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Hotlists 2008
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Seeing Stars
Lists of (mostly) hardcover books which received at least one starred review (indicating a work of unusual merit) from the following review sources: Booklist , Publisher's Weekly (PW), Kirkus and Library Journal (LJ).
The review journal assigns the star.
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Starred Reviews
Youth All Stars 1993-2002
October 28, 2008
Titles received starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, Kirkus & Publishers Weekly. Listed by publication date. Newer titles are at the top of the list. The list includes fiction & nonfiction. Age and grade designations are approximate, parental judgement should be used.
|
Author
|
Title |
Annotation |
Date |
Notes |
Grades |
| Clinton, Cathyrn | A Stone in My Hand | 2002 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 6th-12th | |
| Fine, Anne | Up on Cloud Nine | Ian's best friend, Stolly, is in the hospital, unconscious
and hooked up to machines. Stolly's always lived life by his
own rules. His parents' careers have them constantly rushing
around, so Ian's family has all but adopted Stolly. That's
why it's up to Ian to figure out what happened to his best
friend. But once the pieces start coming together, the answer
doesn't seem to make any sense. |
2002 | Booklist, Horn Book,Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 4th-7th |
| Frank, E.R. | America | At age 15, a boy named America has spent years lost in the
system. Dr. B., a psychiatrist at Ridgeway Hospital, nudges
America's life story from him. Dr. B. learns America was abandoned
twice by his mother, about his bad brothers, and others in
his life who care more than America does whether he lives or
dies. |
2002 | 9th+ | |
| Freedman, Russell | Confucius:the Golden Rule | This collection of golden rule Confucius sayings pulls together the wise man's thoughts on education, government, nobility and equality. | 2002 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 4th-7th |
| Giblin, James | The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler | An important biography of the man some refer to as the most influential person of the 20th century. Illustrated with over 80 black-and-white archival photos. | 2002 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 5th grade + |
| Koertge, Ronald | Stoner & Spaz | Starring an unlikely teenage pair--a sheltered cinemaphile
with cerebral palsy and a tattooed, straight-talking stoner--this
funny, in-your-face novel shows that the incentive to follow
one's passion can be set into motion by something as simple
as a human touch. |
2002 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 7th-12th |
| Patterson, Katherine | The Same Suff as Stars | Eleven-year-old Angel Morgan needs help. Abandoned by her
mother, Angel and her little brother now live with their aged
great-grandmother, who doesn't make any attempt to care for
them. The only bright spot in Angel's life is Star Man, a mysterious
stranger who appears on clear nights and teaches her about
the stars--and the similar spirit of both the stars and a child. |
2002 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 5th-8th |
| Wells, Rosemary | Wingwalker | Wells waltzes readers through the stubbly cornfields of a lost America--a land of small farms, distant radio music, and county fairs where couples danced on the wings of planes. | 2002 | 4th-7th | |
| Almond, David | Heaven Eyes | Erin Law and her friends are damaged children because they have no parents. At least that's what Maureen, the woman who runs the orphanage, says. So Erin and two friends run away, down river on a raft. What they find on their journey is stranger than anything they could ever imagine. | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 5th to 9th |
| Brashares, Ann | The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Inspired by a true story, this is a book about roots, the need to be loved and discovering one's true self as a group of girls bond one fateful summer. | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 7th to 12th |
| Falconer, Ian | Olivia Saves the Circus | The porcine recipient of a 2001 Caldecott Honor award is back in a delightful sequel. Everyone's favorite piglet returns to school after summer vacation and is called on to tell the class what she did on her time off. Soon it's apparent that Olivia's simple trip to the circus turned out to be a busy day of high-flying fun! | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Hesse, Karen | Witness | Two young girls--one black and one Jewish--are caught up in the turmoil of prejudice in a small Vermont town in 1924. | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 4th to 7th |
