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Re: Favorites of the Year
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From: Doris Gebel <dorisgebel_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:07:57 -0500
Hi Rob and all, Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan made me smile throughout the reading of this little gem. The delight in the spare, but not simplistic text, rapid fire one liners of the pets and the gentle, clever way that MacLachlan reveals the family dynamics is pure "magic." I must confess that I didn't at first think of this book as a funny book, but here is what an NENPL 4th grade Newbery Book Club reader had to say about Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan: This was one of the best books that I've read. One part of the book actually made me laugh out loud. The beginning made me feel a little sad though because the Dad and Mom were fighting so much. I thought it was cool that the Mom let them get 4 dogs and 1 cat. There were some funny parts and I think you should read it.
I think its been another great year for nonfiction. Some of my favorites of the year have been:
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming-for understanding the motivation of an individual whose spirit of adventure and dogged determination.
Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker - for the compelling way she relates the scientific information to the impact on human life.
Bootleg: murder, moonshine and the lawless years of prohibition by Karen Bloomenthal for putting a complex issue into historical and political context in an engaging and highly readable way
Queen of the Falls by Chris VanAllsburg-for pacing of the text that builds up a young child's expectation for sucess but opens their eyes to compassion for those whose life does not turn out the way they planned.
Trapped: how the world rescued 33 miners from 2,000 feet below the Chilean desert by Marc Aronson - for compelling narrative nonfiction that broadens the scope of young readers knowlege about the world and the power of the human spirit to persevere against the odds.
Sometimes I think that my favorite book is the one I just finished, but here are a some that stand out for me in fiction:
An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo- for the way he brings a difficult subject to life (and ok the jacket flap puts it succinctly 'a story tht brings togeher an unlikely group of survivors whose faith in kindness and loves proves the best weapon of all.'
Hidden by Helen Frost-admittedly a devoted fan of the way she tells a story within the limits of a demanding and strict structural form.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhai Lai for the beauty of the metaphorical language and the way her use of it reflects the immigrant experience
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick- this second foray into the unique format he has created brings it to a whole new level. The masterful blending of the stories, told in ways that reflect the theme is remarkable.
Doris Gebel Head of Youth Services Northport-East Northport Public Library
Received on Fri 09 Dec 2011 07:07:57 AM CST
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:07:57 -0500
Hi Rob and all, Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan made me smile throughout the reading of this little gem. The delight in the spare, but not simplistic text, rapid fire one liners of the pets and the gentle, clever way that MacLachlan reveals the family dynamics is pure "magic." I must confess that I didn't at first think of this book as a funny book, but here is what an NENPL 4th grade Newbery Book Club reader had to say about Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan: This was one of the best books that I've read. One part of the book actually made me laugh out loud. The beginning made me feel a little sad though because the Dad and Mom were fighting so much. I thought it was cool that the Mom let them get 4 dogs and 1 cat. There were some funny parts and I think you should read it.
I think its been another great year for nonfiction. Some of my favorites of the year have been:
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming-for understanding the motivation of an individual whose spirit of adventure and dogged determination.
Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker - for the compelling way she relates the scientific information to the impact on human life.
Bootleg: murder, moonshine and the lawless years of prohibition by Karen Bloomenthal for putting a complex issue into historical and political context in an engaging and highly readable way
Queen of the Falls by Chris VanAllsburg-for pacing of the text that builds up a young child's expectation for sucess but opens their eyes to compassion for those whose life does not turn out the way they planned.
Trapped: how the world rescued 33 miners from 2,000 feet below the Chilean desert by Marc Aronson - for compelling narrative nonfiction that broadens the scope of young readers knowlege about the world and the power of the human spirit to persevere against the odds.
Sometimes I think that my favorite book is the one I just finished, but here are a some that stand out for me in fiction:
An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo- for the way he brings a difficult subject to life (and ok the jacket flap puts it succinctly 'a story tht brings togeher an unlikely group of survivors whose faith in kindness and loves proves the best weapon of all.'
Hidden by Helen Frost-admittedly a devoted fan of the way she tells a story within the limits of a demanding and strict structural form.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhai Lai for the beauty of the metaphorical language and the way her use of it reflects the immigrant experience
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick- this second foray into the unique format he has created brings it to a whole new level. The masterful blending of the stories, told in ways that reflect the theme is remarkable.
Doris Gebel Head of Youth Services Northport-East Northport Public Library
Received on Fri 09 Dec 2011 07:07:57 AM CST
