STACKED

books

Coming up & Going down

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I don’t usually share interesting links from the week, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about posting on an (irregular) basis. It was just good luck there was a lot of great stuff to share this week when all I really intended to post about was an upcoming feature on the blog.

This month, we didn’t do our regular Twitterview because we’re doing a two-week long series at the end of the month featuring the young adult debut authors who are part of the Class 2k12. Each of these authors has done a mini-Twitterview and shared a guest post for us from a pool of topics we brainstormed, ranging from serious to the completely ridiculous. You’re in for a treat. And don’t worry — we have some of our own content to post those weeks, as well, including our favorite books from the year.

(And if anyone’s interested in making a graphic for this two-week feature, let me know).

Onto some of the interesting links this week:

  • Cecil Castellucci shared a fantastic book list for young readers that features teens involved in protests. It’s a timely list and a topic I hadn’t thought a whole lot about as a reader, but I can see the great possibilities here for displays and discussion.
  • Kirkus and School Library Journal released their “Best of” lists for 2011 this week. I find the cross over titles pretty unsurprising, but what struck me were the titles that were clear outliers in the best of lists. I’ve read a lot of books this year, and many of these sort of came as shocking choices as “best of” when other titles were left off. Noticeably missing from these lists, (but not the Publisher’s Weekly list)? John Corey Whaley’s Where Things Come Back which I think is a front runner for not only the Morris Award, but it has serious potential for the Printz, too. What’s most interesting to me about these lists is that we as outsiders never know what the criteria are that go into selecting the titles. What qualities are the list creators looking at? Are they looking at literary merit (and then I question some choices) or are they looking at appeal (and then I question some more choices)? We don’t know. “Best of” lists are so subjective, and that’s what leaves me fascinated. How is it some books continue to be “best of” titles and how do others fail to make any lists when they meet as many criteria as possible?
  • That question leads me right to another one I have from a blog I hope other people are reading as regularly as me: how is it that Nova Ren Suma’s Imaginary Girls is not on the list of contenders for the American Library Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list? This is a book that we have praised right here, as well as a book we think has serious potential to be a Printz contender. Best Fiction titles come from committee nominations, as well as field nominations. Those field nominations need to be seconded by a committee member to join the list for consideration at ALA Midwinter, where the final list is determined. I’m really shocked and disappointed that this title didn’t make the cut. That’s not to say it’s the committee’s fault, but it’s a head scratcher and a disappointment. These selection lists help librarians in making purchasing and reader’s advisory decisions, so it’s a bit disconcerting to not see a title like this one even being considered.
  • Are you a librarian or teacher who needs books for your school or classroom library? Your budget’s been cut or you have no budget? Get in touch with Maureen Johnson. She wants to help you. Watching Maureen this morning as she learned how few budgets exist for books in the library/school world has been interesting, and she’s dedicated to making some sort of impact about this. Her email is maureen@maureenjohnsonbooks.com.

The Mid-way Point: Our Printz Predictions

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It’s that time again: Printz award prediction time. This is completely unscientific and founded on little other than our reading this year and some of the hunches we’ve gathered through starred reviews and word-of-mouth. Last year, we limited ourselves to books published prior to this point in the year only, but this year, we’re also pinging titles we have read that may be published later on in the year.

We’d love for you to chime in and offer up your thoughts in the comments. And of course, anything you agree or disagree with, we’d love to hear.

This year, I’m in the rare position of not actually having read three out of the four books that I am predicting for potential Printz titles. Yes, I’ve read a lot so far this year, many amazing books, too, but not many have leapt out as me as worthy of committee consideration.

At the moment, my front-runners would have to be:

Chime by Franny Billingsley: I haven’t read this one yet, although it’s high on my list. Many bloggers have gushed about its lush language, fantastical plot, and intriguing main characters. I’ve also heard that it’s a bit weird and slow-moving, but honestly…that sort of thing, combined with utter artistry, could be exactly what the Printz-committee is looking for. Kim reviewed Chime here.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma: I also haven’t read this one. However, Suma’s exploration of the pull of sisterly love, mixed with paranormal aspects, is garnering rave reviews. Kim and Kelly reviewed this earlier.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: I bought this one, but still haven’t gotten to it in my pile. Libba Bray is one of my favorite authors, and it would definitely be a feat to win the Printz twice in three years. But her exploration of beauty queens, political dynamics, and competition (set on a desert island) could do it. Beauty Queens is supposedly bizarre and over-the-top….exactly what Bray excels at.

