The American Library Association (ALA) made it’s announcement of the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults -including the Caldecott, King, Newbery, and Printz Awards this morning. And the winners are:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:

Newbery Medal winner:

• When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (my review)
  

Newbery Medal honors:

• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
• Claudette Colvin : Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
• Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

Caldecott Medal winner:

• The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
  

Caldecott Medal honors:

• All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, Illustrated by Marla Frazee (my review)
• Red Sings from Treetops : A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

Printz Award winner:

• Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Printz Award honors:

• 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 by John Barnes

These were the awards I was most curious about.  The remaining awards from the ALA website:

2011 Arbuthnot Honor Lecture

• Lois Lowry

Batchelder Award

• “A Faraway Island” written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books

Batchelder Honor Books

• “Big Wolf and Little Wolf” written by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Olivier Tallee, translated by Claudia Bedrick, published by Enchanted Lion Books

• “Eidi” written by Bodil Bredsdorff, translated by Kathryn Mahaffy, published by Farrar Straus Giroux

• “Moritito II: Guardian of the Darkness” Written by Nahoko Uehashi, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, translated by Cathy Hirano, published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Belpre (Illustrator) Award

• “Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros” illustrated by Rafael Lopez, written by Pat Mora, published by Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Belpre (Illustrator) Honor Books

• “Diego: Bigger Than Life” illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, published by Marshall Cavendish Children

• “My Abuelita” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston, published by Harcourt Children’s Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

• “Gracia Thanks” illustrated by John Parra, written Pat Mora, published by Lee and Low Books Inc.

Belpre (Author) Award

• “Return to Sender” written by Julie Alvarez, published by Alfred A. Knopf

Belpre (Author) Honor Books

• “Diego: Bigger Than Life” written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz, published by Marshall Cavendish Children

• “Federico Garcia Lorca” written by Georgina Lazaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro, published by Lectorum Publications Inc.

Carnegie Award

• “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” produced by Paul R. Gagne, Weston Woods Studios, and Mo Willems

Geisel Award

• “Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!” written and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes, published by ToON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC

Geisel Honor Books

• “I Spy Fly Guy!” written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold, published by Scholastic Inc.

• “Little Mouse Gets Ready” written and illustrated by Jeff Smith, published by published by ToON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC

• “Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends” written and illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

• “Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day” written by Kate McMullan, illustrated by R.W. Alley, published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

Odyssey Award

• “Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken” produced by Live Oak Media

Odyssey Honor Audio Books

• “In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber” produced by Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

• “Peace, Locomotion” produced by Brilliance Audio

• “We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball” produced by Brilliance Audio

Sibert Medal

• “Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream” written by Tanya Lee Stone, published by Candlewick Press

Sibert Honor Books

• “The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors” written by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani, published by Charlesbridge

• “Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11″ written and illustrated by Brian Floca, published by Richard Jackson/Atheneum Books for Young Readers

• “Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice” written by Phillip Hoose, published by Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults

• “Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal,” written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, is the King Author Book winner. The book is illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

• One King Author Honor Book was selected: “Mare’s War” by tanita s. davis and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award

• “My People,” illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr., is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Langston Hughes and published by ginee seo books, Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

• One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected: “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes and published by Disney – Jump at the Sun Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

• “The Rock and the River,” written by kekla magoon, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement

• Walter Dean Myers is the winner of this first-ever Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. Myers’ books include: “Amiri & Odette: A Love Story,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; “Fallen Angels,” published by Scholastic Press; “Monster,” published by Amistad and HarperTeen, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers; and “Sunrise Over Fallujah,” published by Scholastic Press.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience

• “Django” written and illustrated by Bonnie Christensen and published by Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, wins the award for best young children ages 0 to 10.

• “Anything but Typical” written by Nora Raleigh Baskin and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, is the winner for middle grades (ages 11-13).

• The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Marcelo in the Real World,” written by Francisco X. Stork and published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

William C. Morris Award honors a book written by a first-time author for young adults

• “Flash Burnout,” written by L.K. Madigan, is the Morris Award winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults

• Jim Murphy is the 2010 Edwards Award winner. His books include: “An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793,” published by Clarion Books; “Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; “The Great Fire,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; “The Long Road to Gettysburg,” published by Clarion Books; and “A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy,” published by Clarion Books.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States

• “A Faraway Island” is the 2010 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Swedish in 1996 as “En ö i havet,” the book was written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books.

