Newbery Winners 2014

Newbery Winners 2014

The 2014 Newbery winners were announced in January of this year. This award is given to the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children from the previous year. Since the end of January, I have been attempting to read this year’s winners. Each year, one book is honored as the Newbery book of the year and one or more books are given a Newbery Honor distinction. This year, there were four honor books, which has become a trend over the last several years. Here is my review of four of these five distinguished books.

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Flora is a young girl whose parents are separating. Flora is left to live with her mother, who is not the kindest mother on the planet. When Flora discovers a squirrel who can type and write poetry (who she names Ulysses), her father and her neighbors help her to make Ulysses into a superhero. While I love most of DiCamillo’s books (Because of Winn Dixie in particular), I am not a big fan of Flora and Ulysses. The parents are useless and the neighbor lady, while helpful to Flora, is somewhat of a dithering fool. Flora’s age-mate is William Spiver who has a case of hysterical blindness. No one in this story shows great affection for any other character, in fact there is a great deal of angst throughout, until the end, which is all neatly tied up in a bow. Flora’s mother has a change of heart and seems to appreciate Flora, William Spiver can see, and everyone agrees that Ulysses is a superhero.

Honor Books

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

I loved this book and while it is a very simple story of a normal family, it is well-told, easy to read and deals well with sibling issues. Billy Miller is in second grade, feeling quite grown-up and while he is the main character of the story, this is told from four points of view. Billy gets the first section and his dad, mom and younger sister each get a section. Billy has a terrific teacher and understanding parents. His dad is a stay at home artist and his mom is a high school teacher. The only real problem in his life is his younger sister, but as Billy grows and becomes more understanding of her needs, she also grows and by the end of second grade, the problem is waning. Henkes gets the voice of a young boy perfectly, and he adds to the appeal of the book with simple line drawings. If your 7-9 year old cannot read this early chapter book on his/her own, consider it for a read aloud. Excellent choice!

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

Vawter has written a autobiographical story set in 1959 Alabama. The twelve-year-old boy, whose name is not revealed until nearly the last page, has a severe stutter, but this does not keep him from helping his friend Art with his paper route when Art is gone for the month of July. The summer before he enters Junior High is depicted with great story-telling skills. I hope Vawter plans to write more stories, as he pulled me into this one and made me feel sympathetic to almost all of the characters. As a substitute paperboy, Victor meets several new people, learns some surprising truths from those he already knows and grows into a healthy knowledge of himself. All this in a relatively short novel that is easy to read, but contains great wisdom.

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

Set in the frontier of Wisconsin in 1871, this is a complex story of sibling relationships, passenger pigeons and a woman’s right to an education. Georgie, the thirteen year old younger sister, is the voice of the story about her search for her older sister who has run away from home and is presumed dead. Given that a body has been produced, dressed in Agatha’s best dress, sewn by her mother, there is little doubt for anyone else that Agatha is dead. But, Georgie must follow the trail, leading to an encounter with a cougar, a sharp-tongued store clerk who turns out to have a heart, and a gang of counterfeiters. While fast-paced and full of action/drama, this story also addresses issues of the day with a fresh look. Spoiler alert: it turns out Agatha has run off to attend college, since her grandfather will not condone an education for a mere girl. When she finally contacts her family, there is great rejoicing! I didn’t love this story at first, but it does grow on you and there is great depth to be plumbed here.

Doll Bones by Holly Black

As I was reading this, I kept thinking, this is one weird book! First there is Zach, a tween boy who likes playing imaginative games with his two best friends, both girls. Because these games involve action figures and dolls, Zach's father is worried and throws out his dolls. Then, Alice and Poppy convince Zach to go on an overnight adventure because the Queen doll, the one they are not allowed to play with at Poppy's house, has appeared to Poppy in a dream and needs the three children to bury her ashes. It gets deeper with some paranormal events, or are they just figments of Zach's imagination? And many psychological permutations: are Zach and Alice experiencing puppy love? Is Poppy jealous of her two best friends, or is she just perennially needy for attention which she does not get at home? Will Zach's father begin to understand Zach's needs as separate from his own? All of these combine to make a good story with a fast moving plot and one that opens many doors to discussion with tweens, including issues of familial love, gender, and how to deal with strangers on the bus!

Some happy picture books for April

Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Great illustrations of a bull being a bully to other barnyard animals. It’s the goat that calls him on it, and after thinking it through, the bull apologizes and makes nice with his diminutive friends. While there is not much here, there is enough to start a conversation: what is a bully, how can we get along with everyone, and why is it not nice to tell someone he stinks, even when he is a skunk? Have fun!

The Things I Can Do by Jeff Mack

 

In the style of No, David by David Shannon, Mack has written and illustrated a cute poem in the style of a six year old artist. Good for little ones who are at that age where they say, “I can do it myself!”  Mothers and fathers will appreciate the humor and little ones will proudly learn to read these words themselves.

The Very Inappropriate Word by Jim Tobin, illustrated by Dave Coverly

Michael collects words, big words, small words and sometimes, inadvertently inappropriate words. When Michael tries out his inappropriate word, he has to stay after school and help his teacher search for more words for the spelling lesson. A good way to have the talk with your children about when and how to use words and what is acceptable and what is not. The drawings here are nicely done cartoons clearly showing Michael with a white mother and an African American father. You go, Tobin and Coverly!

