2014 Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards Announced

January 27, 2014June 30, 2014 / Louise / Leave a comment

The 2014 Children’s and Young Adult book awards were announced Monday January 27 by the American Library Association. And the winners are…

Locomotive by Brian Floca

The Caldecott Award is for the most distinguished American picture book. This year’s Caldecott Medal went to Locomotive written and illustrated by Brian Floca. It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

The Newbery Award is for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. This year’s Newbery Medal went to Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures written by Kate DiCamillo, (who also won in 2004 for The Tale of Despereaux). The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is for the most distinguished book for beginning readers. This year’s award went to The Watermelon Seed, written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. An endearing little crocodile accidentally swallows a watermelon seed and envisions worst-case scenarios, from vines sprouting from his ears to his crocodile skin turning pink.

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

The Michael L. Printz Award is for excellence in literature written for young adults. This year’s award went to Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood?

For more information and to see the full list of this year’s winners, visit the ALA website.

Linda Reads: Foolish Games by Tracy Solheim

January 26, 2014September 15, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

Foolish Games is a wonderfully written sports romance. The author gives us great insight into the NFL with a believable storyline and a wonderful cast of characters. This is actually book two in the Out of Bounds series. Book one is Game On.

Bridal gown designer Julianne Marchione has an uncharacteristic one night stand at a client’s wedding that results in a surprise pregnancy. Julianne plans to raise her son, Owen, on her own, until he is born with a life-threatening blood disorder that requires a transfusion—and Julianne is not a match.

Will “William the Conqueror” Connelly is an NFL star that grew up a bastard child born on the wrong side of the tracks. He is blindsided with the news that he has a son that needs a blood transfusion from him. He quickly takes charge of the situation, insisting on a marriage of convenience so his son will not have to endure growing up a bastard.

Will has a lot of insecurities stemming from his childhood and he is also dealing with a scandal involving his college coach that could bring an end to Will’s NFL career. Julianne has had to sell her bridal design company to pay Owen’s medical bills and has lost her ability to design. She is also struggling with issues from her past. With so much conflict going on in their lives, they almost miss the fact that they are falling in love with each other.

The book is multilayered with a wonderful cast of supporting characters. There is a secondary romance between Will’s mom and his boss that intertwines beautifully with the main story.

A realistic storyline told with passion, humor and wit with wonderful interaction between characters and how they grew to be a true family.

Today Show Book Club Picks Its Third Book – Under The Wide And Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

January 24, 2014September 15, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

On January 23rd, the Today Show announced its third book title for their book club, Under The Wide And Starry Skyby Nancy Horan, best selling author who wrote Loving Frank.

Get ready for a little romance in this historical fiction book centered around the famed Treasure Island author’s life with his wife and muse Fanny Van de Grift. The old adage, behind every great man, there’s a great woman is the basis for this story of a complex and unconventional love affair between Van de Grift and Robert Louis Stevenson.

The “Today” selections, chosen every four to five weeks, will have stickers on their covers indicating their inclusion in the club. The books, chosen by a team of producers and the show’s co-hosts, will include both fiction and nonfiction, newly released titles and classics. Discussion groups and excerpts will be featured online.

Great Poetry Books to Share with Children

January 23, 2014June 18, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / 2 Comments

Do you love poetry and want to inspire the same love in your child, are trying to teach young children to read and write poetry, or simply looking to spark your own enjoyment of the genre. Poetry can seem intimidating at first glance, but knowing where to start, and starting simple, are often a good idea. These books are full of poetry that is suited for all ages, the young and young at heart. So, regardless of the reason you might want to venture into the worlds of poetry, these books are a great place to start.

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Falling Up (or any collections) by Shel Silverstein
The World of Christopher Robin; the Complete When We Were Very Young and Now We are Six by A.A. Milne
A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Sad Underwear and Other Complications: More Poems for Children and Their Parents by Judith Viorst
Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer
A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman
Forest Has a Song: Poems by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
A Dazzling Display of Dogs by Betsy Franco
It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles by Jack Prelutsky
Kids Pick The Funniest Poems by Bruce Lansky
The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry by Bill Martin Jr.

There are, of course, many more fantastic books of poetry and novels in verse out there for us all to enjoy. If you have a favorite that I missed please share it with us in the comments so that others can discover it too!