Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Adult Shortlist - Part 2 The Final Final

Here they are folks! These are the 20 titles we are bringing to the table January 21, 2012!  Please read and respond to as many as you can!  In addition to reading like a maniac, check out Kris' directions at the bottom and decide which books you want to champion!

  1. The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
  2. Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
  3. Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
  4. Hidden by Helen Frost
  5. True...Sort of by Katherine Hannigan
  6. Junonia by Kevin Henkes
  7. Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer Holm
  8. Small as An Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
  9. Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby
  10. Freedom Stone by Jeffrey Kluger
  11. Inside Out And Back Again by Thannha Lai
  12. Never Forgotten by Patricia McKissack
  13. Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson
  14. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (the experts aren't sure whether this book will be eligible or not, so it's staying on the list)
  15. Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy
  16. Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
  17. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
  18. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
  19. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
  20. Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

TO DO LIST
BY JANUARY 6 - email Kris your top 5 titles! Use the Note Taking Guide that was emailed to you to help firm up your thoughts!  Please email if you need another copy!

BY JANUARY 6 - email Kris the 3 books you believe are distinguished.  You will discuss the merits of each, briefly (2min or less),  listing strengths and how each particular book compares to other titles on the list.



Happy Reading!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Adult Shortlist - Part 1

Sydney Morning Herald
We are down to the wire!
This shortlist comprises the books readers felt strongly about, one way or another! Click on the links to tell us what YOU thought of each book!


 In alphabetical order:
NEXT STEPS
Read as many of the books as you can! A second list will be sent out in Late December of any late releasing titles to add to the list.

January 6 - email Kris your top 5 titles! Use the Note Taking Guide (avail 12/3) to help firm up your thoughts!  

January 6 - Kris will also need to know which 3 books you would be williing to champion.  You'll give a brief (2min or less) testimony listing the books strengths and how it compares to other titles on the list.


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Adult Mock Newbery 2012 List #3

Here are your November Top Ten!  

We've added 30 books to the Adult Mock Newbery list to date! If you haven't started reading, now is the time.  We need to know what you think of these titles!  Click on the title to add to the discussion!




Don't forget to sign up for our in-person final discussion and vote!  The Adult Mock Newbery Club meeting will be held on January 21, 2012 from 10:00am - 5:00pm in the Children's Services Storytime Room at the Main Library. Register HERE, if you haven't already done so!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

A Month of Sundays by Ruth White

A Month of Sundays by Ruth White
Farrar Strauss Giroux
2011
168p.

In the summer of 1956 while her mother is in Florida searching for a job, fourteen-year-old April Garnet Rose, who has never met her father, stays with her terminally ill aunt in Virginia and accompanies her as she visits different churches, looking for God.

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
Candlewick Press
2011
226p.

Everything changes for thirteen-year-old Travis, a new student who is trying to hide his illiteracy, when he meets a sassy classmate with her own secrets and a remarkable teacher.

Money We'll Save, The by Brock Cole

The Money We'll Save by Brock Cole
Farrar Strauss Giroux
2011
unpaged

In nineteenth-century New York City, when Pa brings home a young turkey in hopes of saving money on their Christmas dinner, his family faces all sorts of trouble--and expense--in their tiny apartment.

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin
Henry Holt and Company
2011
140pgs

In the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, ten-year-old Sasha idolizes his father, a devoted Communist, but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his own perceptions, values, and beliefs.

Drawing From Memory by Allen Say

Drawing From Memory by Allen Say
Scholastic Press
2011
63p.


"Caldecott Medalist Allen Say presents a stunning graphic novel chronicling his journey as an artist during WWII, when he apprenticed under Noro Shinpei, Japan's premier cartoonist. Drawing from memory is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his "spiritual father." As WWII raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained--and ultimately came to understand who he really is. Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, DRAWING FROM MEMORY presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. With watercolor paintings, original cartoons, vintage photographs, and maps, Allen Say has created a book that will inspire the artist in all of us"-- Provided by publisher.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Candlewick Press
2011
204p.

Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

Pie by Sarah Weeks

Pie by Sarah Weeks
Scholastic Press
2011
183p.

After the death of Polly Portman, whose award-winning pies put the town of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania, on the map in the 1950s, her devoted niece Alice and Alice's friend Charlie investigate who is going to extremes to find Aunt Polly's secret pie crust recipe. Includes fourteen pie recipes.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus, 2) by Rick Riordan
Disney * Hyperion
2011
521p.

Demigod Percy Jackson, still with no memory, and his new friends from Camp Jupiter, Hazel and Frank, go on a quest to free Death, but their bigger task is to unite the Greek and Roman camps so that the Prophecy of Seven can be fulfilled.

Desert Angel by Charlie Price

Desert Angel by Charlie Price
Farrar Strauss Giroux
2011
236p.s



In the California desert, fourteen-year-old Angel is on the run from the man who abused her, killed her mother, and intends to kill her too.

Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans by Kadir Nelson
Balzer and Bray
2011
108p.

An simple introduction to African-American history, from Revolutionary-era slavery up to the election of President Obama.

Never Forgotten by Patricia McKissack

Never Forgotten by Patricia McKissack
Schwartz and Wade
2011
Unpaged



In eighteenth-century West Africa, a boy raised by his blacksmith father and the Mother Elements--Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth--is captured and taken to America as a slave.

Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
2011
266p.

Eleven-year-old Dini loves movies, and so when she learns that her family is moving to India for two years, her devastation over leaving her best friend in Maryland is tempered by the possibility of meeting her favorite actress, Dolly Singh.

Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy
Peachtree Publishers
2011
228p.

 A community of mice and a cheese-loving cat form an unlikely alliance at London's Cheshire Cheese, an inn where Charles Dickens finds inspiration and Queen Victoria makes an unexpected appearance.


Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett
Harcourt
2011
310p.



Retells the story of the minotaur through the eyes of his fifteen-year-old sister, Ariadne, a lonely girl destined to become a goddess of the moon, and her new friend, Theseus, the son of Athens' king who was sent to Crete as a sacrifice to her misshapen brother.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Adult Mock Newbery 2012 List #2

Here are ten more titles for your consideration!

Have you read these yet?  What are you waiting for!?? Read these titles and be ready to discuss them at our Adult Mock Newbery meeting in January.

Click on each link to add your voice to the discussion!


City of Orphans by Avi
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Flesh and Blood So Cheap by Albert Marrin 
The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban 

Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb
The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm
True...Sort of by Katherine Hannigan
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
 
The Adult Mock Newbery Club meeting will be held on January 21, 2012 from 10:00am - 5:00pm in the Children's Services Storytime Room at the Main Library.  Register HERE, if you haven't already done so!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic Press
2011
416p.

Nineteen-year-old returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against Puck Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races, both trying to keep hold of their dangerous water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.



Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson

Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson
Candlewick Press
2011
288p.

A magical amulet brings power and despair to those who touch it.


Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Farrar Strauss Giroux
2011
341p.

In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck
Dial Books for Young Readers
2011
256p.

In 1887, the social-climbing Cranstons voyage from New York to London, where they hope to find a husband for their awkward older daughter, secretly accompanied by Helena and her mouse siblings, for whom the journey is both terrifying and wondrous as they meet an array of titled humans despite their best efforts at remaining hidden.

Dragon's of Silk by Laurence Yep

Dragon's of Silk by Laurence Yep
Harper Collins Children's Books
2011
339p.

Four generations of Chinese and Chinese-American girls, beginning in 1835, are tied together by the tradition of raising silkworms and the legacy of the legendary Weaving Maid.

Monday, September 26, 2011

The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty

The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty
Harcourt Children's Books
2011
345p.

In early twentieth-century New York, Sacha Kessler's ability to see witches earns him an apprenticeship to the police department's star Inquisitor, Maximillian Wolf, to help stop magical crime and, with fellow apprentice Lily Astral, Sacha investigates who is trying to kill Thomas Edison, whose mechanical witch detector that could unleash the worst witch-hunt in American history.

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver


Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
Harper Collin's Children's Books
2011
320p.
 
A mix-up involving the greatest magic in the world has tremendous consequences for Liesl, an orphan who has been locked in an attic, Will, an alchemist's runaway apprentice, and Po, a ghost, as they are pursued by friend and foe while making an important journey.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Circle of  Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Litlle
Scholastic Press
2011
336p.


A year after her mother has deserted the family, eleven-year-old Shelby goes to stay with her, deep in the Louisiana bayou, where they both confront old hurts and regrets.

Apothecary by Maile Meloy

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
G P Putnam Sons
2011
368p.


Follows a fourteen-year-old American girl whose life unexpectedly transforms when she moves to London in 1952 and gets swept up in a race to save the world from nuclear war.

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby
Scholastic Press
2011
336p.

Princess Solveig and her siblings are trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen fjord, along with her best friend and an army of restless soldiers, all awaiting news of the king's victory in battle, but as they wait for winter's end and the all-encompassing ice to break, acts of treachery make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Walden Pond Press
2011
320p.

A stunning modern-day fairy tale from acclaimed author Anne Ursu Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," "Breadcrumbs" is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Ten Rules for Living With My Sister by Ann M. Martin

Ten Rules for Living With My Sister by Ann M. Martin
Feiwel and Friends
2011
228p.

Nine-year-old Pearl and her popular, thirteen-year-old sister, Lexie, do not get along very well, but when their grandfather moves in and the girls have to share a room, they must find common ground

With A Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo
Farrar Strauss Giroux
2011
249p.

Thirteen-year-old Olivene Love gets tangled up in a murder mystery when her itinerant preaching family arrives in the small town of Binder, Arkansas in 1957.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

City of Orphans by Avi

City of Orphans by Avi
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
2011
351p.

