Flora & Ulysses

Flora & Ulysses
THE ILLUSTRATED ADVENTURES

Kate DiCamillo
Newbery Medal 2014

A fun book, whimsical and cartoony but poignant. A girl with divorced parents, and a distracted, disinterested mother, saves a squirrel from a vacuum cleaner and their adventures begin. Great vocabulary, some of it comic book creative, and parts of the story are shown in comic style panels. Good read aloud.

Newbery update

1935, 1938
1941, 1942, 1944, 1947, 1949
1960, 1963, 1968
1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987
1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999
2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013

Jacob Have I Loved

Jacob Have I Loved 

Katherine Paterson
Newbery Medal 1981 

I might have personally liked this book better if I was a girl, especially a girl with a sister. But I'm not, so I don't think some of the elements rang as deep with me -- jealous of her sister, romantic feelings, family role confusion. But there is a lot to still connect with for any reader -- finding one's place in the world, family dynamics and differences in siblings, friendship, strange grandmothers, hard work to achieve a goal.

Some interesting characters come and go in the story, and some stories are touched on but not explained thoroughly, but overall an excellent story. Lots of Geography (East Coast, Chesapeake, crabs and oysters) and History (WWII, German-Americans).

Is there a sequel? The last chapter rang a bell, like I've read that part before or it's part of the next book...?

 

Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt

Jack Gantos

Newbery Medal 2012

Kind of a funny book, lots of people like it (hence the awards) but it's not a typical story. A lot happens, something on almost every page, and the dialogue is quick and realistic (swear I heard my mother's and grandmother's voices throughout). Humor, strange events, but realistic and lots of historical elements (WWII, Cold War, New Deal, the Roosevelts).

I've seen this called a mystery, but it's not really. The mystery is downplayed until the end and really not important, or I guess not treated seriously. And the Hell's Angels? They're there, then not there....

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

Katherine Applegate
Newbery Medal 2013

Rare is the book that makes me want to gather up the neighborhood kids and pretend I had a class of my own to read this to. The only distraction as I read was all the lesson ideas popping in my brain. Loved it.

"Magic Realism" children's book style: Ivan is a gorilla and an artist telling us his story, from capture in Africa to shopping mall circus* to a home at the zoo. Sad but warm, cute but real, simple but thought-provoking. Would go nice with Dahl's Magic Finger in helping students learn to respect the animal kingdom.

5 out of 5 stars, highly recommend.


*Do they really have such things? Never heard of it. I could see a petting zoo maybe, but elephants and JCPenny?

When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead

Newbery Medal 2010

A strange book... I liked it, but for some reason my "will students like/get/have any idea" spidey-sense kept me from really liking it.  I like time travel, but (warning: blasphemous statement ahead) I am not a fan of A Wrinkle In Time; I like game shows, but wonder why $20,000 is supposed to make anyone rich? Weird cover. Why 1979? Hmmm...

 That said, I did like it.  Great lead character, strong supporting cast, interesting puzzle, lots of relationship issues to discuss -- plus time travel!

Crushing on Miss Hickory

... that is, until she had her head eaten and, while it was being eaten, she "went right on thinking... aloud!!!" *

Miss Hickory

Carolyn Sherwin Baily

Newbery Medal 1947

Interesting book, at times a cute anthropomorphic nature/animal story, then a lesson on manners, with a Christmas mystery/miracle tossed in.  And through it all is sweet little Miss Hickory, a twig lady with a nut head, learning to live on her own one winter.  She's sassy, bossy, a touch grumpy, but cuts a fine figure in both fall and spring colors!  She meets a surprising and grisly end at the hands of a hungry squirrel, but lives on after joining her headless self to an apple tree... (yes, you read that right).  She is selfish and hard on her friends in the forest, but has a happy ending reincarnated (?) as an apple branch.

I liked it as a funny book, interesting to read in regards to the seasons changing or when studying apple trees?

*I'm quite sure this violates goes against my Violence Boycott!

connections: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Bubble

kira - kira

kira - kira *

by Cynthia Kadohata

Newbery Medal 2005

Not to be glib, but isn't this my 3rd book in a row where a kid dies?  I need a dose of Diary of a Wimpy Kid or read some Roald Dahl  for awhile...

 Good book for a portrait of a strong family dealing with poverty, racism, and most devastating the death of a child.  Not easy to read, but worth it for the relationships.  As a father and teacher, I really liked the differences and the bond between the sisters.  I thought most of the characters were very believable and multi-faceted, not just props to move a point of the story along.






*should it be capitalized, or not? both k's or just the first?

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

by Robert C. O'Brien

Newbery Medal Winner (1972)

Genetically altered vermin developing their own agricultural society-- Run! Run for the hills!  Actually no, stay away from the hills, since that's where the genius immortal super-sized rats are!

Mrs. Frisby is a widowed country mouse with a sick mouse-child who discovers the neighborhood rats are not all they seem; after chemical/brain testing by scientists the rats (and a few mice) escape the lab and learn how to use electricity.  Some rats come to somewhat gruesome ends, but most of the story is positive and entertaining.

Did they ever tell us what "NIMH" stood for? And is there a sequel?

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Christopher Paul Curtis

Newbery Medal 2000

This was supposed to start my summer reading, but for some reason something else kept getting shifted to the top of the stack.  My loss.  Now that I finally got to it, the week before school started, I wish I would have read it earlier so I could flip back to page 1 and read it again.

I like books I can connect to music; reading this in class would be accompanied by jazz and 1930's tunes.

The Grey King

The Grey King

by Susan Cooper

Newbery Medal 1976

One of the middle books in a series, The Dark is Rising Sequence, of which I have not read any of the others, but each story seems able to stand alone. Magic spells, prophecy and destiny, Good vs. Evil, English boy in Wales.

Very poetic,

connections: A Wrinkle in Time, The Golden Compass

The Matchlock Gun

The Matchlock Gun

by Walter D. Edmonds

Newbery Medal 1942

A boy must help his mother protect the family while his father is away during the French and Indian War; bravery, responsibility, self-sacrifice, following instructions and remaining cool under fire (figuratively and literally). Probably not 21st century PC depiction of the Native Americans, but it wasn't derogatory either.

connections: the Little House books (is it the art?), Johnny Tremain, Winter Danger

King of the Wind

King of the Wind

by Marguerite Henry

Newbery Medal 1949

The story of a mute Moroccan boy and his horse traveling across Europe as their fortunes go down, up, down, up again, down further, slightly up, down and out, and finally up again for a happy ending. Especially for the horse, who becomes a very popular stud.

More of an animal story than a boy story, we never get to know too much of the boy or see him grow/change, except through the fortunes of the horse. But quick pace, some humor, and the underdogs come out on top in the end.

connections: ?

William Blake's Inn

A Visit to William Blake's Inn

Nancy Willard

Newbery Medal 1982

I am a big William Blake fan, painting and writing, but not a big poetry fan. This is one of those "It won the Newbery? Really?" I liked the art (Caldecott Honor) and the ideas behind the poems better than the poems themselves.

The Midwife's Apprentice

The Midwife's Apprentice

Karen Cushman

Newbery Medal 1996

Excellent book.

A nameless orphan urchin goes from sleeping in the dung to becoming a midwife's apprentice, learning her self-worth/respect/potential along the way. Great role model, not preachy, interesting characters, and a ton of herbal remedies. I learned you can get a baby out by just shouting up the birth passage "Infant, come forward!" ; )

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
Newbery Medal 2009
Possibly the spookiest Newbery winner ever? Maybe I could tell you if I didn't try to read it while covering my eyes...
Okay, I finished it. Great book, on the different side from most Newberry winners, but definitely deserving. With all the interesting characters and subplots I wished at times it was a thicker book, but the focus rightfully stayed on the main character.
update: haven't listened to this yet, and will make sure all the lights in the house are blazing brightly when I do, but here Neil Gaiman reads his Newbery winner!

Johnny Tremain

Johnny Tremain

by Esther Forbes

Newbery Medal 1944

Coming-of-age during the American Revolution, a poor but selfish/arrogant boy finds himself and a greater purpose during the birth of our nation.

I heard a lot of negative comments about this one on LibraryThing, mostly within the "books kids are forced to read" threads, but I enjoyed it; as a 6th grader I* may have felt it was long and therefore boring. Who has time in a classroom to have kids read novels anyway? There is some awkward prose, choppy almost fragmented sentences, possibly due to when it was written (?)...

I think there are several movie versions, anyone recommend a particular one?

connections: Paul Revere, colonial/revolutionary America, My Brother Sam is Dead , the Dear America series

*"I" as in a broad, generalized assumption of 6th graders-- I personally probably would have loved it, and I'm surprised I'd missed it way back then...

The Whipping Boy

by Sid Fleischman

Newbery Medal 1987

The poor servant teaches the rich royalty how to escape kidnappers and appreciate life... got off to a slow start for me, not very likeable characters, but once they got out and on the run it picked up.

Good for study w/ history or social studies...


p.s. post #100 -- whoo hoo!

Thimble Summer

Thimble Summer

by Elizabeth Enright

Newbery Medal 1938

Whoa, didn't realize this one was from so long ago... I've been trying to avoid some of the older books, (unnecessarily?) worrying about relevance and dated references, etc.... tales of a farm girl's constant mishaps -- she seems quite disrespectful, running off quite often with no apparent disciplinary consequences, but in the end she learns a little lesson...

connections: Little House...; Sarah, Plain and Tall; farm life

Missing May

Missing May

by Cynthia Rylant

Newbery Medal 1993

coupled with Sarah, Plain and Tall -- what a great hour of reading! Funny, sensitive, respectful of life and death, strength and importance of family, quirky characters... I'd recommend this to any adult as well...