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books

A Trip Down Memory Lane

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Recently, my librarian friends and acquaintances have made me think seriously about children’s book award winners. More specifically, I’ve been thinking about how the Newbery winners and honors appeal to kids. The general consensus seems to be that they don’t. But of course that’s not entirely true – different books appeal to different readers. And I believe that this year’s crop of Newbery winners and honors, while not particularly appealing to me, are well-crafted books that will find an audience among kids who appreciate that craft.
I decided to go take a trip down memory lane and see which winners and honors I loved as a kid. I was surprised by how many there were. Of course, many of them were required reading in school, but many I picked up on my own and loved without any pushing from an adult. Below is just a smattering of those, in chronological order. Warning: You won’t find Charlotte’s Web on the list. Sorry.
Please feel free to weigh in and tell me which Newberys you loved as a kid, and which get appreciation from kids (or just one kid!) at your library.

Honor, 1942
I got this one at a Scholastic book fair in 6th grade. My mother told me I could choose a book and she’d buy it for me. I couldn’t decide between this one and another book about a disappearing bike shop (I’m pretty sure it was this one). Happy ending: she bought me both, and I loved them both, and I didn’t even know Indian Captive was a Newbery until I was an adult.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Winner, 1959
I was one of those kids who loved historical fiction. (When I found Ann Rinaldi in middle school, I was in book heaven.) I was especially fascinated by the Salem witch trials, so this was a natural draw for me.
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Winner, 1961
Before I read this one, my only experience with survival stories was Hatchet, which I nearly loathed. Island of the Blue Dolphins saved the genre for me. I loved stories about resourceful girls and O’Dell’s writing seemed so beautiful to me at the time.

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
Winner, 1967
Historical fiction! Romance! A stern but loving aunt! Relateable problems! This was an all-around winner, and I read it at the perfect time in my life for it.
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Honor, 1968
My fascination with ancient Egypt as a tween knew no bounds. This was a natural fit.
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Honor, 1974
I don’t think I know a single person who loves fantasy who does not love this series. At the time, it seemed really similar to the Narnia books, which I also loved. (As an adult, I prefer Cooper.) Mention should also be made of The Grey King, the winner from 1976.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Winner, 1979
I loved everything about this book – Raskin’s quirky writing, the very clever mystery, the fascinating characters. I read it aloud to my mother, and we kept a notebook so we could decipher the mystery as we read. It is far and away one of my best memories of my reading childhood. (It seems like this is out of print, which makes my heart break.)
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Winner, 1990
Historical fiction about the Holocaust was something I was just beginning to be interested in, and this book was a perfect fit. 

Honor, 1991
Historical fiction, adventure, a strong girl heroine. This had my name written all over it.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Winner, 1994
This is a cheat, since this one is almost universally beloved. But it’s also very deserving of the award.
Honor, 1995
This book was so awesomely strange to me as a tween, and I loved every page of it. It holds up well on re-read, I think.
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Winner, 1996
Historical fiction, a mouthy girl protagonist, lots of talk about poop, some mild language that seemed incredibly scandalous to me at the time, plus the topic of midwifery (which also seemed pretty scandalous) all made this a winner. Mention should also be made of Catherine Called Birdy, an Honor book from 1995 – even better “swear words” in that one!

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Honor, 1997
This book holds the honor of making me love it despite the fact that it has a male protagonist (something I avoided like the plague as a kid, usually). Great voice, fascinating fantasy story, and a hell of an ending.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Honor, 1998
I’m pretty sure there is nothing not to love about this first (and still the very best) Cinderella re-telling I ever read.
 
This isn’t even all of them. Would I have been exposed to these wonderful books if it weren’t for the Newbery medal? Some of them, probably. But not all.

Doing Our Part: Nominate Titles for YALSA’s Lists & Awards

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Remember last week I talked about angst and being regretful about not doing my part in nominating a title I loved for YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list?

Field nomination forms are now open, including the nomination form for BFYA.

