Michael L Printz Award

If you have been reading my posts you probably know by now that the Printz award is my favorite book award. Here is why. Just about every book I read that is a Printz honor or award winner is awesome! The award is relatively new and so I only have to read back ten years to finish all the books and I like that in a list. I am 28 percent done with the list as of today! Yalsa (Young Adult Library Services Association) puts out the list every year. Three cheers for Yalsa!! Oh and if you haven't noticed I crossed out the books I have read so far. I will post an update on my progress every six months or so. Also take a look around my blog for Printz book reviews I have done.


The List

2010

Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
Punkzilla by Adam Rapp
Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes

2009

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan


2008

The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox
One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke
Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins
Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill


2007

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; Volume I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Surrender by Sonya Hartnett
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


2006

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Black Juice by Margo Lanagan
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography by Elizabeth Partridge
A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson


2005

how i live now by Meg Rosoff
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt


2004

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Keesha’s House by Helen Frost
Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler


2003

Postcards from No Man’s Land by Aidan Chambers
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos


2002

A Step From Heaven by An Na
The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art by Jan Greenberg Abrams
Freewill by Chris Lynch
True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff

2001

Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond
Many Stones by Carolyn Coman
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman


2000

Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Skellig by David Almond
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

Moby Dick Reading Challenge

It's official, I am starting to read Moby Dick on Tuesday June 15th, 2010. I sincerely hope you can read along with me. My plan is to read 100 pages in a week, with my week beginning on Tuesdays. On the following Monday is when I will blog about the chapters read. It should take approximately six weeks to finish the book. I warn you there may be spoilers in my weekly Moby blog. If you plan to participate please leave me a comment and promote it on your blog if you write one.
I am looking forward to completing this Great American Novel and then ordering my new Moby Dick T-shirt.

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Have you ever been to a graveyard and wonder what goes on after dark when the gates are locked for the night? Let me introduce you to Nobody Owens. Nobody has lived in the graveyard since he was a toddler. He followed his instincts one night when his family was murdered and was adopted by the ghosts in the graveyard. Bod Owens occupies the sphere between the living and the dead. He can communicate with both the living and the dead and belongs to both worlds.

This book is a scary adventure story. It reminded me of Harry Potter and the Jungle Book. I definitely think that Gaiman plans to write a sequel and a movie of the book is in the works. This book will appeal to middle and high school students. I think it will be too scary for the kids in upper elementary grades. The murders take place at the beginning of the book, but there are also lots of ghosts, goblins, witches and Jack. Jack is still trying to find Nobody and kill him throughout the book. It is an exciting, eclectic cast of characters and I loved thinking about what takes place in real graveyards at night that our human minds don't see.

I am totally fascinated by cemeteries and curious about all the people who rest there. When I was a little girl my aunt Sherry lived across the street from a graveyard and it became my playground whenever I came to visit. Frequently we would go for walks there or I would be sent with a cloth, a bucket and garden shears to clean off long forgotten graves. I grew up with a fascination not a fear of cemeteries. Maybe that is one of the reasons I became a history teacher, to learn about all those dead people. What an epiphany!

The Graveyard Book won the Newberry Award in 2009. It is very deserving of the award. The artwork is dark and lovely and fits the story perfectly. This is the second book I have read by Gaiman, the first was Coraline. Coraline was also an entertaining read but this book is far more superior in my mind. I think I need to read one of Gaiman's adult books. Hmmm, which one should I pick?

Book Blogger Hop

I'm in for my second round of the Book Blogger Hop. Last weekend was my first time participating and I had a lot of fun. So if you are hopping on by, I would like to extend my warmest welcome. Please consider joining my Moby Dick Read-a-long. I am starting the book on June 15th and would love to have other bloggers read and blog along with me. Please leave a comment if you can and your link as I would love to repay the visit. Have a great weekend!

Summer Reading

School is out for the summer and I have a list of books I am longing to read. As a teacher I long for June and the relaxation of summer. There are no papers to grade, no lessons to plan, no textbooks to read, no students to teach well unless you count my own children. So I have been compliling my summer TBR (to be read) list with great anticpation.

These are the books I plan to read this summer.
Pope Joan
Moby Dick
Superparenting for ADD
New Moon
Thirteen Reasons Why
The 19th Wife
Every Last One
Glass
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
Looking Glass Wars
Away Laughing on a Fast Camel

I may change my mind about some of these books because I have two gift cards to big bookstores in the area and my birthday is in two weeks. Who knows what books will demand to be read and which books will be content to sit on the shelf for awhile. Don't you just love how your TBR pile changes week to week.