The Dark Horse:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys: I’d probably slot this more in the Morris category, but it could also merit a Printz honor. One of my favorite books so far this year, I reviewed this here. A heart-wrenching exploration of a little known period in history, the deportation of Lithuanian families by the Soviets, this book is touching, affecting, and heartfelt. A well-done historical fiction that portrays an entire period through one girl’s experiences.

I have to admit to thinking that so far this year, the field looks a little dim. I haven’t read much that’s completely blown me away, nor have I read enough starred reviews to be convinced of a book I may not have read. But without further ado, here’s my list of potential Printz titles:

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma: I think the language coupled with the incredibly creepy vibe of a well-written and engaging story is what makes this one a Printz contender for me. Easily some of the best prose this year.

Chime by Franny Billingsley: I haven’t read this one, though Kim has. It’s garnered a ton of starred ratings and a lot of buzz about being award-worthy. I think the cover is pretty atrocious.

Strings Attached by Judy Blundell: This is one that I tried reading at the wrong time but am compelled to go back and try to read again. Blundell’s a strong writer, and that alone would give her a Printz-consideration for me. Coupled with rave reviews in a number of sources, I feel this is the strongest contender so far this year.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: Again, I haven’t read this one yet (what have I been reading this year?) but it’s garnered a lot of positive attention in the reviews. Plus, topically, it’s strong and different and a worthy contribution to historical fiction.

Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones: This story about two kids in a big blackmail scheme recently got a nod from the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards. Wynne-Jones got some acclaim for his last novel, The Uninvited, but this particular title seems a little more accessible.

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow: I adored Sharenow’s first novel, My Mother the Cheerleader, but I haven’t yet read this one. But the topic combines historical fiction with sports against the Nazi regime’s background, and it sounds like one that has huge potential.

And now, my dark horses….

My Beating Teenage Heart by CK Kelly Martin: This is my shot-in-the-dark title. It doesn’t come out until September, so of course, now I’m teasing. But this book was utterly breathtaking, combining powerful prose with a compelling plot somewhat reminiscent (but completely different from) Amy Huntley’s The Everafter. It’s not a contemporary title like Martin’s others, but combines a bit of the fantasy element of the afterlife.

Recovery Road by Blake Nelson: I have reviewed this title, and I’ll say this is my “out there” title for Printz consideration. It’s garnered a couple of starred reviews, though the talk in the blogosphere on this title has been absent. The writing is strong, and though the topic is edgy, I think the approach and set up of this book have the key components of a Printz nod.

Both Kelly and Jen have mentioned Imaginary Girls (which I enjoyed) and Chime (which I did not) as candidates for the Printz already. I feel Imaginary Girls would be a strong choice – it’s well written, literary, and has received two starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus. Plus, I liked it a lot.

While I slogged through Chime and don’t feel kindly toward it, I’ve yet to meet someone who isn’t in love with it. It’s also gotten more starred reviews than I care to count. If I follow the Going Bovine rule of Printz winners where the weird book I didn’t like garners the prize, this one would be the winner.
As many of you have noticed, I read mostly science fiction and fantasy, which are wildly popular right now but don’t get tons of recognition with the Printz. Last year’s winner, Shipbreaker, was an exception in that it is solidly science fiction, but other winners were mostly contemporary, historical, or just a little surreal (Going Bovine is a good example, and it’s another reason I think Imaginary Girls has a good shot). So I’ll name a couple of my favorite science fiction/fantasy reads of 2011 and explain a little about why they were so good, but I’ll also list a few others I haven’t read but seem like contenders.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan is the first book in a new science fiction series about a group of people on two ships going to colonize a new planet. I talked a little about it here, and I plan on writing a full review closer to publication date. I think this one has a lot going for it: good, tight writing, a fairly unique premise, and some interesting and thought-provoking ideas about religion – how it can be used as a tool for good or ill and how it affects people in power. This last bit makes me think it could be Printz-worthy.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor is my favorite read of 2011 so far. The writing is so gorgeous, it made me realize that I hadn’t read a book in quite some time with truly outstanding prose. The heavy themes that usually make an award-winner aren’t as visible in this one, so I don’t think it’s a strong contender, but it does have some things to say about love and war. Plus, Taylor got some National Book Award love a couple years ago for Lips Touch: Three Times, so she’s at least on the radar.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray I haven’t yet read, but have heard good things. Honestly I can’t say that I plan on picking it up, since her books don’t have a great track record with me, but I figured it was at least worth mentioning.
Shine by Lauren Myracle, about a girl whose childhood friend was brutally assaulted for being gay, has award-winner written all over it. It addresses a hot button issue right now and also describes a meth-riddled small town, something brought to light earlier by Jennifer Lawrence’s (aka Katniss Everdeen) turn in the movie Winter’s Bone. This is also one I haven’t read.
The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta is the last one I’ll list here. Marchetta has gotten Printz love before for Jellicoe Road and this one has received a lot of acclaim. It’s the sequel to another book of hers, Saving Francesca, so that may hurt its chances.

