On January 2nd the Newbery and Caldecott awards will be announced by the American Library Association. The annual Mid-Winter conference is held in Chicago this year and is very well attended by librarians, authors, illustrators, teachers and literature enthusiasts. Last year, Stan Lee and Lois Lowry were just two of many interesting people giving speeches! This edition of the The Top Shelf is the place for me to make some predictions. Come and check one out today! Who knows, it could be a winner next month!
Caldecott
The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee
Joyful, tender and triumphant, without a word spoken, this is storytelling at its finest. ~The Washington Post
In this wordless picture book, a bearded farmer is alarmed to see a
young clown tumble out of a passing circus train...Frazee uses a muted
color palette that matches the quiet, gentle mood of the story. Her
simply drawn characters with minimal facial features beautifully convey
emotions, particularly when the dour farmer has more pep in his step
after he and the clown go separate ways (but trade hats first). Little
ones will delight in the farmer clowning around to the last page, which
promises a fun surprise for the old man. ~Booklist
Aviary Wonders by Kate Samworth
Here’s how the book opens: “Some species are disappearing. Others are
already gone. Not to worry! AVIARY WONDERS INC. has the solution.” In a
handsome “catalog and instruction manual,” the company’s fictional
founder offers bird replacements that are part pet, part artwork, and
part automaton. Readers are invited to choose from various handcrafted
bird bodies, legs, beaks, wings, and tails. After detailed assembly
instructions, advice is given on teaching the creations to fly and to
sing. A Q&A page and an order form follow. Deadpan rather than
didactic in presentation, this is an original, somewhat disturbing, and
wholeheartedly bizarre (but in a good way!) picture book for older
children. An accomplished artist working here in oil, ink, graphite, and
colored pencil, Samworth is equally adept at drawing the swoops and
spirals of birds in flight or painting the richly colored and patterned
bird parts in the opulent catalog. Though set in the future, the
presentation has a distinctly vintage quality. The more the text delves
into the intricacies of bird construction, behavior, and care, the more
realistic it sounds, and the crazier it becomes. Reflective readers will
soon reach the unstated but inescapable conclusion: birds are awesome
creatures, and once gone, they’re simply irreplaceable. An impressive
picture-book debut. ~Carolyn Phelan, Booklist
Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons by Jon Muth
First introduced in Zen Ties (2008) as Stillwater the panda’s nephew,
Koo is alone in the narrative world of this verse collection, until a
boy and girl from the neighborhood knock on his door. They share good
times throughout the seasons, whether throwing snowballs, reading aloud
to sparrows, or skipping stones. And sometimes Koo enjoys reflective
moments alone, “becoming so quiet / Zero sound / only breath.” These
very short poems, ranging from fresh to poignant to prosaic, are
enhanced by the beautiful watercolor-and-ink illustrations on every
page. Reflecting the brevity and imagery of the verse, the spare fall
and winter pictures seem particularly fine, while their relative
simplicity contrasts effectively with the profusion of color in the
spring and summer scenes. Besides pointing out the subtle trail of
alphabetically arranged capital letters in each poem throughout the
book, the author’s note expresses Muth’s rationale for not restricting
himself to “the five-seven-five syllable pattern that many of us grew up
learning haiku must be.” Haiku or not, this collection is worth
reading. ~Carolyn Phelan, Booklist
El Deafo by Cece Bell (an unusual pick as it is a graphic novel...but I have hopes for it!)
Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school
and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to
your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic
novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss
at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a
very powerful—and very awkward—hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives
Cece the ability to hear—sometimes things she shouldn’t—but also
isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and
find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some
trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and
become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a
place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for. ~Amazon
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and John Klassen
Barnett’s well-chosen words and plentiful white space support readers.
Klassen’s cross-section illustrations give readers a mole’s-eye view of
the underground proceedings, extending the spare text with visual humor. As
in his previous books, Klassen shows an uncanny knack for conveying
meaning with the subtlest of eye movements. How fitting that the
wordless final spread features a knowing look between the dog and a cat
familiar to Klassen fans; all that’s missing from the trippy conclusion
is the theme music from The Twilight Zone. Mind-blowing in the best possible way.
