Once again I’ll be live blogging ALA’s Youth Media Awards from their online feed. Expect some misspelling on names and some author names missed altogether. My apologies as I try to type as fast as I can!
I admit that cheering and occasional tears also slow me down a bit. These are my Oscars for the year. Good luck to all of the talented and amazing authors and illustrators!
You can join in the fun too on the online feed!
What Is Given from the Heart by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by April Harrison (9780375936159)
After his father died, James Otis and his mother got even more poor than before. They lost their farm and had to move into a small house in the Bottoms. Things kept getting worse as his dog disappeared and everything flooded. Christmas was sparse but they made their way through until spring. That’s when their church gave out love boxes to those in need. This year, one family had lost everything in a fire. James Otis was encouraged to give something to the little girl in the family, but what could he give? He had a few possessions, but he didn’t think she would like any of them. Finally, he had an idea, something that would speak to her heart. At church on the Sunday before Valentine’s Day, James Otis gave her the book he had made for her, and she was delighted with it. When he returned home with his mother, they discovered that they too had been given a love box to help them through.
McKissack died over a year ago; it is a distinct treat to have another one of her picture books published. Here she focuses on resilience in the face of hardship and adversity as well as the power of giving to others. For the young character of James Otis, thinking of another lifts his spirits and when he creates something for her, you can feel his pride on the page. The text of the book is uplifting and powerful, calling for everyone to step forward and help one another from the heart.
Harrison’s illustrations are done in mixed media with acrylics and collage. They have a deep texture to them in places and in others the patterns are layered and beautifully subtle, almost like complex batik. The light in the images glows with a honeyed color, creating a warmth in the face of poverty and a hope that encases the entire book.
A beautiful final book for McKissack that calls for heartfelt help for those in need. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Schwartz & Wade.
Here are some of the cool links I shared on Twitter this week:
The Global Literature in Libraries Initiative has announced the shortlist for their inaugural Translated YA Book Prize. Works published within the last three years were considered for the prize that honors books in English translation for young adult readers. Here are the shortlisted titles:
Alpha by Bessora and Barroux
Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan
Defying the Nazis: The Life of German Officer Wilm Hosenfeld by Hermann Vinke
La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono
Max by Sarah Cohen-Scali
My Brother’s Husband: Vol 1&2 by Gengoroh Tagame
Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais
Rasha by Muhammed Zafar Iqbal
The Secret of the Blue Glass by Tomiko Inui
Wonderful Feels Like This by Sara Lovestam
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) has announced the winner and honor books for the 2019 Charlotte Zolotow Award, given for outstanding writing in a picture book. Here is the winner and the list of highly commended books:
WINNER
Little Brown by Marla Frazee
HIGHLY COMMENDED
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba Clarke, illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd
The Rough Patch by Brian Lies
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
Winter Is Here by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek
The nominees for the 2019 Edgar Awards have been announced by Mystery Writers of America. Here are the nominees in the juvenile categories:
JUVENILE
Charlie & Frog: A Mystery by Karen Kane
Denis Ever After by Tony Abbott
Otherwood by Pete Hautman
Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective by A.B. Greenfield
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
Zap! by Martha Freeman
Zora & Me: The Cursed Ground by T.R. Simon
YOUNG ADULT
After the Fire by Will Hill
Blink by Sasha Dawn
Contagion by Erin Bowman
A Room Away from the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi (9780062698742)
This short story collection for teens contains writing from the best African-American writers for teens. The list of authors is awe inducing. One after another is a thrilling author to read, particularly in short story format. Each of the stories is a winning entry too. Some are lighthearted like the story by Jason Reynolds. Others are more serious, looking deeply at issues in the African-American community. Many of them deal with intersectionality, offering characters who are also LGBTQ or of different faiths. The array of stories speaks to the diversity of the African-American experience, often playing directly against stereotypes to look more closely at being a teen of color in America.
Incredible authors come together to create an anthology that is very impressive. The interplay of the stories as edited by Zoboi makes for a fascinating journey through the various facets and aspects of being an African-American teen. Teens of various levels of wealth and poverty, interests and hobbies appear in the anthology often interacting with one another in the stories. There is such richness in these stories, many of which could be used in classrooms to start discussions but all of them can be simply enjoyed by teen readers.
This is a must-read and must-have for all libraries serving teens. Appropriate for ages 14-17.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Balzer + Bray.
Captain’s Log: Snowbound by Erin Dionne, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler (9781580898256)
All set to give his presentation on Ernest Shackleton, a boy is instead stuck at home due to a major snowstorm. The boy chronicles his adventure using journal entries like Shackleton’s to tell the tale. It all starts out fine with lots of food to share and a light heart. Then items begin to disappear and as the food dwindles, the boy must find out who the thief is before he ruins them all. Along the way, there is sledding, clearing the deck of snow and other merriment. Yet it may all lead to mutiny in the end.
Based on the author’s Facebook posts during the Boston snowstorm in 2015 that dumped 95 inches of snow, this book’s wry take on being stuck at home moves from being a joyous look at a snow day to a possible mutiny and lack of food. Still, the voice is always funny and the look at being a family stuck with one another for a length of time with resonate with children stuck home due to a storm or because of a holiday.
The illustrations are funny and detailed with cross-sections of the home, glimpses into windows, and vintage images from the Shackleton crew as well as objects of the time. The entire book cleverly plays on the Shackleton experience for laughter and context.
With a voice that makes for a great read aloud, this one is ideal to read with snow falling outside. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
Reviewed from copy provided by Charlesbridge.
The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee (9780525555452)
A little knight is very happy to be on his side of the wall. After all, there are dangerous animals on the other side as well as an ogre who would eat him up. Unfortunately, he doesn’t notice that there is water starting to fill his own side of the wall. Then large dangerous creatures start to enter too, including a snapping crocodile and big fish. Just as the water fills the entire side though, the ogre comes to his rescue and brings him to the other side of the wall. But will our little knight be devoured there too? Or perhaps the other side of the wall isn’t quite as dangerous or evil as he might have thought.
I love that this book can be read on two levels. There is the simple story of a wall in a book and then there is the political climate about walls right now in America. Agee shows that making the opposite side dangerous and “othering” them is unsafe for everyone. He also clearly demonstrates that blindly believing that we are better than others can be our own downfall. And at the same time, the picture book works incredibly well as a simple story of a little knight, a wall and an ogre.
The illustrations tell a major part of the story as the little knight does not realize what is happening. Children listening to the book will love seeing the dangers before the knight does and will likely shout warnings when this book is shared aloud.
Political and entirely pleasing, this picture book is just what we need right now. Appropriate for ages 3-7.
Reviewed from ARC provided by Dial Books.
Waking Brain Cells 