ACPL Mock Newbery

And the REAL 2012 Newbery Winner Is....

2012-01-28T09:07:00.000-05:00

Dead End in Norvelt written by Jack Gantos

Two Newbery Honor Books were selected. They are:

Inside Out & Back Again written by Thanhha Lai

and

Breaking Stalin’s Nose written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Congratulations to all the winners.

It was a great year for Children's Books!

2012 Mock Newbery Winner!

2012-01-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

After a full morning discussing thirty titles, it took only one ballot to arrive at a winner! The ACPL Mock Newbery winner for 2012 is...

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Our group also selected one Honor Book:

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt

What great fun! Now we'll all wait ever-so-patiently for the REAL announcements to be made at the ALA Conference in just a few short weeks.

Final Reading List for 2012 Mock Newbery

2011-12-22T15:36:00.000-05:00

You've looked over List One and List Two. Here (at last) is the final reading list for the ACPL Mock Newbery 2012:

The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin

I Broke My Trunk by Mo Willems

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

True (…sort of) by Katherine Hannigan

The Wikkeling by Steven Arntson

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

YOUR CHOICE – Let us know in the comments below which title you were hoping was going to be included in the discussion; we’ll do our best to have it available for perusal on January 7th, the day of our in-person discussion.

We hope you'll consider joining us for our "in-person" discussion. You can register online or you can call Children's Services at 260.421.1220 to register.
Here are the details:

WHO:        Adults interested in great new children's books

WHAT:      ACPL Children's Services Mock Newbery discussion

WHERE:    Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza Fort Wayne, Indiana

WHEN:      Saturday, January 7, 2011 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

I Broke My Trunk by Mo Willems

2011-12-22T15:05:00.003-05:00

"I have not seen Gerald today."

The summary is hidden because it may contain spoilers. If you would like to read the full summary, simply use your cursor to highlight the next few lines and it will magically appear.

Gerald the elephant tells his best friend Piggie a long, crazy story about how he broke his trunk.

Hyperion Books; 57 pages

Have you registered yet?

2011-12-21T11:38:00.002-05:00

If you are in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area -- or will be on Saturday, January 7th -- we'd love to have you join us for our Mock Newbery discussion!

You can register online or you can call Children's Services at 260.421.1220 to register.

Here are the details:

WHO: Adults interested in great new children's books

WHAT: ACPL Children's Services Mock Newbery discussion

WHERE: Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza Fort Wayne, Indiana

WHEN: Saturday, January 7, 2011 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

We look forward to hearing your comments in our discussion!

A Girl Named Faithful Plum: The True Story of a Dancer from China and How She Achieved Her Dream by Richard Bernstein

2011-11-24T10:58:00.000-05:00

"One sunny morning in the spring of 1978 in the remote, very northernmost part of China, a slight eleven-year-old girl named Li Zhongmei got on a bus for the first leg of a journey to Beijing, China's capital."

The summary is hidden because it may contain spoilers. If you would like to read the full summary, simply use your cursor to highlight the next few lines and it will magically appear.

In 1977, when Zhongmei Lei was eleven years old, she learned that the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy was having open auditions. She'd already taken dance lessons, but everyone said a poor country girl would never get into the academy, especially without any connections in the Communist Party of the 1970s. But Zhongmei, whose name means Faithful Plum, persisted, even going on a hunger strike, until her parents agreed to allow her to go. She traveled for three days and two nights to get to Beijing and eventually beat out 60,000 other girls for one of 12 coveted spots.

Alfred A. Knopf; 270 pages

12 Things to Do Before You Crash and Burn by James Proimos

2011-11-23T10:53:00.000-05:00

"The casket is closed."

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James "Hercules" Martino has until the end of the summer (a.k.a. two weeks) to accomplish the twelve tasks given to him by his Uncle Anthony. The tasks will take him to the far reaches of Baltimore, lead him to a Beautiful and Unattainable Woman, and change the way he sees his past, present, and future.

Roaring Brook Press; 121 pages

Maggie & Oliver or A Bone of One's Own by Valerie Hobbs

2011-11-22T10:46:00.000-05:00

"With his long, wet tongue, Oliver licked and licked Bertie's cheek."

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Maggie is always full of questions. But a young maid in a fine lady's house isn't supposed to wonder so much, so one day Maggie is thrown out into the street with only a tiny heart-shaped locket for a keepsake. A little dog named Oliver is pushing his nose along an icy sidewalk searching for his lost mistress, or at least something to eat. No matter how hard he looks he can't find either one, but he does see a girl with round blue eyes and a golden locket around her neck. The girl calls him "Lucky." And perhaps Lucky is the right name after all, for the little dog soon helps Maggie find a warm, wonderful home of her own--and one for him, too.

Henry Holt; 181 pages

Body of Water by Sarah Dooley

2011-11-21T10:37:00.003-05:00

"I'm certain there were puddles, even before the fire trucks came."

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After their trailer home and all their belongings are burned, twelve-year-old Ember and her Wiccan family move to a lakeside campground where Ember's anguish over losing her dog, as well as her friendship with the boy she fears started the fire, stops her from making new friends and moving on.

Feiwel and Friends; 324 pages

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

2011-11-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

"Travis stood in front of locker number 78."

