RI Mock Newbery 2015 - Final Voting List

My favorites are at the top.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Strong voice, lots of true emotions. After discussion and reflection, I upped my rating to a 5.





Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am highly critical of novels in verse ... this one passes the test. Woodson delineates her childhood - and her struggle with her family's North v. South identity - through more than 300 pages of often searing poetry.

Choice lines:

p. 69
"As the switch raises dark welts on my brother's legs / Dell and I look on / afraid to open our mouths. Fearing the South / will slip out or / into them."

p. 129
"But are hearts aren't bigger than that. / Our hearts are tiny and mad."

p.176
"It's hard to understand / the way my brain works - so different / from everybody around me. How each new story / I'm told becomes a thing / that happens, / in some other way / to me ...!

Keep making up stories, my uncle says.
You're lying, my mother says.

Maybe the truth is somewhere in between / all that I'm told / and memory."

p. 226
"But I don't want to read faster or older or / any way else that might / make the story disappear too quickly from where it's settling / inside my brain, / slowly becoming / a part of me."


The Riverman by Aaron Starmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First off, I have to say that the writing was brilliant. Wow. A plus to Starmer for his command of language.

And the plot was sophisticated and fascinating; I was full of delicious dread for a lot of it. Perfect for middle schoolers - eerie and hints of illicit activity.

But the ending. Meh. I don't want to have to read two more books to have explained. So 4 stars in terms of Mock Newbery consideration.

But 5 stars for the reading experience. Please don't let me down with the sequel.


Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Powerful stuff. Talk about delineation of setting ...






Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, Albie.

Newbery criteria mentions "distinguished" a lot, which I know is not the same as "distinctive," but Graff has created a unique character here in that he is in fact NOT distinctive. He's just kind of stumping along in a below average way. And by the end, he's kind of ok with that (although disappointed to not be diagnosed with a reading disorder, because that would have made his parents feel better).

In a society where the pressure is on to not only keep up but edge out, and in a literary landscape full of precocity and amazing talents, this book stands apart.

It reminded me of an article a friend sent me last week, titled "You Don't Have a Purpose." She said it made her feel relieved - it encourages the reader to find a career or life they love, but tells them to stop wasting energy looking for a Purpose with a capital P. Kind of like how Donut Man doesn't HAVE to have superpowers. He can just be a nice guy who likes donuts. Be nice. Choose kind. That's enough.


Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those books on the list that I picked up reluctantly ... a girl with Aperger's and her dog? Not my favorite topics. But I really really really liked it. Rose's narration was matter-of-fact yet sweet, and I loved that she tried to find solutions to her problems.



Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Too long for a Mock Caldecott readaloud, but I will be purchasing for the collection. Months later: Yay, it made the RI Mock Newbery list! Lively, entertaining, and interesting ... like Ms. Baker herself.



The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't think there would REALLY be a ghost! That may help get some of my students to read it. Turnage writes about her kooky characters with verve:

p. 85 - Nobody knows for sure if Sal actually files taxes. Dale and me suspect she fills out the forms for fun, same as Miss Lana does Sudoku.

p. 186 - "I hope he ain't run over by ghosts," Dale whispered, slapping at a mosquito. "That would be hard to explain at the emergency room."

p. 286 - "I'd love to stay and enchant you further" ...

p. 334 - "I only ask because I hate change unless it's my idea. I need time to overprepare."

Also LOVE the references to social skills.

Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adorable.





View all my reviews The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm still kind of confused as to how the tree came to be, but I enjoyed the storytelling. Speaking of which:

p. 207: "Stories come in all different kinds. ... There's tales, which are light and fluffy. Good for a smile on a sad day. Then you got yarns, which are showy - yarns reveal more about the teller than the story. After that there's myths, which are stories made up by whole groups of people. And last of all, there's legends." She raised a mysterious eyebrow. "Legends are different from the rest on account noone knows where they start. Folks don't tell legends; they repeat them. Over and again through history."

p. 214: "You asked me for a story; now you call it a lie." She folded her arms. "So tell me, then: what marks the difference between the two?" ... "A lie hurts people," she finally answered. "A story helps 'em."


Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

History classes need to ease up on the details of every explorer and colonial governor, and start jumping ahead to more recent and relevant events.

I don't think I really understood just how horrendous conditions were in the first few days after Katrina until I read this and "Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere." It is unconscionable that initial relief efforts were so piss poor in a country of wealth and weather warnings.

Will be adding this one to the collection.

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

At our Mock Newbery discussion, some people praised the world-building, but I thought it was lacking. For example, the mention at the end of the special coating on the objects that fell from the sky didn't make any sense.




Nest by Esther Ehrlich
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So much in this book was too subtle for kid readers. I feel like there are two types of children's books being published these days: books to actually entertain children, and books to impress adult Newbery voters. This falls into the latter.