I’m planning on spending the next day or two thinking about the titles that have stood out to me, published after September 1, 2011 and the ones I’ve started in on with 2012 copyright dates, and I’m planning on writing up the nominations. As I mentioned in my original post on this topic, field nominations need to meet the designated list or award’s guidelines, and those are all spelled out on the individual websites (accessible here and here). It’s crucial you do your research on the particular award or list before you nominate, to make sure your nomination is actually heard.

Other things to consider when you nominate: write out a well-reasoned, thoughtful, and purposeful reason why that particular book or media fits the list or award for which you’re nominating it. For BFYA, for example, explain why that particular book is one you think is about the BEST fiction for young adults, as well as how or why it should be considered on a list for librarians who use those lists to develop their collections and provide reader’s advisory. Reference appeal of the book, why or how it’s particularly well written, what makes it better than average. You don’t have to write a novel for your nomination, but you do have to nail key aspects of the book that make it good. So, for the title I’ve already nominated (because yes! I’ve already submitted a title), I emphasized pacing, effective use of subtle detail for character development, and how the writer’s ability to bend genres to tell an effective and powerful story makes it one that will stand out and resonate with readers.

In other words, really think through why you think a book is worthy and emphasize those key points in your nomination form. The better job you do, the easier the job is on the part of the committee. You want your nomination to be taken seriously, and you want the committee to read the book, as well as discuss it.

If you’re nominating a title that was published between September 2011 and December 31, 2011, make sure you check the previous year’s list to ensure you’re not nominating a title that has already been added to a list.

Remember that anyone can nominate titles for consideration, as long as they meet the criteria (and as long as you’re not the author, publisher, or editor of that particular title because yes, the committee will check). I hope you join me in spending time this year offering up thoughtful, well-reasoned nominations for the different award and list considerations.

When we fail to do our part

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I mentioned in yesterday’s wrap-up that I was feeling tremendous guilt post-awards ceremony, but it was something that crept up far before the ceremony began and far before listening in on the Best Fiction for Young Adults session. I should be fair and say that actually, my initial feelings on the subject were of frustration and anger and disappointment. But those are ultimately unfair emotions for what amounts to guilt.

See, one of my favorite books of 2011 — and one of the most well-written, engaging, exciting, and fresh books of the year for young adults — was one I had hopes could earn a little Printz sticker. I thought early on it had good potential, as so many of the reviews were positive, and there was a lot of excitement about how daring the book was. The book earned 4 starred reviews, and it showed up on numerous Mock Printz contender lists. Without doubt, this book had something to it that made it stand out.


But this isn’t a post about why Imaginary Girls didn’t garner a Printz nod.

Every year, the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) selects books not only for prestigious awards like the Printz, Morris, Excellence in Non-Fiction, Alex, and Odyssey, but the numerous, hard-working committees also develop a number of “best of” recognition lists, including Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, Fabulous Films, Great Graphic Novels, Popular Paperbacks, Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, and Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA). These lists serve a number of purposes, including assisting librarians and other youth advocates in collection development and reader’s advisory.

The last list I linked to — BFYA — is especially important because it helps whittle down what can be an overwhelming number of books published over the course of a 16-month period (September 1 of the previous calendar year through December 31 of the current calendar year, so for this year’s BFYA, titles were published between September 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011). This list recognizes the best of that huge number of books.

So how do these list and award committees get their pool of potentials? It’s kind of straight forward: those who serve on the committees work hard all year round to keep on top of the materials being published (or that have been published). Committee members do receive copies from publishers to consider, but the bulk of responsibility falls upon them to keep an eye out for other eligible titles, then they read or watch or listen to the materials and discuss them at length. For a long time, I was under the impression all of the work falls upon the committee; many of the committees even posted their current pool of contenders for everyone else to check out. It felt like one of those worlds those who weren’t serving on committees were sort of removed from all together. I’m not sure why I thought that, but it’s not true.

All of the linked-to awards and selection lists above also allow for field nominations.

Did you read that?