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Everything changes for thirteen-year-old Travis, a new student who is trying to hide his illiteracy, when he meets a sassy classmate with her own secrets and a remarkable teacher.

Candlewick Press; 226 pages

Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little

2011-11-10T17:19:00.003-05:00

"Soon as my birthday presents are unwrapped and the chocolate raspberry cake gulped down, Daddy packs my stuff in the Chevy and slams the trunk."

The summary is hidden because it may contain spoilers. If you would like to read the full summary, simply use your cursor to highlight the next few lines and it will magically appear.

A year after her mother has deserted the family, eleven-year-old Shelby goes to stay with her, deep in the Louisiana bayou, where they both confront old hurts and regrets.

Scholastic Press; 326 pages

Mock Newbery for Kids -- TWO New Titles!

2011-11-02T17:31:00.000-04:00

I am happy to announce TWO new titles for the Mock Newbery for Kids program.

Wonderstruck
by Brian Selznick

Young Fredle
by Cynthia Voigt

These books join Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming, and Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai on the Mock Newbery for Kids Reading List. Look for one more title to be posted in a couple of weeks.

The Mock Newbery for Kids program is open to all children in grades 3 to 6. Simply read the books, and then we'll get together on Saturday, December 3 at 2pm to talk about the books, learn a little about the Newbery Award, and vote to decide which book will win the 2012 ACPL Kids' Mock Newbery Award. Click here to register to attend.

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell

2011-10-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

"As a child, Clara Dooley had felt that the Glendoveer mansion contained the whole world."

The summary is hidden because it may contain spoilers. If you would like to read the full summary, simply use your cursor to highlight the next few lines and it will magically appear.

In late nineteenth-century Maine, isolated, eleven-year-old Clara Dooley gains a friend and uncovers a magical secret that changes her life when she learns to care for the once-feared birds in the aviary attached to the Glendoveer mansion where she lives.

Alfred A. Knopf; 339 pages

Desert Angel by Charlie Price

2011-10-30T09:30:00.000-04:00

"The fight started after midnight, Scotty drunk, Angel's mother shrill on crystal."

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Fourteen-year-old Angel wakes up one morning at her desert trailer home to discover her mother has been murdered by a lowlife named Scotty, who has vanished. Angel has no water, no weapon, but she knows that Scotty, an expert tracker and hunter, will surface soon in order to eliminate her as a witness. She has to run, to disappear, if she is to survive and tell the world what happened. Her flight takes her through a harsh landscape to places she never expected to be, forcing her to trust others for the first time and strengthening her in ways she doesn't even anticipate . . . until it's time to take a stand.

Farrar Straus Giroux; 236 pages

True (...sort of) by Katherine Hannigan

2011-10-29T09:30:00.000-04:00

"Delly Pattison was tiny."

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For most of her eleven years, Delly has been in trouble without knowing why, until her little brother, R.B., and a strange, silent new friend, Ferris, help her find a way to be good--and happy--again.

Greenwillow Books; 360 pages

The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson

2011-10-28T13:22:00.004-04:00

"The old doll-maker Tatsuhiko poured boiling water into the teapot with trembling hands and inhaled deeply."

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Throughout the twentieth century, Miss Kanagawa, one of fifty-eight dolls made to serve as ambassadors from Japan to the United States, travels the country learning to love while changing the lives of those who need her.

Delacorte Press; 201 pages

Second Reading List for 2012 Mock Newbery

2011-10-24T17:07:00.001-04:00

It’s finally here! The second reading list for this year'sACPL Mock Newbery! This program will be held at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana onJanuary 14, 2012. While we will continue to highlight and discuss a widevariety of children's books on our blog -- and we encourage comments on all ofthem -- the books on this list andon our first list are destined to be 'brought to the table' to be discussed inmore depth at our “in person” Mock Newbery Discussion and Election. Our third and finallist will be posted in mid-November.

So… without further ado… here arethe ten titles on our second short list:

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Junonia by Kevin Henkes
Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richards Jacobson
Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

We welcome continued onlinediscussion through this blog and invite you to join us for our "inperson" discussion to be held at our Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Stick by Andrew Smith

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

"They call me Stick."

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Thirteen-year-old Stark "Stick" McClellan's brother has always defended him against those who tease him for his thinness and facial deformity, so when Bosten, having admitted he is gay, must leave home and their abusive parents, Stick sets out to find him.

Feiwel and Friends; 292 pages

Spunky Tells All by Ann Cameron

2011-10-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

"I could tell you everything about the Bates faimly--things you'll never hear from anybody else."

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Called a troublemaker by his human family, a reflective dog defends himself and then relates the family's adoption of an aristocratic but incompetent cat, who gives him a life purpose and and new way of looking at his world.

Farrar Straus Giroux; 105 pages

A Month of Sundays by Ruth White

2011-10-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

"Before I was born fourteen years ago, my dad, August Rose, left my mom, Betty Rose, for a carnival singer."

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In the summer of 1956 while her mother is in Florida searching for a job, fourteen-year-old April Garnet Rose, who has never met her father, stays with her terminally ill aunt in Virginia and accompanies her as she visits different churches, looking for God.

Farrar Straus Giroux; 168 pages

Pie by Sarah Weeks

2011-10-21T14:52:00.002-04:00

"Thank you very much."

