Blog Archives

Listening to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo… waiting for the story to BEGIN (1/3 of the book seems to be just exposition…. wow!) Reading Picture Me Gone… so far, very enjoyable and, may I say, Brilliant!

Reading Primates (Jane Goodall, Graphic Narrative biography) and Chew #6, Space Cake. Listening to David Sedaris’ Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk (hilarious but also gross and dark. Definitely from a twisted — but brilliant — mind.)

Really need to find time to write about quite a few books in more details. But here are quick notes: Dracula was good, for the most part, but I got annoyed by the over-emphasis on the GOODNESS of the purity and resourcefulness of the women (who then had to be so protected because, after all, they are the WEAKER ones.) March (John Lewis graphic narrative memoir) is really powerful and the art style matches the tone of the narrative well (although not my favorite kind of images.) The Grimm Conclusion (Adam Gidwitz) was a “sit down and finish it in one shot” kind of exciting book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought Adam did a fantastic job – and his prose got even smoother! Excited about the official release of Africa Is My Home (by my friend Monica Edinger) and will definitely write in more details about the book soon! Loved The Thing About Luck. Enjoyed Steelheart (Brandon Sanderson.) Impressed by Hereville #2: How Mirka Met a Meteorite. They each deserves a separate entry but I simply haven’t had time to give them the attention needed. Argh…

National Book Awards announced the finalists for young people’s literature: Kathi Appelt for “The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp” (Atheneum); Cynthia Kadohata for “The Thing About Luck” (Atheneum); Tom McNeal for “Far Far Away” (Knopf); Meg Rosoff for “Picture Me Gone” (Putnam); and Gene Luen Yang for “Boxers & Saints” (First Second). I am almost done with The Thing About Luck and loving it. Will definitely read both the McNeal and the Rosoff!

Reading House of Hades by Rick Riordan; listening to Dracula by Bram Stoker; Finished Chew #4: Flambé and moving on to #5: Major League.

Finished and loved Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. Now reading and listening to Lyle Lovett reading True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt.

Enjoying Rose Under Fire by a lot — and started The Wise’s Man’s Fear — second King Chronicle… a straight follow-up to The Name of the Wind and every bit as entertaining.

Started Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, a companion volume to last year’s fantastic Code Name Verity.

With the help of NPR’s endeavor, I now have my own Must Reads for my students! (Coincidentally, my students are exact 9 to 14!) The list contains about 140 titles. Since in my opinion, most of the books on the list are for 4-6 grade students, I consider this a 4-year reading list. This means that a child reader will read about 30 – 35 books to finish “my list” — about 2.5 to 3 books a month. I think of it as a reasonable pace — wonder how it compares in other people’s libraries. [If we go with 100 books over 6 years (9-14) — that will be about 1.5 books a month.]

And of course, there are so many other books that I “hand sell” to kids and are as fun and deserving — The Secret series, Benedict Society, Big Nate, 39 Clues, Warrior, Agatha Christie, Daran Shan, Lupica, Alex Rider, Beacon Street Girls, Abby Haze, Just Grace, Kiki Strike, The New Policeman, David Edding, Tamora Pierce, Peter and the Starcatcher… on and on and on… pretty much impossible to list. And then there are the specific books for specific readers: Amy’s Eyes, Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, The Witch’s Boy, Elijah of Buxton, Ways to Live Forever, Sunrise Over Falujah, Up on Cloud Nine, The Long Season of Rain, A Banquet of Hungry Ghosts, Half-Minute Horrors, Tulip Touch, Illustrated Mum, Moonbird, Lego, Star Wars Special Effects, Weapons of Lord of the Rings… again… impossible to predict.

Not to mention all the NEWLY PUBLISHED books that are coming at us continuously.

This only proves one thing: a Librarian’s job is never stagnant and we should never rely on only one prescribed list. But, it’s still great to be reminded of titles that I should keep promoting day in and day out. School starts in a month — can’t wait to share books again with the young readers!

So, NPR’s 100 must reads for ages 9 – 14 is finally published…. juried by a very solid panel, based on suggestions from readers all over… — what do you think? Where’s Jacqueline Woodson? Where’s Linda Sue Park (she’s on the selection panel)? Where’s Kadohata? How about Tamora Pierce and Jonathan Stroud? I’m going to go over the list and say yes and no about my own child who just went through the 9-14 years… (and we had a discussion online already about how 9-14 is SUCH a RANGE!)

http://www.npr.org/2013/08/05/207315023/the-ultimate-backseat-bookshelf-100-must-reads-for-kids-9-14