional Japan.
Steve Jenkins TOP OF THE WORLD:CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST for the astonishing, artful use of torn paper collage to provide history, geography, climate and the physical challenge of climbing to the peak, PLUS... the dramatic anatomy of an avalanche.
Charles R. Smith, Jr. RIMSHOTS: Basketball Pix, Rolls and Rhythms bc design choices seem perfect for the subject... from the duotone photos that seem artistically gritty yet truthful, to the innovative graphics that replicate the effect of a bouncing ball or the escalating score on a scoreboard. Selections range from poignant to funny.
Judy Sierra TASTY BABY BELLY BUTTONS. This is an unusual variant of the well-known Momotaro tale with a fearless heroine, an excellent Author's Note, a plot that is both funny and scary, and lots of opportunity for participation that makes it a real crowd pleaser.
Robie H. Harris IT'S SO AMAZING! For its respect for young readers and their
right to accurate information, respect for all kinds of families and respect for divergent points of view. For its inviting format, comic relief and accessible anologies.
Aliki WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND THE GLOBE for the enormous amount of information packed into a slim book and presented with an inviting generosity of design, graceful and accessible language and convincing scholarship.
David Macaulay. Building the Book Cathedral for the multilayered insights it provides into the choices to be made in book design and production as well as a fascinating look into the often-humorous mind of one of our most brilliantly process-oriented artists... all this PLUS the original 1974 Caldecott Honor book.
Received on Wed 08 Dec 1999 01:58:30 PM CST