What do you think of our picks? Are there any books we missed?

Guest Post: Sarah of Green Bean Teen Queen

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Today you’re in for a special treat — Sarah of Green Bean Teen Queen has stopped by to talk about her favorite Printz books and why they’re her favorites. In case you didn’t know, she is on the ballot for the 2013 American Library Association’s Printz committee and voting is open now. If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, here’s your opportunity to see why Sarah deserves to be nominated to the committee.

Asking a librarian about her favorite book is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child-it just can’t be done! Especially when those books are limited to Printz Winners and Honor Books-there are so many great books to choose from! Do I go with the funny and pick Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging? Do I go for the book that packed an emotional punch with The First Part Last? Do I pick the book that surprised me the most and blew me away when I wasn’t expecting it with How I Live Now?

After really looking at the Printz books, I have to say that Jennifer Donnelly’s A Northern Light is my all time favorite Printz book. Why? Because it combines mystery, history, and coming of age, as well as facts and fiction. You care about the characters. Mattie Gokey is a fantastic character and her journey is one you can’t soon forget. She’s faced with various options in life and is at a crossroads. Even though it’s a historical novel, the decisions Mattie has to face about growing up are something that teens of any time period can relate to. There’s also a bit of mystery that goes along with Mattie’s story. The author takes a real life story and creates a fictional story around it and brings the entire thing to life. I’ve recommended this book to so many people and it’s one of my favorite YA reads as well as Printz reads!

OK, so after picking my all time favorite Printz book, what do I think makes a good Printz book? I think the book has to be a book that really and truly reflects the amazingness that is young adult fiction (or non-fiction). YA is an area that is often looked down on and snubbed by readers and I think part of the job of the Printz is to highlight the books that show how wonderful and powerful YA can be. The books should be books that teens and librarians read and discuss. While not everyone will love the books that picked, they should encourage discussion and get people thinking and talking. They also need to be books that librarians can pick up and say “this is why I do what I do-because YA is an incredible field that offers some of the best books out there.” Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to help choose those books!

Why the Cybils Matter

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Today was the big announcement and by now you know that the winners of the 2010 Cybils Awards. For YA Fiction, the panel I dedicated three months of my life to, that winner was:


To say I’m thrilled this is the one that the round two judges chose would be an understatement. Split is not an easy book, but it’s one that holds a special place in my heart for many, many reasons I cannot express. It’s got wide appeal, both for males and females, and it is powerful. Jace is an unforgettable narrator and one who will reach readers on levels they might not expect. I hope anyone who hasn’t read it yet adds this to their list of books to be read soon, and as I’ve been told a few times, this one is also dynamite on audio.

It’s funny now, having been on both sides of the panel — last year as a second round judge and this year as a first round panelist — to think about the entire process and to think about book awards in general. I think I’ve come to appreciate them in a very different manner than I ever have before, and I have utmost respect for those who serve on ALA award committees. The amount of work that goes into reading through so many books and narrowing them down is tremendous, as you might remember.

If you look at the books that received nods from our Cybils panel and those that received recognition from the ALA awards (notably the Morris and the Printz), there’s very little overlap. This is, I think, precisely why the Cybils awards are SO important. Every panel that comes together for any award is going to bring together a mix of backgrounds, reading preferences and biases, and experience. On ALA, there’s an entire application process and specific things that those who select panelists look for. For the Cybils, there is a simple application, and the specifics that the organizers want for people on their panelists varies. But the goal on both is the same thing: to bring variety and to pull together people who have passion for discussing and advocating for books.

For librarians and book lovers, remember this — every panel is different. Every panel comes together with different goals and ideas of what’s good and what they think they like and want to see in the end. And guess what? A lot of those things change over the course of reading so many books. A lot of those things change when discussions begin. And in the end, what you thought were clear front runners don’t make the cut and those you never thought about in the beginning end up being in a finalist list.

The fact that the Cybils lists have so little overlap with the ALA awards proves this, too. Moreover, it shows that there are many books for many readers, and by paying attention to more than just one set of awards as standard for quality literature, you become a stronger reader, stronger recommender, and stronger librarian or teacher. This year’s Printz finalists, for example, don’t have a prison story with guy and reluctant reader appeal written all over it. This year’s Cybils finalists don’t include a book translated into English about a group of kids who try to build a heap of meaning for a kid who doesn’t believe life is worth living. This year’s Cybils short lists don’t feature a book about a girl learning to overcome some hefty mental issues in rural Montana, and this year’s Morris finalists don’t include a moving book about domestic abuse.