Anyone — teachers, librarians, authors, publishers, you, me, a teenager, any average reader — can field nominate a title for consideration to any of the above lists. As long as you’re not the author of that particular book or the publisher of that book, it’s fair game. Each of the awards and lists has a link to a form to complete, and once it’s filled out completely and correctly, it’s sent on to the committee for consideration. Of course, the field nomination needs to actually be eligible for consideration for that particular award or list, and the eligibility information is also available on the individual award/list websites.

While each and every award and selection list committee works differently, the rules are generally about the same. Here’s what the rules are about titles being considered for the Printz Award:

Field nominations are encouraged. To be eligible, they must be submitted on the official nomination form. All field nominations must then be seconded by a committee member, and periodically the chair will send a list of field nominations to committee members for this purpose. If, within thirty days, no second is forthcoming, the title will be dropped from consideration. Only those titles that have been nominated (and seconded if field nominations) may be discussed at Midwinter and Annual Conference meetings. Furthermore, all nominated titles must be discussed. Publishers, authors, or editors may not nominate their own titles.

Rules for the Excellence in Non-Fiction Award are similar:

Field suggestions are encouraged. To be eligible, they must be submitted on the official suggestion form. The form will allow for both a rationale and summary of nominated titles. Committee members will be notified of all field suggestions, which are eligible to be considered for nomination by members. Nominated titles must also have a second from a committee member. Only those titles that have been nominated will be discussed at Midwinter and Annual Conference meetings, as well as phone meetings, though a committee member may request that a suggested title be moved to the discussion list and thus treated as a nominated title. Furthermore, all nominated titles must be discussed. To prevent a conflict of interest, publishers, authors, or editors may not nominate titles in which they have a vested interest.

For both of these awards, field nominations are encouraged. As long as the book’s eligible, it will be moved to discussion, and if a committee member feels it’s worthy of consideration, it moves on.

Now, field nominations for the Best Fiction for Young Adults isn’t much different. Again, it’s encouraged, and like the awards above, titles nominated from the populous require a committee second:

Field nominations, which are nominations that come from someone who is not a member of the committee, require a second from a BFYA committee member. The chair informs the committee of field nominations, which remain active until all nominations are closed. If no committee member seconds the field nomination, the title is dropped from consideration.

As long as books are properly nominated from the field — the form’s filled out correctly and submitted correctly and the title is eligible per listed requirements — the books will be considered by the committee. There’s not a wall up that separates the committee’s considerations from those at large. Rather, the field nominations help populate the pool of contenders for awards and lists. When a field nomination comes in, the committee receives an email. If someone has read it, they’ll either second it or discuss why it shouldn’t be considered. There are legitimate reasons a book might not be seconded, and once a book is seconded, every member of the committee must read it, as with any nominated title. But thoughtful, smart nominations are always welcome.

There’s a caveat to this, but it’s one that I’ve laid out here and that’s laid out in the rules. The field nominations need to be thoughtful. The forms that read simply “this is the best book ever” as reason why it should be considered are meaningless. A good nomination will give concrete reasons for why a book should be considered for the list. Talking about the book’s appeal and what makes it better than average are important, as is discussing why and how it fits in the context of the award or list. Likewise, the books need to be within the appropriate eligibility time frame. 

Now, going back to my very original comments on this post. I feel extremely guilty this year. Even though I fell in love with Imaginary Girls, even though I thought it was one of the most thought-provoking and enjoyable YA reads this year, I didn’t nominate it for anything. It didn’t occur to me to do it. I thought to myself, surely someone will nominate this book because how could they not?

And yet, when I saw the final list of BFYA titles under consideration, guess which book was not on that list?

As I mentioned earlier, my first reaction to not seeing it on the list was shock and a bit of outrage. There’s no way it didn’t meet the criteria. But when I left the auditorium after the announcements of the Youth Media Awards, I felt nothing but guilt. I read that book and I loved that book. But I didn’t do anything about putting it into the minds of those serving on the BFYA committee. I assumed someone else had this book on their radar already.

But now, it’s too late.

