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Favorites (Long--but there have been a lot of good books!)
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From: Cindy Dobrez <dobrez>
Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 22:20:37 -0500
DISCLAIMER: I'm currently serving on Best Books for Young Adults, so my
"picks" for the younger awards are really just favorites, I haven't seen or read enough of them to presume to guess the awards. And while I certainly have read the bulk of the YA books, unlike the Printz committee that must be agonizing over their choices and rereading the top titles again and again, I've only read them once--and still have a few top choices to go. It's still fun to ponder Ginny's request for the year's favorites and I'm enjoying reading the replies of others.
I agreed with the CCBC discussion on their top picks for the Caldecott:
THREE LITTLE PIGS (Wiesner)
CLEVER BEATRICE (Willey)
I live in the same town as the author, Margaret Willey (also author of past BBYA recommended books), and she is delighted with the illustrations by first time illustrator, Heather Solomon. Her use of collage reminds me of Molly Bang's work, but is freshly imaginative rather than just imitative. Margaret says "Beatrice just seems to have struck a nerve with people, probably for a mix of reasons. I think everybody knows a little boy or girl kind of like Beatrice, who is persistent and pleasant, but also kind of conniving, inner-children included. I also think everybody has proverbial rich but dumb giants in their lives, adults and children alike, so the book speaks to our collective need for little victories in those far north woods." (Shared with permission)
the Newbery (although I haven't read enough of the younger titles to really guess at all)- ZAZOO (Mosher)
Others I liked:
MOONPIE AND IVY (O'Connor) NOTES FROM A LIAR AND A DOG (Choldenko) LORD OF THE DEEP (Salisbury) LOVE THAT DOG (Creech) THREE DAYS (Napoli)
I was impressed with how she pulls off three days of interaction between an American young girl and 3 Italian adults who don't speak each other's language. HEAVEN EYES (Almond)--not eligible for the Newbery
the Printz--This decision has been agonizing all year because there have been so many good books. TRUE BELIEVER has remained my top choice, but recently I read ZAZOO and don't know what to think. These books are both personal favorites (not only quality literature but "my kind of book"), and I am buying ZAZOO for Christmas for an adult "gill girl" I know. Zazoo was the first book I've read recently that made me want to slow down and really savor it. (When you have to read a book a day or more to finish the BBYA nominations by Jan. 18th you usually want the books to go really quickly!) My top ten is really about 20, but I tried to be a little selective here...list subject to change with the next book I pick up! :)
TRUE BELIEVER (Wolff) THE LAND (Taylor) ZAZOO (Mosher)
THE RAG AND BONE SHOP (Cormier) WHALE TALK (Crutcher) YOU DON'T KNOW ME (Klass) TROY (Geras) EVERY TIME A RAINBOW DIES (Williams-Garcia) STEP FROM HEAVEN (Na) LIREAL (Nix)
I've heard lots of talk about THE LAND perhaps being a Newbery and Printz, but I think it is better appreciated by an older audience than the Newbery cut off of 14 years. Most of the book deals with Paul Edward's young manhood, not his childhood like ROLL OF THUNDER. I'm hoping that CARVER: A LIFE IN POEMS finds a spot somewhere, perhaps as a Sibert or CSK book. It's a beautiful work, but one that also needs an older audience.
What the teens are liking in my neck of the woods:
MEMORY BOY (Weaver) LIREAL (Nix) SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS (Brashares) CUT (McCormick) 2000 title, but it's the BBYA book I have the most student review cards on. BREATHING UNDERWATER (Flinn) BEFORE WINGS (Goobie) TOUCHING SPIRIT BEAR (Mikaelsen) SQUIRE (Pierce) EMPRESS OF THE WORLD (Ryan) WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW (Sones) EDGE ON THE SWORD (Tingle)
Cindy Dobrez, Librarian Harbor Lights Middle School 3600 N. 152nd Ave. Holland, MI 49424 616s8h84 dobrez at novagate.com
Received on Tue 04 Dec 2001 09:20:37 PM CST
Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 22:20:37 -0500
DISCLAIMER: I'm currently serving on Best Books for Young Adults, so my
"picks" for the younger awards are really just favorites, I haven't seen or read enough of them to presume to guess the awards. And while I certainly have read the bulk of the YA books, unlike the Printz committee that must be agonizing over their choices and rereading the top titles again and again, I've only read them once--and still have a few top choices to go. It's still fun to ponder Ginny's request for the year's favorites and I'm enjoying reading the replies of others.
