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We know the odds of repeat Newbery recognition are slim (the percentage of repeat winners in the past 5 years ranges from 20%-50%) and the odds of repeating for a sequel are slimmer still–in fact, limited only to Lloyd Alexander, Susan Cooper, Robin McKinley, Cynthia Voigt, and Richard Peck. And yet we cannot help but […]
Given our conversations so far, I think GEORGE is the perfect next book to discuss because (a) it is indeed serious work, and (b) it is also didactic (an issue we’ve been exploring in our discussion of ECHO). Now the Newbery Medal is expressly NOT given for didactic intent. Throwing the D-word at a book, however, […]
What’s not to love about this book? All the storytelling elements–plot, character, setting–are superb, while the elegant simplicity of the language belies the thematic depth that resonates on every page. Seems like a Newbery Medal winner to me! The structure of this novel is ambitious, from the double stories that frame the three interior ones to […]
By this time of year, the YMAs have usually been announced and we’re signing off with some suggestions of what to read in the coming year. So consider this an early version of that post (if you’re attending ALA make sure you grab these galleys), and then we’ll culminate with some responses to real Newbery [...]
Here are the results. We had 67 voters, and although BROWN GIRL DREAMING had less than a quarter of those first place votes, it still has almost double the next highest book. It’s much closer on the point spread; it’s got 31 points more than the second book, and it has 31. It’s our clear [...]
I’m sorry for posting these results late, but here they are. We had seven participants, but only five voters so we had a much smaller group than Nina. We decided on co-winners and one honor book! Newbery Medal THE FAMILY ROMANOV and WEST OF THE MOON Newbery Honor BROWN GIRL DREAMING On our second ballot, [...]
Okay, you know the drill by now. I need your top three clearly labeled first, second, and third so that I can assign the correct point values (i.e. 1st=4 points, 2nd=3 points, 3rd=2 points). You need to have your votes posted by the end of the day on Monday, January 19th and I will post [...]
From the following review journals: Booklist, Bulletin, Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal. Six lists— BROWN GIRL DREAMING THE FAMILY ROMANOV THIS ONE SUMMER Five lists— THE FARMER AND THE CLOWN FIREFLY JULY RAIN REIGN THE RIGHT WORD WEST OF THE MOON Four lists— BEYOND MAGENTA EL DEAFO GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE GLORY O’BRIEN’S [...]
Our final book to reconsider is THE MADMAN OF PINEY WOODS. The first time around Nina rightly noted that despite a leisurely pace, the storytelling elements–plot, character, setting–make this a worthy book to discuss. We only had three comments, but they were all packed with good insights. Is this book too heavy-handed or didactic? Are [...]