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I have a new book that I am absolutely besotted with, thanks to the National Book Award judges. It will most likely appeal to the junior high grades of 7th, 8th, and 9th, at the very top of the age range, but this excellent book will probably be my favorite Newbery eligible fiction of the year. It’s a book of kissing […]
I’ve been steadily plowing through the many titles that have been suggested by you all, and still have a ways to go. My jaw isn’t dropping yet, and I find myself thinking a lot about Jonathan’s suggestion that "When I see the word writing in these conversations I am assuming that it is interchangeable with style […]
PLOT To my mind, this book had the most distinguished plot of last year. The events were organized in such a fashion that they generated an enormous amount of suspense, and what was even more impressive is that Collins accomplished it with a single viewpoint character and a simple uncluttered narrative arc. I thought THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, THE LINCOLNS, […]
Laurie wrote– I am very surprised that The Hunger Games was third on your personal Newbery list last year. I enjoyed it very much, as did a number of my middle school students, but not because the writing was particularly distinguished. The plot is memorable and compelling, sure. I agree that "somebody has to represent […]
It does appear to be wandering in circles. I missed the anniversary of Anita Silvey’s article "Has the Newbery Lost it’s Way?" by exactly one month. But will mark its thirteen months by inviting people to read–or at least dip into–Christine Jenkins excellent article of thirteen years ago in Library Trends: "Women of ALA Youth […]
I had THE HUNGER GAMES third on my own personal Newbery ballot last year (behind THE GRAVEYARD BOOK and THE LINCOLNS), but I never thought it had a chance in the Printz field which was crowded with great fantasy (NATION, TENDER MORSELS, THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, GRACELING, THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, EON, and PRETTY MONSTERS). […]
…no, not the Dunderhead’s discussion, but the novel by Suzanne Collins. Plenty of Spoilers follow. Readers of this blog last year will remember I was unmoved by suggestions of The Hunger Games as Newbery material. I enjoyed the book a lot…just found it very flat and manipulative. Nevertheless, I was eager to get my hands […]
CHARACTER In the short introductory section, you can see how Fleischman is able to superbly characterize Miss Breakbone with just a handful of details. The Dunderheads are characterized with even greater economy, nicknames–which not only summarize their talents but foreshadow their part in the plot–coupled with a few details (e.g. I nodded to Clips. His […]
Yes, Jonathan and I are out there pushing them. What picture book is out there that is Newbery worthy? What book of poetry? How low can you go…and how high? Whose appeal? Now’s the time of year to out these agendas and explore them…for there’s nothing terribly wrong with an agenda at this stage of […]
I have another picture book for your consideration–one with a longer, more independent text: THE DUNDERHEADS by Paul Fleischman. What follows is the opening sequence of events, representing roughly one-fifth of the text. It is reprinted here with the kind permission of Candlewick Press. "Never," shrieked Miss Breakbone, "have I been asked to teach such a scraping-together of […]
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