Newbery 1994

The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Genre: Science Fiction
Plot: Jonas lives in a Community where everything is controlled and he is chosen to be the next Receiver of Memory
Verdict: Best Book Ever!
My rating: 5 stars
**Challenged book**


Crazy Lady
Author: Jane Leslie Conly
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Vernon becomes close to the "crazy lady" down the street and her ID son Ronald.
Verdict: Sad ending
My rating: 3 stars
**Challenged Book**


Dragon's Gate
Author: Laurence Yep
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Otter comes to America from China to work on the transcontinental railroad.
Verdict: Very gritty
My rating: 3 stars


Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery
Author: Russell Freedman
Genre: Nonfiction
Plot: The story of Eleanor Roosevelt, the political activist, suffragette and wife of FDR.
Verdict: Interesting woman
My rating: 3 stars

The Giver has been my favorite since eighth grade when I read it during DEAR time after I finished my other book (I didn't pick it, the teacher did and I thought it was boring).  Today, we have the benefit of Lowry's three sequels to tell us what Jonas' fate was.  At the time I read it, (1998 or 1999), all we could do was speculate.  This is a perennial challenged book because of some of the controversial things in the book such as euthanasia.  It compares well to more recent dystopia novels like Hunger Games and Divergent and classic adult novels like Brave New World and 1984.

Crazy Lady was a bit of a surprise.  Vernon needs help with his English and finds help in an unsuspecting place: the crazy lady, Maxine and her intellectually disabled son, Ronald.  In exchange for the tutoring, Vernon helps her with yard work and forms an unlikely attachment to Ronald.  It is challenged due to some cussing (and probably also the "r" world).

I read about Dragon's Gate in the book Stories Matter before I even touched the book.  The essay compared two children's literature books about the transcontinental railroad.  Yep did extensive research for Dragon's Gate so it is quite accurate and much grittier than people would expect.  The Chinese workers and American taskmaster did not get along and cooperate.  There is constant tension.  

And sorry, fantasy fans, no actual dragons appear in Dragon's Gate.

The last book is another great narrative biography with pictures written by Russell Freedman.  This one is about Eleanor Roosevelt.

#6 - The Hero and the Crown

The Hero and the Crown
Robin McKinley
1985 Newbery Medal Winner
Fantasy

My introduction to this book was in high school.  I was in our school library with friends and my friend saw this book and told me that I had to read it.  So I picked it up....and I couldn't put it down. 

It was also my introduction to Robin McKinley, who I found out is known for her adaptations of fairy tales.  Her first novel was Beauty, an adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" (which she adapted yet again with Rose Daughter).  The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword (which is a Newbery Honor book) are not fairy tale adaptations but are high fantasy novels which take place in the imaginary land of Damar.  Hero is technically the prequel to Blue Sword, although the two can technically read in either order. 

The main character in the book is Aerin, the daughter of the king and queen.  Most of the royal family members have some form of magical powers (called "The Gift"), except for Aerin, who is teased by her other cousins, especially Galanna.  To prove that she is of royal blood, she eats a bunch of surka leaves which leaves her bedridden for quite a long time but does not kill her.  While she recovers, she forms a bond with her father's old lame warhorse, Talat and works to find the secret lost recipe of kenet, a substance that makes things fire proof.  After she recovers, she decides to go out and slay dragons.

One of the best features of McKinley's writing is her descriptive writing.  It brings the book to life.  Aerin is a very amusing and multi-dimensional character who grows immensely throughout the novel.

#7 - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Grace Lin
2010 Newbery Honor Book
Folk/Fantasy

When I started the task of reading the Newbery list, this was one of the first books I picked up from the library.  I was enchanted.  I couldn't put it down. 

Grace Lin doesn't so much tell the story as weave the story.  The main story is that is Minli, a girl who lives next to Fruitless Mountain and hopes to change her family's poor fortune by seeking the Old Man of the Moon.  The main story contains "stories within a story" that eventually connect back to the main story.  Lin makes it easy to tell when we are reading one of these by not only putting a clear title for each story but also changing the font so it is easy for the reader to see when the story ends and the main plot picks back up.  One of the best features of this book is that there is color all over the pages.  She adds small splashes of color throughout with some additional full color illustrated pages which are absolutely gorgeous. 

At the end of the book, Lin tells the story of how she ignored her Taiwanese heritage until one day she picked up a book of Chinese fairy tales that her mother had put on her bookshelf and rediscovered her culture.  She traveled to China and the surrounding areas which gave her inspiration for many of the illustrations and places in the book.  Lin has another series of books based on her life as a Taiwanese American girl (Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat and Dumpling Days) and she has written a follow up book to this book in a similar style called Starry River of the Sky. 

I feel this book was a much better book than the medal winner for 2010, When You Reach Me.  Personally, I think it was robbed.

