It's that time of year - Caldecott Predictions

On Monday, January 10, 2011, the American Library Association will announce all of their Youth Media Awards at their Midwinter Conference in San Diego.  Last year, the announcements were made from Boston and I woke up at 5 a.m. (on my day off) to listen to as they were reported as well as watch the Twitter feed.  I was thrilled to have read WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead prior to the announcement of it's selection as the Newbery Medal winner.  And I was shocked that I actually recognized the winner of the Caldecott Medal - Jerry Pinkey's THE LION & THE MOUSE.  However, I have to admit that I hadn't paid much attention to what might end up on the short list for the awards that year.

This year, I started paying attention to the buzz around mid-year as to what books might be considered.  As a result, I tried to read as many of the picture books being released this year and began choosing my favorites about a month ago.  And thanks to the Midwinter Conference being closer to home, I am hoping to be present for the Award's Press Conference.

Here are the five books that I expect to be in the running for the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Award or one of the Caldecott honor medals given "shall be awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States".

CHALK

by Bill Thomson

This wordless picture book is simply amazing.  It was recently selected as a 2010 Cybils Finalist.  If you have read any of my recent blog posts, you'll know that I have a huge bias towards this story about 3 children who discover a bag of chalk.  I will continue to send it positive thoughts and good vibes for this book to be a winner. 

A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE

by Philip Christian Stead, Illustrated by Erin Stead

Initially, I could not find this book in any of my local books stores.  However, just the other day, I ran across this book and fell in love.  Well maybe not as much as I am in love with CHALK but still this beautiful, gentle story about a friendship between a man and various animals at the zoo ranks high on my list.  This book also made the list of finalists for a Cybils 2010 Award.

ART & MAX

by David Wiesner

I love Wiesner's books.  There is something that is usually a tad different in each of his stories.  This story about Art - a talented artist and Max - well let's just say Max has his own thoughts about art - is entertaining on one level but can be used on so many other levels.  Wiesner has been a recipient of the Caldecott, and the Caldecott Honor medals in the past.

THE BOSS BABY

by Marla Frazee

Marla Frazee is not new to the world of the Caldecott Medals.  Last year, her book ALL THE WORLD, received an honor medal.  With classic Frazee illustrations, this story about an infant who directs the lives of his parents is a fun reminder to families just who is in charge.  

CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG

Written by Mo Willems, Pictures by Jon J. Muth

Many people are familiar with Mo Willems from his Pigeon stories or Elephant & Piggie stories which are filled with fun and humor.  In this story of a friendship between a dog and a frog, we get to see another side to Willems' writing.  Muth's illustrations were wonderful and I loved the one where the dog puts on a "froggy" smile.

So do you have a prediction about which 2010 picture book will walk away with a shiny gold medal?

PoC Reading Challenge 2011

Though I try to read a lot of books, it is hard to participate in too many challenges.  I have limited myself to 3 challenges this year.  I posted about the Debut Author Challenge on November 21st.  You can click here to read about it.  I was going to stop there, but some friends pointed out the Books I Should Have Read Challenge.  You can read about this challenge here.  Now I was up to 2 challenges, but when I heard about the People of Color Reading Challenge and decided this would be my 3rd and final challenge for the year.  To read more about the challenge and to sign up, you can click here.

The People of Color (PoC) Reading Challenge is actually very near and dear to my heart.  I have worked in an urban setting for many years and 64% of the students at my school are Latino and another 16% are African American and another 10% are Caucasian and the final 10% are made up of a variety of racially diverse students.  It is important for me to find books that feature children of color as the main character and books that appropriately portray People of Color.  If I count picture books, I read over 40 books with People of Color represented in the pages of these books. 

This year, I intend to read at least 12 Middle Grade or YA books featuring PoC.  And I will continue to read a variety of picture books that represent the diversity that fills the halls of my school.  My students are diverse and so should the books that they read reflect them. 

