Twenty-two of our fourth and fifth graders celebrated reading at this week’s Massachusetts Children’s Book Award voting party. In order to participate in this voluntary reading incentive, our requirement for the children was that they had to read at least six of the nominated books. While they didn’t vote with us, the sixth graders have been reading many of the titles as part of their English class. The more books the children read, the better they were able to discuss the strength of the plots of the books. Four children read all twenty-five titles on the list. There was a spirited discussion of the merits of many of the titles. It was energizing to hear the girls and boys recommend the books to each other, as well as comment on similar books or other books by the authors under discussion.

The clear winner was Capture the Flag by Kate Messner (Scholastic, 2012). In this contemporary mystery, three seventh graders, who never met previously, join forces when they learn that the flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner is missing from The Smithsonian. Anna, Jose’, and Henry team up to try to find this important piece of Americana. When they are snowed in at the D.C. airport, they begin a quest that opens their eyes to more than they expected.

The children also voted for “honor books”. These were other books that also received top votes or might have been a second favorite book. DCD’s honor books are The Familiars, Liar and Spy, and The Son of Neptune.

The Familiars by Adam Epstein (Harper Collins, 2010) is a magical fantasy about an ordinary cat that is mistakenly chosen as a young wizard’s pet. The alley cat joins forces with a blue jay and tree frog that have supernatural gifts. They form an alliance to rescue their owners.

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books, 2012) is another story about a new friendship that is developed between two very different seventh graders. They track a mysterious man who lives in their Brooklyn apartment building.

Rick Riordan continues to be a favorite author with The Son of Neptune (Disney, 2011). After many read this volume in The Heroes of Olympus Series, they discussed the strengths and weaknesses of various Greek and Roman gods and their half-blood children.

We look forward to the results of the statewide voting which will be released in a few weeks.

J.K. Rowling released a Halloween gift to her fans on her website, Pottermore. Fans of the Harry Potter series will enjoy reading about the background of one of the villains of the books, Dolores Umbridge. She was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and during that time she terrorized many students. Umbridge also made small appearances in some of the other books as a dangerous member of the Ministry of Magic and the head of the “Muggle-born Registration Commission”.

The entire background story is on the Today Show website. Rowling’s website, Pottermore requires registration, and parents should check it out with their children.

(Image used by Google search with Creative Commons)

The fourth book in Lisa McMann”s series, The Unwanteds, was published last week. Island of Legends (Aladdin, 2014) has not disappointed the fans of this popular fantasy series. Our readers are responding to The Unwanteds in a similar manner to children’s reactions to J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. We believe in McMann’s world of Artimé and Quill, and we are invested in the characters. In the third book of the series, Island of Fire, we were left with a number of cliffhangers that involved many characters. (No spoilers here!)

On her website, Lisa McMann explains that her inspiration for The Unwanteds occurred when her children came home one day complaining that their school arts programs were being cut. As “artistic and creative” children, they felt like they were personally being punished. McMann quotes her son as saying, “Not just punished, Mom. Sent to their deaths.” Her idea for just such a society was born.

Last spring, our fifth graders produced book trailers in their library classes by using iMovie on iPads. Two students chose to feature The Unwanteds. Enjoy their introductions, and I hope that they entice you to read the book. Thank goodness we only have to wait until February of 2015 for Book Five!

The Bliss family own a bakery, but they also have an ancient “Cookery Booke” that is kept locked up and a secret. When their parents go out of town, Rose and her siblings are supposed to make sure that nothing happens to their book, which the children are not allowed to use. When a stranger shows up and declares that she is Aunt Lily, Rose is enchanted with her exotic life and the meals that she makes. The Bliss children decide that just making one or two recipes certainly can’t hurt, so they experiment with the recipes for “Love Muffins” and “The Cookies of Truth”. The magic gets out of control, and Aunt Lucy might have secrets, too.

Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood (HarperCollins, 2012) is a tasty reading treat. Readers may want to head to the kitchen to bake some of their own families favorite desserts after reading it. I’m certain that they will want to read about the further adventures of the Bliss family in Littlewood’s second novel, A Dash of Magic (HarperCollins, 2013), and then they can devour her third tale, Bite-Sized Magic (HarperCollins, 2014).