Newbery 2000

Bud, Not Buddy
Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Bud runs away from his foster family to try to find his father.
Verdict: Great story
My rating: 4 stars


Getting Near to Baby
Author: Audrey Couloumbus
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Two sisters contemplate the death of their baby sister on their aunt's roof.
Verdict: Quite sad
My rating: 3 stars


Our Only May Amelia
Author: Jennifer L Holm
Plot: May Amelia is a tom boy in a family with all brothers
Verdict: Use quotation marks, Jennifer L. Holm!
My rating: 1 star


26 Fairmount Avenue
Author: Tomie dePaola
Plot: Tomie's parents are building a new house.
Verdict: Humorous biography
My rating: 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by Bud, Not Buddy.  The character of Bud is a well developed and interesting as he runs away from his abusive foster family during the Great Depression in search of his father.  I loved the scene with the "fake family" and also the whole jazz band which Bud runs into at the end of the book.  Getting Near to Baby is a sad story told in flashbacks about two sisters who have lost their baby sister.  I could not stand Our Only May Amelia because all of the dialogue omits quotation marks, which drove me crazy.  I may try the audio version later but I wasn't terribly intrigued by the book.

Last, but not least, we have Tomie dePaola's autobiographical novella 26 Fairmount Avenue.  I was introduced to this book in my undergrad student teaching.  I have read all eight books in this series.  Tomie was definitely a precocious child.  I think my favorite story was when he went to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.   It is a very short read with illustrations so it is a great read for children and a good beginner chapter book.

#8 - Flora and Ulysses

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Kate DiCamillo
2014 Newbery Medal Winner
Animal Fantasy

I am a huge fan of Kate DiCamillo.

I believe my first book of hers was The Tale of Despereaux (which is the 2004 Newbery Medal Winner) which I randomly picked out of the book order because I thought the cover was cute.  Or it might have been Because of Winn-Dixie.  I'm not really sure which.  My undergrad reading professor happened to know her because our college was in Minnesota and DiCamillo lives around the Twin Cities.  This is an author who struggled to get published, who still has a shoebox of the rejection letters she received for her books.

I was extremely upset when The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was passed over for any kind of Newbery recognition because it was just that awesome of a book.

Anyway, I was in Half Price Books with my husband in the spring of 2014 and I saw this book.  Since I love DiCamillo, I picked it up no questions asked.  That spring, I was also taking a graduate level reading class and when I went in for one of our extended Saturday sessions (yes, you may have to give up your Saturdays for grad school, such is life), I found out that the 2014 Newbery list was out and that the book that I had picked up on a whim was at the top of the list.  When I was done with class, I came home and devoured the book.

I know a lot of people have said negative things about this book because it's part graphic novel.  Some how graphic novels have received a bad rap and I'm not sure why.  Maybe it's because they're heavily illustrated.  Some of them are light on content, to be sure, however, there are many which take a large amount of background knowledge to fully understand (The Sandman by Neil Gaiman comes to mind).  I applaud the Newbery committee for not shunning this book just because it's illustrated.

The main character is Flora who lives with her mother and loves to read comic books.  Her neighbor, Tootie, has just been given a very powerful vacuum cleaner and has inadvertently sucked up a squirrel.  Flora resuscitates the squirrel which now appears to have superpowers despite having lost most of its fur.  The rest of the book explores Flora's relationship with her father and mother (who are divorced), Tootie's very strange and temporarily blinded grand-nephew William Spiver, Flora's father's truthsaying neighbor Dr. Meescham and the newly-Christened squirrel Ulysses who is on a quest to find his role as a squirrel with superpowers.

The plot is definitely eccentric but the characters have very real problems that they are dealing with.  You will want to break out your dictionary because DiCamillo does not shy away from using large vocabulary words that even adults may have not encountered.  The graphic novel portions of the book help to carry the plot along and are mostly used in action sequences where the reader could easily be bogged down with an overly long description of what is going on. The graphics actually fit in the context of the book because Flora is a comic book fanatic and because this is essence a superhero book starring a squirrel so it's not like they were just copied and pasted in for no reason. 

#9 - The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
2009 Newbery Medal Winner
Fantasy

My first introduction to the writing of Neil Gaiman was with his extremely popular graphic novel series The Sandman.  This series is definitely not for children, but it is a great example of how Gaiman blends mythology and legend into his writing.

I remember seeing this book at Barnes and Noble with the gold Newbery Medal gleaming on the hardcovers and I was like "I can't believe it.  Neil Gaiman won the Newbery Medal."  This is not to say that Gaiman is a bad writer, but having read some of his adult literature and I was surprised that the Newbery committee would pick a known fantasy writer like him to win the medal.  While all genres are represented on the Newbery list, the majority of the books are realistic fiction (either contemporary or historical).

I couldn't afford a copy of the book at the time so I borrowed it from the library and loved it.  Somehow, I never ended up with my own copy, which I remedied a few months ago.  I started rereading it yesterday and for a moment, I wondered if it was really as good as I remembered.

The answer is yes.