• Three Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “Big Wolf and Little Wolf,” written by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, translated by Claudia Bedrick and published by Enchanted Lion Books; “Eidi,” written by Bodil Bredsdorff, translated by Kathryn Mahaffy and published by Farrar Straus Giroux; and “Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness,” written by Nahoko Uehashi, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, translated by Cathy Hirano and published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences

• “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope” by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
• “The Bride’s Farewell” by Meg Rosoff, published by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group
• “Everything Matters!” by Ron Currie, Jr., published by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group
• “The Good Soldiers” by David Finkel, published by Sarah Crichton Books, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• “The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir” by Diana Welch and Liz Welch with Amanda Welch and Dan Welch, published by Harmony Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House
• “The Magicians,” by Lev Grossman, published by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group
• “My Abandonment” by Peter Rock, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• “Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel,” by Gail Carriger, published by Orbit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group
• “Stitches: A Memoir” by David Small, published by W.W. Norton & Company
• “Tunneling to the Center of the Earth” by Kevin Wilson, published by Harper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.

• Lois Lowry

Information taken from this ALA press release.

So what do you think?! No surprises for When You Reach Me. I did enjoy that one.  I haven’t read any of the honors.I haven’t even heard of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick .  I LOVED All the World. My favorite picture book for 2009.  Loved it!  Excited for that one. No surprise for The Lion and the Mouse.  I have to admit, that it’s not my absolute favorite but the illustrations were amazing. We shortlisted both for the Cybils.

I haven’t read any of the Printz books. I’m feeling pretty lame. As far as the others, I’ve reviewed Gracia Thanks, Peace, Locomotion, Anything but Typical. I’ve read both The Negro Speaks of Rivers and My People which I’m holding back reviews for Black History Month. Both excellent books.  And both Langston Hughes text as well.  I do have several other books already checked out from the library but not read yet including Claudette Colvin and The Rock and the River and  The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.

Who else just put like 20 more books on hold at the library?  I officially feel like the most unread person ever.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

The American Library Association (ALA) made it’s announcement of the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults -including the Caldecott, King, Newbery, and Printz Awards this morning. And the winners are:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:

Newbery Medal winner:

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Newbery Medal honors:

• After Tupac and D. Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

• Savvy by Ingrid Law (Maw Books review)
  

• The Underneath by Kathi Appelt (Maw Books review)

• The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

Caldecott Medal winner:

• The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson illustrated by Beth Krommes

Caldecott Medal honors:

• A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever written and illustrated by Marla Frazee

• How I Learned Geography written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz

• A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

Printz Award winner:

• Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Printz Award honors:

• 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 (Maw Books review)

• Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

• Nation by Terry Pratchett

The 2009 Edwards Award which celebrates an author who makes a significant and lasting contribution to children’s literature:

• Laurie Halse Anderson! (see my review of Chains and Speak) 

These were the awards that I was most curious about.  It was fun to watch the awards with all of my Twitter friends and send congrat messages to the authors and hear their reactions. Fun!

The remaining list of winners as found on the ALA website:

2010 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecturer

Kathleen T. Horning, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)

Batchelder Award

Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., publisher of “Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit” by Nahoko Uehashi, translated from the Japanese by Cathy Hirano

Batchelder Honor Books

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., publisher of “Garmann’s Summer” written and illustrated by Stian Hole, translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett

Amulet Books, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., publisher of “Tiger Moon” written by Antonia Michaelis, translated from the German by Anthea Bell

Belpré Author Award

“The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom” by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt

Belpré Author Honor Books

“Just in Case” by Yuyi Morales, a Neal Porter Book published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership

“Reaching Out” by Francisco Jiménez, Houghton Mifflin Co.

“The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos” by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre, Children’s Book Press

Belpré Illustrator Award

“Just in Case” by Yuyi Morales, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership Press

Belpré Illustrator Honor Books

“Papa and Me” illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, written by Arthur Dorros, Rayo, and imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

“The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos” illustrated by Lulu Delacre, written by Lucia Gonzalez, Children’s Book Press

“What Can You Do with a Rebozo” illustrated by Amy Cordova, written by Carmen Tafolla, Tricycle Press, an imprint of Ten Speed Press
Carnegie Medal
Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly, Weston Woods Studios, producers of “March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World”

Geisel Award

“Are You Ready to Play Outside?” written and illustrated by Mo Willems, Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group

Geisel Honor Books

“Chicken Said, ‘Cluck!’” written by Judyann Ackerman Grant, illustrated by Sue Truesdell, HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers

“One Boy” written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, a Neal Porter Book published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership

“Stinky” written and illustrated by Eleanor Davis, The Little Lit Library, a division of RAW Junior, LLC

“Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator” written by Sarah C. Campbell, photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell, Boyds Mills Press

Odyssey Award

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” written and narrated by Sherman Alexie, produced by Recorded Books, LLC

Odyssey Honor Audiobooks

“Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady,” written by L.A. Meyer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren, produced by Listen and Live Audio, Inc.