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After the death of Polly Portman, whose award-winning pies put the town of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania, on the map in the 1950s, her devoted niece Alice and Alice's friend Charlie investigate who is going to extremes to find Aunt Polly's secret pie crust recipe. Includes fourteen pie recipes.

Scholastic Press; 183 pages

Akata Witch by Nnedi OkorAfor

2011-10-19T09:59:00.003-04:00

"I've always been fascinated by candles."

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Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino child of Nigerian parents, moves with her family back to Nigeria, where she learns that she has latent magical powers which she and three similarly gifted friends use to catch a serial killer.

Viking; 349 pages

The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson

2011-10-18T09:54:00.000-04:00

"Many years ago, oh, let's say five thousand, more or less, there lived in the south of England, in what is called Darmoor, tribes of people who had never thought to make anything out of metal, much less plastic."

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A magical amulet brings power and despair to those who touch it. A robust and wildly entertaining fairy tale, freely abridged from Eden Phillpotts's 1910 fantasy.

Candlewick Press; 288 pages

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

2011-10-17T09:38:00.000-04:00

"They took me in my nightgown."

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In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Based on the author's family, includes a historical note.

Philomel Books; 344 pages

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

2011-10-16T09:34:00.000-04:00

"The monster showed up just after midnight."

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Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

Candlewick Press; 204 pages

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

2011-10-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

"I traced the letters in the dust with my finger, spelling out my name: Zulaikha."

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Zulaikha, a thirteen-year-old girl in Afghanistan, faces a series of frightening but exhilirating changes in her life as she defies her father and secretly meets with an old woman who teaches her to read, her older sister gets married, and American troops offer her surgery to fix her disfiguring cleft lip.

Arthur A. Levine; 266 pages

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

2011-10-14T09:19:00.000-04:00

"Something hit Ben Wilson and he opened his eyes."

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Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City, and meets there Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures.

Scholastic; 637 pages

True Blue by Jane Smiley

2011-10-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

"I had gone into the house to change my jeans, and I was only about halfway out of my boots--which were very muddy--when the phone started ringing."

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In 1960s California, eighth-grader Abby Lovitt has trouble with True Blue, the newest horse on her family's ranch, a beautiful dappled gray who is so often spooked, Abby wonders if he is haunted by the ghost of his deceased former owner.

Alfred A. Knopf; 297 pages

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

"It was the eighth of July, 1957, when Ollie's daddy slowed their rusted-out Chevy pickup near the junction of Highway 29 and Carter Road."

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Thirteen-year-old Olivene Love gets tangled up in a murder mystery when her itinerant preaching family arrives in the small town of Binder, Arkansas in 1957.

Farrar Straus Giroux; 249 pages

Ten Rules for Living with My Sister by Ann M. Martin

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

"Half an hour ago my sister locked me out of her room."

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Nine-year-old Pearl and her popular, thirteen-year-old sister, Lexie, do not get along very well, but when their grandfather moves in and the girls have to share a room, they must find common ground.

Feiwel and Friends; 228 pages

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

2011-10-10T17:16:00.002-04:00

"It snowed right before Jack stopped talking to Hazel, fluffy white flakes big enough to show their crystal architecture, like perfect geometric poems."

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Hazel and Jack are best friends until an accident with a magical mirror and a run-in with a villainous queen find Hazel on her own, entering an enchanted wood in the hopes of saving Jack's life. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen".

Walden Pond Press; 312 pages

Time Flies!

2011-10-08T13:54:00.001-04:00

About one month ago, we posted our first reading list for the 2012 ACPL Mock Newbery program with a promise that the second list would be posted by the end of September. Looking at the calendar, it appears we've missed our self-imposed deadline.

Oops!

We will get the second reading list posted within the week -- REALLY! -- but we'd love your help. There has been a great variety of excellent material for children published this year. Which titles do you think should be on this second list? Keep in mind that we will have a total of three booklists this year; the third & final list will be posted in mid-November.

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri

2011-10-07T15:11:00.001-04:00

"We drivin' into the sunset, the car burning up from the heat."

The summary is hidden because it may contain spoilers. If you would like to read the full summary, simply use your cursor to highlight the next few lines and it will magically appear.

Summary: Twelve-year-old Cole's behavior causes his mother to drive him from Detroit to Philadelphia to live with a father he has never known, but who soon has Cole involved with a group of African-American "cowboys" who rescue horses and use them to steer youths away from drugs and gangs.

Publisher: Candlewick Press; 218 pages

Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins

2011-10-06T10:30:00.000-04:00

"Stingray has missed the birthday party."

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When a little girl gets a plush stingray for her birthday, it makes friends with some of her other toys as they all try to navigate in the world of real people.

Schwartz & Wade Books; 132 pages

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

2011-10-05T10:15:00.000-04:00

"My dad is a hero and a Communist and, more than anything, I want to be like him."

The summary is hidden because it may contain spoilers. If you would like to read the full summary, simply use your cursor to highlight the next few lines and it will magically appear.

In the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, ten-year-old Sasha idolizes his father, a devoted Communist, but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his own perceptions, values, and beliefs.

Henry Holt and Company; 140 pages

Mock Newbery for Kids -- Title #2

2011-10-04T16:26:00.000-04:00

The next title on our Mock Newbery for Kids reading list is......

.....drumroll....

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
by Candace Fleming.

