Bizarro Newbery 2012

Last JanuaryI  awarded the very first Bizarro Newbery to the two books I felt deserved the 2011 Newbery Award. I wasn't thrilled with the books chosen by the committee- although I value and respect the work they do, I feel that I picked better books. 

Last year I awarded The Bizarro Newbery to 

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, honor to Out of My Mind. 

I am happy to announce the Bizarro Newbery Winners for 2011...  the books that I would pick if I was in charge! 

(And how did these books NOT win?) 

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes (August 1, 2011)

Picture if you will a newborn baby boy placed in a basket and left to sail the ocean alone. When he is finally rescued by sailors his eyes have been pecked out by a raven. The sailors kill the raven and turn the baby over to the local authorities. The baby is given a name- Peter Nimble-and nothing else, and sent into the world to fend for himself. He lives for a time with a mama cat and her kittens, until they are discovered and thrown into the ocean in a burlap bag to drown. Peter manages to untie the bag and make it to safety. Having nobody to care for him, Peter learns to survive on his own. Although he is an infant- and a blind infant at that- he starts his career as a thief. By the age of 3, Peter had become a true menace to society. His talents were discovered by Mr. Seamus- a beggarmonger (a man who trains orphans to beg and steal and turn their booty over to him in exchange for "food" and "shelter"). Mr. Seamus always wanted to become a thief- but he was too clumsy to follow his dream. When he met Peter, he decided to sell off his other beggars and train Peter to become an expert thief.  In fact, Peter became an expert at picking locks because Mr. Seamus locked all of Peter's meals inside an old sea chest- if he wanted to eat, he had to pick the lock.
When a mysterious haberdasher (a man who sells men's hats and ties and such)  comes to town, Peter's skills as a thief are put to the test. The boy steals a box of magical eyes from the haberdasher. The first time he touches the eyes, he knows that he must try them. He puts in the eyes and is instantly transported to a mysterious land. As it turns out, Peter had been summoned to help save The Vanished Kingdom. Using the fantastic eyes, he must set out on a fantastical quest where he befriends a part man, part kitten part horse creature, meets a dogfish bigger than a whale and gets stranded in the desert. I can't give away much more, because it will ruin the story for you- and you know I won't do that! But, I will tell you that you will read about swashbuckling, sword fighting, evil Kings, talking ravens and killer apes.

Warp Speed by Lisa Yee (March 1, 2011)
My name is Marley Sandelski and pretty much get my butt kicked on a daily basis.  The kids at Rancho Rosetta Middle School are ruthless. I get punched, spit on shoved into my locker, chased and taunted and nobody does anything about it. If anyone stands up to the bullies, they will get killed. So, we just grimace and bear it.

I use to be best friends with Standford- until he became a star jock. He completely sold me out. He doesn't even look in my direction any more. I hate him. The only people I can count on are the other geeks in AV Club, I mean Technical Sciences Class. We pretty much run this school- without us, there would be no way teachers could plug in their own DVD players. I can't wait for 6th period because I know that for that short while, I won't get beat up. 

Teachers have asked if I'm ok- even my mom and dad have asked. But, I just smile and say that I'm fine. Heck, my mom is blind and she even knows something isn't right. You can't get anything past her. She can see my misery better than the stupid principal of Rosetta Middle School. He is such an idiot- he thinks that bracelets that say "Be a buddy not a bully" will keep kids like me from getting pulverized. Duh. Now when I get my butt handed to me, the bully says- "Wanna be my buddy?" 

My best friend is Ramen- yes, Ramen like the noodles. I am stuck with him because we are both geeks, I guess. He's ok, except he has this very unhealthy obsession with Star Wars. I HATE Star Wars. I'm what you call a Trekkie. I can name all of the characters, episodes and quote lines from every show from TOS (The Original Series). I guess I rely on Star Trek to help me through life. Like if I need good luck, I carry my Captain Kirk action figure with me. After school when I need to decompress, I put on my Spock ears. If I am in a sticky situation, I ask myself "WWSD?" (What would Spock do?)  Star Trek has gotten me through some rough times. I even keep my own Captain's Log where I record everything that occurred during the day.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse in my life, they do. My AV Club teacher, Mr. Jiang is out for 2 weeks and all the AV Club kids are stuck taking Home Science Class. (On the upside, I met the most beautiful girl in the world, and I may be in love).  The richest kid in town threatens to close down my family's theater, The Rialto if I don't do his homework. The Gorn have really stepped up their butt kicking and now chase me through town every day. And- the track coach has seen me run and wants me to join the track team. Did I mention that the new kid Max wants to narc out all the bullies on my behalf? I don't think I can take much more of this. What WOULD Spock do? I wish I knew.

