MORE POSTS FROM SEPTEMBER 2009
I’m going to let the comments on Jonathan’s Party Pooper post rattle on a little longer as I more fully gather my thoughts on When You Reach Me. Meanwhile– Last year, Sharon and I had a really difficult time identifying nonfiction titles that we thought would bear up in Newbery discussion. (We picked Fleischman’s The […]
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but . . . WHEN YOU REACH ME isn’t quite as good as you think it is. Oh, to be sure, it’s one of the best books of the year–arguably the best fiction, certainly. It just strikes me as an Honor book more than a Medal book. And it’s not […]
As Nina mentioned, it’s very easy to anticipate the new work of Newbery alumni–especially when it happens to be the work of a beloved author. Those sort of lofty expectations can be both a blessing and a curse, particularly because we often expect a Newbery alumnus to match and exceed their past work. Of course, such expectations […]
Wendy comments on Jonathan’s post below that: I think SLJ (and others) overstated the popularity [of The Graveyard Book] in response to the debate; it’s much more interesting to say "finally a popular book won" or "once again, the Newbery goes to an obscure book" than "this year they chose a good book that people […]
Before we turn our attention to the forthcoming Newbery Medal winner, I’d like to briefly revisit the previous one. You’re all familiar, I’m sure, with the SLJ article about the lack of broad child appeal among the previous four Newbery Medal winners (KIRA KIRA, CRISS CROSS, THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY, and GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES!). When THE GRAVEYARD BOOK won this […]
The day after Labor Day heralds Christmas shopping, the donning of fall fashions weather-permitting or no, and…Book Awards Season. So here we are to Heavy Medal once more. "We" looks a little different this round, as smart Sharon has opted to take a year to travel the world, with no online devices whatsoever (er, except […]
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