The reason I wanted to write this post was because I wanted to encourage everyone who reads something they like this year to take the time to nominate it if it’s eligible for a particular YALSA award or list. These hard-working committees can miss something simply because of how overwhelming their tasks are. They can miss something because they miss something. Human error happens. But anyone who reads can pitch in and do their part, too, so books like Imaginary Girls don’t unfairly slip between the cracks.

As of today, nomination forms for the 2013 awards and lists aren’t yet open, but they will be starting in February, and I will write up a post when they come out. I’ve made it a personal goal to spend an hour or two once a month going through every book I’ve read that has merit and writing up the nomination forms, even if it’s for a title that seems obvious it’d be considered. The worst that happens is my field nomination is read and considered a duplicate. The best that happens is a book like Imaginary Girls doesn’t miss its chance at consideration for something like the BFYA. I encourage you to do this too — even if it’s not at the same time frame I’ve made for myself, do take the time to fill out a nomination form for a book you love and that fits the criteria. For the five minutes it takes to complete the form, you are doing your part.

Remember — anyone can do this.

* A huge thank you to my experts Liz Burns, Sophie Brookover, and Karyn Silverman for their help in the research and fact-checking in this post.

Our Thoughts on the Printz

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Every year, we like to take our shot at guessing the most likely contenders for the Printz award. We’ve got a little over a month until the announcement, so we thought it about time to revisit our mid-year guesses and add any new titles we thought might have a shot at the list. We’d love any of your thoughts — where do you agree or disagree?

Kelly Says…

Most of the guesses I had in June still hold true for me. Here’s my list of best predictions:

Imaginary Girls Nova Ren Suma: I’ve had this one since my initial list, and I’ve reviewed it with Kim here. I had the chance to read this book a second time since and I think I loved it more the second read — I picked up on a lot of things I missed the first time that made me appreciate how well-written and intricately-woven the threads of this story are. It’s not an easy read but a challenging one, but the reward is worth it.

Chime by Franny Billingsley: This is one I haven’t read but Kim has. This one I’ve put on my list because it has earned six starred reviews and has been praised for its world development and language, which are two things I know the committee looks at closely. I still stand by my original assessment of this one — the cover is atrocious.

Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones: This one’s been a “best of” list favorite, as well as one that garnered three starred reviews. I read this one and felt pretty neutral toward the story as a whole, but I found the writing distracting. One of the characters is written in second person, and as a reader, I found that tactic pulled me out of the story. Since literary merit is the big factor in the Printz, though, I wouldn’t be surprise if that technique is actually a strength for this particular book.

Everybody Sees the Ants by AS King: I’m hoping that King’s book doesn’t get overlooked because she took home an honor last year for Please Ignore Vera Dietz. This one got six stars, like the Billingsley title, but this one hasn’t made a single “best of” list. I’m not sure how that works. I’ve read this one, and while I wasn’t as in love with it as I was with Vera Dietz, it stands on its own and the writing is top notch. It’s another blend of reality and the fantastic, a style I love. You can read Kim’s review here.

LIE by Caroline Bock: I’ve reviewed this one, and it has earned four starred reviews. It’s a dark horse, I think, but the writing is tight, and the storyline compelling. The message is a bit heavy-handed, but I don’t think that is an issue for the committee, who’ll look at the literary merits, and this one scores high on that scale.

The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolfe: Another dark horse, but one that cannot be discounted because the writing and the storyline are so compelling. I’ve reviewed this one, and I thought of all the young adult verse novels I read this year (which I think might be all of them), this one made strongest use of the form. Also, it features 24 distinct voices and handles them all very well.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness: I tried reading this one but couldn’t for a number of reasons. It’s exceedingly well written — even from the bit I made it through there was no question on literary quality — and it has garnered some strong reaction from those who have made it through. Kim’s reviewed it, and it earned 4 starred reviews.

Life: An Exploded Diagram Mal Peet: Add this to the pile of I tried to read it but couldn’t do it. It’s a challenging text, and from what I’ve read in the reviews, the payoff is worth it. It’s highly literary and plays with human life against the backdrop of major historical events.