| Hopkinson, Deborah | Fannie in the Kitchen | When Marcia's mother decides to hire a mother's helper, Marcia is offended because she felt she had tried to help. But when Fannie Farmer steps into their kitchen, the biscuits are suddenly dainty, the griddle cakes are not mushy, and Marcia has a new friend who teaches her the importance of precise measurements in cooking. | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Janeczko, Paul B. (Edt) | A Poke in the I | This volume of 30 concrete poems from visual poets such as John Hollander, Emmett Williams, Maureen W. Armour and others provide a playful, visually accessible collection that is illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Chris Raschka. | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, | 4th to 7th |
| Mosher, Richard | Zazoo | Zazoo, almost 14, lives with her adoptive grandfather, who
brought her from Vietnam to his village in France when she
was just two years old. They have many things in common, including
a love of poetry--and a tangled history that Zazoo is only
now beginning to understand. |
2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 7th-12th |
| Park, Linda Sue | A Single Shard | Tree-ear, an orphan, lives under a bridge in Chulpo, a potters village famed for delicate celadon ware. He has become fascinated with the potters craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday. When Min takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is elated -- until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Mins irascible temper, and his own ignorance. But Tree-ear is determined to prove himself -- even if it means taking a long, solitary journey on foot to present Mins work in the hope of a royal commission . . . even if it means arriving at the royal court with nothing to show but a single celadon shard. - publisher | 2001 | ALA Notable, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 5th to 9th |
| Pierce, Tamora | Treasure at the Heart of the Tangle | Hannah is a creature of the woods. When she finally leaves the magician who has held her captive for so long, she takes a journey that will lead her into the heart of the forest and into her own soul. | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, ALA Best Books Young Adults, Booklist Ed Choice | 7th-12th |
| Wiesner, David | The Three Pigs | A Caldecott medalist playfully deconstructs the familiar nursery tale, taking the visual narrative to a new level. Dialogue balloons, text excerpts, and a wide variety of illustration styles guide the reader through a fantasy universe to the surprising and happy ending. | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Kindergarten to 3rd |
| Williams, Vera B. | Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart | Amber and Essie are sisters who are also best friends. Their family has fallen on hard times, so they fill in the gaps for each other with spunk and unfailing optimism. Essie cooks while Mama works, and Amber scares away the rat under the sink because Daddy won't be coming home for a long time. | 2001 | ALA Notable, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice , Horn Book, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 3rd to 5th |
| Williams-Garcia, Rita | Every Time a Rainbow Dies | Since finding her battered and raped in the alley near his home, Thulani hasn't stopped thinking about Ysa. It's the first time since his mother's death he's thought of anything but the rock doves he tends to. Now that he has seen Ysa, Thulani finally has a reason to come down from the roof. | 2001 | ALA Best Books Young Adults, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Horn Book, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 9th to 12th |
| Wolff, Virginia Euwer | True Believer | In this second novel of Wolff's Make Lemonade trilogy, 15-year old Verna LaVaughn is visited by Jody, a boy she knew as a child who comes back to the housing project where she lives. Jody behaves as if he's in love with her, but Jody is wrestling with questions of his own identity. | 2001 | ALA Best Books Young Adults , ALA Notable Childrens Books , Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 7th to 12th |
| Zemach, Margot | Some from the Moon Some from the Sun | Elevating the American picture book to an art form, this charming collection of children's rhymes was the final book by the Caldecott Medalist. Twenty-seven rhymes and songs--many from Zemach's youth--are lovingly presented for readers of all ages. | 2001 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Cole, Brock | Buttons | When their father eats so much that he pops the buttons off his britches, each of his three daughters tries a different plan to find replacements. | 2000 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Creech, Sharon | The Wanderer | On the way to visit their grandfather, 13-year-old Sophie and her cousin Codyrecord their transatlantic crossing aboard "The Wanderer, " a 45-foot sailboatwhich is en route to England. | 2000 | ALA Best Books Young Adults , ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 3rd to 7th |
