Cybil Challenge

Nerd Camp

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction /

I’ve probably checked Nerd Camp out from the library three times this year and have never had a chance to read it. Or, more accurately, I always put off reading it. It just seemed like other books would be more interesting or more fun. Hah. Silly me. When I finally started reading it late last night, I couldn’t put it down.

I laughed out loud. I sighed deeply as Gabe tried to figure out just how cool he’d need to be in order to have his new step brother like him. I laughed out loud some more. And the happy ending made me smile, too.

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The Notorious Benedict Arnold

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

I like non-fiction books about the American Revolution – you can blame my father for that. I’m also a huge fan of Benedict Arnold, which you can also blame on my father. So, I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy The Notorious Benedict Arnold and I did. I really did. Poor guy. I mean I know, I know but really. The guy did some really great things in battle and without him, it’s hard to say for sure that we would have defeated the British at all. Gates was USELESS (or close to it) without Arnold, well, let’s not even think about what would have happened.

Also, how many guys decide to invade Canada and then DO IT? Not nearly enough, that’s how many (sorry Sassymonkey and the rest of you nice Canadians, but it was true. Very true.)

Too bad it turned out the way it did, for Arnold. It’s just a darn shame.

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Angelfall

2012, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

The End of Days! Angels destroy the world, or much of it, in Angelfall – and I loved it. Well I didn’t love the destruction of the world but I loved the story of Penryn and Raffe (and the supporting cast of characters, evil and not evil – and what is evil, anyway.) What happened to Penryn’s sister… OMG. A wheelchair bound, vegetarian, seven year old became… gah!

Must. Have. Book. Two. ASAP.

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Two Cybils Non-fiction

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

I love all of the Cybils books but I think I really love the non-fiction short lists. The books selected are always so darn good.  Here’s two examples:

The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon  was super interesting. Learning how (and why) three realistic life sized models of Washington, at three different times of his life, were made – when we don’t REALLY know what Washington looked like.  Technology is amazing. It just is.

Speaking of technology, Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way By Land, Sea and Air.  What I liked best is that this book features explorers kids don’t always hear about. Pytheas, Zheng He, Mary Kingsley, and the Piccards are included along with the typical favorites like Marco Polo, Columbus, Cook, and Livingstone.  The pull-outs are excellent.

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Middle Grade Fiction, YA Fiction — One Cybil, One Not

2012, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

How the heck did The Encyclopedia of Me end up on my bookshelf if it’s not a Cybil? This is really not the kind of book I’d just pick up and nothing about the cover screams “must read” to me. So weird.  It’s not a bad book, just not my thing and I’m so far behind on my reading lists that taking time to read this one wasn’t smart. Oops. I liked bits and pieces of it but I found the encyclopedia idea a bit tedious. I’d have rather just had the story of Tink/Isadora and her family/friends without the encyclopedia entries because that part was good. (If you’re looking for a book about autism and families, this one is interesting.)

A YA scifi/fantasy that is on the Cybils list and was good, was The Shattering. It’s written by the same author who wrote Guardian of the Dead that we listened to earlier in the year? Last year? Recently. So we had some ideas about what it would be like – and it was, though less Maori mythology than I expected there to be. And, the same thing happened in this book that happened in the last one – it runs just a little long.

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The Inquisitor’s Apprentice

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Alternate reality fun! NYC in the early 1900s – magic is everywhere, so is anti-semitism. Houdini & Edison + J.P. Morgaunt + Teddy Roosevelt = fabulous. Throw in a nice Jewish boy who has a whole lot of magical power that he doesn’t know about and some awesome visits to Coney Island and you’ve got The Inquisitor’s Apprentice plus a really great book.

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Five Books of Poetry (#readathon)

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Dewey's Readathon, Favorites, Poetry /

I probably should have started the #readathon with the poetry, I’m tired and that’s not the best time to read poetry. Thankfully, all five of these were good – for different reasons.

Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers – I always like books like this, that tell the story of art and artists.

We Are America: A Tribute From the Art – As you’d expect from Walter Dean Myers. A book everyone should read (maybe particularly during an election year…)

Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems – As a big sister, I had to love this one. Because little sisters are annoying and wonderful all at the same time.

Dear Hot Dog – Poetry to everyday things (like toothpaste and socks and sunshine. My favorite is about light.)

Cousins of Clouds: Elephant Poems – I have two children who love Elephants so this one made me particularly happy. I’ll be buying it for someone…

(Readathon page count, 1,619)

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Warp Speed (#readathon)

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Dewey's Readathon, Fiction /

Warp Speed was a lot of fun, and not just because it’s always fun to debate the Star Trek vs Star Wars issue – extra fun to throw in some Batman and Superman debate as well. I really liked Marley’s mom – she’s blind and that’s not something you see in a character’s mom very often. Marley’s dad sounds like he has some social phobia. So yea, interesting family which makes the whole bullies in middle school topic a lot more interesting.

(Readathon page count: 1,435)

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Two More Books – One Fun, One Not Fun At All (#readathon)

2 Comments / 2012, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Dewey's Readathon, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult /

First  – A little book I noticed on the library shelf and thought it might be fun to read and interesting for the kids to flip through, The End: 50 Apocalyptic Visions from Pop Culture That You Should Know About… before it’s too late.

I’ve read/watched/heard most of the stuff featured here and it was fun to think about old movies and old books – One I haven’t read but am going to have to check out one of these days is The Scarlet Plague.  And now I have the urge to watch Tank Girl again. Or Mad Max. Or even Waterworld. Heh.

Now the not fun at all book, from the Cybils Shortliste – Requiem Poems of the Terezin Ghetto.  Nothing fun about Holocaust poetry. Nothing at all. I’m glad I read it, though.

(Readathon page count: 1,032)

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Words in the Dust (#readathon)

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Dewey's Readathon, Favorites, Fiction /

Readathon page count: 781

I really liked Words in the Dust.  We need more stories about children in Afghanistan and we need more books with really solid female characters.  I was skeptical when I read the introduction by Katherine Paterson but she’s right – Zulaikha is a character who you can’t help but care about and wonder about after the story ends.

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