Bibliotechies » 2010 Awards

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

carascherzer — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:04:46 +0000

Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father.

Liz says:

As Caitlyn struggles to deal with the tragic death of her older brother, she must face her own difficulties of understanding the world and relating to others. Ultimately, Caitlyn learns the true meaning of closure and empathy as she connects, in her own way, to her family, friends and community. This is a beautiful, sensitive story; a little gem.

2010 Caldecott Medal Winner The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Lizsays — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:42:31 +0000

In this wordless retelling of an Aesop fable, an adventuresome mouse proves that even small creatures are capable of great deeds when he rescues the King of the Jungle.

Liz says:

“Through incredible watercolor paintings, Pinkney recounts the Aesop fable of the brave little mouse who saves the fearsome lion. A simple and tender book for kids of all ages.”

2010 Printz Award Winner Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Lizsays — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:33:42 +0000

Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen-year-old diagnosed with mad cow disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

Liz says:

“Holy Cow! It’s hard even to comprehend how to describe this masterpiece. Crazy, epic, fun, funny, tragic, ironic are just a few words that come to mind. This is for a reader who likes a long book that goes off in wild tangents. For those who decide to sink their teeth into this treasure, you will not be disappointed .”

2010 Newbery Honor Winner The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Lizsays — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:43:37 +0000

In central Texas in 1899, eleven-year-old Callie Vee Tate is instructed to be a lady by her mother, learns about love from the older three of her six brothers, and studies the natural world with her grandfather, the latter of which leads to an important discovery.

Liz says:

“We predicted this to be a Newbery Winner, and in fact it received the Newbery Honor Medal. This first book by Kelly is about a young girl growing up at a time when girls were taught to be housewives. Instead, Callie wants to be a scientist just like her Grandfather. As she and her Grandfather observe nature and ultimately make a discovery, Callie also looks inward and makes her own discoveries about herself. Beautifully written, this book is best enjoyed by 5th and 6th grade girls.”

2010 Newbery Medal Winner When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Lizsays — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:05:21 +0000

As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, “The $20,000 Pyramid,” a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

Liz & Rob (Liz’s son) say:

“This is a thought-provoking, fun story. You have to pay attention to details and suspend your disbelief and you will be in for a real treat!”

2010 Schneider Family Book Award Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

pforray — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:04:22 +0000

Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.

Liz says:

“Having attended a special school for his whole life, Marcelo’s father decides that Marcelo should go to public school for his senior year of high school. Marcelo loves his school and is especially attached to a program there that allows him to work with horses. He makes a “deal” with his mom that if he goes to work at his father’s law firm for the summer and gives an honest try at working in the “real world” he can then choose which school he will go to. Over the course of the summer, Marcelo experiences many challenges and encounters injustice and dishonesty. Marcelo’s unflinching goodness and unique sense of the world make this a powerful story with the lasting effect of new understanding and empathy.” (Received 5 starred reviews).

2010 Schneider Family Book Award Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

pforray — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:52:41 +0000

Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer, relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world.

Liz says:

“This slice of life story about Jason takes us into the mind of a child with Autism as he experiences the day to day challenges of growing up. Jason’s story both illuminates his differences from and his similarities with ‘neurotypicals’. This is a beautifully crafted story with so much to tell, making it anything but typical.”