“Elijah of Buxton” written by Christopher Paul Curtis, narrated by Mirron Willis, produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

“I’m Dirty” written by Kate and Jim McMullan, narrated by Steve Buscemi, produced by Weston Woods Studios, Inc./Scholastic

“Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale” written and narrated by Carmen Agra Deedy, produced by Peachtree Publishers

“Nation” written by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Stephen Briggs, produced by Harper Children’s Audio/HarperCollins Publishers

Sibert Medal

“We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball” written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group

Sibert Honor Books

“Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and Rediscovery of the Past” written by James M. Deem, Houghton Mifflin Company

“What to Do about Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!” written by Barbara Kerley, illusrated by Edwin Fotheringham, Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Wilder Medal

Ashley Bryan, author and illustrator of numerous books, including “Dancing Granny,” “Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum” and “Beautiful Blackbird.”

So what do I think?  I guessed The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks correctly.  I haven’t read the other Printz, although I have Jellicoe Road checked out right now from the library.  A few surprises about the Newbery.  Not surprised at all for Savvy and The Underneath, both of which I reviewed.  I have The Graveyard Book checked out right now from the library.  I guess I better read it – my first Neil Gaiman book.  I love Jacqueline Woodson, but haven’t read After Tupac and D. Foster.    As far as Caldecott, I haven’t followed new picture books that much this year but I LOVe Marla Frazee.  So happy for her.

Today, in honor of these great awards I’ll be posting reviews of all Newbery and Caldecott Award winners and honors.  So enjoy these looks into the past.

So what do you think of the books chosen?!

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Frankie likes the attention and even lands herself a senior boyfriend who is a member of an all exclusive all male secret society, whose purpose is mainly to pull off campus pranks.  But Frankie wants to be more than just the pretty girlfriend.  Frankie wants to be a part of the society.  She wants to prove that she’s just as good, if not smarter than the boys.  They don’t know that she knows about it’s existence.  She hatches a plan and what follows is a series of episodes in which she leads the boys unknowingly along on the best pranks they’ve seen in a long time.  But will it be worth it?  Or will she land herself in more trouble than what it is worth?

Overall, I liked this book.  I didn’t read to much into it and enjoyed the plot.  It was good to see a girl in a role where she’s capable, intelligent, and smart enough to pull off the pranks.  She was sassy and fun.  But, I did have a couple of problems with the characters.  I just couldn’t relate to Frankie in any way.  I just didn’t get why she wanted to be part of the secret society in the first place.  The boys in this book were just plain silly.  The secret society was just a fancy way to say that the boys got together and ate pizza and belched a lot.  I kept shaking my head, saying, why?  Why does she care so much?  And then I remembered.  Oh yeah.  She’s fifteen.  I  was fifteen once.  What we won’t do for boys when we are fifteen.  At fifteen it’s the end of the world if our love life isn’t going the way we want it to.

And her boyfriend.  I couldn’t figure out why she felt like she was in love with him.  I just didn’t see what the draw to him was.  For him, he was in it because she was eye candy on his arm.  But of course, this attribute is really what drove the story.  Frankie didn’t like being just eye candy.  She wanted to prove that she had the brains and the pretty face.

Worth checking out.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Speak

In Speak, it’s the first day of high school and Melinda has seven new notebooks, a skirt she hates and a stomachache.  This school year is going to be nothing like last year because Melinda has lost all of her friends due to the fact that she called the cops at a end of the summer party.  People hate this girl.  Due to the trauma of what happened to her at the party, Melinda becomes withdrawn, quiet, a poor student and a bafflement to her parents.  We slowly discover exactly what happened to cause Melinda to call the cops at the party.  You have a general idea of what happened and really feel sorry for Melinda, but once it’s revealed, man, you feel even more sorry for her.  I really wanted to get inside the story and kick some sense into all of the high schoolers who treated Melinda so awful.  You think you have friends, and then, bam!, they turn on you in just a second.  It’s amazing how age gives you a new perspective on the time you spent in high school.  People can be so mean to each other.  I realize that Melinda was dealing with trauma, but I really wanted her to speak up for herself!