Jack Gantos is an author whose books span generations since he writes picture books and fiction for intermediate, middle school, and adult readers. In 2012, he was awarded the Newbery Medal for his novel, Dead End in Norvelt. This is one of the choices that our middle schoolers have for their optional summer reading.

In Dead End in Norvelt, Gantos combines tales of a bit of his own childhood with outrageous invention. Norvelt, PA does exist as one of the planned communities that were built in the 1930s. There were 1850 applications for the 250 homes, and the first residents were a representative population for that area of the country. The author did grow up in Norvelt, and he did write about some of his own experiences. The reader can only wonder which parts of the book are real and which come out of Gantos imagination.

The plot hinges on Jack being loaned to an elderly neighbor because he was “grounded for life”. It certainly felt that way to a young boy who was looking forward to a carefree vacation. And…this feisty old woman writes obituaries about the original settlers of Norvelt. Miss Volker begins to suspect that too many elderly residents are prematurely dying, and she enlists Jack’s help to check out her suspicions.

Gantos continued his outrageous tale in the sequel, From Norvelt to Nowhere. This author’s fans are glad that he did!

When the first reviews for The Unwanteds came out in professional journals for librarians, they were positive enough that I knew that I should buy the first book of the series for DCD. The review in Kirkus described The Unwanteds (Aladdin, 2011) as “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.” Before I read the first book in Lisa McMann’s series, I thought that seemed like a bit of an overstatement to sell the book. Eric Norton’s recommendation in School Library Journal was toned down but still very positive when he wrote, “This is a good starter fantasy or dystopia without the darkness in titles for older readers.” Neither of these reviews do justice to McMann’s series, and the buzz that it has created among our intermediate readers. The Unwanteds is one of the Massachusetts Children’s Book Awards’ Honor Books for 2014.

Lisa McMann challenges her readers with her society of Quill where thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories. The Wanteds are the elite, and they will go off to the University. The Necessaries will also be saved to work for the good of the society. The rest of the thirteen-year-olds will be The Unwanteds, and their fate is to be eliminated. When twin brothers receive different verdicts, Aaron becomes a Wanted and Alex is an Unwanted. Alex and the rest of the Unwanteds face their deaths, until they meet Mr. Today.

McMann further develops her tale in Book Two: Island of Silence, and Book Three: Island of Fire. Our readers are clamoring for these titles and eagerly awaiting Book Four: Island of Legends which will be published in September 2014. Adults should give themselves a treat and read the series too!

It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization.
John F. Kennedy on the Cuban Missile Crisis, October 27, 1962

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines fallout in two ways. The first definition is “the radioactive particles that are produced by a nuclear explosion and that fall through the atmosphere”. The second is “a bad effect or result of something”. Both of these descriptions are directly related to Todd Strasser’s gripping novel for middle schoolers, Fallout (Candlewick, 2013).

Strasser’s premise is that it is 1962, and a nuclear bomb is dropped on America during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He tells the story through the eyes of an adolescent boy whose father is the only one in his neighborhood who has constructed a bomb shelter. Even though he was ridiculed by his neighbors, Scott’s father stocked his shelter with enough supplies to keep his family of four alive for two weeks.

When the unthinkable happens and the warning sirens pierce the night, Scott, his brother, his parents, and their maid head down through the metal trap door to the enclosure and safety. Neighbors clamor to get in with them and some succeed before the door is secured. Others bang and beg to be let in, but then there is a terrible blast and silence outside.

The electricity is cut off, and there are not enough supplies for everyone who made it to the shelter. Conditions worsen by the day, and moral questions are raised. What will it be like when they leave the shelter? Should everyone be allowed to remain in it for the duration, or should some people be put out? Scott’s mother was badly injured during the struggle, and she lies unconscious, what will happen to her?