Children in grades 3 to 6 are invited to read this title, along with Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, and 3 other titles that will be posted in the next few months. On December 3, from 2:00 to 3:30, come to Children's Services at the downtown library to talk about the books, to learn a little about the Newbery Award, and to vote for your favorite book. The winning title will be honored with the ACPL Kids' Mock Newbery Award! Click here to register to attend on December 3. Questions? Send me an email, or call Children's Services at 260-421-1220.

Watch for the next Mock Newbery for Kids nominee to be posted on this blog in a few weeks. In the meantime, happy reading!

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances by Lenore Look

2011-10-04T10:08:00.004-04:00

"Call me Alvin Ho."

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A fearful second grader in Concord, Massachusetts, learns about death when his grandfather's best friend passes away and he offers to accompany his grandfather to the funeral.

Schwartz & Wade; 197 pages

The Queen of Water by Laura Resau

2011-09-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

"As a little girl, I did not know I was a descendant of the Inca, the most powerful ancient civilization of South America."

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A child in Ecuador is sent to be the servant of a rich mestizo family where she is mistreated. She teaches herself to read and write and escapes, but she is lost between two cultures. Based on a true story.

Delacorte Press; 352 pages

The Great Migration: Journey to the North by Eloise Greenfield

2011-09-19T09:30:00.002-04:00

"They read about it, heard about it, in letters and newspapers sent down from the North, from visiting cousins and brothers and aunts: there were jobs up there, nice houses, no Ku Klux Klan everywhere you turn, burning down schools and homes and hope."

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Describes the period of the 20th century when many African Americans left the South to make better lives for themselves in the nothern states.

Harper Collins; 32 pages

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald

2011-09-18T09:30:00.001-04:00

"My name is Charlie Joe Jackson, and I hate reading."

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Middle schooler Charlie Joe is proud of his success at avoiding reading, but eventually his schemes go too far.

Roaring Brook Press; 220 pages

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

2011-09-17T09:30:00.000-04:00

"School was finally out and I was standing on a picnic table in our backyard getting ready for a great summer vacation when my mother walked up to me and ruined it."

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In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.

Farrar Straus Giroux; 341 pages

Roots and Blues: A Celebration by R. Gregory Christie

2011-09-16T09:30:00.000-04:00

"Each word a hammer hit."

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Lyrical text explores how Blues have been part of everyday life throughout history, from its origins in the sounds of the earth, through slaves' voices singing of freedom, to today's greatest performers--and listeners.

Clarion Books; 86 pages

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow

2011-09-15T18:08:00.003-04:00

"As Herr Boch finished the last lecture of the school year, I sketched one final caricature of him into the margins of my notebook."

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In 1936 Berlin, fourteen-year-old Karl Stern, considered Jewish despite a non-religious upbringing, learns to box from the legendary Max Schmeling while struggling with the realities of the Holocaust.

HarperTeen; 404 pages

Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

2011-09-13T11:50:00.006-04:00

"Elephants can sense danger."

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Abandoned by his mother in an Acadia National Park campground, Jack tries to make his way back to Boston before anyone figures out what is going on, with only a small toy elephant for company.

Candlewick Press; 275 pages

Island's End by Padma Venkatraman

2011-08-29T12:56:00.003-04:00

"My dream begins like all the others I have had about the spirits."

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A young girl trains to be the new spiritual leader of her remote Andaman Island tribe, while facing increasing threats from the modern world.

G.P. Putnam's Sons; 228 pages

Mock Newbery for Kids

2011-08-19T16:46:00.000-04:00

Kids – wouldn’t YOU like to be asked about what book should win the Newbery Medal? Take part in our Mock Newbery for Kids program and let your voices be heard! We’ll post a new book each month – in August, September, October and November. Read the books, then come to our get-together in December, where you’ll get to talk about the books and vote for your favorites.

This program is for kids in 3^rd through 6^th grade who love to read. We hope you’ll join us!

Our first title is:

Inside Out & Back Again
by Thanhha Lai

Mysterious Bones: The Story of Kennewick Man by Katherine Kirkpatrick

2011-08-15T09:00:00.002-04:00

"The piercing roar of hydroplanes split the air over the shallow, muddy river."

Topics: Kennewick Man.
Human remains (Archaeology) -- Repatriation -- Washington (State)
Cultural Property -- Repatriation -- United States.
Indians of North America -- Origin. Indians of North America -- Washington (State) -- Antiquities. Washington (State) -- Antiquities.

Holiday House; 60 pages

R My Name Is Rachel by Patricia Reilly Giff

2011-08-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

"I know my neighborhood by heart, so it wouldn't be hard to walk from our apartment to the stores blindfolded."

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Rachel, Cassie, and Joey live in the city with their Pop, until Pop's search for work lands the family on a run down farm. Dreamy Rachel loves to read, and doesn't know much about the country. Times are hard there, too-the school and library are closed. When Pop gets work near Canada, he has to leave the children on the farm alone. For two months! But Rachel's the oldest, and she'll make sure they're all right. Somehow.

Random House Children's Books; 160 pages

Eight Keys by Suzanne La Fleur

2011-08-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

"The trouble all started right before the first day of sixth grade, the last time Franklin and I played Knights."

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Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor. When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish. Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the barn . . .

