2013 Newbery Read: Book 3
Almost half way through this amazing book. The author’s skill in getting INSIDE the mind of a most unusual protagonist is quite stunning. I’m paying attention to the rhythm of the sentences, the choice of words, and the mindset expressed — I have not spotted any flaws. The book also feels important and I can see it being shared with children of many ages. The reader can get something out of it at every level — from fairly straightforward and simple, but still meaningful, to much deeper and complex commentary about our society and human nature. Hoping for a great second half!
Blog Archives
2013 Newbery Read Book 3 Almost half way…
February 29, 2012 · 8:49 pm
Finished 2013 Newbery Read Book 1 Really quite…
Finished 2013 Newbery Read: Book 1. Really quite liked it almost all the way through. It is yet another reminder of how difficult to deliver a solid and powerful ending with long-lasting impression. (Does every book have to end this way though? Isn’t it good to have something comforting and hopeful, even if it seems a bit quiet and gentle? Doesn’t the main character deserve this uplifting and positive ending after quite a bit of suffering throughout the story?)
February 26, 2012 · 10:30 am
2013 Newbery Read Book 2 It looks like…
2013 Newbery Read: Book 2
It looks like a fantasy (judging from the cover… yes, I do love examining covers of children’s and YA books…. ) but I think it actually is a fantasy — probably a dystopian novel judging from the little blurb I just read. Good adventure for me, then. Excited.
February 26, 2012 · 10:28 am
2013 Newbery Read Book 1 It starts off…
2013 Newbery Read: Book 1.
It starts off right into the character — first person narrative — and the premise definitely fascinates. I’m reading to see how successful the first person voice of a young boy with his particular background holds up, and how the conflicts are introduced and resolved.
February 19, 2012 · 7:53 pm
I have to move on to reading 2012…
I have to move on to reading 2012 titles for the 2013 Newbery now. Can’t really talk about individual titles specifically — but hopefully, there will be plenty of thoughts to share still.
February 16, 2012 · 10:01 pm
Why did I never question Ron’s integrity or…
Why did I never question Ron’s integrity or humanity? He has neither. Look at this little scene between him and Myrtle (book 6, paperback, US edition, p. 462) – “Never you mind!” said Myrtle, her small, leaky eyes fixed on Ron, who was now definitely grinning. “I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I’ll take his secret to the —” “— not the grave, surely?” said Ron with a snort. “The sewer, maybe…” Myrtle gave a howl of rage and dived back into the toilet, causing water to slop over the sides and onto the floor. Goading Myrtle seemed to have put fresh heart into Ron. –
And then he proceeded to feel better about his apparition test. He felt better because he teased and goaded someone in distress. (Granted, it’s Just Moaning Myrtle, right? Someone everyone can bully!) How is this behavior different from that of Draco’s or his cronies’? Ron is more like Crabbe and Goyle than not — and I don’t know if he hadn’t sat in that empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express those many years ago, what would have become of him…. would he ever be a “friend” to Draco?
February 13, 2012 · 10:03 pm
Listening to A Princess of Mars by Edgar…
Listening to A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
February 11, 2012 · 10:48 am
Two judges have been revealed Matt Phelan and…
Two judges have been revealed: Matt Phelan and Lauren Myracle, on the SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books site. http://battleofthebooks.slj.com/
February 8, 2012 · 12:16 pm
Just re read my own post a while…
Just re-read my own post a while back: Pining for Kiki III, Wiating for Katniss 3 and Excited about Bitterblue. https://fairrosa.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/pining-for-kiki-iii-waiting-for-katniss-3-and-excited-about-bitterblue/
Two wishes had come true — and both met or exceeded my expectations. I was told that Kiki Strike 3 will come out in 2013. LET’S REALLY HOPE THAT IS THE CASE!!!!!
February 7, 2012 · 11:01 pm
Listening to 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass Really…
Listening to 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. Really like the voice actor.
February 7, 2012 · 8:35 pm
Still reading HP 6 and thinking If not…
Still reading HP 6 and thinking: If not for Rupert Grint’s face and his humorous portrayal of Ron embedded in my head, I would have mentally SMACKED Ronald Weasley SO MANY times by now. He is (and has been) really not NICE. He makes fun of anyone not behaving to HIS sense of norm, and he sulks, and is completely insecure, and has nothing special going for him. I know I know.. he’s supposed to be a really good friend, sticking to his buddy but right now he just feels totally unattractive and mean-spirited. At least Draco tries to make something of himself. What does Ron do? SNOGGING. Bleh… (I know the rest of the story and what he does in the rest of Book 6 and 7, but I just need to vent NOW.)
February 7, 2012 · 6:28 pm
Half way through listening to Kathryn Lasky’s The…
Half way through listening to Kathryn Lasky’s The Capture. What an exciting tale and much darker than I had anticipated. The fear, the punishments, the implied grand scheme…. whoa! I love how Lasky keeps so many owlish traits for the characters and makes the world quite believable, even though we must first take for granted that every owl is born able to communicate with speech and that all owl-kinds use the same language.
February 4, 2012 · 10:04 am
An 8th grader just finished the upcoming April…
An 8th grader just finished the upcoming (April, 2012) book (ARC): The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen and raved about it!
February 2, 2012 · 10:59 am
Just started reading Nothing to Envy Ordinary Lives…
Just started reading Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara DeMick (Winner of the 2010 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize)
February 2, 2012 · 10:58 am
Listening to the first title Kathryn Lasky’s Guardians…
Listening to the first title Kathryn Lasky’s Guardians of Ga’Hoole series (The Capture.) Finally figured out how I can download directly to my Android phone audio books from the New York Public Library. Woot!
February 2, 2012 · 10:46 am
Extra Extra Read it all THERE on SLJ’s…
Extra! Extra! Read it all — THERE! on SLJ’s BoB Site. http://battleofthebooks.slj.com/2012/02/01/our-2012-contenders/ The 2012 BoB Contenders have been announced! You and your students should start reading. NOW!
February 1, 2012 · 10:07 am
Re reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood…
Re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to make quiz questions. Enjoying it very much. Rowling is quite good at setting up scenes and coming up with surprising turns of events.
January 26, 2012 · 2:33 pm
Since I am officially on the 2013 Newbery…
Since I am officially on the 2013 Newbery Committee now, I am going to stop blogging about specific titles I read this year. But, children’s and YA lit news and musings on writing for children and such will start appearing here!
January 26, 2012 · 2:28 pm
This morning’s ALA Youth Media Awards Press Conference…
This morning’s ALA Youth Media Awards Press Conference was fun and full of great titles to cheer and to explore. See the whole list here: http://ala.org/news/pr?id=9108
January 23, 2012 · 2:34 pm
Half way through Same Sun Here having a…
Half way through Same Sun Here (having a hard time remembering the title correctly….) and cried on the subway to work today reading the turn of events in the story. There are definitely enough life hardships for both characters to sustain my interest and and the two kids feel authentic and endearing. It also feels like a very good classroom, discussion-generating book. There are the concepts of stereotypes, fear of terrorists, environmental exploitation, illegal activities, illness and death of family members, and I just encountered the word “faggot.” I feel that the authors are courageous and honest — instead of sensationalizing daily life. I am waiting to find out how all these scenario play out in the story.
January 19, 2012 · 1:20 pm