The story opens with a murder.  The man Jack murders a family but somehow misses the youngest child which escapes his crib and wanders out of the house into the local historical graveyard.  The ghost of his murdered mother cries out to the other ghosts to protect him so he is given the "Protection of the Graveyard" and given the name Nobody Owens.

The rest of the book is a series of short stories about Nobody's (or Bod's) adventures growing up in the graveyard.  He is now allowed to leave as he would lose his protections.  This makes his education difficult.  He is cared for by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, who are ghosts, and Silas, who is a vampire (although it's not expressly stated but there are clues).  Gaiman says he was inspired by The Jungle Book, which is occasionally paralleled in this book.

#10 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond

The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Elizabeth George Speare
1959 Medal Winner
Historical Fiction

I originally read this book in late grade school (probably 5th, 6th or 7th grade).  I remember checking it out from our small school library.  I have no idea why I picked it.  I wasn't a huge fan of historical fiction.  I'm sure I had to pick out some book

The School had this version.

I liked it so much I eventually picked up my own paperback copy for my personal library. 

The book is set in Puritan Connecticut.  Kit, the main character, has traveled here from Barbados because her grandfather died and she was forced to sell off all his land and possessions.  Her only remaining family is her Aunt Rachel (her mother's sister) and her Uncle Matthew.  Kit does not fit in well in this new place with her lack of experience doing hard work and her fancy dresses.  She ends up running the Dame school with her crippled cousin Mercy and after an incident there, flees to the meadow where she meets the Widow Tupper.  Widow Tupper is an eccentric old woman and a Quaker.  The town thinks she's a witch. Therefore, it would be a good idea for Kit not to associate with her.

There are three male characters of note.  Nat is the son of the captain of the ship that ferried Kit to Connecticut.  William Ashby seems to have his eye on Kit.  John Holbrook is studying with the Dr. Rev. Bulkeley and seems to have his eye on Judith, Kit's older cousin.

Re-reading this book as a adult, I noticed more of the historical context than I probably noticed as a child.  I understand more of the Puritan culture and the political landscape surrounding the loyalists.  I recognized the poetry of Anne Bradstreet which I studied in high school.  The subplot with the charter is based on historical facts as well.  I recently subbed in an eighth grade class reading this book and I'm not sure the students understood the historical context (if they did, they either didn't pay attention, or played the fool, it's hard to tell when you are the sub).  I enjoyed re-reading this book.  The plot is still great, the characters are developed and the heroine is spunky.

As for Speare, she is one of the few authors to win the Newbery twice.  She also has one honor book as well.

Historical Fiction

Historical fiction a is type of realistic fiction that is set in the past.  Historical fiction may be set at a specific time or during a general era of time.  Some authors choose to write fictionalized accounts of actual people from the past.  Many times, authors will write about their own life or one of their ancestors. 

Many older contemporary realistic fiction books have been re-categorized as historical fiction because of their age. 

Whatever the setting, it is important that the setting and characters be realistic and credible.  The best historical fiction has been thoroughly researched by the author.  Often, actual historical events and people will be woven into the fictional story.  Some authors choose to try to use authentic language, however, many will modify it because it is often difficult to read by modern readers.  If the books contain illustrations, these should be historically accurate as well.

- Information taken from Galda and Cullinan's Literature and the Child

Newbery books that are historical fiction:

• One Came Home (Wisconsin - 1871) - Amy Timberlake (2014)
• Paperboy (Memphis - 1959) - Vince Vawter (2014)
• Dead End in Norvelt (Norvelt, Pennsylvania - 1960s) - Jack Gantos (2012)
• Inside Out & Back Again (Saigon/U.S. - Vietnam War) - Thanhha Lai (2012)
• Breaking Stalin's Nose (USSR - Cold War) - Eugene Yelchin (2012)
• Moon Over Manifest (Manifest, KS - 1918/1936) - Clare Vanderpool (2011)
• Turtle in Paradise (Key West - 1935) - Jennifer L. Holm (2011)
• Heart of a Samurai (Imperial Japan - 1841) - Margi Preus (2011)
• One Crazy Summer (Oakland, CA - 1968) - Rita Williams-Garcia (2011)
• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Fentress, Texas - 1899) - Jacqueline Kelly (2010)
• The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (Civil War) - Rodman Philbrick (2010)
• Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village (Europe - Middle Ages) - Laura Amy Schlitz (2008)
• Elijah of Buxton (Buxton, Canada - mid-1800s) - Christopher Paul Curtis (2008)
• The Wednesday Wars (Long Island, NY - 1967) - Gary D. Schmidt (2008)
• Penny from Heaven (Brooklyn - 1953) - Jennifer L. Holm (2007)
• Hattie Big Sky (Montana - 1917) - Kirby Larson (2007)
• Kira-Kira (Georgia - 1950s) - Cynthia Kadohata (2005)
• Al Capone Does My Shirts (Alcatraz Island - 1935) - Gennifer Choldenko (2005)
• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (Malaga Island, Maine - 1911) - Gary D. Schmidt (2005)
• Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Europe - Middle Ages) - Avi (2003)
• A Single Shard (Imperial Japan) - Linda Sue Park (2002)
• A Year Down Yonder (rural Illinois - 1937) - Richard Peck (2001)
• Bud, Not Buddy (Flint - Great Depression) - Christopher Paul Curtis (2000)
• Our Only May Amelia (Washington - 1899) - Jennifer L. Holm (2000)
• A Long Way from Chicago (rural Illinois - 1929-1942) - Richard Peck (1999)
• Out of the Dust (Oklahoma - 1934-1935) - Karen Hesse (1998)
• The Midwife's Apprentice (Europe - Middle Ages) - Karen Cushman (1996)
• Catherine Called Birdy (Europe - Middle Ages) - Karen Cushman (1995)
• Dragon's Gate (California - 1867) - Laurence Yep (1993)
• The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Atlantic Ocean - 19th century) - Avi (1991)
• Number the Stars (Copenhagen - 1943) - Lois Lowry (1990)
• Sarah, Plain and Tall (western U.S. - late 19th century) - Patricia MacLachlan (1986)
• The Sign of the Beaver (North America - 18th century) - Elizabeth George Speare (1984)
• Homesick: My Own Story (China - 1920s) - Jean Fritz (1983)
• A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832 (1830-1832 - New Hampshire) - Joan W. Blos (1980)
• Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry (Mississippi - 1933) - Mildred D. Taylor (1977)
• Sing Down the Moon (New Mexico - 1800s) - Scott O'Dell (1971)
• Sounder (Deep South - 19th Century) - William H. Armstrong (1970)
• The Black Pearl (Mexico) - Scott O'Dell (1968)
• Up a Road Slowly (U.S. - mid 20th century) - Irene Hunt (1967)
• Shadow of a Bull (Spain - mid 20th century) - Maia Wojciechowska (1965)
• Across Five Aprils (Ohio - American Civil War) - Irene Hunt (1965)
• Men of Athens (Ancient Greece) - Olivia Coolidge (1963)
• The Bronze Bow (Judea - time of Christ) - Elizabeth George Speare (1962)
• Island of the Blue Dolphins (Channel Islands - 1800s) - Scott O'Dell (1961)
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Wethersfield, Connecticut - 1687) - Elizabeth George Speare (1959)
• The Family Under the Bridge (Paris) - Natalie Savage Carlson (1959)
• Rifles for Watie (Kansas - American Civil War) - Harold Keith (1958)
• Miracles on Maple Hill (Edinboro, Pennsylvania - 1950s) - Virginia Sorensen (1957)
• Courage of Sarah Noble (Connecticut - 18th century) - Alice Dalgliesh (1955)
• King of the Wind (Arabia - 1700s) - Marguerite Henry (1949)
• These Happy Golden Years (De Smet, South Dakota - 1882-1885) - Laura Ingalls Wilder (1944)
• Rufus M. (Cranbury, Connecticut - World War I) - Eleanor Estes (1944)
• The Middle Moffat (Cranbury, Connecticut - World War I) - Eleanor Estes (1944)
• Little Town on the Prairie (De Smet, South Dakota - 1880-1881) - Laura Ingalls Wilder (1942)
• Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison () - Lois Lenski (1942)
• Call it Courage (Pacific Islands) - Armstrong Sperry (1941)
• The Long Winter (De Smet, South Dakota - 1881) - Laura Ingalls Wilder (1941)
• By the Shores of Silver Lake  (De Smet, South Dakota - 1870s) - Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940)
• On the Banks of Plum Creek (Plum Creek, Minnesota - 1870s) - Laura Ingalls Wilder (1938)
• Caddie Woodlawn (Dunnville, Wisconsin - 1860s) - Carol Ryrie Brink (1936)
• Day on Skates: The Story of a Dutch Picnic (Holland) - Hilda Von Stockum (1935)
• Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze (China - 1920s) - Elizabeth Lewis (1933)
• Calico Bush (Maine - Pioneer era) - Rachel Field (1932)

Celebration! The 200 book mark!

I figured that hitting 200 books off the list was a pretty large milestone.  To celebrate, I've decided to talk about some of my absolute favorite books off the Newbery list in a top ten list plus one extra.

What makes a good book?  I love it when a book just grabs you and doesn't want to let you go.  You're almost sad when it ends because you have no more book to read.  I make a sort of "mini movie" in my head as I read a book, so I love books which make that process extremely easy with great descriptions and a flowing plot.  I also love fleshed out characters. 

Some of these books have been favorites from mine for a long time, having originally been read in grade school or high school.  Some of these books are new favorites.  I am re-reading each book before posting, as I find that re-reading some of these Newbery books as an adult has changed my perspective on several books or made me like it even more.

So, over the next few weeks, watch for my top 10 Newbery favorites (plus 1).