Wendy Lamb Books; 224 pages

The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin

2011-08-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

"My Aunt Louisa, who is really my sister, snored like a machine with a broken part, a broken part that kept cycling around in a shuddering, sputtering rhythm."

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Twelve-year-old best friends and relatives, Julia and Eliza are happy to spend the summer together while Julia's mother is serving in the National Guard in Iraq but when they meet a neighborhood boy, their close relationship begins to change.

Simon & Schuster; 196 pages

Cinderlla Smith by Stephanie Barden

2011-08-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

"There was very crazy knocking noise going on at my front door that I was pretending not to hear."

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Cast off by her old friends, Cinderella agrees to help a new student deal with the stepsisters she will soon have, and meantime, a former friend tries to prevent Cinderella from dancing the lead in their tap recital.

Harper; 148 pages

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

2011-08-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

"A monumental tapestry decorates the wide back wall of the Great Hall in Hladka Hvorka, my family's large old castle."

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Young prince Rashko, aided by wise old Georgi, must channel the power of his ancestor, Pavol the great, and harness a magical dragon to face the evil Baron Temny after the foolish King and Queen go missing.

Dial Books for Young Readers; 346 pages

The Wikkeling by Steven Arntson

2011-08-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

"Sensible students succeed splendidly!" said Ms. Span, a primly dressed teacher sitting behind a computer at the front of the class, her thick black eyebrows arching over the top of her reading glasses.

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Henrietta and her pals Gary and Rose all have headaches with an unknown cause and experience other strange incidents--including the appearance of a threatening creature called the Wikkeling--and are hopeful that an ancient bestiary can help solve these mysteries.

RP Kids; 234 pages

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

"The last place I thought I'd be when this day began is where I am, which is in a car."

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Twelve-year-old Foster McFee and her mother escape from her mother's abusive boyfriend and end up in the small town of Culpepper, West Virginia, where they use their strengths and challenge themselves to build a new life, with the help of the friends they make there.

Viking; 250 pages

First Reading List for 2012 (Adult) Mock Newbery Discussion

2011-08-07T23:01:00.000-04:00

This is the first of the "short lists" we will prepare for this year's Mock Newbery Election program at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Basically, this means that while we will continue to highlight and discuss a wide variety of children's books on our blog -- and we encourage comments on all of them -- the books on this first list are destined to be 'brought to the table' to be discussed in more depth at our “in person” Mock Newbery Discussion and Election. We will plan to have 3 lists with ten titles on each. Our next list will be published by the end of September, and the third and final reading list for the year will be posted in mid-November.

So… without further ado… here are the titles on our first short list:

Amelia Lost – The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming
Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Hidden by Helen Frost
Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem
The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm

We welcome continued online discussion through this blog and invite you to join us for our "in person" discussion to be held at our Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

2011-08-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

"Frankie was the first to know."

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Jack is practically invisible at home, but when his parents send him to Hazelwood, Iowa, to spend a summer with his odd aunt and uncle, he suddenly makes friends, is beaten up by the town bully, and is plotted against by the richest man in town.

Little, Brown; 323 pages

Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin

2011-08-06T09:45:00.001-04:00

"In the spring of 1903, Sadie Frowne, age thirteen, and her mother sailed into New York Harbor aboard a steamship crowded with immigrants from Europe."

Contents: Prelude : from the ashes -- Huddled masses -- Into the magic cauldron -- Flesh and blood so cheap -- An overflow of suffering : uprising of the 20,000 -- The third gate : fire at the triangle -- A stricken conscience -- The price of liberty.

Alfred A. Knopf; 182 pages

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt

2011-08-05T09:44:00.001-04:00

"For some people it's the smell of sunblock."

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Thirteen-year-old Drew starts the summer of 1986 helping in her mother's cheese shop and dreaming about co-worker Nick, but when her widowed mother begins dating, Drew's father's book of lists, her pet rat, and Emmett, a boy on a quest, help her cope.

Wendy Lamb Books; 216 pages

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

2011-08-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

"Today is Tết, the first day of the lunar calendar."

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Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.

Harper; 262 pages

Sidekicks by Jack D. Ferraiolo

2011-08-03T09:45:00.001-04:00

"I'm sitting on a filthy chimney, eighty stories above street level, watching from the shadows as one of my personal top five dumbest villains tries his best to wrap his mind around a hostage situation of his own creation."

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Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a. Scott Hutchinson, an ordinary schoolkid by day and a superfast, superstrong sidekick by night, fighting loyally next to his hero. But after an embarrassing incident involving his too-tight spandex costume, plus some signs that Phantom Justice may not be the good guy he pretends to be, Scott begins to question his role. With the help of a fellow sidekick, once his nemesis, Scott must decide if growing up means being loyal or stepping boldly to the center of things.

Amulet Books; 309 pages

It's Time for the First Mock Newbery 2012 Reading List

2011-08-02T18:26:00.002-04:00

How time flies! As several people have reminded me, it's already (past) time for us to put out the first "official" Mock Newbery Reading List for the year. We plan to have three reading lists over the course of the year -- the first will be published by the end of this weekend, the second will be posted by the end of September, and the third and final reading list for the year will be posted in mid-November.

Here's how you can help!

What titles do you think need to be on this first list? We really value your input & suggestions of titles! Just email your suggestions to mvoors@acpl.info or post your suggested titles here in the comments. We look forward to hearing from you!