In 1893 New York, thirteen-year-old Maks, a newsboy, teams up with Willa, a homeless girl, to clear his older sister, Emma, from charges that she stole from the brand new Waldorf Hotel, where she works. Includes historical notes.

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer
Dutton Children's Books
2011
294p.

Twelve-year-olds Duncan Dorfman, April Blunt, and Nate Saviano meet at the Youth Scrabble Tournament where, although each has a different reason for attending and for needing to win, they realize that something more important is at stake than the grand prize.

Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father's Secret Children by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Dial Books for Young Readers
2011
360p.

A fictionalized look at the last twenty years of Thomas Jefferson's life at Monticello through the eyes of three of his slaves, two of whom were his sons by his slave, Sally Hemings.

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Harper Collins Children's Books
2011

A fearful sixteen-year-old princess discovers her heroic destiny after being married off to the king of a neighboring country in turmoil and pursued by enemies seething with dark magic.

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell
Alfred A. Knopf
2011
33p.

In late nineteenth-century Maine, isolated, eleven-year-old Clara Dooley gains a friend and uncovers a magical secret that changes her life when she learns to care for the once-feared birds in the aviary attached to the Glendoveer mansion where she lives.

Paintings From The Cave by Gary Paulsen

Paintings From The Cave : Three Novellas by Gary Paulsen
Wendy Lamb Books
2011
161p.

 "In these three novellas, Gary Paulsen explores how children can survive the most difficult circumstances through art and the love of dogs"--Provided by publisher.

Toys Come Home by Emily Jenkins

Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
Random House Children's Books
2011
132p.

When a little girl gets a plush stingray for her birthday, it makes friends with some of her other toys as they all try to navigate in the world of real people.

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban
Harcourt
2011
152p.

Mattie, a shy fifth-grader, wants to hide out at her new school by acting as apprentice to her Uncle Potluck, the custodian, but her plan falls apart when she summons the courage to speak about what matters most and finds a true friend.

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
Penguin /Nancy Paulsen Books
2011
137p.

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach is enjoying life in New Orleans, playing clarinet for the tourists in his spare time, accompanied by Shadow, a local stray dog. When Hurricane Katrina approaches, Saint faces unexpected challenges in trying to rescue Shadow

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
Bloomsbury
2011
154p.

A series of poems describes all the baffling changes at home and at school in twelve-year-old Joylin's transition from tomboy basketball player to not-quite-girly girl.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Island's End by Padma Venkatraman

Island's End by Padma Venkatraman
G. P. Putnam Sons
2011
228p.

A young girl trains to be the new spiritual leader of her remote Andaman Island tribe, while facing increasing threats from the modern world.

You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does) by Ruth White

You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does) by Ruth White
Delacorte Press
2011
258p.

Forced to flee a small North Carolina town when the neighbors suspect they are aliens, sixth-grader Meggie Blue and her family leave Earth and arrive in Fashion City, where individuality is punished and the greatest crime is being "grossly unique."

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac
Dial Books for Young Readers
2011
346p.

Young prince Rashko, aided by wise old Georgi, must channel the power of his ancestor, Pavol the great, and harness a magical dragon to face the evil Baron Temny after the foolish King and Queen go missing.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
2011
217p.

 In 1919, independent-minded fifteen-year-old Rosalind lives in India with her English parents, and when they fear she has fallen in with some rebellious types who believe in Indian self-government, she is sent "home" to London, where she has never been before and where her older brother died, to stay with her two aunts.

Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker

Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker
Candlewick Press
2011
224 p.


In Iowa circa 1929, spunky twelve-year-old Tugs vows to turn her family's luck around with the help of a Brownie camera and a small-town mystery that only she can solve.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier


The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier

Alfred A. Knopf

2011

                     388p.

The adventures of two teenaged cousins who live in a place called The Floating Islands, one of whom is studying to become a mage and the other one of the legendary island flyers.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Adult Mock Newbery 2012 List #1

Here's our first list of the year!

Make sure you read at least these 10 titles because we will for sure discuss these at our Adult Mock Newbery meeting in January.  Click on each link to add your voice to the discussion!

The Adult Mock Newbery Club meeting will be held on January 21, 2012 from 10:00am - 5:00pm in the Children's Services Storytime Room at the Main Library.  Register HERE, if you haven't already done so!



Can't wait to hear from you!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Scholastic Press
2011
608p.

Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City, and meets there Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures.

Water Balloons by Audrey Vernick

Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick
Clarion Books
2011
320p.

With her best friends pulling away from her, her newly-separated parents deciding she should spend the summer at her father's new home, and a babysitting job she does not want, Marley's life is already as precarious as an overfull water balloon when a cute boy enters the picture.

Floors by Patrick Carman

Floors by Patrick Carman
Scholastic Press
2011
261p.

A handyman's son explores the mysteries of a very odd, very colorful hotel in the newest adventure from bestselling author Patrick Carman. The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him... boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake... and so is Leo's own future!