Newbery 1976

The Grey King
Author: Susan Cooper
Genre: Fantasy
Plot: Will teams up with an albino boy to continue his quest.
Verdict: Lots of Welsh mythology
My rating: 3 stars


The Hundred Penny Box
Author: Sharon Bell Mathis
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Michael's Aunt Dew has a box with a hundred pennies for each year of her life.
Verdict: Interesting short story
My rating: 3 stars


Dragonwings
Author: Laurence Yep
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Moon Shadow and his father survive the San Francisco earthquake
Verdict: Expertly researched multicultural writing
My rating: 3 stars

The Grey King is the fourth book in the series "The Dark is Rising."  I always try to read the proceeding books in a series when the Newbery winner is not book number one (it doesn't always happen because sometimes I'm unaware there is a series until I have the book mostly read).  The series is a low fantasy series, with lots of Welsh mythology.  There is one book after this which I did read but this book is probably the best in the series. 

The Hundred Penny Box is a longer picture book which can easily be read in one sitting.  The main character is Michael who enjoys having his Aunt Dew (who really is a great aunt) tell him about the hundred pennies in her "Hundred Penny Box."  She has one for each year of her life.  It touches on memory and treasured objects.

Laurence Yep is an author you will see mentioned if you are looking for culturally relevant and accurate children's multicultural literature.  He spent years researching his books and you will find them gritty in comparison to other books which try to make all cultures friendly.  In this book, Moon Shadow and his father work at a laundry in San Francisco right before the big earthquake.  His father wants to build a flying machine.  A parting note: if you are a fantasy dragon lover, you will find absolutely no mythical dragons in Yep's writing, despite the title.

Newbery 1983

Dicey's Song
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Dicey and her siblings adjust to life with their grandmother.
Verdict: A book of struggles
My rating: 4 stars


The Blue Sword
Author: Robin McKinley
Genre: Fantasy
Plot: Harry is kidnapped by the Hillfolk and taught to wield the Blue Sword.
Verdict: Great fantasy
My rating: 3 stars


Doctor De Soto
Author: William Steig
Genre: Fantasy
Plot: A dentist mouse outwits a fox.
Verdict: Mice are clever
My rating: 3 stars


Graven Images
Author: Paul Fleischman
Genre: Folk
Plot: Three short stories involving statues.
Verdict: He didn't nail the endings
My rating: 2 stars


Homesick: My Own Story
Author: Jean Fritz
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Based on the author's experience of being raised in China, to American parents and then moving to America.
Verdict: Rides the nonfiction/fiction line
My rating: 3 stars


Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush
Author: Virginia Hamilton
Genre: Fantasy
Plot: Tree is in love with a ghost.
Verdict: Interesting ghost story
My rating: 3 stars

Dicey's Song is the second book in the Tillerman Cycle.  I would definitely read the first book, Homecoming, before reading this book.  The third book, A Solitary Blue, is also a Newbery Honor book.  I enjoyed all three of these books.  The series chronicles Dicey and her siblings who are abandoned by their mother and must fend for themselves while trying to find a relative to take them in.  Eventually, by the second book, they end up with their grandmother and each faces a particular challenged in adjusting to his or her new life. 

Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors.  She is known for her retellings of fairy tales but her two Newbery books The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown take place in the land of Damar, a place of her own imagining.  The Blue Sword was written first takes place after the events of The Hero and the Crown however, the books can be read in either order.  This book starts a little slow before launching into epic fantasy. 

William Steig is one of the few authors who shows up on both the Newbery and Caldecott lists.  One of his most popular books is Shrek! which was eventually turned into a movie loosely based on the book.  Doctor De Soto is a regular illustrated picture book featuring his signature art. 

Having enjoyed Fleischman's Joyful Noise poetry collection, I had high hopes for this book.  It is a collection of three folk-esque stories.  But the endings just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story, in my opinion.  The stories were a bit muddled and didn't quite build to fit his interesting plot twists.  Having read other traditional folk stories, I appreciated his effort.  On another interesting note, his father, Sid Fleischman, won the Newbery for The Whipping Boy making it the only father-son pair to win on the list.

Homesick really rides the line between fiction and nonfiction.  The author based the book on her own experience as an American girl growing up in China, but she added fictional details.  It would make for an interesting discussion about when a book crosses that imaginary line (in other words, how much embellishment can you add to a biography before it ceases to be nonfiction).

The last book on the list is by the very famous African American author Virginia Hamilton.  I admit, I've struggled with her other books.  She is true to her African American roots and that can make her writing hard to understand for readers who are not African American.  I found her characters very interesting.