If you want a good slice of what the best books of the year were for 2010, don’t just read the books vetted by ALA or the National Book Award. Pick up the books vetted by the panelists of the Cybils, too. These books are noteworthy. They are worth your time. Sometimes they complement those selected on a larger level and other times, they fill in the gaps.

I am an adamant believer in this award and all it does not only for authors who often have their work read and recognized in a way they may not have through traditional review sources (where books are read and reviewed by 1 or 2 people who don’t discuss the merits with one another prior to reviewing it for a professional audience) but also readers who learn about new titles. Likewise, this award focuses heavily on audience appeal; that’s not to say that Printz or Morris books don’t, but the Cybils are more willing to take a risk on a book that isn’t as strong in a literary sense if it has strong appeal. For readers, those who advise readers, or those who select books for collections, pay attention here. For my money, these books are as good as starred reviews in your journal of choice. If you haven’t read these titles, you have a lot to look forward to now.

ALA Youth Media Award Reactions

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The inevitable post: our reactions to the Youth Media Awards announced this morning. We won’t recap all awards, but will discuss a smattering of those that interested us in a particular way. If you need a refresher, see a list of all honorees here.
Well…looks like my predictions were way off. However, I am absolutely THRILLED that A Sick Day for Amos McGee won the Caldecott Medal. I read this gorgeous, simple book after our predictions post, and couldn’t be happier at its recognition. And After Ever After winning the Schneider Family Middle School Book Award basically made my day. I am in love with both Steven and Jeffy.
Newbery: Very surprised here, as I have never even heard of Moon over Manifest. Glad to see that One Crazy Summer at least got an honor nod, though. I’m also quite surprised not to see Sharon Draper’s Out of My Mind or Kathi Appelt’s Keeper get an honor.
Caldecott: Completely thrilled at the choice of A Sick Day for Amos McGee. (And as I’ve seen a few other bloggers comment, amused that you apparently need the last name Stead to win a major honor!)
Printz: A predictable choice. I was kind of hoping something completely out of left field would win. I was quite excited to see honors go to both Stolen and Please Ignore Vera Dietz, which have garnered rave reviews from many (both of these are in my to-read pile).
Margaret A. Edwards Award: Man, I really need to read some Pratchett. My brother-in-law gave me the entire set of Tiffany Aching books for Christmas, and I’m eager to jump into them. For the love that so many have for Sir Terry Pratchett, I am so pleased with this.
Coretta Scott King: Although One Crazy Summer got a Newbery honor, I was also glad to see it win a top prize here. It was also nice to see Yummy get an honor, both for its story (very well done) and its format (graphic novel).
Alex: I’ve only read Room in this list, but Room was also my favorite book read in 2010. I was definitely not surprised to see The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake on this list. I’m looking forward to reading both Girl in Translation and The Radleys.
Odyssey: Very nice to see the audio of The Knife of Never Letting Go get an honor. Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking series is one of my favorites, and I can really see this book working amazingly in audio format.
Schneider Family: As I mentioned, After Ever After’s win made my day. It, along with Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie hold a special place in my heart, and I am thrilled for Jordan Sonnenblick. While I haven’t read Five Flavors of Dumb, the Teen winner, yet, I know that Kelly was a huge fan.
Pura Belpre: I was very impressed with Pam Munoz Ryan’s The Dreamer, although in some ways it seems more of an awards darling than a book that children will flock to. Regardless, it was beautiful (that’s really the only way to describe the writing) and well-deserved.
Sibert: Pleased that Ballet for Martha got an honor. This book was a fantastic collaboration in so many senses of the word: text, illustration, and storyline. Beautiful.
Theodor Seuss Geisel: Bink and Gollie was so playful and charming—definitely deserving of this honor. But I was even more excited for Grace Lin’s Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!, which is almost the perfect easy-reader book, in my opinion.
I need to start off by saying how incredibly PSYCHED I am that both The Knife of Never Letting Go and The True Meaning of Smekday got some love. The Odyssey Award was one of the first announced, and it just made me feel all happy and glowy for the rest of the morning. I’ve read both of these books in print and gave both five out of five stars – they’re both so wonderful in very different ways. I think it’s interesting that they were recognized for their audio productions, since both have elements that make them stand out in print form (Knife for its depiction of noise and Smekday for the illustrations). Knife should be fantastic in audio, too, but I’m really curious to see how Smekday stands up sans the pictures.