~Horn Book
Newbery
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Storytelling and the secret desires of the heart wind together in this
atmospheric novel that doubles as a ghost tale. Irish immigrants to
England, Molly and Kip make their way to the Windsor house in search of
employment. The great house stands in the shadow of a menacing tree,
which locals speak of only in fearful whispers. Despite her young age
and the warnings of a local storyteller, Molly uses the power of her own
words to secure work, but soon realizes that all is not right in the
house. Constance, Bertrand, Penny, and Alistair Windsor each struggle
with personal demons, and strange footprints appear at night. A
malevolent spirit, the Night Gardener, haunts the estate, dooming its
inhabitants with foul dreams while the tree grants wishes to entrap the
recipients. Molly and Kip must face their own dark secrets to release
the Gardener's hold and end his evil enchantments. Auxier gives readers a
spooky story with depth and dimension. Molly's whimsical tales
illustrate life's essential lessons even as they entertain. As the
characters face the unhealthy pull of the tree's allurements, they grow
and change, revealing unexpected personality traits. Storytelling as a
force to cope with life's challenges is subtly expressed and adds
complexity to the fast-paced plot. Readers of Mary Downing Hahn or Peg
Kehret's ghost novels will connect with the supernatural elements and
the independent child protagonists of Auxier's tale of things that go
bump in the night. ~Caitlin Augusta, School Library Journal
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Albie almost understands why he is starting fifth grade at a new school.
It’s got something to do with the things he can’t quite do, like
subtract numbers inside his head or figure out the words in books.
Fortunately, Albie also gets a kindhearted new sitter named Calista, who
can turn Albie’s sadness into happiness simply through the magic of
donuts. But even Calista can’t stop the mean kid at school from calling
Albie names, or make Albie’s parents see how hard he tries in school. As
every kid knows, some problems take more than donuts to solve. Graff (A
Tangle of Knots, 2013) creates a heartfelt portrait of a child
searching for nothing more than a safe place to thrive. The story is
parsed into short chapters that can stand alone as mini-stories, perfect
for young readers who aren’t ready to tackle full pages of text. This
format is also well suited to presenting the incremental steps of
Albie’s evolution from bewildered victim to hero of his own story.
Beautifully written, Albie’s story is accessible and dignified, with a
gentle message that will touch any reader’s heart. Middle-grade readers
will love the references to Dav Pilkey’s inexhaustibly popular Captain
Underpants series, which has introduced so many children to the fun side
of reading. A perfect book to share with struggling readers. ~Diane Colson, Booklist
Boys of Blur by N.D. Wilson
In Taper, Florida, football runs through the town’s veins like children
through the sugarcane fields—fast as the rabbits they’re chasing. When
Coach Wiz dies, 12-year-old Charlie Reynolds and his family travel to
Taper for the funeral, and Charlie feels the tug of the land beneath his
feet. He and his cousin Cotton take off through the cane until they
reach a mound rising between the fields and outlying swampland, topped
with a chalk stone, a dead snake, and a mysterious man wearing a helmet
and carrying a rusty sword. In the swamp, a mystical sense pervades, and
the boys learn of an ancient, evil tribe threatening the town and what
they must do to keep it in check. Wilson brings the stuff of folklore to
life in this novel, as elements of Beowulf, voodoo, and zombie mythos
combine with the everyday to fantastic effect. The story moves at
heart-pounding speeds, furthered by magic and mystery and rooted in
ideas of familial bonds and self-discovery. In the end, it is a tale of
one boy’s daring quest to save his family and to learn what it means to
fly. ~Julia Smith, Booklist
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home
in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as
an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of
Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.
Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally
charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her
place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of
finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she
struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and
stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was
to become.
“Mesmerizing journey through [Woodson’s] early years. . . . Her
perspective on the volatile era in which she grew up is thoughtfully
expressed in powerfully effective verse. . . . With exquisite
metaphorical verse Woodson weaves a patchwork of her life experience . .
. that covers readers with a warmth and sensitivity no child should
miss. This should be on every library shelf.” ~ School Library Journal
Rain Reign by Anne M. Martin
Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She’s thrilled that her own
name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two
homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is
very special. Not everyone understands Rose’s obsessions, her rules,
and the other things that make her different – not her teachers, not
other kids, and not her single father. When a storm hits their
rural town, rivers overflow, the roads are flooded, and Rain goes
missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find
her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to
search. Hearts will break and spirits will soar for this powerful story, brilliantly told from Rose’s point of view.
"Martin has penned a riveting, seamless narrative in which each word sings and each scene counts." ~Kirkus Review
Here are some new titles that have been added to the MCS Library collection. Feel free to share with your students and check one out today!
Calvin, Look Out by Jennifer Berne (Grades K-2)
Everybody's favorite bookworm birdie is back—and something's wrong! When
Calvin reads the word “wagons,“ he sees “dragons” instead, and he's
tripping over the library chairs. Calvin needs glasses! When his family
checks out the new specs, though, they just tease him. Poor Calvin. But
when he gets lost and trapped in the forest, it's Calvin's glasses (and
smarts) that save the day. Soon EVERYONE thinks glasses are great—and
Calvin's clan becomes the coolest flock of starlings in the sky.
Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea (Grades Pre K-1)
Dinosaur is going to one of his favorite places: the library! On the
way, he invites his friends--a lonesome turtle, a sad owl and more-- to
roar along with him. But how will his roaring go over at the library?
Has Dinosaur finally met his match in Storytime?
Jack by Tomie DePaola (Grades K-3)
Beloved author-illustrator Tomie dePaola’s take on traditional “Jack
tales”—in which a young hero ventures out to seek his fortune and gains
it through luck or pluck—is perfect for preschoolers. His hero’s reward
is a wealth of animal friends who increase in number—and volume—as the
story progresses. When Jack sets out to see the world and find a place
of his own, he’s surprised to attract a following of enthusiastic animal
friends eager to join him on his quest. Jack and his entourage all have
high hopes that they will find just what they are looking for as they
travel on their merry way. Children will delight in the cumulative
chorus of animal sounds as the pages get more and more crowded with the
residents of this delightful kingdom.
Telephone by Mac Barnett (Grades K-2)
It's time to fly home for dinner! In this witty picture book from
award-winning and bestselling author Mac Barnett, a mother bird gives
the bird next to her a message for little Peter. But passing messages on
a telephone line isn't as simple as it sounds. Each subsequent bird
understands Mama's message according to its own very particular hobbies.
Will Peter ever get home for dinner? This uproarious interpretation of a
favorite children's game will get everyone giggling and is sure to lead
to countless rereads.
The Pilot and the Little Prince by Peter Sis (Grades 3-6)
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born in France in 1900, when airplanes were
just being invented. Antoine dreamed of flying and grew up to be a
pilot—and that was when his adventures began. He found a job delivering
mail by plane, which had never been done before. He and his fellow
pilots traveled to faraway places and discovered new ways of getting
from one place to the next. Antoine flew over mountains and deserts. He
battled winds and storms. He tried to break aviation records, and
sometimes he even crashed. From his plane, Antoine looked down on the
earth and was inspired to write about his life and his pilot-hero
friends in memoirs and in fiction. Peter Sís’s remarkable biography
celebrates the author of The Little Prince, one of the most beloved books in the world.
Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey by Alex Milway (Grades 2-4)
Pigsticks is the last in a noble line of explorers, and he’s decided
it’s time for him to follow in his forepigs’ footsteps — with an
assistant to do the heavy lifting, of course. When his help-wanted ad
draws a motley crew of candidates, he chooses a hapless delivery hamster
named Harold. As the unlikely duo set off from Tuptown with plenty of
tea cakes in tow, Pigsticks is breathless with excitement (and Harold is
struggling for breath under all the gear). But after a long trek
through jungles, over deserts, and up a giant ice-topped mountain, the
last crumb of cake is stolen by a herd of thieving goats, and their goal
is nowhere in sight. Will they ever discover the Ends of the Earth?
Could it be in the last place they’d ever think to look?
The Chicken Squad: the First Misadventures by Doreen Cronin (Grades 2-5)
They’re darling. They’re daring. They know their shapes! They’re chicks
on a mission—and on this, their first (mis)adventure, the Chicken Squad
launches a galactic backyard expedition. Meet the Chicken Squad: Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie. These chicks are not your typical barnyard puffs of fluff, and they are not
about to spend their days pecking chicken feed and chasing bugs. No
sir, they’re too busy solving mysteries and fighting crime. So
when Squirrel comes barreling into the chicken coop, the chicks know
they’re about to get a case. But with his poor knowledge of shapes
(“Big” is not a shape, Squirrel!) and utter fear of whatever it is
that’s out there, the panicky Squirrel is NO HELP. Good thing these
chicks are professionals. But even professionals get worried.
Especially once they see that round, shiny, green, BIG thing in the
yard. What if it’s a UFO full of aliens who want chickens as pets? It’s
up to the Chicken Squad to crack a case that just might be out of this
world.
Fairy Tale Comics by Chris Duffy (Grades 2-4)
From favorites like "Puss in Boots" and "Goldilocks" to obscure gems like "The Boy Who Drew Cats," Fairy Tale Comics
has something to offer every reader. Seventeen fairy tales are
wonderfully adapted and illustrated in comics format by seventeen
different cartoonists, including Raina Telgemeier, Brett Helquist,
Cherise Harper, and more. Edited by Nursery Rhyme Comics' Chris Duffy, this jacketed hardcover is a beautiful gift and an instant classic.
The President Has Been Shot by James L. Swanson (Grades 5-6)
A breathtaking and dramatic account of the JFK assassination by the NEW
YORK TIMES bestselling author of CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER!In his
new young-adult book on the Kennedy assassination, James Swanson will
transport readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying
events in American history. As he did in his bestselling Scholastic YA
book, CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER, Swanson will deploy his signature "you
are there" style -- a riveting, ticking-clock pace, with an
unprecedented eye for dramatic details and impeccable historical
accuracy -- to tell the story of the JFK assassination as it has never
been told before.
The Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale (Grades 4-6)
Nathan Hale, the author's historical namesake, was America's first spy, a
Revolutionary War hero who famously said I only regret that I have but
one life to lose for my country before being hanged by the British. In
the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series, author Nathan Hale channels
his namesake to present history's roughest, toughest, and craziest
stories in the graphic novel format. One Dead Spy tackles the story of
Hale himself, who was an officer and spy for the American rebels during
the Revolutionary War. Author Hale highlights the unusual, gruesome, and
just plain unbelievable truth of historical Nathan Hale--from his early
unlucky days at Yale to his later unlucky days as an officer--and
America during the Revolutionary War.
Lewis and Clark by Nick Bertozzi (Grades 4-6)
Two of America’s greatest explorers embark on the adventure that made their names—and sealed their fates. In
1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark departed St. Louis, Missouri,
for one of the greatest adventures this nation has ever known. Appointed
and funded by President Jefferson himself, and led by a cadre of
experts (including the famous Sacajawea), the expedition was considered a
success almost before it had begun. From the start, the journey was
plagued with illness, bad luck, unfriendly Indians, Lewis’s chronic
depression, and, to top it all, the shattering surprise of the towering
Rocky Mountains and the continental divide. But despite crippling
setbacks, overwhelming doubts, and the bare facts of geography itself,
Lewis and Clark made it to the Pacific in 1806. Nick Bertozzi
brings the harrowing—and, at times, hilarious—journey to vivid life on
the pages of this oversized black-and-white graphic novel. With his
passion for history and his knack for characterization, Bertozzi has
made an intimate tale of a great American epic.
Dreamer, Wisher, Liar by Charise Mericle Harper
Dreamer, Wisher, Liar is a
heartwarming story about one girl's transformative summer full of
friendship, secret magic, and family. Fans of Rebecca Stead will enjoy
Charise Mericle Harper's funny and poignant novel. When her best
friend is moving away and her mom has arranged for some strange little
girl to come and stay with them, Ash—who is petrified of change and new
people—is expecting the worst summer of her life. Then seven-year-old
Claire shows up. Armed with a love of thrift-store clothes and an
altogether too-sunny disposition, Claire proceeds to turn Ash's
carefully constructed life upside down. While every part of Ash's
life seems to be disrupted, she must protect a carefully hidden secret:
She has discovered a magical jar in her basement. It's a wish jar, full
of someone's old wishes—and it has the power to send her back in time
and provide a window into another friendship between two girls.
Discovering her own connection to the girls' story shows Ash that her
life is full of surprises and friends she never saw coming.