We called it! The 4th and 5th grade readers who voted on the 2014 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award (MCBA), chose not only the winner, but also the runners up this year. Our readers, who participated in this voluntary reading incentive, were pretty discriminating. At our voting party, we talked about which books had merit, and which books should still be popular in future years. After the DCD votes were counted and sent in to Salem State College, we waited to see how other readers from schools throughout the state voted.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper (Perfection Learning, 2012) was this year’s winner. The popularity for this book happened by word of mouth, as students began recommending this book to their friends. The story is about a fifth grader who suffers from cerebral palsy. When she is introduced to a device that allows her to communicate, her family realize that she isn’t retarded, but instead she is brilliant.

The runners-up for the award each received votes from our students too.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (Aladdin, 2011), The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion, 2010), Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli (Balzar & Bray, 2012), and Chomp by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012)

An Unacknowledged Winner

While I recognize that every book can’t get, or doesn’t deserve, a special award, there are some books that need to get some recognition so that readers will find them. Those of us who are in the children’s book field need to heavily promote these books to parents and young adults.

When the 2014 Newbery Awards were announced, I was disappointed that one of my recent “favorite” books, Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Dial, 2013), wasn’t mentioned. Sloan’s protagonist, Willow, is the narrator of this realistic story, and she has a unique and profound voice that resonates throughout the story.

I was taken to see an educational consultant that autumn and the woman did an evaluation. She sent my parents a letter.
I read it.
It said I was “highly gifted.”
Are people “lowly gifted”?
Or “medium gifted”?
Or just “gifted”? It’s possible that all labels are curses. Unless they are on cleaning products.
Because in my opinion it’s not really a great idea to see people as one thing.
Every person has lots of ingredients to make them into what is always a one-of-a-kind creation.
We are all imperfect genetic stews.   (Counting by 7s, p.18)

Willow is unique, and depending on your point of view, you will want to be her friend, or teacher, or parent. Her world falls apart when she is in middle school. It’s no spoiler to tell you that in the opening chapter, the reader learns that Willow’s parents die. While this shatters Willow’s world, a diverse group of individuals reach out to save her. It is Willow who saves them and brings out each one’s “giftedness” (my term). Do share this book with a fifth, sixth, or seventh grader, but be sure to read it yourself too.

Holly Goldberg Sloan’s webpage about the book proves that the author is as clever as her character.

On a Monday morning in late January, fans of children’s books wait expectantly to learn about the winners of the most prestigious awards in children’s literature. This past Monday, the American Library Association announced the 2014 winners.

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.  (From the ALA webpage)

There were many outstanding picture books that were published in 2013, and I can only imagine the animated discussions that the award committee had. The winner of this year’s Caldecott Medal is Locomotive, written and illustrated by Brian Floca (Atheneum, 2013) This non-fiction title might be called an historical picture book, as Floca depicts a family traveling cross country on the iron horse in 1869. Readers will return to this book again and again and discover new details in the watercolor, ink, acrylic, and gouache illustrations.

Three other illustrators were honored – Aaron Becker, Molly Idle, and David Wiesner. Coincidently, all three of the honor books are wordless books, but they are very different from each other.

Becker wrote and illustrated Journey (Candlewick, 2013), and he depicts a lonely girl who draws her way into a magical adventure. The watercolors and pen and ink drawings take the readers from her colorless real world to a colorful imaginative one. Idle’s watercolors with pencil outlines in Flora and the Flamingo (Chronicle, 2013) show a young girl and a flamingo who become friends and dance a pas de deux. I wrote about Mr. Wuffles! (Clarion, 2013) on November 15, 2013. Wiesner’s watercolor and India ink drawings tell the story of a housecat who discovers an out-of-this world toy.

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. (From the ALA webpage)

Kate DiCamillo received the 2014 Newbery Medal for Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (Candlewick, 2013). DiCamillo’s title, Because of Winn Dixie received a Newbery Honor Medal in 2001, and in 2004 she won Newbery’s top award for The Tale of Despereaux. To read more about Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, do check out my blog entry for January 10, 2014.

There were four Newbery Honor Books this year: Doll Bones by Holly Black (Simon & Schuster, 2013), The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes (HarperCollins, 2013), One Came Home by Amy Timberlake (Knopf, 2013), and Paperboy by Vince Vawter (Delacorte, 2013).