Look for the first reading list for this year's ACPL Mock Newbery to be posted by Sunday, August 7th.

Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz

2011-08-02T09:34:00.003-04:00

"Alexander Hamilton should have been born in his grandfather's fogbound castle on the west coast of Scotland, the same castle where his father, James, had been born, along with James's three older brothers."

Summary: Biography of America's first Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Includes bibliographical references and index.

G.P. Putnam's Sons; 144 pages

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal

2011-07-29T10:17:00.003-04:00

"Sometime after 10 A.M. on this shivery-cold and windy Chicago morning, seven men gathered in a nondescript garage warehouse on Clark Street."

Contents: The little sheppard -- Hot and cold water -- Home destroyers and defenders -- A nation divides -- War! -- Dry! -- Milk and moonshine -- Snorky and Scarface -- Wet, again -- Epilogue: success or failure?

Roaring Brook Press; 154 pages

The Last Martin by Jonathan Friesen

2011-07-28T13:46:00.008-04:00

"A great new story needs a great first line."

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Thirteen-year-old Martin Boyle struggles to break a family curse after discovering that he has only twelve weeks to live.

Zonderkidz; 266 pages

One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin

2011-07-26T10:26:00.003-04:00

"It was a hot summer day on Orange Street, one of those days that seem ordinary until you look back on it."

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The last remaining orange tree on a Southern California street brings together neighbors of all ages as they face their problems and anxieties, including the possibility that a mysterious stranger is a threat to their tree.

Amulet Books; 207 pages

The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm

2011-07-25T12:22:00.005-04:00

"My brother Wilbert tells me that I'm like a grain of sand in an oyster."

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Living with seven brothers and her father, who thinks girls are useless, a thirteen-year-old Finnish American farm girl is determined to probe her worth when an enterprising gentleman tries to purchase their cash-strapped family settlement in Washington State in 1900.

Antheneum Books; 204 pages

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall

2011-07-24T10:00:00.001-04:00

"The Penderwick family was being torn apart."

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When the three younger Penderwick sisters go to Maine with Aunt Claire and are separated from oldest sister Rosalind for the first time in their lives, an uncertain Skye is left in charge as the OAP--oldest available Penderwick.

Alfred A. Knopf; 295 pages

Junonia by Kevin Henkes

2011-07-23T09:35:00.005-04:00

"When Alice Rice and her parents were halfway across the bridge, Alice felt strange."

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The week of her tenth birthday, Alice and her parents go to Sanibel Island, Florida, just as they do every year, but this time some of the people who are always there are missing and some new people have come, which unsettles Alice, who wants things to be exactly the same as they always are.

Greenwillow Books; 176 pages

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

2011-07-15T13:07:00.005-04:00

"The girl was shaken awake."

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Kate, Michael, and Emma have passed from one orphanage to another in the ten years since their parents disappeared to protect them, but now they learn that they have special powers, a prophesied quest to find a magical book, and a fearsome enemy.

Alfred A. Knopf; 417 pages

Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem

2011-07-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

"Last June, my parents jumped off a roof because of a pinky ring."

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When Mellie Turpin's grandfather dies and leaves her family his run-down inn and bar, she learns that for generations her family members have been fairy guardians, and now that the fairies want an important ring returned, the Turpins become involved in a series of magical adventures as they try to locate the missing ring.

Dial Books; 302 pages

The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley

2011-07-13T12:06:00.003-04:00

"I was sent away to work when I was very young."

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From the age of seven when she became scullery maid in a castle, Molly has seen visions of the future which, years later, lead her and friend Tobias on an adventure to keep Alaric, the heir to the throne, safe from a curse.

Harper; 307 pages

Tom Thumb: The Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature by George Sullivan

2011-07-07T12:09:00.005-04:00

"In 1863, as the Civil War was approaching its midpoint and the North still agonized over its disastrous defeat in Virginia at Fredericksburg, an unusual event crowded all news of the conflict off the front pages of many newspapers across the nation."

Contents: A man in miniature -- The prince of humbugs -- Makeover -- On stage -- Command performance -- A royal treat -- Growing up -- Lavinia -- Touring together -- Superstar

Clarion Books; 200 pages

Lexie by Audrey Couloumbis

2011-07-07T12:03:00.005-04:00

"I should have been on my way to the shore."

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When ten-year-old Lexie goes with her father to the beach for a week, she is surprised to find that he has invited his girlfriend and her two sons to join them for the entire week.

Random House; 199 pages

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broah

2011-07-07T09:56:00.007-04:00

"The day Josie ran away was the beginning of everything, the bones in the canyon, the haunted mountain, the buried treasure, the town full of secrets, but the Barker boys didn't know it then."

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It's summer and the three Barker brothers, Simon, Henry, and Jack, just moved from Illinois to Arizona. Their parents have warned them repeatedly not to explore Superstition Mountain, which is near their home, but when their cat Josie goes missing, they see no other choice. There's something unusually creepy about the mountain and after the boys find three human skulls, they grow determined to uncover the mystery.

Henry Holt; 262 pages

The Crepe Makers' Bond by Julie Crabtree

2011-07-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

"The earthquake started like they always do."