Revolution by Deborah Wiles
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like it, but it draaaaaaaaaagged. To the point that with 100 pages to go, I'm returning it to the library.





The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Just because a family has two dads and four adopted kids doesn't make them all that interesting. I didn't get a true sense of anyone's personality; the omniscient narration seemed all over the place, and I didn't really care about any of the characters. I did, however, like the short notes that started each chapter. That was a nice touch. Maybe if the entire book had been epistolary, I would have liked it more.

RI Mock Newbery 2015 - December Reads

I will be adding to the list as I make my way through the nominees ... favorites closest to the top.


Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those books on the list that I picked up reluctantly ... a girl with Aperger's and her dog? Not my favorite topics. But I really really really liked it. Rose's narration was matter-of-fact yet sweet, and I loved that she tried to find solutions to her problems.



Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Too long for a Mock Caldecott readaloud, but I will be purchasing for the collection. Months later: Yay, it made the RI Mock Newbery list! Lively, entertaining, and interesting ... like Ms. Baker herself.


Caminar by Skila Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this over the summer and didn't put any comments at the time. I'm hard-pressed to think of any now ... I remember that it was in "verse," and it involved guerillas. It wasn't bad, it wasn't great.




How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I ordered this from the library, I noticed that it was catalogued in a ton of different places at different buildings - children's, YA, adult, poetry, memoir ... it definitely doesn't belong in a children's room. The subject matter will go flying over their heads. We agreed at our Mock Newbery meeting, though, that many of the poems could be used in high school history classes.


Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

At first, I loved this book. I found Maguire's writing delightful, and wanted to know what would happen. And then Baba Yaga showed up. Ugh. And then everybody met up again and the egg went missing and I was bored. Returned to the library after making it through 400 pages.


Nest by Esther Ehrlich
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So much in this book was too subtle for kid readers. I feel like there are two types of children's books being published these days: books to actually entertain children, and books to impress adult Newbery voters. This falls into the latter.




View all my reviews Revolution by Deborah Wiles
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like it, but it draaaaaaaaaagged. To the point that with 100 pages to go, I'm returning it to the library.





The Key That Swallowed Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

It was just way too dark for me. Why did nobody from school come to check on Joey? I never read book 4, so I had no idea about 1. What is the deal with his dad's face surgery? or 2. Who is this Olivia? Her speechifying seemed forced. Overall, the book kind of stressed me out.

RI Mock Newbery 2015 - November Reads

I will be adding to the list as I make my way through the nominees ... favorites closest to the top.


Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am highly critical of novels in verse ... this one passes the test. Woodson delineates her childhood - and her struggle with her family's North v. South identity - through more than 300 pages of often searing poetry.

Choice lines:

p. 69
"As the switch raises dark welts on my brother's legs / Dell and I look on / afraid to open our mouths. Fearing the South / will slip out or / into them."

p. 129
"But are hearts aren't bigger than that. / Our hearts are tiny and mad."

p.176
"It's hard to understand / the way my brain works - so different / from everybody around me. How each new story / I'm told becomes a thing / that happens, / in some other way / to me ...!

Keep making up stories, my uncle says.
You're lying, my mother says.

Maybe the truth is somewhere in between / all that I'm told / and memory."

p. 226
"But I don't want to read faster or older or / any way else that might / make the story disappear too quickly from where it's settling / inside my brain, / slowly becoming / a part of me."


Somebody on This Bus Is Going to Be Famous! by J.B. Cheaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Different viewpoints, interlocking stories, a sort-of mystery ... I really enjoyed reading this book. Be warned, though, as other reviewers pointed out: The kids on the cover may be smiling, but their stories are not the happiest. However, I like when the reader is reminded that all is not what it might seem from the outside; it fosters empathy.



The Riverman by Aaron Starmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First off, I have to say that the writing was brilliant. Wow. A plus to Starmer for his command of language.

And the plot was sophisticated and fascinating; I was full of delicious dread for a lot of it. Perfect for middle schoolers - eerie and hints of illicit activity.

But the ending. Meh. I don't want to have to read two more books to have explained. So 4 stars in terms of Mock Newbery consideration.

But 5 stars for the reading experience. Please don't let me down with the sequel.


Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Powerful stuff. Talk about delineation of setting ... will definitely recommend for RI Mock Newbery.





The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Strong voice, lots of true emotions.






A Hitch at the Fairmont by Jim Averbeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting and fun, with lots of clues and twists (several of which I figured out, but then I've been reading mysteries for decades ... the story was structured in a way that could teach kid readers a thing or two about plotting). Naming each chapter after a Hitchcock film was a nice touch.



West of the Moon by Margi Preus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first two parts had an Angela Carter-esque feel to them. Squalor! Rapaciousness! Lost-in-the-woodedness! But then they got on the ship and the tone changed and I was disappointed.