Dusk by Uri Shulevitz

A boy with his dog and his grandfather with a beard go for a walk as the sun sets. What follows is both silly and profound, with poetry in both words and pictures. If you are looking for a book about almost nothing, but everything important, this is the book for you. Have fun!

Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon

Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief is quoted on the cover, “Quirky, soulful and alive… about to treasure, like a favorite song.” And he is right! Herman is a crocodile and Rosie is a deer, both live in New York City where they work and make music, until one day when bad things happen to them both and for a time, they stop making music. When they begin to make music once again, they find each other. Isn’t that what all good love stories include?

Four biographies and one almost true story

Have you noticed the wonderful biographies being published as picture books these days? Have you noticed that there still tend to be more biographies written about men than about women? Julie Cummins has done an excellent job of researching and writing the story of an Amelia Earhart contemporary, a female who was not very well known, but one whose life makes an interesting story. Hip hip hooray for Julie Cummins and for Ruth Elder! May many more women find their way into children's literature!

Along with the story of Ruth Elder, here are three more biographies of men and one almost true story!

Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared into America’s Heart

By Julie Cummins, illustrated by Malene R. Laugesen

Ruth Elder was a female pilot in the 1920s and 30s, a contemporary of Amelia Earhart. Cummins details her accomplishments and shows how this strong, adventurous woman made a place for herself in the annals of American flight. The end notes give more information about Ruth and other famous and not so famous female flyers.

Papa is a Poet: A story about Robert Frost

By Natalie S. Bober, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

While this is a cleverly illustrated picture book, the text and the context are clearly meant for older children. Told in the voice of his oldest daughter, Lesley, the story covers her early life when her father, Robert Frost, was a poet and a chicken farmer. Describing a dreamy, somewhat idyllic existence, the story also includes some worries about money and alludes to the difficulty of being a poet when everyone expects you to be more worldly successful. Upper elementary students who are studying poetry may find this a useful resource.

The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius

By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Told in short chapters, this is a comprehensive biography of George Ohr. The author uses George’s own description of himself as a duck born to a hen, when a strange egg was snuck into her next. But, when he first discovered a potter’s wheel, he felt like a duck who had found his water. Scattered throughout the book are pictures of George and his family as well as numerous pots that he designed and formed. His pottery shop was a tourist attraction at one time, with George giving demonstrations on his wheel. But, his pottery was not recognized as the art that it is until after his death. Today, there is a museum in Biloxi dedicated to his pottery. The end notes include a description of what to look for when examining a piece of pottery. Definitely for older readers.

Randolph Caldecott: The Man who Could Not Stop Drawing

By Leonard S. Marcus

A picture book is the perfect way to honor Randolph Caldecott, one of the most beloved children’s book illustrators of all time. Because of the award named after him, even very young children will recognize his name. But, this book is for older children and particularly for those who have an interest in art. As a child in the middle of the 1800s, Caldecott was not exactly encouraged in his art, and when he left a safe bank clerkship to pursue illustration, there were many who thought he had made a mistake. Marcus not only explores his life, but his illustrative style and includes numerous reproductions of Caldecott’s work in these pages. Again, a great book for middle aged readers.

A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road

By Bonnie Christensen
 

Mei, a young girl in Chang’an yearns to travel the Silk Road with her father, but must stay at home. Instead, she sends a pebble with him to be given to a child at the end of the road. The pebble changes hands many times and each person who carries it, adds another gift to be given to the child at the end. The end of the road turns out to be Torcello, within the Republic of Venice and the young boy who receives the pebble, paraphrases Mei’s words as he says, “It’s cool like the breeze, and green like seaweed, and smooth like the water.” A gentle, poetic story and one that can be enjoyed on many different levels for children of all ages.

More ainmal stories

Eat Like a Bear

By April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Jenkins is a wonderful illustrator and this book is no exception. The brown bear goes through the four seasons eating ants, berries, fish, and clover. Not for the squeamish, this simple text has the bear chasing an elk and chomping on the dried up hide of a dead bison. For all those who think we have too many stories for children about cuddly bears, this is the antidote!

The Tiger Cubs and the Chimp

By Bhagavan Antle and Thea Feldman, photographs by Barry Bland

A photo-biography of Amjana the chimp and how she helped raise two baby tigers at an animal preserve. The text is simple and to the point, but the photographs are amazing. There is an author’s note with information about the preserve and how it was founded.

Maria had a Little Llama

By Angela Dominguez

The traditional nursery rhyme is rewritten here with Maria and Llama substituted for Mary and lamb. Each page has cartoon style illustrations along with the text in both English and Spanish. A great book for a bilingual classroom, or any classroom that wants to increase their exposure to other cultures.

How to Hide a Lion

By Helen Stephens

Whimsical, playful and downright fun! How to Hide a Lion is just right for your 2 to 5 year old who has an overactive imagination! Iris successfully hides a lion who has come to town to buy a hat, but he is eventually found. What happens next? Shh! I won’t tell, but the lion lives up to Iris’ high opinion of him!

The Crocodile and the Scorpion

By Rebecca and Ed Emberley

The team that brought us the Ten Little Beasties is back with the tale of the crocodile and the scorpion. Neither of these animals is likable, nor do they have any redeeming qualities. They bite and sting, have small brains, and as it turns out, they both go back on their word. Needless to say, there is no happy ending for this pair. But, the bright blue and green paper overlay illustrations will entertain many a child (and adult) as the story is told time and again.