Can I count on you to join in as well? - Aly

Sneaking Around GoodReads (1)

"Sneaking Around Goodreads" is a meme started by Mavie at The Bookologist that showcase of a book or two in which is found from Goodreads.com. Each book is talked about briefly, usually about the cover and the plot. Books posted on here are books that are on my wish-list and my 'i-want' list. All of the books are pre-released.

In searching for debut author releases for 2011, I came across these two books.

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD
Author: Kendare Blake
Release Date: Tor, September 2011

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story. . .

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Thoughts:   I like ghost stories and this one has an interesting twist which makes me ask "Why is he killing the dead? And why does she spare him?"  The cover is also cool.  Can't wait to read this one in the fall.

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: Simon & Schuster, September 27, 2011

Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a
hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember
that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.

She definitely doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been
through, she can fall in love. She’s wrong.

Thoughts:  The cover of this book intrigues me.  Not sure how it fits into the story yet, and can't wait to find out. 

Book Review - Fury of the Phoenix

Author: Cindy Pon
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (March 29, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult, Also an excellent Crossover Book for Adults
Source: ARC for review from Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Description from GoodReads:

Cindy Pon’s debut novel Silver Phoenix was called “fluid and exhilarating” in a starred review from Booklist, and Meg Cabot called it “an addictive gem.” In this companion novel, seventeen-year-old Ai Ling—her powers stronger than ever—stows away aboard a cargo ship in order to protect devastatingly handsome Chen Yong during his quest to locate his father. Masquerading as brother and sister, Ai Ling and Chen Yong face demonic predators on the ocean voyage, but their biggest threat comes from the kingdom of the dead. Part supernatural page-turner, part love story, and altogether stirring, Fury of the Phoenix further heralds the arrival of Cindy Pon as a stellar author of paranormal romance and fantasy. 

**** Review containers spoilers for SILVER PHOENIX.****

My Review:   About a year ago, I discovered Cindy Pon's 2009 debut novel SILVER PHOENIX.  In Pon's first book, she created a vivid fantasy setting influenced heavily by China and Chinese mythology.  This was high fantasy that moved away from the typical Celtic/British fantasy tales.  In the first book, we are introduced to Ai-ling - an independent, strong-spirited teen who leaves home to find her father and to escape an unpleasant marriage arrangement.  Ai-ling has special gifts that she slowly discovers throughout the book.  We are also introduced to Li-Rong and Chen Yong - two brothers that accompany Ai-ling on her journey.  The book concludes with a confrontation between Ai-ling and Zhong Ye, a powerful dark sorcerer, who views Ai-ling as someone who can re-connect him with Silver Phoenix, his first love.

Since finishing SILVER PHOENIX, I have been wanting to read the sequel. It is always a good sign when I really want to read the sequel.  There are so many books that I read the first one and think "when I get to the next one, I get to it".   However, Pon created a world that I wanted to spend more time in and to discover what would happen to Ai-ling and Chen Yong.  

When I started FURY OF THE PHOENIX, I was fully expecting a similar story to SILVER PHOENIX.  This is not a negative reflection of what I expected from Pon's writing but rather, an expectation of most sequels which tend to be very similar in format offering very little that is new.  Of course, when the novel kicks off with Ai-ling attempting to illegally board a vessel in order to stow away and attempt to save Chen Yong's life, I wasn't surprised.  My thought - great way to kick off the start of this tale.  However, as I kept reading, something wasn't falling into place.  This book had a different feel to it.  


First, this book has two narrators.  The story shifts between Ai-ling's perspective and time to Zhong Ye's perspective from when he was a young Eunuch in the Emperor's Court.  Initially, I wondered about this choice.  Yet, I was soon wrapped up in Zhong Ye's early life and his relationship with Silver Phoenix and what led him to become the sorcerer that we came to see him as in SILVER PHOENIX.  