| Falconer, Ian | Olivia | Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good. Of course, it's another story for Olivia's exhausted mother. | 2000 | ALA Notable Childrens Books , Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Gantos, Jack | Joey Pigza Loses Control | Joey, who is taking medication to keep him from getting too wired, goes to spend the summer with the father he has never known and meets a grown-up version of himself. But Carter Pigza believes Joey can be as normal a kid as he wants without medication, and Joey wants to believe him more than anything in the world. | 2000 | ALA Notable Childrens , Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 4th to 7th |
| Osborne, Mary Pope | Kate and the Beanstalk | In this version of the classic tale, a girl climbs to the top of a giant beanstalk, where she uses her quick wits to outsmart a giant and make a fortune for herself and her mother. | 2000 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Spiegelman, Art (Edt) | Little Lit | Innovative cartoonists and renowned children's book artists from around the world are contributors to this collection of stories ranging from old favorites to new discoveries. Includes a storytelling board game inside. | 2000 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| St. George, Judith | So You Want to Be President? | From the embarrassment of skinny-dipping John Quincy Adams to the mischievous adventure of Theodore Roosevelt's pony, St. George shares the backroom facts, the spitfire comments, and the comical anecdotes that have been part and parcel of America's White House. Humorously illustrated in color by a Caldecott honor-winning artist. | 2000 | ALA Notable Childrens, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 2nd to 5th |
| Almond, David | Skellig | Unhappy about his baby sister's illness and the chaos of moving into a dilapidated old house, Michael retreats to the garage and finds a mysterious stranger who is something like a bird and something like an angel. | 1999 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Kirkus, PW, Publisher's Weekly Best Books SLJ | 3rd to 7th |
| Harris, Robie H. | It's So Amazing! | This creative book uses bird and bee cartoon characters to present straightforward explanations of topics related to sexual development. | 1999 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 2nd to 5th |
| Holt, Kimberly Willis | When Zachary Beaver Came to Town | During the summer of 1971, in a small Texas town, 13-year-old Toby and his best friend Cal meet the star of a sideshow act: 600-pound Zachary, the fattest boy in the world. | 1999 | ALA Best Books Young Adults ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 5th to 9th |
| Hopkinson, Deborah | A Band of Angels | The story of the Jubilee Singers after the Civil War--how they saved Fisk School (now Fisk University), and preserved such treasures as "Go Down Moses" and "Many Thousand Gone". | 1999 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Kindergarten to 4th |
| Howe, James | Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores | Horace, Morris and Dolores embark on many adventures together until the day that Horace and Morris discover a "boy's only" club. | 1999 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Fleischman, Sid | Bandit's Moon | Twelve-year-old Annyrose relates her adventures with Joaquin Murieta and his band of outlaws in the California gold-mining region during the mid-1800s. | 1998 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 3rd to 7th |
| Freedman, Russell | Martha Graham | A photo-biography of the American dancer, teacher, and choreographer who was born in Pittsburgh in 1895 and who became a leading figure in the world of modern dance. | 1998 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 5th to 9th |
| Gerstein, Mordicai | The Wild Boy | In simple prose and an abundance of sharp, vivid illustrations that capture the energy of youth, this extraordinarily touching picture book tells the true story of Victor, a feral child taken in by Dr. Jean-Marc Itard, shortly after the French Revolution. | 1998 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Griffin, Adele | The Other Shepards | Teenage Holland and her younger sister Geneva, having always lived under the shadow of siblings who died before they were born, struggle to establish separate identities and escape from the oppressive weight of their parents' continuing grief. | 1998 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, Publisher's Weekly Best Books, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books |
|
| Laan, Nancy Van | With a Whoop and a Holler | In this rich, rousing anthology, Nancy Van Laan takes readers on a romp through the bayous, mountains and lowlands of the American South. Readers meet such unforgettable characters as Brer Rabbit, Fool John, and Ol' Gally Mander, and learn a whole passel of poems, sayings, and superstitions. | 1998 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 3rd to 7th |
