Hopeful books

I read two great books this week. Both are about new beginnings.

Thebarge, Sarah. The Invisible Girls: A Memoir. New York: Jericho Books, 2013. Print.

A heartbroken young cancer survivor leaves New Haven, Connecticut and moves to Portland, Oregon to escape her problems. By chance, she meets a family of refugees from Somalia  on a commuter train and they form an instant bond as they navigate their new lives.

"Intertwining her own excruciating story of loss and rejection with the stirring story of a family of Somali refugees, The Invisible Girls is a testament to unwavering tenacity, resilient faith, and ineffable grace." --Karen Spears Zacharias, author of The Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder.

 

Applegate, Katherine, and Patricia Castelao. The One and Only Ivan. New York: Harper, 2012. Print.

Ivan the Gorilla tolerates his life as a highway circus attraction. He is content to spend his days watching TV and eating and drawing pictures of bananas. When an orphaned  baby elephant is added to the act, however, he comes up with a plan for a better life.

If you liked Charlotte's Web, you will love this year's Newbery Medal winner, The One and Only Ivan.

"A beautifully written, intelligent and brave book. You will never look at the relationship of humans and animals in the same way again. Quite simply, this story is life changing." --Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah, Plain and Tall.

 

 

Liar & Spy

Stead, Rebecca. Liar & Spy. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2012. Print.

Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead's most recent book is about a seventh grade boy named Georges (after Georges Seurat) whose family cannot to afford to keep their house so they move into an apartment building. This middle grade (MG) novel is  part mystery and part family drama.

While Rebecca Stead's previous novel When You Reach Me pays tribute to Madeleine L'Engle's classic novel about time travel, A Wrinkle in Time, Liar & Spy is reminiscent of Louise Fitzhugh's  Harriet the Spy. (All three titles are Newbery winners.)

Highly recommended.

Supergirl

That's really super Supergirl
How you saved yourself in seconds flat
And your friends are going to say
That's really super Supergirl
How you're changing all the world's weather
--Supergirl by XTC

Here are three great graphic novel series that feature girl superheroes:

Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley

Gownley, Jimmy. Amelia Rules!: Vol. 3. Harrisburg, PA: Renaissance Press, 2006. Print.

I made the mistake of giving an Amelia Rules book to my niece at the beginning of our visit. I didn't get to chat with her because she couldn't stop reading!

Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm

Holm, Jennifer L, and Matthew Holm. Babymouse: Our Hero. New York: Random House, 2005. Print.

This funny series about a spunky kitty was written by Newbery honor winner, Jennifer L. Holm, and illustrated by her brother Matt!

Fashion Kitty by Charise Mericle Harper

Harper, Charise M. Fashion Kitty Versus the Fashion Queen. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, 2007. Print.

Fashion Kitty protects her classmates from Cassandra the mean Fashion Queen bully. Fashion Kitty is the cat's pajamas!

The Academy Awards of Children's Literature

Here are a few of the big winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards which were announced this morning:

Sibert Medal:

Sweet, Melissa. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2011. Print.

Caldecott Medal:

Raschka, Christopher. A Ball for Daisy.
New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011. Print.

Newbery Medal:

Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt. New York:
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011. Print.

Belpré Medals:

McCall, Guadalupe G. Under the Mesquite. New York: Lee & Low Books, 2011. Print.

Tonatiuh, Duncan, and Diego Rivera. Diego Rivera: His World and Ours. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2011. Print.

King Medals:

Nelson, Kadir. Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans.
New York: Balzer + Bray, 2011. Print.

Evans, Shane. Underground. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2011. Print.

Geisel Medal:

Schneider, Josh. Tales for Very Picky Eaters. New York: Clarion Books, 2011. Print.

The Academy Awards of Children's Literature

Here are the winners of the 2011 ALA Youth Media Awards:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:

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Vanderpool, Clare. 2010. Moon over Manifest. New York: Delacorte Press.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

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Stead, Philip Christian, and Erin E. Stead. 2010. A sick day for Amos McGee. New York: Roaring Brook.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults:

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Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

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Hill, Laban Carrick, and Bryan Collier. 2010. Dave the potter: artist, poet, slave. New York: Little, Brown.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

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Ryan, Pam Muñoz, and Peter Sís. 2010. The dreamer. New York: Scholastic Press.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

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Velasquez, Eric. 2010. Grandma's gift. New York: Walker.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:

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DiCamillo, Kate, Alison McGhee, and Tony Fucile. 2010. Bink & Gollie. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press.

Check them out at your local library and/or buy a copy at your local bookstore. Amazon has enough business. Let's improve the economy by supporting our local retailers.

ALA Conference

I'm back home from the ALA Conference. Although we were off to bit of a rocky start, everything picked up after the first day. It was so wonderful to see some of my favorite authors such as Norton Juster, Susan Patron, Brian Selznick, David Levithan, and Linda Sue Park.

The Caldecott/Newbery Medal acceptance speeches were beyond awesome. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Check out School Library Journal's review of the event at slj.com.