I agreed with the CCBC discussion on their top picks for the Caldecott:
THREE LITTLE PIGS (Wiesner)
CLEVER BEATRICE (Willey)
I live in the same town as the author, Margaret Willey (also author of past BBYA recommended books), and she is delighted with the illustrations by first time illustrator, Heather Solomon. Her use of collage reminds me of Molly Bang's work, but is freshly imaginative rather than just imitative. Margaret says "Beatrice just seems to have struck a nerve with people, probably for a mix of reasons. I think everybody knows a little boy or girl kind of like Beatrice, who is persistent and pleasant, but also kind of conniving, inner-children included. I also think everybody has proverbial rich but dumb giants in their lives, adults and children alike, so the book speaks to our collective need for little victories in those far north woods." (Shared with permission)
the Newbery (although I haven't read enough of the younger titles to really guess at all)- ZAZOO (Mosher)
Others I liked:
MOONPIE AND IVY (O'Connor) NOTES FROM A LIAR AND A DOG (Choldenko) LORD OF THE DEEP (Salisbury) LOVE THAT DOG (Creech) THREE DAYS (Napoli)
I was impressed with how she pulls off three days of interaction between an American young girl and 3 Italian adults who don't speak each other's language. HEAVEN EYES (Almond)--not eligible for the Newbery
the Printz--This decision has been agonizing all year because there have been so many good books. TRUE BELIEVER has remained my top choice, but recently I read ZAZOO and don't know what to think. These books are both personal favorites (not only quality literature but "my kind of book"), and I am buying ZAZOO for Christmas for an adult "gill girl" I know. Zazoo was the first book I've read recently that made me want to slow down and really savor it. (When you have to read a book a day or more to finish the BBYA nominations by Jan. 18th you usually want the books to go really quickly!) My top ten is really about 20, but I tried to be a little selective here...list subject to change with the next book I pick up! :)
TRUE BELIEVER (Wolff) THE LAND (Taylor) ZAZOO (Mosher)
THE RAG AND BONE SHOP (Cormier) WHALE TALK (Crutcher) YOU DON'T KNOW ME (Klass) TROY (Geras) EVERY TIME A RAINBOW DIES (Williams-Garcia) STEP FROM HEAVEN (Na) LIREAL (Nix)
I've heard lots of talk about THE LAND perhaps being a Newbery and Printz, but I think it is better appreciated by an older audience than the Newbery cut off of 14 years. Most of the book deals with Paul Edward's young manhood, not his childhood like ROLL OF THUNDER. I'm hoping that CARVER: A LIFE IN POEMS finds a spot somewhere, perhaps as a Sibert or CSK book. It's a beautiful work, but one that also needs an older audience.
What the teens are liking in my neck of the woods:
MEMORY BOY (Weaver) LIREAL (Nix) SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS (Brashares) CUT (McCormick) 2000 title, but it's the BBYA book I have the most student review cards on. BREATHING UNDERWATER (Flinn) BEFORE WINGS (Goobie) TOUCHING SPIRIT BEAR (Mikaelsen) SQUIRE (Pierce) EMPRESS OF THE WORLD (Ryan) WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW (Sones) EDGE ON THE SWORD (Tingle)
Cindy Dobrez, Librarian Harbor Lights Middle School 3600 N. 152nd Ave. Holland, MI 49424 616s8h84 dobrez at novagate.com
Received on Tue 04 Dec 2001 09:20:37 PM CST