| Lawrence, Iain | The Wreckers | From a first-time novelist comes this fast-paced adventure that weaves together shipwreck, pirates, kidnapping, mystery and ghosts. On the barren coast of Cornwall, England, lived a community who lures storm-tossed ships to crash on their shore, allowing them to feed and clothe themselves with the loot salvaged from the wreckage. | 1998 | ALA Recmd for Reluctant YA's, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 5th to 9th |
| Pinkney, Andrea Davis | Duke Ellington | The award-winning author/illustrator team of Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney--creators of the popular picture book "Alvin Ailey"--now present a swinging, vibrant picture title about the jazz composer Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as "Duke." | 1998 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | Kindergarten to 4th |
| Pullman, Philip | Clockwork | In this story about an apprentice clockmaker who sells his soul, Philip Pullman draws from classic literature to interweave elements of Frankenstein, Pinocchio, Faust and The Nightingale. | 1998 | ALA Recmd for Reluctant YA's, Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 3rd to 7th |
| Fine, Anne | The Tulip Touch | 1997 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ |
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| Kipling, Rudyard | Rikki-Tikki-Tavi | Rikki, a fearless young mongoose, finds himself locked in a life-or-death struggle to protect a boy and his parents from Nag and Nagina, two enormous cobras, in this entertaining story by Nobel Prize-winning author Rudyard Kipling. Triumphantly brought to life in stunning watercolors by Caldecott Honor artist Jerry Pinkney, this tale will win the hearts of young and old alike. | 1997 | Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ |
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| Levine, Gail Carson | Ella Enchanted | At birth, Ella of Frell was given the gift of obedience by a fairy. Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than a curse, for how can she truly be herself if at any time anyone can order her to hop on one foot, or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom--and she'll have to obey? Ella's quest to break the curse and discover who she really is, is both funny and poignant. 1998 Newbery Honor Book; ALA 1998 Best Book for Young Adults. | 1997 | ALA Best Books Young Adults, ALA Notable Childrens Books, ALA Recmd for Reluctant YA's , Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 3rd to 7th |
| McKay, Hilary | The Amber Cat | While two friends convalesce from chicken pox, one boy's mother tells them of a summer, long ago, when she was eleven--just their age--offering a story about a girl named Harriet who would mysteriously come and go at the beach. Who was Harriet? An underlying poignancy adds depth to this winning story with its surprise ending. | 1997 | Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 4th to 7th |
| Seidler, Tor | Mean Margaret | A pair of newlywed woodchucks, a squirrel, a testy snake, a skunk and a couple of bats--not to mention the pudgy human family named Hubble--all find their lives turned upside down by a tyrannical three-year-old named Margaret. In this touching comedy, Margaret realizes that there is more to life than being nasty to everyone. | 1997 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | Kindergarten to 3rd |
| Spinelli, Jerry | Wringer | From Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli comes a gripping tale of how one boy learns how not to be afraid. For as long as Palmer LaRue can remember, he has dreaded the day he turns ten--the day he'll take his place beside the other ten-year-old boys in town and become a wringer. Will he find the courage to stand up to his town? 1998 Newbery Honor Book; ALA Notable Children's Books of 1998; "School Library Journal" Best Books of 1997. | 1997 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 3rd to 7th |
| Wells, Rosemary | Bunny Cakes | In his most hilarious escapade yet, Max learns a invaluable lesson--in his irresistible way! For Grandma's birthday, Max wants to make her an earthworm birthday cake. His sister Ruby is going to make an angel surprise cake with raspberry-fluff icing. When Grandma ends up with two cakes, guess which one she'll eat first? | 1997 | Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | Toddler to 2nd |
| Bunting, Eve | Train to Somewhere | Based on the Orphan Trains what crisscrossed the United States from the 1850s to the 1920s, the latest collaboration between Eve Bunting and Ronald Himler tells the story of Marianne, who's sure that her mother will claim her somewhere on her way west. | 1996 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Kindergarten to 3rd |
| Cadnum, Michael | Zero at the Bone |
|
1996 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ |
|
| Cushman, Karen | The Ballad of Lucy Whipple | What Newbery Medalist Karen Cushman did for medieval England in Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice, she now does for California in gold rush days. In vivid first-person narratives, shy, bookish Lucy Whipple describes her life at "Lucky Diggins", a gold prospecting camp, to her grandparents and others she left behind in New England. | 1996 | Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 5th to 9th |