Words in The Dust by Trent Reedy (January 1, 2011)

Wow.  Just... wow.  This book took me on an emotional roller coaster that didn't stop until the end.  I was happy, angry, curious, outraged, inspired and devastated.    Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven from Afghanistan; a good relationship with her hard stepmother; and one day even to go to school, or to have her cleft lip fixed. Zulaikha knows all will be provided for her--"Inshallah," God willing. Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the Afghan poetry she taught her late mother. And the Americans come to the village, promising not just new opportunities and dangers, but surgery to fix her face. These changes could mean a whole new life for Zulaikha--but can she dare to hope they'll come true?

The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson (May 10, 2011) tells the story of one of these 58 dolls as she leaves Japan and arrives in America in 1927.  Ms. Larson tells us that this book is based on the real events that occurred, but the story she tells is fiction. 
Miss Kanagawa is a beautiful Japanese doll, crafted by Master Doll-Maker Tatsuhiko.  From the moment she is created, she knows that she is an ambassador, and will act as such.  Master Tatsuhiko tells her that he wishes for her to one day feel the love of a child, but Miss Kanagawa is above such foolishness.  She is not a play thing, not a baby doll to be held and cuddled, but a symbol of peace and friendship.  As she will soon learn, sometimes you can't ignore what your heart tells you. 
There is something very special about Miss Kanagawa.  Her eyes are piercing, and she seems to look right into your soul and read your thoughts.  She seems to "say" the exact right thing at the exact right time, even though she is only a doll and cannot speak the way you and I can.  She seems to come into your life right when you need her.  She seems to make you a better person than you were before you met her.  
Miss Kanagawa comes into the lives of 4 different girls during her travels as an Ambassador of Friendship.  Each of the 4 girls are struggling to be a good friend or a good daughter, and are at a crossroads in their lives.  After being with Miss Kanagawa, they learn what they must do to be a good person.  The girls are not the only ones that learn about love and friendship. Miss Kanagawa's heart opens a little more with each girl she meets and she knows why Master Tatsuhiko wished for her to find the love of a child.  She finds that opening her heart is painful, because along with hellos, there are goodbyes and some goodbyes can break your heart. 

 What is Bizarro?

Who Will Win?

By this time tomorrow, we will know the winner of the 2012 Newbery. We will also know the winner of the Bizarro Newbery! I have created a medal this year! Here it is on last year's Bizarro Winner.

Cybils VS Newbery

I wonder if people place money on ALA winners in January.  May be I should fly out to Vegas and put some money down on my picks! Who would your money be on? I am about ready to tell you who my money would be on!

I also wonder if The Cybils can be used to determine the ALA winners.  Let's look to the past to see if we can predict the future.  

One thing that The Cybils rely on is kid appeal- and I promise you that not all past ALA winners have that going for them.  Also, Cybils may be nominated by anyone. After nominations, a group of revered book bloggers read the books and vote on a winner for each category.  The winners of The Cybils are announced on Valentine's Day- after ALA announces their winners. 

To bring you up to speed, this is a little information of each award:

From The Cybils Website: (Children's & Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards)

Our purpose is two-fold:

-Reward the children’s and young adult authors (and illustrators, let’s not forget them) whose books combine the highest literary merit and "kid appeal." What’s that mean? If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussel sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, we’re thinking more like organic chicken nuggets. -We’re yummy and nutritious. Foster a sense of community among bloggers who write about children’s and YA literature, highlight our best reviewers (and shamelessly promote their blogs) and provide a forum for the similarly obsessed. 