I was disappointed but not surprised by the nonfiction award winner. It seems to me that it was the nominee with the least appeal (certainly the least appeal to me). I’d be really interested in hearing from teen librarians who can comment on Janis Joplin’s appeal to teenagers of today – maybe I am alone in my opinion that a singer from the 1960s doesn’t appeal to teens in the 2010s (but I doubt it).
The Printz winner was so predictable compared to last year’s winner. I’ve had Ship Breaker since before it was published, in galley form, and still haven’t gotten around to reading it, even though the premise is really right up my alley. Then it was shortlisted for the freaking National Book Award and I didn’t read it then, either. I KNOW. I’ll read it now, I promise.
As far as the Newbery goes, it’s no surprise that I knew pretty much nothing about it going in, but I still expected to have heard of all the honorees. Boy was I wrong. I had purchased the winner, Moon Over Manifest, but didn’t really remember what it was about. I hadn’t even heard of Sidman’s, which is no shocker since I’m not really a fan of poetry (I feel the need to hide from Kelly now). The others weren’t too surprising since I had heard buzz about them for awhile. But how incredibly weird is it that, aside from Sidman’s book, all of the Newbery honorees are historical fiction? All of them. Wow.
Janne Teller’s Nothing didn’t win the Batchelder, but it did garner an honor, so I’m still patting myself on the back for calling that way back in June 2010.
I love Tomie de Paola so much and I’m so glad he won the Laura Ingalls Wilder medal. I’m not a huge picture book lover, but I still love his stories of the Indian Paintbrush and the Bluebonnet from my childhood, and he’s still writing and illustrating such wonderful books today.
Speaking of picture books, I was rather proud of myself for recognizing all of the Caldecott honorees, and for having actually read two of them (Sick Day for Amos McGee and Interrupting Chicken). Both of these not only have wonderful art but excellent stories too. While I know the Caldecott award doesn’t honor the storytelling, I still appreciate seeing how the story and art work together. Some of the Caldecott honorees are a bit lacking in the story arena (such as last year’s honor All the World – great illustrations, mediocre and oh so boring text).
I’m not even sure where to begin on this. I’m delighted at some of the books getting recognized this year and blown away one of my reach titles for the Printz actually got an honor. Let’s start where Kim and Jen didn’t go.
Stonewall Book Award: First, I am incredibly thrilled that ALA has finally designated an award for a book featuring an LGBTQ character and not only that, but one of my 2010 favorite books (and one that I have talked to INCREDIBLE success), Love Drugged, was an honoree. This is a book I talked sort of on a whim and I’ve been told by one of the 9th grade teachers she bought 2 classroom copies that are -never- on shelf. Not only that, but 2 of her most reluctant readers are in love with it. I haven’t read the winner, Almost Perfect, though I’ve ordered it for work (and may I say it is the only one on any of the awards lists I didn’t have).
Morris Award: So I knew the book had been chosen on Saturday since one of the committee members was with us that day but she wouldn’t share what it was (of course). I was rooting for Crossing the Tracks or The Freak Observer, so I was pretty excited on this one. It’s a book that needed a little more love.
Printz Award: Honestly, the winner wasn’t a huge surprise to me. It’s a book that’s been on a lot of Mock Printz lists and one that I tried but completely failed at reading. However, I can say that the fact Stolen got an honor kind of made my world? That was one of my “dream” picks. It was also the first book that Scholastic has ever had earn a Printz honor or award.
Batchelder Award: Kim called Nothing back in June. It didn’t win but the fact it was an honoree wasn’t a surprise to me in the least. What a horrific little book it is, too. And I think I mean that nicely. I’m not quite sure. What I do know is there is nothing like it.
Newbery Award: I haven’t read any of the titles but had been rooting for One Crazy Summer since it seemed like a clear front runner. I hadn’t heard of the winner but when I looked it up, apparently, I had since I did buy it for work.
Caldecott Award: I’m not completely familiar with picture books and how to judge them, but I do know I love and adore Interrupting Chicken. The fact it got any recognition sort of rocked my socks.
Schneider Family Book Award: I am thrilled Antony John’s Five Flavors of Dumb got love here. This is another one of those books I’ve talked to my kids and they’ve found interest in. I had an interest in another title ending up here, too, but it was a dark horse from the start.
I didn’t think there were any real surprises this year nor any titles out of left field. I was mostly excited about a few titles getting the light they so rightly deserved. I was bummed I had to head home before the announcements, but it was nice listening to the streaming audio of the presentation (which was actually quicker than the Twitter stream).