From: Jonathan Hunt <jhunt24>
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 01:06:07

I, too, was surprised by many of the award choices. I was very disappointed that personal favorites such as THE LAND and COUNTDOWN TO INDEPENDENCE were passed over, but such is life. I am much more concerned about a different problem.

On the one hand . . .

A SINGLE SHARD got two starred reviews and was named a best book by School Library Journal.

EVERYTHING ON A WAFFLE got three starred reviews and was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor book, but failed to make any significant best-of-the-year lists.

Neither SHARD nor WAFFLE are on the ALSC Notables working discussion list
(but of course will be added to the final list by virtue of their Newbery wins).

One the other hand . . .

LORD OF THE DEEP got two starred reviews, but was named a best book by School Library Journal, Booklist, the Bulletin, Publishers Weekly, and Horn Book.

AMBER WAS BRAVE, ESSIE WAS SMART got six starred reviews, but was named a best book by Horn Book, Publishers Weekly, and (I believe) School Library Journal and Booklist.

One could make a convincing argument that both of these books were frontrunners in two fields: LORD OF THE DEEP (Newbery, Printz), AMBER WAS BRAVE (Newbery, Caldecott). Their complete shutout is doubly disappointing.

To me, A SINGLE SHARD and EVERYTHING ON A WAFFLE are solid books, but undistinguished and the imprimatur of the Newbery does little to change my opinion: still solid, still undistinguished. And I believe the critical consensus backs me up.

Jonathan

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Received on Wed 23 Jan 2002 01:06:07 AM CST