From: Amy Sears <amy_sears>
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 10:05:55 -0500

On Monday, November 24, the Bergen County (NJ) Cooperative Library System's Youth Services Committee sponsored the BCCLS-BERY, a Mock Newbery Election attended by Youth Services Librarians in BCCLS. Twenty five youth librarians met and discussed vaious contenders. And the winners are:

BCCLS-BERY Medal
'Keeper of the Night' by Kimberly Willis Holt

BCCLS-BERY Honor Books
'Olive's Ocean' by Kevin Henkes
'Sahara Special' by Esme Raji Codell
'The City of Ember' by Jeanne DuPrau
 

One group was particularly fond of Keeper of the Night, saying that it was an extremely powerful book and that everything about it worked: the characters, the setting, the voice and the experience. One librarian who's mother had died when she was 13 commented that the book could have been her life at that age and that if it had been around then it would have helped her greatly.

Some of my other favorites of the year:

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is has had a lot of kid fans, while some adults seem put off by the "Dear Reader" comments every kid who's read it has liked the comments
 

Gregor The Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Abhorsen by Garth Nix-a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy-although I still want more.
 

  

Amy E. Sears

Head of Children's Services
  Teaneck Public Library
  840 Teaneck Road
  Teaneck, NJ 07666
  201?7A71 x3
   
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Received on Sat 13 Dec 2003 09:05:55 AM CST