Good Comics for Kids
Jonathan Hunt, January 6, 2012 | Uncategorized
We discussed I BROKE MY TRUNK! earlier here and here. I’m not sure that I can argue the merits of this book any better than I have already done. I still think it’s distinguished as all get out. Ironically, most of its strongest competition within the easy reader field comes from three other books penned […]
Jonathan Hunt, November 9, 2011 | Uncategorized
Sometimes it’s hard to tell fact from fiction. Time and again, I unearthed a telling incident or a charming anecdote only to learn that it wasn’t true. Frustrating? You bet. But it was also enlightening, a reminder that it is often difficult to find the history in the hype, to separate truth from myth. I […]
Jonathan Hunt, October 9, 2011 | Uncategorized
INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai is an impressive debut novel in verse that trenchantly chronicles the assimilation of a ten-year-old Vietnamese girl into her newly adopted country: the United States. It’s racked up no less than four starred reviews and is currently ranked number 2 in the goodreads Newbery poll behind only […]
Jonathan Hunt, September 30, 2011 | Uncategorized
As Nina mentioned, eligibility issues are decided by the chair in conjunction with the priority consultant. I’m going to hazard a guess about A MONSTER CALLS. The book has been getting lots of buzz, and deservedly so. It’s one of the better middle grade titles of the year. The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. […]
Jonathan Hunt, September 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
Betsy has her latest round of Newbery/Caldecott predictions up and, not surprisingly, OKAY FOR NOW is at the very top of the list. Betsy praises the book for its “heart” and its ability to get readers “emotionally involved,” both wonderful intangibles for a book to have, but qualities that we need to translate into the […]
Jonathan Hunt, January 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
THE 1990s: THE UTILITARIAN NEWBERY For many Newbery fans, this decade remains the zenith of Newbery greatness: one awesome middle grade novel after another: NUMBER THE STARS, MANIAC MAGEE, SHILOH, MISSING MAY, THE GIVER, WALK TWO MOONS, THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE, THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY, OUT OF THE DUST, and HOLES. It’s an incredibly amazing string […]
Nina Lindsay, December 20, 2010 | Uncategorized
Welcome to the Virtual Mock Newbery. Though we won’t be discussing our titles together in real time, I do want to try to set the mood. (Here’s a soundtrack for those who work better with one. Make sure to right click to open it in a new tab/window) I’d like you to pretend you are a […]
Nina Lindsay, November 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
THE DREAMER adds an interesting angle into the Middle Muddle…what to do with fiction based on biography? I think Ryan achieves excellence in character and setting through her style…using imagery and sound with an exagerrated clarity intended to mimic the poetry of Neruda. Neftali and his family, and his home, certainly come alive for me […]
Jonathan Hunt, November 25, 2010 | Uncategorized
The Newbery committee has almost certainly traded two more November nominations and will shortly trade a final two in December (for a total of seven). Back in October, we traded our own initial mock nominations. Mine were KEEPER, SUGAR CHANGED THE WORLD, and A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS, and others chimed in with their top three […]
Jonathan Hunt, October 11, 2010 | Uncategorized
The National Book Award finalists will be announced on Wednesday. You’ll remember that last year two of the finalists, CLAUDETTE COLVIN and CHARLES AND EMMA, were informational books and a third, STITCHES, was a memoir in the form of a graphic novel, bringing the grand total of nonfiction titles to three. I don’t know that the Newbery […]
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Good Comics for Kids
by Brigid Alverson
A Fuse #8 Production
by Betsy Bird
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