Sigh.
I saw When You Reach Me coming, was unimpressed by Calpurnia Tate, hated Homer Figg, and read the Grace Lin title but didn't even comment on it as it seemed too young.
As for the Printz Awards, everyone in the office laughed when I read the description of Going Bovine, but no one wanted to read it. The only one they nailed was Monstrumologist. Great, great book, and Rick Yancey deserves this. Students will actually read this book.
Again, sigh. Remember, NOWHERE in the criteria does it say that actual children have to actually like the books. Keep this in mind, librarians, before you buy the books.
From ALA:
John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature
“When You Reach Me,” written by Rebecca Stead, is the 2010 Newbery Medal winner.
Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice” by Phillip Hoose ; “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate” by Jacqueline Kelly ; “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin; and “The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg” by Rodman Philbrick.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults
“Going Bovine,” written by Libba Bray, is the 2010 Printz Award winner.
Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith” by Deborah Heiligman; “The Monstrumologist” by Rick Yancey; “Punkzilla” by Adam Rapp; and “Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973” by John Barnes.
Choke. I nearly spit up my orange juice when I read your first paragraph. That's about what I felt when I picked up the cognotes at ALA Midwinter to check out the winners. We own some, not all, and I'm going to post circ stats too. Yeah, it's not a popularity award, but for that same reason I don't feel "required" to immediately rush out and purchase every title listed. And that's why I love the Cybils. Popularity and quality!
ReplyDeleteOh did love Calpurnia Tate, but then again I'm not a kid and I do live in (and love) Texas so I felt quite a connection to the story. I could see it having fairly limited appeal and several of my friends seeme to have felt fairly lukewarm about it.
ReplyDeleteI wanted my son to read The Monstrulogist but he wasn't impressed with the blurb. He's one of those "picky" readers. The ones that you have to force feed every now and then.
ReplyDeleteI personally liked Calpurnia Tate and did actually buy it for our library - I do buy things with limited appeal now and then; I like to have something for everyone! It reminded me how glad I am not to be living in Texas anymore...too hot!
ReplyDeleteI don't think my copies of Calpurnia Tate or Claudette Colvin are going to jump off the shelves, but I've already checked out my two copies each of When You Reach Me and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and I think Homer Figg will do OK once it gets to me. (I've got a teacher who does Freak the Mighty as a class read and I can generally move the rest of the Rodman Philbrick books to those classes for the rest of the year.) I'll admit that the minor bout of When You Reach Me enthusiasm is probably due to my enthusiastic hand-selling of it to teachers, who then got their students interested, but I've also got kids checking out A Wrinkle in Time in quantity for the first time in my five years at my school. So, all in all, I'm feeling pretty good about this year's Newbery panel.
ReplyDeleteThe Printzes, on the other hand, I don't own any of them. Not a one. And probably won't buy most of them, since they seem mature for a middle school library.
I just now read Calpurnia, and I totally LOVED it. I'm surprised you didn't like it! We usually love the same books.
ReplyDelete