Newbery 1987

The Whipping Boy
Author: Sid Fleischman
Genre: Fantasy
Plot: Jemmy, the whipping boy, runs away with Prince Brat and has an adventure.
Verdict: Not "The Prince and the Pauper"
My rating: 3 stars


A Fine White Dust
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Peter becomes attached to the traveling Preacher Man at the local revival.
Verdict: Kind of wishy washy
My rating: 2 stars


On My Honor
Author: Marion Dane Bauer
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Joel is unsure what to do when a tragedy happens.
Verdict: Short and sad
My rating: 3 stars
**Challenged**


Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens
Author: Patricia Lauber
Genre: Nonfiction
Plot: A description of the Mount St. Helens eruption and an account of the scientists documenting the ecology's recovery.
Verdict: Extremely interesting
My rating: 4 stars

At first glance, The Whipping Boy seems to be a sort of "The Prince and the Pauper" tale  Jemmy is plucked off the streets to be with the horrible Prince Brat.  However, Jemmy does not look a thing like the Prince and his only job is to be whipped whenever the prince does something wrong (which is horrible discipline because the prince learns absolutely nothing).  Then, Prince Brat runs away and Jemmy is kind of forced to go with him (or face severe punishment).  The book is extremely short but I can see why it won the Medal this year.

The next two books are both realistic fiction with some very deep themes.  A Fine White Dust is told by Peter, who is a Christian but his parents are not and his friend is a confirmed atheist.  One day, a revival comes to town and he is extremely attracted by the traveling Preacher Man, with whom he can talk about spiritual matters, something he has not been able to do.  However, a betrayal is in the works.  On My Honor is about two boys who go for a bike ride until one boy decides to go for a swim instead.  When tragedy strikes, the other boy is not sure what to do.  This book is on the ALA's challenged list for the 1990-1999 decade.

The last book is actually my favorite.  Volcano chronicles the famous and devastating eruption of Mount St. Helens.  Then, the rest of the book talks about the scientists who stayed on the mountain, which was preserved for scientific study, to watch how nature recovered. 

Newbery 1982

A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers
Author: Nancy Willard
Genre: Poetry
Plot:  This picture book is of a fictional inn based on the poetry of William Blake
Verdict: A bit strange
My rating: 3 stars


Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Author: Beverly Cleary
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Ramona's father is in school and Ramona tries to survive third grade.
Verdict: Classic Ramona
My rating: 3 stars


Upon the Head of the Goat: A Childhood in Hungary 1939-1944
Author: Aranka Siegal
Genre: Nonfiction
Plot: The author's memories of being a Jew in Hungary during World War II.
Verdict: Powerful
My rating: 3 stars

The 1982 Newbery books are completely different from each other. 

The winner, A Visit to William Blake's Inn is the only book that I know of to get on the Newbery and Caldecott lists simultaneously (several authors have books on both lists but for separate books).  Before reading it, I recommend reading  Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience by William Blake so that the book will make more sense.  It is a short read, being a picture book of poetry, and after my first read, I had to go find both books on Open Library before rereading the book and it made a bit more sense the second time.  I think it is one of the oddest most unique books on the Newbery list.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is the sixth book in Cleary's Ramona series.  I have seen some call it dated, but I did not find it to be dated personally as I read it.  It might be because it was published only a few years before I was born so I am not too far removed from the timeframe of the book.  Many of the trials Ramona goes through are still relevant, such has having a parent in college and struggling financially.

Upon the Head of the Goat is definitely the serious book of this year.  It is based on the author's experiences as a Jewish girl in Hungary during World War II.  The book ends before the family is sent to a concentration camp.  Hungary was the last country to persecute its Jewish population.  The author's mother is definitely a strong and intelligent woman. 

Newbery 1993

Missing May
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Summer's Aunt May dies suddenly and her Uncle Ob seeks a spiritualist to local her spirit.
My rating: 2 stars


What Hearts
Author: Bruce Brooks
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: We see four episodes of Asa's childhood.
My rating: 2 stars


The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural
Author: Patricia McKissack
Genre: Folk Fiction
Plot: This book is a collection of African American folk/ghost stories.
My rating: 3 stars


Somewhere in the Darkness
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Jimmy's father, Crab, comes home to take his estranged son on a road trip.
My rating: 3 stars

Three of the four books this year are realistic fiction and all three are rather dark.  Missing May deals with the death of Summer's aunt, What Hearts deals with Asa's parents divorcing and Asa's tumultuous relationship with his mother's new boyfriend and Somewhere in the Darkness deals with Jimmy's escaped convict father who has a serious illness.  The Dark-Thirty is the wildcard in the bunch since it is a collection of Southern and African American folk stories.  It would be a great, diverse "spooky" read for around Halloween. 

Overall, this was a bit of a lackluster year of Newbery reads for me.  None of the books reached out and grabbed me.  The only one I found remotely interesting was The Dark-Thirty. 