From The Newbery Manual:

In 2008, ALSC membership voted to change the committee composition, beginning with the 2010 committees, to eight elected, six appointed, and one appointed Chair. New committees are chosen every year. Members meet at ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting to discuss books that have been published during the year and to vote for the award winners. All members of the Association for Library Service to Children are eligible to serve on the Newbery and Caldecott awards committees. The only restrictions are that a person must agree to be present at the summer and midwinter meetings at which discussion takes place and at which the selections are made. 

The Bizarro Newbery was developed by me, last year, when I wasn't happy with the winners selected by The ALA. I nominated them, I read them and I voted for them. I looked for kid appeal and Kelly Butcher appeal. 

Here is a comparison of the awards from 2006 to last year. What do you think? Why the very noticeable difference between the winner from The Cybil middle grade division and The Newbery?  Does one winner influence the other? Do book bloggers know something about the reading habits of kids that Newbery Committee members don't? I can't wait to see how this year pans out! Can we use The Nerdies to predict any of the 2011 winners?

My Life in Newbery

This weekend I turn 38. I thought I was turning 39, so I am very relieved to have gained 1 year and not gotten closer to the big 4-0! Here is a list of books that won the Newbery Award throughout my lifetime. Have you read any of these? Do you see any that you might want to add to your to be read pile? What book won the Newbery the year YOU were born?

I was born in 1973:

Newbery Medal Winner: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

I started kindergarten in 1978, and my favorite book of all time, my "desert island book" won the Newbery!

Nebery Medal Winner: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson 

The year I turned 10 was 1983. the winner this year makes me cry every time I see a mulbery tree.

1983 Medal Winner: Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

My freshman year in high school (go West High Trojans!) was 1988. The winner this year was a biography, I have it in The Lemme Library, but I haven't read it.

1988 Medal Winner: Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Clarion) 

The 1988 honor that year was Hatchet by Gary Paulsen... the first survival story I ever read. 

I graduated from high school in 1991. A classic, much loved book won the Newbery that year!

The 1991 Medal Winner: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

I graduated from The University of Iowa with a BA in elementary education in 1996.  My 2nd favorite book was the winner this year!

The 1996 Newbery Medal Winner: The Giver by Lois Lowry 

My first daughter, Kiley was born in 2003. I must admit, I haven't read this book... yet! Don't judge me!

The 2003 Newbery Medal Winner: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

My 2nd daughter, Leah was born in 2008. I didn't read this book either! What does that say about new moms?  Too busy to read good books (too busy to read bad books too!)

The 2008 Newbery Medal Winner: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz 

This year, the year I turn 28 38, the winner was Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. I have this book on my to be read pile, but my bitterness has prevented me from reading it... although I've heard it's a lovely book. This is also the year I invented The Bizzaro Newbery!  

Tomorrow is a Big Day!

Tomorrow is a BIG day!  Tomorrow is the day that Kirby Larson's new book The Friendship Doll comes out!  I read this book a few months ago and I adore it.  Now, with the entire world about to read this book, I feel very protective.  Kind of like sending my child off to school for the first time... Will they like it?  Will they love it?  Will they be mean to it and bully it? (Not possible, by the way!)  Will people appreciate it like I do?  This isn't even MY book and I am worked up- I can only imagine how Kirby feels on this- the eve of her book release.  There is no turning back now, girl!  I am sending good vibes your way! 

My copy just shipped from Amazon about 2 hours ago!  I hope you get a chance to read this book very soon!  Put a hold on it at the library, buy it at the book store, download it on your Nook... your daughters and granddaughters will love this book.  After you read it, please leave a post here at The Lemme Library.  If you would like a sneak peek, read my review here. Oh- and please remember where you read it first- this is a Newbery 2011 contender.... 

Newbery Watch List

The question from Crazy for Books this week is:

"If I gave you $80 and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the checkout?"

Funny, last night I made a list of all the books that I think might become Newbery contenders this year- and you know, my opinion is taken very seriously (see Bizzaro Newbery).  So, of course, these are the books I would buy.  I would take advantage of my 20% discount and tax free teacher discount! 

Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow
Devastated by Germany's conflict with the Soviet Union at the end of WWII, Mikhail, 13, and his family are struggling to survive in their rural Russian community, where everything German is hated and Mikhail's father is missing in action. When the family shelters a beautiful German shepherd (they call her Zasha), they know they will be called traitors, but they bond with the beautiful dog, and they save her life by hiding her. Then they discover that she is pregnant. Can they build a safe shelter for her and her pups without being detected? What about the spies who see dog hair on Mikhail's clothes? Mikhail's first-person account will grab readers with the physical details of training and protecting his beloved pet as well as the history of the devastating war and its aftermath. Mikhail's family does have a happy reunion, but Barrow reminds readers that so many others were not as lucky. A long historical note tells more about the abuse and misuse of dogs in warfare. Grades 4-7. --Hazel Rochman (From Booklist)

Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and "spinning" wildly until it's over. But Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food. Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself - starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before Social Services catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties - and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all. (From Amazon)

The Visconti House by Elsabeth Edgar
Quiet Laura feels decidedly different from her classmates. Though an outsider herself, she initially lacks the courage to be seen with newcomer Leon, who lives near her home (known officially as the Visconti House and unofficially as the haunted house). Vacant before her parents bought it with plans to restore its faded grandeur someday, the shabby mansion begins to give up its many secrets when Laura and Leon join forces to explore the place and research its history. Convincing dialogue and well-drawn characters, both major and minor, bring energy to the story, which focuses on Laura, her slowly developing friendship with Leon, and the changes brought about by the experiences they share. The house's history tinges the quiet story with faded romance and sadness, but that tone is counterbalanced by the increasing vividness and confidence of Laura's character. A fine, sensitive first novel by an Australian writer. Grades 4-7. --Carolyn Phelan (from Booklist)

War & Watermelon by Rich Wallace
It's the summer of 1969. We've just landed on the moon, the Vietnam War is heating up, the Mets are beginning their famous World Series run, and Woodstock is rocking upstate New York. Down in New Jersey, twelve-year-old Brody is mostly concerned with the top ten hits on the radio and how much playing time he'll get on the football team. But when he goes along for the ride to Woodstock with his older brother and sees the mass of humanity there, he starts to wake up to the world around him-a world that could take away the brother he loves. (From Amazon)

The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone
Because of the bombing of London, 11-year-old Felicity is taken by her parents to live with relatives in Maine in 1941. She slowly adjusts to her new family, including Uncle Gideon, who teaches sixth grade at the local school; Aunt Miami, who lives and breathes Shakespeare; “The Gram,” Felicity’s grandmother; and Derek, a 12-year-old adopted orphan whose dreams of military service have been dashed by a bout with polio. Felicity’s engaging personality and curiosity about letters arriving from Portugal written in code “stir up the soup” of life in the Bathburn household, but only time will tell if that’s a good thing. In lyrical prose, Stone conjures up America on the brink of WWII through the eyes of a delightful British girl. The apprehensions of impending war are intermittently broken up by humor, mystery, romance, and literary allusions. Truly charming, this coming-of-age historical novel has an old-fashioned feel and will resonate with fans of Frances Hodgson Burnett and Jeanne Birdsall’s Penderwicks books. Grades 5-8. --Melissa Moore (From Booklist)

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy
Born with a cleft lip, Zulaikha struggles to feel worth in a society that values women by their marriage prospects: “What bride-price would Baba get for me? Maybe one Afghani?” Then, by chance, Zulaikha meets Meena, a former professor, who begins to teach her to read and write just as American soldiers arrive, bringing the chance for both more education and surgery to correct Zulaikha’s birth defect. Reedy based his debut on real people and places he encountered while serving with the National Guard in Afghanistan, and the extensive detail about Afghani customs gives the story the feel of a docu-novel while also creating a vivid sense of place and memorable characters. Reedy skillfully avoids tidy resolutions: the grim fate of Zulaikha’s sister, who is married to a much older man, offers a heartbreaking counterpoint to Zulaikha’s exciting new possibilities. A glossary of Dari phrases, an extensive author’s note, suggested-reading lists, and an introduction by Katherine Paterson complete this deeply moving view of a young girl caught between opportunity and tradition in contemporary Afghanistan. Grades 5-8. --Gillian Engberg (From Booklist)

90 Second Newbery

I wonder is Bizzaro Newbery Winners are eligible?  This would be a great library assignment for my 5th and 6th grade students!

Click here to read the details of the contest!