Second, the action is significantly different in this story.  As the journey unfolded, I found myself loving the back history that is revealed and how the past and present provide a mystery & love story that sucks the reader in. It was at this point where I had to literally make a mental shift.  Pon wasn't being predictable and safe.  She had deftly added an additional layer to the story that I really found intriguing. Rather than just a fantasy adventure, this delved into aspects of motivation, choice, consequences, forgiveness, love and redemption. Throughout the story, I kept trying to figure out how she was going to pull it all together and do so in a way that would be satisfying and provide a fitting ending to her series. And guess what...she did pull the whole story together and I loved the ending.
 
I so wish I could say much, much more but I don't want to spoil this especially since the book won't be out for another 3 months. If you loved SILVER PHOENIX, you'll love FURY OF THE PHOENIX. 

If you haven't read SILVER PHOENIX, why don't you go read it now so that you can be ready for the release of FURY OF THE PHOENIX in late March.  I am pre-ordering my copy of FURY now so that I will have a lovely hardcover to match my copy of SILVER PHOENIX.  And I just may have to go all fan-girl and track Cindy Pon down at a author event/signing to get it signed as well.  

For more information about Cindy Pon, check out her website http://cindypon.com/   

or you can find her on twitter: @cindypon

Book Review - Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Author: Lish McBride
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (October 12, 2010)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Description from GoodReads:

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.
Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else.  
With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

 
My review:

Imagine living your life just thinking you are a regular guy?! Nothing special, maybe a little bit of an underachiever.  This is Sam.  He has dropped out of college, works at a hamburger joint (kind of funny considering he is a vegetarian), hangs out with his best friend from childhood, and concerned that he isn't going anywhere fast.  But then comes Douglas.  Literally overnight, Sam's life changes and so does the lives around him.  Douglas is apparently a necromancer for hire and doesn't like the idea of another necromancer sharing in any potential job opportunities.  It seems that being a necromancer can be quite profitable.  After a serious beating, and a very personal message, Douglas gives Sam a week to become his apprentice or lose his life.  

McBride manages to pull it all together in her debut offering.  Hold Me Closer, Necromancer has all the ingredients of a great book - a well-balance ensemble of characters, humor, a little romance (but not over doing it), and pacing that doesn't drag (I pretty much read this in one sitting and refused to go to bed until I finished it).  Sam is a likable; your every day sort of guy.  His friends are kind of eclectic.  There is Ramon (a childhood friend/like family), Frank (a bit of a dork, but dependable), and Brooke (fiesty & entertaining).  Even secondary characters such as Sam's mother (with her own secrets) and sister, or his neighbor - an on the go, 70-something granny (who has a more active social life than Sam) add rather than detract from the overall story. And well then there is an assortment of paranormal creatures (were-creatures, harbingers, witches, etc.) that Sam discovers on his quest to understand what a necromancer is and how he managed to not know about these unique abilities.  

For fans of Urban Fantasy/Paranormal stories, this will be an easy sell.  In my opinion, it is one of the best books within this category that I have read recently.  True there are some places that require suspending reality (like the immediate attraction between Sam & Brid - a cute shape-shifter- while they are stuck in a cage but then it was hot, & steamy in a fade to black kind of way) which I don't see as an issue.  This is after all a fantasy story.  However, when I finished it, I wanted more.  Sure, this was a complete book - no huge cliff-hanger ending, but readers can easily imagine this story continuing.  I can imagine and hope that this book will continue for at least several more installments.  So please somebody tell me that there will be a book 2 and a book 3?!



For fans that may not be prone to reading a good Urban Fantasy, I suggest giving this book a read through.  Hopefully, it will be a pleasant surprise.  If not, maybe you can have fun identifying all the songs that McBride uses as chapter titles.   

You can find out more about author Lish McBride on her website, click here.  Or you can follow her on twitter: @teamdamanation

Also take a moment to check out the Book Trailer for Hold Me Closer, Necromancer