This story was dark and serious.  I loved an author who can take a serious subject and present it so perfectly.  Highly recommended for young adults and adults alike.

Visit Laurie Halse Anderson’s website.

Ed Kennedy is a loser. All of his friends are losers. They basically sit around and pathetically play cards while he pathetically pines away with love towards one of his best friends Audrey. But he’s to pathetic to do anything about it. Ed pathetically drives a cab (although he’s underage) and comes home each day to his foul smelling dog called The Doorman. So that’s how his life goes. One pathetic day after another. But that all changes when he happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (or is is the right place at the right time) and foils a bank robbery.

Soon after this incident, Ed receives a ace in the mail with just three things written on it. Three addresses and times. It soon becomes apparent to Ed that at each of these addresses is a person in need of his help. Can he shed himself of his pathetic-ness (just seeing how many times I can use the word pathetic) and do the right thing? Does he really have something that he can offer to each person?

Upon completing his tasks, he receives another ace with more clues. After working through his tasks, he receives another. An then another. With each passing ace, his “assignments” begin to hit closer to home. He becomes less of a loser, less pathetic, and more of a person who makes a difference to those all around him.

I thought I Am the Messenger was  a great story and I enjoyed Zusak’s writing style. The con: lot’s of language but I think I was expecting that before going into it so I wasn’t surprised. I’d recommend it.

Marcus Zusak’s website here.

On a completely unrelated matter: 5 days left in my current giveaway. Click here for all the details and here for the book titles. I’m giving away 2 books to 10 winners. Each comment on any post on my blog counts as an entry. Double your entries if you mention the giveaway on your blog (or by email for non-bloggers). Enter as many times as you want.

I’d say that the first twenty pages or so are very confusing. At first, I couldn’t figure out who the narrator was and I was not used to the way in which the book was written. I finally figured out that the narrator is Death and he stops to give “announcement-like” declarations throughout the book. Once I passed this hump and got into the rhythm of the book, it was very easy to understand and read (after I wrote the majority of this review, I read other reviews, and they all seemed to mention the same thing). The writing actually became refreshing and it was a nice break, stylistically speaking, from all the other books I had been reading. This is though one of those books that, like my recent A Thousand Splendid Suns review, made me stop and think about the comforts of life which I enjoy and grateful that I have not lived in a war torn country.

To quote A Book Thief:

It’s a small story really, about, among other things:

• A girl
• Some words
• An accordionist
• Some fanatical Germans
• A Jewish fist fighter
• And quite a lot of thievery

The story begins as a young Liesel Menimger is traveling to a small town outside of Munich in Nazi Germany, the narrator Death, becomes intrigued with Liesel when her little brother dies. It is here that she steals her first book, The Gravedigger’s Handbook. He then follows and narrates her story. Liesel, is being given to foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, for reasons that she does not quite grasp nor understand. Despite the constant swearing and yelling (mostly by Rosa) Liesel is treated well and loved by her new foster parents, she makes friends with a boy named Rudy, goes to school, is taught to read by Hans, but the book becomes tense as the war begins to hit closer and closer to home and the family hids a Jew named Max in their basement.

Liesel is infatuated with words. Hans teaches her to read, and Liesel can not get enough of books and their words inside. She learns that it is words that give people power and it is words which holds the country under the control of Hitler and the Nazi party.

This story told by Death, is about death and the threat of death and the brutality of man is continually in the background. The book showcases mans ability to be brutal and the ability to have great compassion. It humanizes those who lived through World War II and teaches us how small defiance’s make a large difference.

I would highly recommend this book to everybody! One of the best reads in a long time! I was so excited to find this amazing short:

Reviews (from Bookmarks Magazine)
Hartford Courant – [Zusak] writes in a moving but never maudlin way about ordinary Germans caught up in the grim machinery of the Holocaust, who quietly and at enormous risk find ways to subvert it. … It is a testimony to Zusak’s strength and skill as a writer that the tears this story rightly evokes seem the proper tribute to this shattering, haunting book.” Carole Goldberg

Philadelphia Inquirer – If you start this novel expecting a cornball triumph-of-the-human spirit-through-the-magic-of-reading kind of experience, you’re in for a surprise. … [Liesel’s] story is remarkable in that it’s one of many equally tragic ones—and because it takes a special talent to find its moments of beauty among the rubble.” Katie Haegele