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey: This mystery from Australia has garnered four starred reviews. I’ve reviewed it briefly, too. I have to say, I wasn’t as impressed with this one as others have been — it was sort of a dead story because I figured out the end in the first couple of chapters, and I didn’t quite find the way it played out to be all that fascinating. I realize I’m in the minority here, though, and I do think it meets the writing qualities the Printz committee looks for.

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Laini Taylor: I think this might be the top contender this year. It’s gorgeously written and has some of the most beautiful prose I’ve read in a long time. I’m not a paranormal/supernatural reader, but Taylor made me love the journey anyway. Kim wrote a really great review of this one — and bonus, it’s earned four stars.

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol: I was sort of surprised this one didn’t make the Morris short list, but I’m hoping that’s because it’s a real contender for the Printz. I adored this graphic novel, both from the illustration aspect and from the story and writing aspect. This one has garnered 5 starred reviews, and Kim’s reviewed it. It’s rare a book makes me want to go back and reread, but Brosgol’s graphic novel has been begging me to reread.

In addition to these, I’d love to see Blake Nelson’s Recovery Road on the list, though I think it’s a bit of a long shot. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Melina Marchetta’s The Piper’s Son make the cut, though I have a hard time wrapping my head around a story featuring no teen characters making the cut. I did read this one and quite liked it, but I don’t know how much of a serious chance it has. I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens make the cut, despite all the hangups I had with it (it was too over the top, even for satire, and I found myself not engaged in the story or the writing because of that) nor would I be surprised to see Lauren Myracle’s Shine, either. I would be really excited to see Sara Zarr’s How to Save a Life among the Printz finalists this year, as well.

What I cut:

So on my original list, I had Judy Blundell’s Strings Attached but after reading it, I found a lot of little things throughout the story that simply didn’t work enough to make it as tight a story as the ones I’ve listed above. The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow had a lot of passage of time issues I couldn’t forgive as a reader and I think would be called out by the committee. Even though it’s entirely possible to have a book wind up both on the Morris shortlist and on the Printz list, I don’t think Ruta Sepetys’s Between Shades of Gray will do that. There were some writing issues in the book for me, which I talked about here. As for my wish list item of CK Kelly Martin’s My Beating Teenage Heart? I keep it on my wish list.

Kim Says…

My top pick is, unsurprisingly, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. With last year’s pick, the Printz committee showed they weren’t afraid to hand the highest honor to a full-fledged genre title, so I’m hoping they’ll agree with me that Daughter is deserving of the prize this year. In terms of writing, it knocks all the competition out of the water, and by a long shot. You can read more of my rambling about the book and its merits here.

My two runners up are The Shattering by Karen Healey and Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King. In The Shattering, Healey writes three different points of view and keeps each of them distinct and three dimensional (no easy feat for a writer). It also includes a few big issues that award committees tend to love – LGBT, suicide, diversity – but it’s not a book entirely about those things. It’s definitely a fantasy, but set in our world with meaning beyond the fantastic. Everybody Sees the Ants is more of an issue novel, but King does it so well that it never feels preachy. The use of the ants and Lucky’s dreams add an interesting and literary flair, and Lucky’s voice is one of the best I’ve read.

Kelly has already discussed Imaginary Girls and Chime, which I still believe are contenders, although I didn’t like either of them as much as the three previous titles I’ve mentioned here. The writing in Imaginary Girls is stellar and the story is creepy good, but it didn’t speak to me like the others. Chime I didn’t care for at all – you can read all about why at my review here.

I still favor Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan for an honor nod. It made School Library Journal’s best books of the year, the writing is crisp, the plotting is fantastic, and the themes (religion, power, loyalty) are all award-worthy. It’s also got some faint historical/literary allusions that serve it well in the award arena.

I haven’t read You Against Me by Jenny Downham, but Abby has a rave review here, and it’s got all the elements of a winner: good writing, high-stakes issues (rape, loyalty, family), excellent characterization. It’s just recently hit my radar and it might be one of the few non-genre books I pick up.