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Summary: Fourteen-year-old Ariel uses cooking to work through problems, but none of her recipes are likely to help when she and Nicki learn that M may be moving away from Alameda soon after they begin eighth grade. Includes recipes and cooking tips.

Milkweed Editions; 231 pages

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan

2011-07-04T06:31:00.001-04:00

"How can kindness get you into so much trouble?"

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Summary: In 1919, independent-minded fifteen-year-old Rosalind lives in India with her English parents, and when they fear she has fallen in with some rebellious types who believe in Indian self-government, she is sent "home" to London, where she has never been before and where her older brother died, to stay with her two aunts.

A Paula Wiseman Book; 209 pages

How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen

2011-07-03T19:06:00.000-04:00

"Since Saturday, I've fried Sergio like catfish, mashed him like potatoes, and creamed his corn in ten straight games of bowling."

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Summary: When thirteen-year-old, bowling-obsessed Lamar Washington finds out that his idol is coming to town, he finds himself involved in some unsavory activities as he tries to change his image to impress people.

Balzer + Bray, 283 pages

If I Could Fly by Judith Ortiz Cofer

2011-06-10T17:02:00.000-04:00

"When I come out of my room ready to go to church, I find Papi in the kitchen drinking yesterday's coffee."

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Summary: When fifteen-year-old Doris's mother, a professional singer, returns to Puerto Rico and her father finds a girlfriend, Doris cares for a neighbor's pigeons and relies on friends as she begins to find her own voice and wings.

Farrar Straus Giroux; 195 pages

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

2011-06-08T10:53:00.000-04:00

"Once upon a time, a girl named September grew very tired indeed of her parents' house, where she washed the same pink-and-yellow teacups and matching gravy boats every day, slept on the same embroidered pillow, and played with the same small and amiable dog."

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Summary:

Twelve-year-old September's ordinary life in Omaha turns to adventure when a Green Wind takes her to Fairyland to retrieve a talisman the new and fickle Marquess wants from the enchanted woods.

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends; 247 pages

Hidden by Helen Frost

2011-05-29T20:47:00.000-04:00

"I was a happy little girl wearing a pink dress,

sitting in our gold minivan,

dancing with my doll, Kamara."

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Summary: When Wren Abbott and Darra Monson are eight years old, Darra's father steals a minivan. He doesn't know that Wren is hiding in the back. The hours and days that follow change the lives of both girls. Darra is left with a question that only Wren can answer. Wren has questions, too.

Years later, in a chance encounter at camp, the girls face each other for the first time. They can finally learn the truth—that is, if they’re willing to reveal to each other the stories that they’ve hidden for so long. Told from alternating viewpoints, this novel-in-poems reveals the complexities of memory and the strength of a friendship that can overcome pain.

Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus Giroux; 142 pages

Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon

2011-05-19T19:00:00.001-04:00

"I call him Zachariah."

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Summary: A poignant novel about a biracial girl living in the suburbs of Las Vegas examines the friendships that grow out of, and despite, her race.

Publisher: Aladdin; 218 pages

Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney

2011-05-10T10:04:00.000-04:00

"For crying out loud! Skip Gibson, you have done it again."

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Summary: In 1936, three children meet at the Mercy Home for Negro Orphans in New York State, and while not all three are orphans, they are all dealing with grief and loss which together, along with the help of a sympathetic staff member and the boxing matches of Joe Louis, they manage to overcome. Includes author's notes.

Little, Brown and Company; 278 pages

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt

2011-04-14T16:42:00.000-04:00

"Joe Pepitone once gave me his New York Yankees baseball cap."

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Summary: As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends, an abusive father, and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him until he finds an ally in Lil Spicer--a fiery young lady. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon's birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage. Companion to The Wednesday Wars.

Clarion Books, 360 pages

Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle

2011-04-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

Quebrado

I listen
to the song
of creaking planks,
the roll and sway
of clouds in sky,
wild music
and thunder,
the groans
of wood,
a mourning moan
as this old ship
remembers
her true self,
her tree self,
rooted
and growing,
alive,
on shore.

Contents: Pt. 1. Wild sea -- pt. 2. Brave earth -- pt. 3. Hidden -- pt. 4. The sphere court -- pt. 5. The sky horse -- pt. 6. Far light. Includes bibliographical references (p. 142-143).Show all

Henry Holt and Company; 145 pages

A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

2011-04-07T11:30:00.000-04:00

"The prince dangled in the darkness, shoulders aching,
ancient manacles digging into his wrists as he tried to sleep."

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Summary: Fourteen-year-old Jason Walker is transported to a strange world called Lyrian, where he joins Rachel, who was also drawn there from our world, and a few rebels, to piece together the Word that can destroy the malicious wizard emperor, Surroth.

Aladdin, 454 pages

Liar, Liar - The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Decemption by Gary Paulsen

2011-04-06T19:13:00.006-04:00

"By midmorning Monday, I had Katie Knowles believing that I suffer from a terrible disease."

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Summary: Fourteen-year-old Kevin is very good at lying and doing so makes life easier, but when he finds himself in big trouble with his friends, family, and teachers, he must find a way to end his lies forever.

Wendy Lamb Books; 120 pages

Angel in My Pocket by Ilene Cooper

2011-04-01T13:48:00.008-04:00

"There was a pile of money on Bette Miller's kitchen table."

