From: Steven Engelfried <sengelfried>
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 13:35:19 -0800 (PST)

  Here are three of my 2005 favorites: Phillip Pullman?s ?The Scarecrow and His Servant? was just perfect. It has the feel of an old fashioned folktale, but is always surprising and fresh. There are so many overblown, meandering fantasies out there today that it?s very refreshing to find one written with original characters, restrained wit, and thoughtful, precise plotting. ?Michael Rosen?s Sad Book? is another of my 2005 favorites. The direct narrative speaks right to kids about a very tough topic. Quentin Blake?s illustrations capture the melancholy feelings without being oppressively gloomy. Grief has been written about many times before, but this one?s different. For non-fiction, ?Let Me Play? by Karen Blumenthal is fascinating. I thought I?d just be reading about girls and sports, but it covered so much more, including some of the best explanations and examples I?ve seen about how laws get made, adjusted, interpreted, and challenged. Written at a middle school reading
 level, and structured so that the triumphs and setbacks are truly exciting to read about.
   
  Steven Engelfried, Senior Librarian Beaverton City Library 12375 SW 5th Street Beaverton, OR 97005 503-526-2599 sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us


                
---------------------------------
 Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less
Received on Wed 07 Dec 2005 03:35:19 PM CST