Newbery 1978

Bridge to Terabithia
Author: Katherine Paterson
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Jess and Leslie create the imaginary land of Terabithia.
Verdict: Bring Kleenix
My rating: 3 stars


Ramona and her Father
Author: Beverly Cleary
Genre: Realistic fiction
Plot: Ramona's father loses his job and the Quimby family must downsize.
Verdict: Not dated
My rating: 3 stars


Anpao: An American Indian Odessey
Author: Jamake Hightower
Genre: Folk tale
Plot: Anpao goes on a quest to find the Sun and ask him for the hand of the girl he loves.
Verdict: Interesting read
My rating: 3 stars

The Newbery Medal winner for this year is Bridge to Terabithia which is quite a popular book and is also on the banned list.  The author, Katherine Paterson, is a two-time medal winner (her other book is Jacob Have I Loved).  I remember reading this in sixth grade and having to build Terabithia as our book project (I did it with my best friend and of course, ours had a real moat).  Among the reasons for this book being "banned" is the fact that someone dies, saying "lord" outside of prayer and the fact that Leslie and her parents don't go to church.  The grade school I attended was a very conservative Christian school, yet we still read it and no one raised a fuss.  To this day, I still don't understand why people go above and beyond to "ban" certain books.  Overall, it's a great book.

The next book is Ramona and her Father by Beverly Cleary out of her popular Ramona series.  This time the family is in financial trouble causing some humorous stories as the girls try to get their father to quit smoking and the cat protests his cheap food.

Anpao was an interesting read.  It takes a bunch of Native American folk stories and weaves them into one big story.  I thought it was interesting and it was easy to understand.  However, there is a bit of controversy with the author.  He has authored several Native American books and claimed to be Native American, however, there is some controversy over whether or not he is actually Native American.

Newbery 1984

Dear Mr. Henshaw
Author: Beverly Cleary
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Leigh writes to his favorite author about the problems in his life.
Verdict: Extremely witty
My rating; 4 stars


The Sign of the Beaver
Author: Elizabeth George Speare
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Matt is rescued by Native Americans after he is left to tend his family's new house by himself in the wilderness.
Verdict: Interesting story of survival
My rating: 4 stars


A Solitary Blue
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: A parallel novel/sequel telling the story of Jeff, and his interesting childhood.
Verdict: I don't like Jeff's mother
My rating: 4 stars


Sugaring Time
Author: Kathryn Lasky
Genre: Nonfiction
Plot: A narrative nonfiction about a family harvesting sap for maple syrup
Verdict: Interesting process
My rating: 3 stars


The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree
Author: Bill Britt
Genre: Fantasy
Plot: Three children and a shopkeeper buy wishes which go terribly wrong.
Verdict: Be careful what you wish for
My rating: 3 stars

I was happy to finally cross 1984 off my list.  It's the year I was born so I was interested to see what books were awarded that year.  There were some really good books this year and several frequent Newbery authors.

First, we have Beverly Cleary, who is well known for her Ramona books, two of which have Newbery honors.  Her medal winning book this year, Dear Mr. Henshaw, is not related to Ramona but is told entirely in letters that Leigh writes to Mr. Henshaw, his favorite author.  I never read this book as a child (because I thought the cover looked boring) but I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult.  It is extremely witty.

Our next perennial author is Elizabeth George Speare, who is in the "two medal" club for her previous books The Witch of Blackbird Pond and The Bronze Bow.  This is another great historical fiction book about a boy, Matt, who is left alone at his family's new house while his father goes to get his mother and sisters.  Things don't go well for Matt and he ends up being rescued by Native Americans.  This book gets a lot of flack for not being culturally relevant.  I didn't think it presented his "Indian" rescuers in a poor light.  I found it to be a great story about becoming friends with someone who is totally different.  Still, it may not be a bad idea to see what has been said about its authenticity (just make sure it's a credible source).  Even if it has issues, there are other books on the Newbery list that are far far worse.

Our third repeat author is Cynthia Voigt for the third book in the Tillerman Cycle, A Solitary Blue.  I actually enjoyed this book more than her first two books which focused on Dicey's family.  It's a sort of parallel novel/sequel because it shows Jeff's childhood (which takes place long before book 2, Dicey's Song) but ends after the events of Dicey's Song.  I really despised Jeff's mother and I know someone in my life who is much like her.  I felt sorry for his dad at times who really didn't know how to be a father but I was happy to see him grow into the role and finally develop a good relationship. 

Sugaring Time is kind of the odd duck for this year.  It's a short nonfiction book about harvesting maple syrup.  It was interesting but it doesn't seem to stack up to the other books from this year.  It would be a nice book to pair with Miracles on Maple Hill if you wanted to look closer at harvesting maple trees.

The last book on this list was kind of creepy.  The Wish Giver is a cautionary tale about three kids and a shopkeeper who buy wishes at a fair.  When the children begin to make their wishes, things get really really bad.  I was not surprised to find it on the challenged list because of its "devil association."  Still, it's not a bad book (the moral of which is be careful what you wish for).