View all my reviews Boys of Blur by N.D. Wilson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really really really liked the first 100 pages. Unsettling setting lyrically evoked, spookiness, and strong characters. But then Charlie woke up at Mrs. Wisdom's, and she started talking about "the swirling Charlie-shaped dance that is your body," and I started rolling my eyes.

"Boys of Blur" does fill a nearly vacant niche - literary zombie fiction for middle-grade boys. But I felt there were some plot holes that also needed filling.

RI Mock Newbery 2015 - October Reads

I will be adding to the list as I make my way through the nominees ... favorites closest to the top.

The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't think there would REALLY be a ghost! That may help get some of my students to read it. Turnage writes about her kooky characters with verve:

p. 85 - Nobody knows for sure if Sal actually files taxes. Dale and me suspect she fills out the forms for fun, same as Miss Lana does Sudoku.

p. 186 - "I hope he ain't run over by ghosts," Dale whispered, slapping at a mosquito. "That would be hard to explain at the emergency room."

p. 286 - "I'd love to stay and enchant you further" ...

p. 334 - "I only ask because I hate change unless it's my idea. I need time to overprepare."

Also LOVE the references to social skills.


Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, Albie.

Newbery criteria mentions "distinguished" a lot, which I know is not the same as "distinctive," but Graff has created a unique character here in that he is in fact NOT distinctive. He's just kind of stumping along in a below average way. And by the end, he's kind of ok with that (although disappointed to not be diagnosed with a reading disorder, because that would have made his parents feel better).

In a society where the pressure is on to not only keep up but edge out, and in a literary landscape full of precocity and amazing talents, this book stands apart.

It reminded me of an article a friend sent me last week, titled "You Don't Have a Purpose." She said it made her feel relieved - it encourages the reader to find a career or life they love, but tells them to stop wasting energy looking for a Purpose with a capital P. Kind of like how Donut Man doesn't HAVE to have superpowers. He can just be a nice guy who likes donuts. Be nice. Choose kind. That's enough.


Hope Is a Ferris Wheel by Robin Herrera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What can I say, I'm a sucker for any book that includes lists ... and I LOVED Star's vocabulary sentences. I'm glad that there are still coming-of-age novels coming out that present fresh characters and true voices.

And while I was confused about why Denny kept showing up to the club, I did like the way the group evolved. The minute-taking made me smile.


The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm still kind of confused as to how the tree came to be, but I enjoyed the storytelling. Speaking of which:

p. 207: "Stories come in all different kinds. ... There's tales, which are light and fluffy. Good for a smile on a sad day. Then you got yarns, which are showy - yarns reveal more about the teller than the story. After that there's myths, which are stories made up by whole groups of people. And last of all, there's legends." She raised a mysterious eyebrow. "Legends are different from the rest on account noone knows where they start. Folks don't tell legends; they repeat them. Over and again through history."

p. 214: "You asked me for a story; now you call it a lie." She folded her arms. "So tell me, then: what marks the difference between the two?" ... "A lie hurts people," she finally answered. "A story helps 'em."


Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quiet and introspective, this novel snuck up on me and left me in tears. I really liked the photo contest as a way to structure the chapters, and for the final realization that sometimes it's enough to just look and enjoy rather than having to capture and analyze.




Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

History classes need to ease up on the details of every explorer and colonial governor, and start jumping ahead to more recent and relevant events.

I don't think I really understood just how horrendous conditions were in the first few days after Katrina until I read this and "Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere." It is unconscionable that initial relief efforts were so piss poor in a country of wealth and weather warnings.

Will be adding this one to the collection.


Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I did like the art history and WWII ... but not sure if my kids would. I think I will bring this in the fall as a "preview" from the public library and see what pilot readers think. Sadly, I haven't been able to get anyone to read The Mixed-Up Files.



The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Didn't love the voice ... it felt like the author was trying too hard.* Also found the father kind of annoying.** But one star for including a character with MS and one for making me smile a few times.

p. 24: I'd always thought that all the answers to life's questions were in books. I'd thought knowing where the sidewalk ended and where the red fern grew and where the wild things were could help me figure out LIFE. But maybe Dad was right. What if I needed to write my own story?

p. 139: Most kids only use encyclopedias for their science projects but I've discovered they only give very top-line information. If you sleuth out more specific references, the information gets better and better and you look smarter and smarter.


*Which is weird because it's based on her as a kid, right?
**I feel a little bad saying that, but this is fiction, not a memoir.

RICBA Nominees 2015

I will be adding to the list as I make my way through the nominees ... favorites closest to the top.



Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All of my students think this book is about Morgan Freeman when they look at the cover. Sigh. One girl has read it, though, and said it made her cry. It's well done.
 



Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissinger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The actual story was nothing special, but I am giving Wissinger an extra star for using so many poetry forms and explaining them at the end. Will be recommending as a RICBA readaloud to 3rd- and 4th-grade teachers.



Doll Bones by Holly Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So this is more of a feelings novel, about putting away childish things and navigating changing relationships, than a scary adventure book. Not that there isn't adventure - bus rides and piracy and breakins - or scariness - creepy doll that may or may not be a dead girl. But it wasn't what I expected.

Black writes well; the prose pulled me along effortlessly (as opposed to a couple of other books I started this week). And the plot has a mix of elements that my kids will like. So I will plan to add to the collection when I can. But I will also be on the lookout for a cheap copy of "A Drowned Maiden's Hair" by Laura Amy Schlitz for those who prefer more Gothic, less realistic (and fewer cell phones).

p. 75: "He wondered whether growing up was learning that most stories turned out to be lies."

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A classic Curtis novel. Which is to say that it includes a certain kind of family dynamics and certain quirks in the narrator. Set during the Depression, which seems to be a popular choice for authors lately. Liked it but didn't love it, although I did enjoy the Manipula Mobile explanation and the line "Hoping is such hard work."


Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Super quick read. I think my kids will love it.


 



The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's a Patricia Polacco book.
 

Island: A Story of the Galápagos by Jason Chin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this to my 5th graders at the end of the school year to get them started on the list, and it led to some good discussion about natural selection and geologic cycles.



Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I could have done without the references to the Jersey Devil and the song of the pines. They were kind of jarring, since the rest of the book was so realistic.

 



Bats: Biggest! Littlest! by Sandra Markle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The layout took away from the content for me. However, said content was clear and easy to understand. I had both a first-grader and a third-grader read it this spring and report back a ton of facts, so it's definitely a hit with its audience.

Gaby, Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sweet but simplistic. I - not an animal lover - teared up at the end, so it did have an emotional impact, albeit a somewhat syrupy one.





Legend of the Ghost Dog by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

All of the kids who circled this on their RICBA list at the end of the year may be disappointed by the lack of true creepiness. Will recommend to a 4th grade teacher who does an Iditarod unit.
 



Charlie Bumpers vs. the Teacher of the Year by Bill Harley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We elementary librarians need more books like this! Simple, sweet, small, slim. Boys will read it. Most kids will bother to finish because it's not hard to get through or overwhelming to look at ... there are pictures on almost every spread. Not a fantastic work of literary import, but I find my students aren't willing to put in the work to read those.

Odessa Again by Dana Reinhardt
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not my favorite, but may recommend to teachers looking to read RICBA nominees because it could lead to some good discussions about making choices.



Athlete vs. Mathlete by W.C. Mack
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Meh for me. However, I think a lot of my students will like it. Too bad I ordered "Double Dribble" by mistake instead of this one for the RI Children's Book Award shelf!




Wild Born by Brandon Mull
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Obviously calculated to be a moneymaker, what with the online tie-ins and different authors for different volumes. But I don't want to read any more of them, because I don't really care what happens. The narrator of the audiobook didn't help, but I don't feel attached to a single character. They were cardboard cutouts.


Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Vanderpool's writing is great, but as the chapters unfolded, it couldn't save the plot from becoming COMPLETELY ANNOYING. I really didn't like the Pi story, and I really really didn't like the way it had parallels during the trek through the woods. Glad to be done.



The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. by Greg Pincus
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I
am
tired
of books with
one-note characters,
dialogue that makes my eyes roll.

And
stop
moaning
over pie.
We get that Kelly's
mom is a good baker. Enough.

Show,
don't
tell us
his writing
is so prize-worthy.
We'll be the judge of that. OK?

I
do
think some
of my kids
will enjoy, and an
extra star for Fibonacci.

You
should
check out
"Blockhead: The
Life of Fibonacci"
by Joseph D'Agnese for more.

Kelsey Green, Reading Queen by Claudia Mills
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Too bad, because I usually like Claudia Mills. But I have a problem with the reading being turned into a competition ... and thereby a chore. I did like how she referred to so many other books, though. Will probably set up a display with the ones we have and steer my kids to them.

The Secret Garden
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Frindle
Dear Whiskers
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Amber Brown is Not a Crayon
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things
Mr. Crumb's Secret
Frog and Toad Together
Stuart Little
Henry and Mudge
Junie B. Jones
Ramona the Pest
Biographies
Emily Dickinson poetry
Harriet the Spy
The Mouse of Amherst
A Little Princess
Charlotte's Web
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic
Farmer Boy


Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I so wanted to love this. I love books and I love puzzles. But I also love strong characters (not caricatures) and crisp writing (not constant puns and lame dialogue). Disappointing.




Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I returned the audiobook to the library after the first disc. Maybe I'll retry with a print copy. One fourth grader liked it, one fifth grader did not.