San Antonio Exp-News - An observant narrator, Death doesn’t hold back the bravery, persistence, twists of fate and love that swirls around ‘book thief’ Liesel. The ending transcends the sadness of war violence that reaches Molching through powerful emotion made possible only from all the storytelling risks author Zusak himself takes.” David Hendricks

San Francisco Chronicle – Zusak has done a useful thing by hanging the story on the experience of a German civilian, not a camp survivor, and humanizing the choices that ordinary people had to make in the face of the Führer. It’s unlikely young readers will forget what this atrocity looked like through the eyes of Death.” Reyhan Harmanci

Washington Post - The book’s length, subject matter, and approach might give early teen readers pause, but those who can get beyond the rather confusing first pages will find an absorbing and searing narrative. … Death, like Liesel, has a way with words.” Elizabeth Chang

New York Times – “Markus Zusak has not really written Harry Potter and the Holocaust. It just feels that way.” Janet Maslin

Other blogger reviews:
U Krakovianki Reviews I found the literary device of anthropomorphizing death to narrate the book to be a bit of a stumbling block. It was probably the aspect of the book that I liked the least, and yet it does work. I found Death’s constant interruptions to the story to be irritating and frustrating, but as I read, I decided that death is very much just that–an interruption to the smoothly flowing story of life. Death is constantly interrupting–telling us things that we would rather not know–and then the story moves on. The interruptions do not stop the story–it goes on. Some people are no longer part of the story, but it goes on just the same, until death interrupts again: a pattern as old as the world.
3M’s Review Each character in the book is so perfectly portrayed and so lovingly depicted. I fell in love with each one and cared deeply about what happened to them. I won’t spoil any more of the storyline, because this book is a treasure to read and to ponder over long after the final page is turned. It is a story that will stay with me for many, many years to come.

Carlo Reviews The war without the war, with the death as narrator. Interesting, but not a light reading. A good story, but not enough to keep you awake in the night. Well written, but not breathtaking. I would not suggest it, but to be completely honest it is much better than many many other books I have read lately!

Stefanie Reviews You’d think with Death as the narrator of the book and the fact that it is set in Germany during World War II that I would be prepared for a sad ending. This is one of those books where you love all the characters and even though you know how the war ends, even though you know what happens, you hope that maybe here, maybe in this book, history can be changed, people can be saved and that everything might turn out alright.

Booklogged Reviews The whole book is filled with beautiful and unexpected arrangements of words. This alone is not what makes the book so outstanding. The story is compelling. The characters are flawed but important. You love them. You care about them. You worry and cry for them. Even Death.

Links of interest: Reading guide and Marcus Zusak’s website. More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Historical Young Adult Fiction.
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers. March 14, 2006.
Hardcover, 560 pages. ISBN 0375831002
Source copy: Own
The Book Thief is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” written by Laura Amy Schlitz, is the 2008 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Candlewick.

Three Newbery Honor Books were named: “Elijah of Buxton,” by Christopher Paul Curtis, published by Scholastic; “The Wednesday Wars,” by Gary D. Schmidt, published by Clarion and “Feathers,” by Jacqueline Woodson, published by Putnam.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children. “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” illustrated by Brian Selznick, is the 2008 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Scholastic.

Four Caldecott Honor Books were named: “Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine, and published by Scholastic; “First the Egg,” illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” illustrated and written by Peter Sís, and published by Farrar/Frances Foster; and “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity,” illustrated and written by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults. “The White Darkness,” by Geraldine McCaughrean, is the 2008 Printz Award winner. The book is published by HarperTempest, an imprint of HarperCollins. Four Printz Honor Books were named: “Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet,” by Elizabeth Knox, published by Frances Foster Books, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux; “One Whole and Perfect Day,” by Judith Clarke, published by Front Street, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc.; “Repossessed,” by A. M. Jenkins, published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins; and “Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath,” by Stephanie Hemphill, published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books.

Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. “Elijah of Buxton,” written by Christopher Paul Curtis, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Scholastic. Two King Author Honor Books were selected: “November Blues,” by Sharon M. Draper, published by Atheneum Books for Young Adults and “Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali,” written by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, published by Candlewick Press.