Jen Says…

Since Jen’s been busy preparing for the arrival of her baby (a good excuse, we think!), she wanted to say she still thinks some of the books she originally cast as potential Printz picks still stand, namely Imaginary Girls and Chime.

Added by Jen at the last minute:
I would like to subtract one of my original picks, Beauty Queens, after reading the book and being less than impressed, despite my immense Libba Bray love. This novel felt like way too much of an in-your-face satire to me, with key plot points and character traits being shoved to the forefront, with no subtlety at all.

I’ll also throw into the mix Everybody Loves the Ants by A.S. King and Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. While I didn’t love Ants as much as I did Vera Dietz, King delivered a truly original, well-crafted book. And Daughter of Smoke and Bone was just plain beautiful, combining elements of traditional mythology with Taylor’s own twist. Daughter wasn’t 100% my usual preferred genre, but I really enjoyed this novel, and loved both its originality and its surprising twist.

Thoughts on the Morris shortlist

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Over the last year, I’ve read a lot of books — and a ton of debuts at that. Part of why I like to read so many debuts, aside from the fact I get exposed to completely new and fresh voices, is that I like to play the “how many can I guess” game come awards season. Plus, the lively discussions (or debates) you can have when you’ve read the books that do get award nods are much better than if you haven’t read any.

This year, when the Morris Award finalists were announced, I was pretty pleased with myself because I’ve read four of the five titles (but Kimberly has reviewed that title here). Of those, three were ones I’d pinned as potentials list-makers after reading them. Since I’ve never fully reviewed any of the titles, here’s a look at the four I’ve read and my thoughts on them. Any thoughts you have are more than welcome, of course. I love a good discussion!

Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s Under the Mesquite takes place in Eagle Pass, Texas (and a bit in Mexico, as well) and it follows the story of Lupita, who is dealing with a cancer-stricken mother, a host of brothers and sisters, and the daily challenges of living in a border town. Of all the verse novels I read this year — and I’m pretty sure I’ve read every young adult verse novel this year — this one was one of the strongest in form. It worked around each page and pass, and I really felt like it captured Lupita’s voice very well.

The story itself is compelling, especially because it really digs into the challenges that come with devoting oneself to family while pursuing one’s dreams. It’s one of those issues that’s particularly important in a lot of first generation immigrants, and it’s one with which readers definitely will identify. McCall offers readers a relatable character, and she tells a story that’s culturally pertinent right now and will continue to be relevant. I read this one immediately after reading Ashley Hope Perez’s What Can'(t) Wait (another debut), which explores similar themes and came away thinking that finally (!) there are authors writing really good stories about the challenges of growing with one’s latino/a heritage in America.

My problem, however, was that the resolution in this story comes out of left field. What Lupita chooses at the end didn’t make sense in context of the rest of the story, simply because what she does was something that never came up throughout the book. I’d have bought it in a heartbeat had she mentioned her desires to do what she did, but she didn’t. This is where I think Perez’s story is much more successful. While I think McCall’s book was strong in writing, it lacked in cohesive plot resolution, and I think compared to other titles on the shortlist, it doesn’t stack up as strongly. It does, however, have good reader appeal, which is a factor (however small) in the decisions of the Morris committee.

Where McCall’s book did feature reader appeal, I feel like Jennifer Hubbard’s Paper Covers Rock lacks. Admittedly, this book was one I had a hard time reading. I would read a page or two, put it down, not want to pick it up, pick it up reluctantly, and the process would repeat.

Here’s the deal: it’s set at a private, all-boys prep school in the 1980s. There are secrets and scandals. And it’s very, very literary. But it’s not just literary, it’s a wink and a nudge to a whole host of literary novels — especially the classic and canonical A Separate Peace. There’s also a lot of reference to Moby Dick and even though that is My All-Time Favorite Classical Read (capitals important because I’m not being sarcastic, actually), I couldn’t revel in them like I wanted to. In being so heavy in references, the story for me got so lost and convoluted. I don’t remember anything about the plot from this one, other than the fact it made tons of use of the references and made me anxious to be finished. The story becomes too aware of itself. As soon as I finished, though, I noted that it reminded me of an awardy book. And, bingo.

