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From: Jonathan Hunt <jhunt24>
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 01:05:29
THE GAWGON AND THE BOY by Lloyd Alexander . . . What an underappreciated book this is! Alexander takes a break from recasting his hero-quest tales into various world mythologies to pen this endearing, memoir-like novel set in the early twentieth century.
COUNTDOWN TO INDEPENDENCE by Natalie S. Bober . . . Always a fine biographer, Bober has surpassed herself her with this intellectual history of the American Revolution. I so admire her craft: her clear prose, short paragraphs, and brief chapters are inviting for young readers; her natural storytelling ability, with a particular flair for finding the inherent drama in history; her meticulous research and scrupulous documentation; her ability to weave biographical vignettes into the larger tapestry of history, in this case, an epic story which spans some three dozen players, fifteen years, and two continents; and finally, her ability to take her young (and not so young) readers by the hand and guide them to higher orders of critical thinking, of showing us the joy of an intellectual examination. This may be the best book of the year; it's a pity more people haven't read it.
THE SCHOOL STORY by Andrew Clements . . . This is probably the most popular book of the year among my fifth grade students and it's not hard to see why: a pair of sixth grade girls anonymously shepherd a book through the entire publication process against incredible odds.
TROY by Adele Geras . . . I love the short chapters, the ensemble cast, and the nifty exposition of the back story. This book also features some of the most hauntingly beautiful writing of the year. The war has exacted a devastating toll on the Trojans, and Geras has drawn that so palpably in the final sequence of events precipitated by that infamous Trojan Horse--scenes of great destruction, carnage, and terror juxtaposed with scenes of great compassion and hope--that it is almost too much to bear.
WHEN DAD KILLED MOM by Julius Lester . . . Now here's a book I just love to pieces! As Jeremy and Jenna grieve for their mother, they each strive to find clues to their father's motivation--Jeremy through his mother's diary, Jenna in conversation with her mother's best friend--and when they do all kinds of skeletons start falling out of the closet. This could have been just another run-of-the-mill YA problem novel about death and grieving, but Lester has chosen to tell this as a pyschological mystery in alternating narratives, making the impending trial of the father just as intriguing as the emotional lives of these children.
Jonathan
_________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
Received on Sat 15 Dec 2001 01:05:29 AM CST
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 01:05:29
THE GAWGON AND THE BOY by Lloyd Alexander . . . What an underappreciated book this is! Alexander takes a break from recasting his hero-quest tales into various world mythologies to pen this endearing, memoir-like novel set in the early twentieth century.
COUNTDOWN TO INDEPENDENCE by Natalie S. Bober . . . Always a fine biographer, Bober has surpassed herself her with this intellectual history of the American Revolution. I so admire her craft: her clear prose, short paragraphs, and brief chapters are inviting for young readers; her natural storytelling ability, with a particular flair for finding the inherent drama in history; her meticulous research and scrupulous documentation; her ability to weave biographical vignettes into the larger tapestry of history, in this case, an epic story which spans some three dozen players, fifteen years, and two continents; and finally, her ability to take her young (and not so young) readers by the hand and guide them to higher orders of critical thinking, of showing us the joy of an intellectual examination. This may be the best book of the year; it's a pity more people haven't read it.
THE SCHOOL STORY by Andrew Clements . . . This is probably the most popular book of the year among my fifth grade students and it's not hard to see why: a pair of sixth grade girls anonymously shepherd a book through the entire publication process against incredible odds.
TROY by Adele Geras . . . I love the short chapters, the ensemble cast, and the nifty exposition of the back story. This book also features some of the most hauntingly beautiful writing of the year. The war has exacted a devastating toll on the Trojans, and Geras has drawn that so palpably in the final sequence of events precipitated by that infamous Trojan Horse--scenes of great destruction, carnage, and terror juxtaposed with scenes of great compassion and hope--that it is almost too much to bear.
WHEN DAD KILLED MOM by Julius Lester . . . Now here's a book I just love to pieces! As Jeremy and Jenna grieve for their mother, they each strive to find clues to their father's motivation--Jeremy through his mother's diary, Jenna in conversation with her mother's best friend--and when they do all kinds of skeletons start falling out of the closet. This could have been just another run-of-the-mill YA problem novel about death and grieving, but Lester has chosen to tell this as a pyschological mystery in alternating narratives, making the impending trial of the father just as intriguing as the emotional lives of these children.
Jonathan
_________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
Received on Sat 15 Dec 2001 01:05:29 AM CST
