Children’s Literature

Finished 2 Cybils that I did not love…

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Don't Read This, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry /

The problem with having so many easy readers and picture books on a challenge list is that I can read a half dozen in an hour and then figuring out how to properly blog them is difficult. I’m going to give this a shot… group them by how much I liked them, or didn’t like them… as the case may be.

The Cybils finalists that I did not love were America at War (poems) and Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek (a fiction picture book.) It’s not that they were bad, I just did not LOVE them and I want to love Cybil books. 😉

The poems in America at War were fine. There were some we’d all find familiar and children should definitely be exposed to them. There were some that I’d like us all to find familiar and those were the ones I was happy to see in the book. There were others that… just bored me. And poetry about war should not bore me.

As for Abe and his friend Austin – I liked the premise. I just didn’t like the way the author told the story. While I agree that children should be introduced to the idea that “history” is only a version of what may or may not have happened… I think the whole “back up, have them crawl across the log” was ridiculous. Then the “where’s Austin” page, umm really was that necessary? I don’t know, I just didn’t like the book and when I finished it I was glad I no longer have children who might bring this home and expect me to enjoy reading it to them.

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Kissing Kate

2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Queer, Young Adult /

Kissing Kate was a nice little lesbian YA book. A little too “perfect” – how many teens find exactly the kind of friend they need to help them deal with a problem like “Kate”? Not too many. Actually, I’m not too sure many adults find the perfect friend to help them deal with a problem like “Kate”.

Ah well, it’s feel good YA rather than problem YA. So, it’s all good.

And now that I’ve noticed Lauren Myracle is one of the authors in “Let it Snow”, maybe I’ll go pick that up from the library tomorrow. John Green and Lauren Myracle… must be good?

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Octavian Nothing: The Kingdom on the Waves

2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Young Adult /

TW could not get into volume two, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: The Kingdom on the Waves but I didn’t have a problem with it. I found it a much quicker read than the first one – the journal entries of Octavian were shorter and quicker.

I liked the new characters introduced but found the ending a little less than satisfying, particularly since it appears as though there will not be a third book.

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Airborn

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

When we started listening to Airborn in the car, the little kids were with us and they were confusded. Airship? They didn’t “get it”. I said “think Edge Chronicles but a little more realistic”. By the time TW and I finished today, I’m thinking it was very Edge Chronicles like. Cloud Cats sound like something you’d find in Edge Chronicles book.

It was a fun adventure book. Good girl and boy characters. Nice ending. Good Printz book that kids might actually read.

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A Northern Light

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Feminism, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Women, Young Adult /

I’m a little disappointed that I saved A Northern Light for last book (in paper, the real last book for the challenge is on audio, and in the car CD player now.) for my Printz Challenge. It was good, really good, but it didn’t leave me excited or thrilled about Printz the way some of the other really great books might have.

I struggled a bit with the story being told from two different points in time, I’m not sure it was necessary. I also think it’s one of those things that causes teens to throw up their hands and give up on a book. YA authors should not do it unless it just really really must be done. And in this case, I don’t think it needed to be done.

I liked the “word of the day”, I liked the “word of the day duels”, I liked all of the characters and for a brief moment I wanted to live somewhere with a “pickle boat” – then I regained my senses. I also liked the end, not happy – not sad – just “right”.

Good book… should have read it earlier in the challenge.

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First Part Last

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

First Part Last was not the typical black city kids get pregnant story. Yes they’re black and they live in NYC but they’re not into drugs or alcohol, they’re not super poor, they’re smart kids who take classes like “Brit Lit”. And the 16 year old father raises the baby… but it doesn’t happen the way you’d expect.

** gotta close comments, the spammers won this round.**

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Keesha’s House

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Queer, Young Adult /

I was nervous about Keesha’s House. It’s a tiny little book – poetry. Ugh. The Printz poetry selections have not been bad but they haven’t been great. This one… great. One of the best Printz Award books.

These are amazing stories and I’d love Frost to write a book featuring each one of them. An entire series about the kids in (and around) Keesha’s House. Or maybe Joe’s story, that would be good too.

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Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

I really really liked the characters in Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. I did not want the book to end the way it did.

I wanted them to live in Mrs Cobbs house.
I wanted them to head off to the territories.
I wanted them to start a great baseball team, the way baseball ought to be played.
I wanted them to hang out with some more whales, but not THAT way.

I wanted a lot of things to happen in this book – but most of those didn’t happen. Still… great book. Probably greater because those things didn’t happen.

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