Newbery 1992

Shiloh
Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Genre: Realistic fiction
Plot: Marty hides a dog from its abusive owner.
Verdict: A dog story
My rating: 3 stars


Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel
Author: Avi
Genre: Realistic fiction
Plot: Philip gets suspended for singing "The Star Spangled Banner" in school.
Verdict: Interesting novel format
My rating: 4 stars


The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane
Author: Russell Freedman
Genre: Nonfiction
Plot: The true story of how the Wright brothers invented the first airplane.
Verdict: Interesting history
My rating: 3 stars

Only three books on the list for this year, but two of the authors are regulars on the Newbery list.

First, we have Shiloh, which is a story about a boy who finds a dog who is being abused and hides him.  I think I may have read this book as a child in school as it seemed very familiar. 

Then, we have Avi.  Avi is one of the most diverse writers that I have ever read.  He writes across genres and there's a good reason why he has been honored by Newbery three times.  Nothing But the Truth is told through conversations, memos and letters which is a very interesting format. 

Then there is Russell Freedman, perennial nonfiction writer.  He has also been honored by Newbery several times.  His books are wonderful nonfiction narratives that are easy to follow and understand with lots of illustrations and are perfect for classroom use.  He definitely made the story of the Wright Brothers accessible. 

Newbery 1990

Number the Stars
Author: Lois Lowry
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Annemarie and her family hide Ellen, who is a Jew, in WWII Denmark.
Verdict: Not my favorite Lowry book
My rating: 3 stars


Afternoon of the Elves
Author: Janet Taylor Lisle
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Hilary gets involved with her strange neighbor Sara-Kate and her "elf" village.
Verdict: Not what it seems to be
My rating: 2 stars


Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind
Author:
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Shabanu and her family raise camels and prepare for her sister's wedding
Verdict: A bit graphic in parts
My rating: 3 stars


The Winter Room
Author: Gary Paulsen
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Plot: Eldon passes the winter by listening to his uncle's stories.
Verdict: Short and sweet
My rating: 3 stars

None of the books from this year really stand out for me.  I love Lois Lowry's writing but Number the Stars is actually not one of my favorites from her.  I can see why it won the medal because of it's ties to the Holocaust and everything but in my opinion, she's written better.  She is one of the few, two-time medal winners, winning again in 1994 for The Giver (which is my favorite book).

Afternoon of the Elves sets itself up to be like Bridge to Terebithia with a potential door to another world which never appears.  What is actually going on with Sara-Kate is really dark and does not come out until the very end.  Shabanu is also very dark.  I was very surprised that is not on the challenged list because parts of it are a bit graphic for a children's book (there's an attempted rape).  It is one of the few books that deals with Islam in more than a passing sense on the Newbery list.  I read that it has been criticized by Muslims for not being an accurate portrayal of modern marriage customs.   I put off reading The Winter Room because I am not a fan of Gary Paulsen but this book was not bad.  It is extremely short. 

Newbery 2001

A Year Down Yonder
Author: Richard Peck
Genre: Historical fiction
Plot: Mary Alice must stay with her grandmother for a year.
Verdict: I love the grandmother
My rating: 4 stars


Hope Was Here
Author: Joan Bauer
Genre: Realistic fiction
Plot: Hope and her aunt move to Wisconsin to help with a diner and become involved in a mayoral race.
Verdict: A study in waitressing and politics
My rating: 3 stars


Because of Winn-Dixie
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Genre: Realistic fiction
Plot: A story about a girl and her dog who struggles with the fact that her mother left her.
Verdict: DiCamillo's first is a keeper
My rating: 3 stars


Joey Pigza Loses Control
Author: Jack Gantos
Genre: Realistic fiction
Plot: Joey goes to live with his dad for the summer.
Verdict: Surprisingly gritty
My rating: 3 stars


The Wanderer
Author: Sharon Creech
Genre: Realistic fiction
Plot: Sophie, her three uncles and two cousins travel the Atlantic on a boat to visit their ailing Bompie in England.
Verdict: A bit flat
My rating: 2 stars

This year was a lot of contemporary realistic fiction, with the exception of A Year Down Yonder, which is historical fiction. 

A Year Down Yonder is a continuation of the 1999 Honor Book A Long Way from Chicago.  This time it's only Mary Alice staying with her crazy grandmother.  It's a great sequel and very deserving of the medal.  Hope Was Here is an interesting mix of politics and waitressing, told in first person. Because of Winn-Dixie is not my favorite Kate DiCamillo book but it deserves special mention.  DiCamillo tried many times to get a book published and this was the first one that anyone would take (obviously, this was in the days before self-publication became easier).  Not many first time authors get on the Newbery list straight out of the gate.  Joey Pigza Loses Control was a very interesting read.  A lot of crazy stuff takes place but parts of it are very disturbing.  Joey's father thinks he can quit being ADHD by going cold turkey on his medication.  Finally, we have The Wanderer.  I liked the fact that this book is told through the journals of two separate characters and also the fact that one of the characters is adopted but I thought the plot fell a little flat.  It's sad because I like a lot of Sharon Creech's other books.