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Summary: When seventh-grader Bette finds an angel coin she puts it in her pocket and forgets it but soon the mysterious and kind Gabby moves into her building and helps her face her major losses and then the coin connects her with three classmates who all find new ways to believe in themselves.

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends; 278 pages

Amelia Lost - The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

2011-03-30T16:36:00.006-04:00

"On the morning of July 2, 1937, the coast guard cutter Itasca drifted on the Pacific Ocean, waiting... listening..."

Summary: Tells the story of Amelia Earhart's life - as a child, a woman, and a pilot - and describes the search for her missing plane. Includes bibliographical references (p. 112-116) and index.

Schwartz & Wade Books; 118 pages

Freedom Stone by Jeffrey Kluger

2011-03-28T20:04:00.007-04:00

"There were two kinds of slaves on the plantation Lillie and her family called home: those who could sleep on the night before the slave seller came and those who couldn't."

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Summary: After her father is killed during a Civil War battle, and the army accuses him of being a thief, a young slave girl is determined to prove him innocent and magically travels to the battle in which her father died to find out the true story.

Philomel Books; 314 pages

Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone

2011-03-23T10:09:00.007-04:00

"I was always told that my dad, Danny, loved danger."

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Summary: During World War II, eleven-year-old Felicity is sent from London to Bottlebay, Maine, to live with her grandmother, aunt, uncle, and a reclusive boy who helps her decode mysterious letters that contain the truth about her missing parents.

Scholastic; 296 pages

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

2011-03-19T08:45:00.002-04:00

"It was a hot, sunny day when I met that crazy chicken."

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Summary: A hard-bitten former search-and-rescue dog helps solve a complicated missing chicken case.

Illustrations by Kevin Cornell.

Publisher: Balzer + Bray; 119 pages

Music Was IT - Young Leonard Bernstein by Susan Goldman Rubin

2011-03-17T10:16:00.004-04:00

"From the start Leonard loved music."

Summary: Biography of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. Includes bibliographical references, discography, and index.

Publisher: Charlesbridge; 178 pages

The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier

2011-03-10T20:03:00.004-05:00

"Trei was fourteen the first time he saw the Floating Islands."

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Summary: The adventures of two teenaged cousins who live in a place called The Floating Islands, one of whom is studying to become a mage and the other one of the legendary island flyers.

Alfred A. Knopf; 388 pages

Reinvention of Bessica Lefter by Kristen Tracy

2011-02-28T13:22:00.006-05:00

"I stared into the dark, cavernous hole with my best friend, Sylvie."

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Summary: Eleven-year-old Bessica's plans to begin North Teton Middle School as a new person begin to fall apart even before school begins.

Delacorte Press; 305 pages

Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt

2011-02-27T20:18:00.005-05:00

"I'm not finished foraging," Fredle protested.

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Summary: Fredle, a young mouse cast out of his home, faces dangers and predators outside, makes some important discoveries and allies, and learns the meaning of freedom as he struggles to return home.

Alfred A. Knopf; 227 pages

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han

2011-02-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

"When I woke up that morning and saw the red and gold leaves swirling around my backyard, I just knew it was gonna be my kind of day."

The summary is hidden because it may contain spoilers. If you would like to read the full summary, simply use your cursor to highlight the next few lines and it will magically appear.

Summary: Korean American fourth-grader Clara Lee longs to be Little Miss Apple Pie, and when her luck seems suddenly to change for the better, she overcomes her fear of public speaking and enters the competition.

Little Brown; 147 pages

The Star Maker by Laurence Yep

2011-02-23T21:16:00.015-05:00

"When I was a boy, Chinese people had to live in Chinatown."

The summary is hidden because it may contain spoilers. If you would like to read the full summary, simply use your cursor to highlight the next few lines and it will magically appear.

With the help of his popular Uncle Chester, a young Chinese American boy tries hard to fulfill a promise to have firecrackers for everyone on the Chinese New Year in 1954. Includes an afterword with information about the Chinese customs portrayed in the story.

Harper; 100 pages

It's Time!!

2011-02-23T20:53:00.005-05:00

It's time to start reading 2011 titles, thinking & talking about them, and posting possibilities for the 2012 Newbery! As always, you are absolutely encouraged to post suggestions of titles you think should be included; just add them in the comments section. If you prefer, you can email your suggestions to mvoors@acpl.info.

Throughout the year, we will be posting a variety of 2011 titles on this blog with an eye towards finding this year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." It promises -- as always -- to be a fun task. Thanks for joining us!

2011 Newbery Winner and Honor Books

2011-01-21T16:23:00.009-05:00

On Monday, January 10th, the winner of the 2011 Newbery Medal was announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego.

Moon Over Manifest
by Clare Vanderpool
is the very worthy recipient of this year's Newbery Medal.

Four Honor Books were also named. They are...

Turtle in Paradise
by Jennifer L. Holm

Heart of a Samurai
by Margi Preus

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night
by Joyce Sidman
illustrated by Rick Allen

One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia

Congratulations to all the winners!

2011 ACPL Mock Newbery Winners

2010-12-11T17:20:00.004-05:00

After a full morning of discussion, we reached a decision on our Mock Newbery winners for the year:

The 2011 ACPL Mock Newbery is awarded to Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Our group selected four honor books:

They Called Themselves the K.K.K. - The Birth of An American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia