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“It was salutory to remember, I told myself, that writers and other creative artists do not relish other people’s ideas. They usually have more than enough of their own, and well-meant suggestions only add to the burden of their already over-stocked minds.” Miss Read, Farewell to Fairacre (1993)
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Category Archives: Newbery Award
This and that
As NYC swelters through the dog days of summer, I find myself wishing for an early start to fall. This summer, what with work projects and reading projects and writing projects, has been busy. It’s also passed quickly — in ten … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Gothic, Graphic Novel, Newbery Award, Poetry, Supernatural
Tagged Bram Stoker, Cece Bell, Jacqueline Woodson, Jessica Day George, Kwame Alexander
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The sea, the sea, the sea
Before continuing, set the soundtrack for your reading here (but only if you don’t mind reading with some music playing in the background). The Wanderer (2000), Sharon Creech “The sea, the sea, the sea.” When she first writes these words, Sophie, … Continue reading
Summer omnibus, part 1
Once again I find myself with a foot-tall stack of books I’ve read but not yet reviewed for my followers, next to a stack of papers to grade and projects to complete for school, which started 3 weeks ago. Normally, … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, History, Humorous, London Underground, Newbery Award, YA Lit
Tagged Gene Luen Yang, Jack Gantos, Margi Preus, Peter Ackroyd, Sonny Liew
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Identity themes, reader response, and the critical lens
A conversation with a student last night sparked this post, which covers wide swatches of literary theory as well as some personal issues. Read on if you dare. A few decades ago I took a course on Japanese literature that … Continue reading
Steig-mania
Most people are familiar with at least one character from the works of William Steig (1907-2003): Shrek, that sweet but lonely ogre who leaves his cave to find his place in the world, which ends up being back at his … Continue reading
ABCs
Though written in 3 different decades, these four books run along parallel routes that often meet and the separate, each providing insight for understanding the others. Each is about characters of Chinese heritage, about Chinese immigrants in the US, about … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Historical fiction, Newbery Award, YA Lit
Tagged Frank Chin, Gene Luen Yang, Laurence Yep, Maxine Hong Kingston
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Triptychs
A (relatively) quick post today, and then an apology in advance. I picked up Laurence Yep’s Newbery Honor book, Dragonwings, and the first few pages made me think of Frank Chin’s Donald Duk, which in turn made me think of … Continue reading
Posted in Historical fiction, Newbery Award, Science fiction, YA Lit
Tagged Frank Chin, Laurence Yep, Maxine Hong Kingston, William Tenn
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Indelible art and stories
Three images from my childhood reading are permanently etched on my mind: a boy diving deep into the sea to rescue his ivory seagull; a tiny carved Indian sitting in a canoe atop a snow-covered mountain waiting for spring-melt to … Continue reading
Knots untangled
When You Reach Me (2009), Rebecca Stead This is going to be a tough post, because I don’t want to spoil anything about this book for you if you haven’t read it yet. It’s important NOT to know in advance … Continue reading
Darwin in Texas, 1899
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (2009), by Jacqueline Kelly, 338 pp. So, 21st century women: Take away your conveniences, your open-minded views of gender roles, your comfortable ease with addressing intellectual challenges, and how would you do? Would you chafe at … Continue reading