“Let it Shine,” illustrated and written by Ashley Bryan, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Two King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “The Secret Olivia Told Me,” by N. Joy, illustrated by Nancy Devard, published by Just Us Books, and “Jazz On A Saturday Night,” by Leo and Diane Dillon, published by Scholastic Blue Sky Press.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award; “Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It,” written by Sundee T. Frazier is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. “Kami and the Yaks,” written by Andrea Stenn Stryer, illustrated by Bert Dodson and published by Bay Otter Press of Palo Alto, Calif. wins the award for young children (age 0 to 10).

“Reaching for Sun,” by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, published by Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, New York is the winner in the middle grades category (age 11-13).

“Hurt Go Happy,” written by Ginny Rorby, a Starscape Book, published by Tom Doherty Associates, is the winner in the teen category (age 13-18).

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers. “There Is a Bird on Your Head!,” written and illustrated by Mo Willems is the 2008 Geisel Award winner. The book is published by Hyperion.

Four Geisel Honor Books were named: “First the Egg,” written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; “Hello, Bumblebee Bat,” written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne and published by Charlesbridge; “Jazz Baby,” written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie and published by Harcourt; and “Vulture View,” written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins and published by Holt.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. Orson Scott Card is the recipient of the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens for his novels “Ender’s Game” and “Ender’s Shadow.”

The Pura Belpré Award honoring Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children’s books. Yuyi Morales, illustrator of “Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes and published by Holt is the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award. Margarita Engle, author of “The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano,” illustrated by Sean Qualls and published by Holt, is the 2008 Pura Belpré Author Award recipient.

Two Honor Books for illustration: “My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo gabito: La vida de Gabriel García Márquez,” illustrated by Raúl Colón, written by Monica Brown and published by Luna Rising and “My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo,” written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez and published by Children’s Book Press.

Three Author Honor Books were named: “Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life!” by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and published by Marshall Cavendish; “Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale,” retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin and published by Peachtree; and “Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales and published by Holt.

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children. “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” written and illustrated by Peter Sís, is the 2008 Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Farrar/Frances Foster.

Two Sibert Honor Books were named: “Lightship,” written and illustrated by Brian Floca, published by Simon & Schuster/ Richard Jackson and “Nic Bishop Spiders,” written and illustrated by Nic Bishop, published by Scholastic/Scholastic Nonfiction.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video. Producer Kevin Lafferty along with executive producer John Davis, and co-producers, Amy Palmer Robertson and Danielle Sterling, are the 2008 recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video – for the production of “Jump In! Freestyle Edition.”

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for the most outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States.

VIZ Media is the winner of the 2008 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for “Brave Story.” Originally published in Japanese in 2003 as “Bureibu Sutori,” the book was written by Miyuki Miyabe and translated by Alexander O. Smith.

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “The Cat: Or, How I Lost Eternity,” published by Milkweed Editions, originally published in German as “Die Katze,” and “Nicholas and the Gang,” published by Phaidon Press, originally published in French as “Le petit Nicolas et les copains.”

The first-ever Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production is Live Oak Media for “Jazz.”

Five honor titles were named: “Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary ‘Jacky’ Faber, Ship’s Boy,” produced by Listen & Live Audio; “Dooby Dooby Moo,” produced by Scholastic/Weston Woods; “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” produced by Listening Library; “Skulduggery Pleasant,” produced by HarperChildren’s Audio; and “Treasure Island,” produced by Listening Library.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences “American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China,” by Matthew Polly, published by Penguin/Gotham Books; “Bad Monkeys,” by Matt Ruff, published by HarperCollins; “Essex County Volume 1: Tales from the Farm,” by Jeff Lemire, published by Top Shelf Publications; “Genghis: Birth of an Empire,” by Conn Iggulden, published by Delacorte; “The God of Animals,” by Aryn Kyle, published by Scribner; “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier,” by Ishmael Beah, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Sarah Crichton Books; “Mister Pip,” by Lloyd Jones, published by Random/Dial Press; “The Name of the Wind,” by Patrick Rothfuss, published by DAW; “The Night Birds,” by Thomas Maltman, published by Soho; and “The Spellman Files,” by Lisa Lutz, published by Simon & Schuster.

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture recognizing an individual of distinction in the field of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site. Walter Dean Myers, widely acclaimed author of picture books, novels, poetry and non-fiction for children and young adults, will deliver the 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s literature experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALA Web site at www.ala.org.

Sigh . . . now I have to make a trip to the library (again!) and put some of these on hold. My to be read list is getting longer and longer!