I think tomorrow I will spend my first day off reading on the porch swing on my deck. Did I tell you my own children are still in school for two more days and my husband is out of town. It is absolute bliss to find TWO DAYS (8 hours per day really) of freedom. I am definitely spending part of my day reading!

Weekend Recap

I had a lot of fun this weekend participating in the book blogger hop sponsored by Crazy for Books. I gained 4 new followers this past weekend. Welcome! Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a visit.

I learned a lot in this blog hop and joined the Blog Fest which takes place on September 10th through the 12th. You definitely want to check this out at A Journey of Books or click on my link located on the side panel of my blog. Each blog that participates offers a contest and bloggers and readers blog hop and enter all the exciting contests. I hope I win something too. Really excited to be a part of it. I also joined Crazy book tours which sends out an ARC book to readers on the tour. It is a really fun idea and I can't wait to get my first book.

I also discovered that I need a blog buddy because I still have a lot to learn, including how to get the links that I add to each post to actually show up. Let me know if you want to be my blog buddy.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K.Rowling

Am I the last person on earth who has NOT read all the Harry Potter stories? I think not. Which is why I chose to review it today.

This book is the third installment of the Harry Potter legacy. I did not read this book quietly to myself, instead I spent the last six months reading the story aloud to my children. Reading aloud is one of the most important gifts of time you can give your children. If you want your children to grow up and appreciate the love of stories and be life long readers, start reading aloud every night. You will not regret it.

My children love the Harry Potter series and all that goes with it, mystery, intrigue, fantasy, humor and friendship. I am also enjoying the series and the valuable time spent with my children. The books have become a big part of our culture. But I feel as though the books are way to predictable. I keep figuring out most of the mysteries before they are revealed.

The Prisoner of Azkaban does not disappoint the reader as it continues the adventures of Harry, Hermione, and Ron at their beloved wizard school, Hogwarts. My favorite character is Hermione and she takes a bolder role in this book as she grows into a strong young woman. I love how she stands up for what she believes in and protects her friends even though she may lose them with her honesty.

My children and I read the book first and then watch the movie. So they really want to finish all the books because most of their peers have seen the films already. I am excited to continue this reading adventure and move on to the next book, but I am intimidated by its size. Reading it aloud takes longer. We read about 15 minutes every night but that is only about 6-10 pages. As a read aloud, it is ok, I have read other books that flow better. It is always fun to create a voice for the characters.

Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to Book Bloggers

This is my first book blogger hop and I am excited to take part in it. I have been blogging about 4 months now and love it. I wish I could quit my job and blog full-time. Take a look around and leave a comment with your blog site. I will definitely check out your site as well. Also consider joining my Moby Dick read-a-long. Have a great weekend!
Booksnob

American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

This book is a graphic novel that has three intertwining stories. Each story is unique and the reader has no idea how the stories interconnect until the ending.

The first story recounts the famous tale of the Monkey King. The second story recounts the story of a boy named Jim Wang. Jim Wang is American Born Chinese and struggles with his identity. The third story is about a boy named Danny who has a cousin named Chin-Kee. Chin-Kee represents the racist stereotype of the “Fresh off the Boat”(FOB) Chinese.

This is the first graphic novel to win the Printz award (my favorite award)as well as the first graphic novel to be nominated for The National Book Award and to receive an honor. The author, Gene Luen Yang is a teacher in California by day, graphic novelist by night.

I would highly recommend this book. First of all, it is rare to find the main characters in a graphic novel Chinese. The book has something for everyone. It has a bit of fantasy, a dose of reality, problems typical of teenage boys and beautiful artwork. This book would greatly appeal to young males, although I enjoyed it as a grown woman. I would definitely read another book by this author.

Moby Dick Read-a-long

Moby Dick Read-a-long 2010

Have you ever wanted to read the Great American Novel, Moby Dick? Well here is your chance. I am starting a read-a-long this month. The book is a little over 600 pages long. So I propose to read 100 pages a week for six weeks and accomplish the great feat of reading Moby Dick in its entirety. I am hoping to start reading around the week of June 14th or June 21st.

Here what inspired this reading adventure for me. Number one, I read Ahab's Wife two summers ago (700 pages) by Sena Jeter Naslund and loved every single word. It is such a beautiful book about Captain Ahab and his wife. Second, It is in the book, 1001 BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU DIE and I am busy trying to read the books on this list with a friend of mine and we agreed to read it. Third, I am intimidated by this book and so when I finish reading this book I plan to purchase myself a lovely T-Shirt from a store called OUT OF PRINT. I really, really want this T-shirt.

Look for future posts with a graphic and link. Mark your calenders for a June 15th or June 21st start date and get a copy of Moby Dick. I can't wait to take us all on a reading journey with Captain Ahab.