The Yarn
Jonathan Hunt, January 10, 2013 | Uncategorized
JONATHAN HUNT: Before we have another go at BOMB–I’ve finished reading it again–I want to address two of the other concerns that were raised on previous discussion threads. First, the epilogue–well, not the whole epilogue, really–the last page where Sheinkin breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader directly. On rereading, I didn’t find this […]
Jonathan Hunt, January 8, 2013 | Uncategorized
Consensus among best books lists is not necessarily the best indicator of Newbery recognition, and we’re now going to take a look at some books that made just a single list. Last year, this excercise yielded a Newbery Honor book, BREAKING STALIN’S NOSE, which the Horn Book called and allowed us to save face. Maybe one […]
Jonathan Hunt, December 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
When Nina introduced this book way back in September, her biggest quibble was with Ivan’s voice, particularly the rich metaphorical language that dominates the first 50 pages or so. This didn’t bother me because, like many of you, I made a distinction between his thinking voice and his speaking voice. However, I do still find that first section […]
Jonathan Hunt, November 12, 2012 | Uncategorized
Oops! Got your attention, didn’t I? Of couse, I meant TWELVE KINDS OF ICE and BENEATH A METH MOON, but first things first . . . We had 30 people submit a full set of three nominations in October, and the results are listed below. Please note that these are slightly different from the earlier […]
Nina Lindsay, November 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
Do you get a jolt sometimes on your commute, at your favorite lunch place, suddenly looking at the same mundane scene you see every day and think: “how peculiar?” A slightly distorted lens on the world in fiction, when done well, can make the story that much more believable. Here are two titles that fit […]
Jonathan Hunt, October 28, 2012 | Uncategorized
Last year, we seriously entertained the idea of Newbery recognition for an Elephant & Piggie book, specifically I BROKE MY TRUNK! Willems has two more books in the series this year: LISTEN TO MY TRUMPET! and LET’S GO FOR A DRIVE! I’m equally enthusiastic about these books, and if I were on the real committee I […]
Jonathan Hunt, October 17, 2012 | Uncategorized
There’s this totally false map of the human tongue. It’s supposed to show where we taste different things, like salty on the side of the tongue, sweet in the front, bitter in the back. Some guy drew it a hundred years ago, and people have been forcing kids to memorize it ever since. But it’s […]
Nina Lindsay, September 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
We’ve plunged into discussion, but I’m going to take a breather to give a brief primer on the Newbery procedures. The Newbery Terms and Criteria are the grounding definitions for the committee. If you’re not familiar with them, it’s worth reading them in detail. You’ll find that for all of the defining going on there, […]
Jonathan Hunt, September 4, 2012 | Uncategorized
Welcome back for another season of Heavy Medal! With such a strong field of books, it promises to be more exciting–and contentious–than ever. WONDER by R.J. Palacio emerged as a popular favorite from the spring season while LIAR & SPY by Rebecca Stead and SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS by Laura Amy Schlitz have dominated the buzz […]
Jonathan Hunt, January 27, 2012 | Uncategorized
I don’t have very many vivid recollections from my childhood, but I do remember being in the sixth grade, going to the school library, browsing the shelves, and pulling THE GREY KING off–I remember all of that very vividly with precise sensory details. By then, I had developed the knack for sniffing out fantasy without asking […]
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Teen Librarian Toolbox
by Amanda MacGregor
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