Obviously, this one had all of the things I dislike in a book. The arbitrary 1980s setting only enhanced my frustration with the read, and I say as a librarian, I have a hard time figuring out who the readership is for this book other than an adult/award committee. Don’t get me wrong here, though. Hubbard does what she does well. The writing is strong and the ability to make all those connections to other works is masterful. But at the end, I still wonder whether the style ended up taking over substance. Or rather, the substance of the style overtook the story.

Let’s talk now about the non-reluctant reader for a second. I mentioned in the book above I had a hard time figuring out an audience for such a heavy, literary novel. In the case of John Corey Whaley’s Where Things Come Back, I have no trouble knowing that readers who would appreciate this one are those who like their works challenging, substantial, and literary. Where the Hubbard book lacked a strong storyline for me, Whaley’s nails it.

I’ve actually talked about this book before (briefly), so I won’t go too much into what worked for me. This is a book where two very separate storylines compel the reader forward to figure out how they are related to one another. It’s layered and nuanced and complicated, but it doesn’t become overly aware of itself in the process. We are grounded in the story, rather than caught up in the technique to make the story.

As soon as I finished reading this book earlier in the year, it became the top runner in my mind for Morris consideration, and I’m thrilled to see it made the list. I’d love to see this one take the top prize come January because I think that it not only deserves it, but I think it give this gem a little more attention than it’s already received. Cullen’s voice is authentic, memorable, and, I think, relatable to so many readers, particularly those who aren’t city kids but rather are your average, small town kids.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys was a non-surprise for me on this list, and that’s not meant to be a bad or a good thing. The book got loads of good attention, and it’s one that I’m glad I read. I had no idea about this facet of history, nor that Stalin actively deported Lithuanians. It was a horrifying read because of how eye-opening it was. And for me, I don’t see a problem with teen appeal here at all. The teens I’ve worked with are fascinated by World War II stories and devour them. Giving them a book that takes such a different approach to the war and opens up an entire new story is exactly what I want to do, and I know they’ll read it.

However — and I know this is going to be unpopular — I’m not sure how well written the book itself is. Lina, the main character, seems to take forever to develop a real voice. It’s a story of horror and fear and torment and that’s all there. But I often question while reading a book set in this era or similar ones how much of that is the work of strong writing skills versus how much is the weight these events carry on their own. While Lina does eventually gain a voice (and a killer one that led me to mark a few really powerful and moving lines), it took a long time to come. I’m conscious of the fact it’ll be overpowered by the events, as it should be, but at the same time, I go back to the question of whether that’s necessarily a fair argument to even make given the situations themselves carry so much.

For me, the story was completely there, but I would have liked tighter, maybe even more compelling, writing throughout, rather than at the end of the book. I think what pleases me about the Morris shortlist is that, despite my issues with the writing in this book, Between Shades of Gray deserves its spot because of the story itself.

Rae Carson’s The Girl of Fire and Thorns is the one book I haven’t read so far, but I’ll link again to Kim’s review. Even though I’m not a fantasy reader, I’ve put this one on hold because I’m curious enough to pick it up (see, Morris awards have another great purpose!).

What I know about this book, though, is that it’s huge on appeal. A strong girl main character in a fantasy world and comparisons to Tamora Pierce? I don’t see how this book doesn’t sell itself to those readers.

I’m pleased to see that a book which has huge reader appeal made the list, as well as those which have more limited appeal. Even though I don’t get caught up on the idea of balance when it comes to award lists, it feels like this year’s field of Morris shortlist titles is quite well balanced. There are some titles I’m sad didn’t see the list, but on the whole, I think this is a pretty good, albeit not all that surprising, roster.

In the end, my money’s on Where Things Come Back. I’m really looking forward to being able to attend my first Youth Media Awards ceremony and knowing I’ll have read all of these books by then only makes it that much sweeter.