| Dorris, Michael | Sees Behind Trees | "Set in 16th century America, this richly imagined and gorgeously written rite-of-passage story has the gravity of legend . . . Dorris once again demonstrates that he is a brilliant and deeply humane writer whose words can show you something you have never seen."--"Booklist, " | 1996 | Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 4th to 7th |
| Fleischman, Sid | The Abracadabra Kid | From reluctant reader to professional magician to Hollywood screenwriter to notable creator of children's books--Sid Fleishman's story has never a dull moment. His biography is a welcome treat for his fans around the world. And for writers and would-be writers, it is a treasure trove of insight, inspiration, and usable advice. | 1996 | ALA Best Books Young Adults, ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 7th to Up |
| Hamilton, Virginia | When Birds Could Talk & Bats Could Sing | The wonderful stories in this book are based on African American folktales told in the South during the plantation era. In the 1880s, journalist Martha Young collected these stories and created many of her own, publishing them in newspapers and then in several books of folktales. | 1996 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Opie, Iona Archibald (Edt) | My Very First Mother Goose | To a small child, words are magical. And the most magical of all are the beloved, venerable words of Mother Goose. Now folklorist Iona Opie has gathered more than 60 treasured rhymes in their most perfect, honest form. Familiar rhymes that have been passed from parent to child for generations, these are the rhymes that are every child's birthright. Rosemary Wells' wonderful watercolors capture the simple joy and the sly humor that are the essence of Mother Goose. | 1996 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Baby to Kindergarten |
| Paterson, Katherine | Jip | After tumbling off the back of a wagon, Jip was brought to live at the town poor farm. He has been content to do chores and tend animals--until the day the lunatic arrives. Put seems terrifying and less than human, but as the weeks pass, Jip sees the man he truly is. So, when a menacing stranger comes to town, claiming to have been sent by Jip's grieving father, Jip turns to his new friend to make sense of his past. Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award, an ALA Notable Book, "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of the Year. | 1996 | ALA Best Books Young Adults, ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ,SLJ's Best Books | 5th to 9th |
| Pilkey, Dav | The Paperboy | The author of When Cats Dream, The Moonglow Roll-O-Rama and 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving returns in a tale inspired by his paperboy. When the whole neighborhood is still asleep, the paperboy is in the garage, rolling papers and filling his red bag to the top. With his faithful dog at his side, the paperboy sets off in a mood of contentedness and confidence. | 1996 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Prelutsky, Jack | A Pizza the Size of the Sun | From the gifted creators of the outrageously popular "The New Kid on the Block" and "Something Big Has Been Here" comes yet another wondrously rich, varied, clever--and always funny--collection of poems destined to become favorites. A host of Prelutsky-Stevenson oddballs and characters people the pages of this zany book, which also includes a backwards poem and a poem that never ends. | 1996 | Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | Preschool to 3rd |
| Sis, Peter | Starry Messenger | Describes the life and work of the courageous man who changed the way people saw the galaxy, by offering objective evidence that the earth was not the fixed center of the universe. | 1996 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 1st to 3rd |
| Coman, Carolyn | What Jamie Saw | Having fled to a family friend's hillside trailer after his mother's boyfriend tried to throw his baby sister against a wall, 9-year-old Jamie finds himself living an existence full of uncertainty and fear | 1995 | ALA Notable Childrens, Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 7th to Up |
| Hamilton, Virginia | Her Stories | In the tradition of Hamilton's The People Could Fly and In the Beginning, a dramatic new collection of 25 compelling tales from the female African American storytelling tradition. Each story focuses on the role of women--both real and fantastic--and their particular strengths, joys and sorrows. | 1995 | ALA Best Books Young Adults, ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 4th to 7th |
| Williams-Garcia, Rita | Like Sisters on the Homefront | When 14-year-old Gayle gets into trouble again, Mama sends her south to live with her aunt and uncle, a minister. They'll hardly let her out of the house and she doesn't like her cousin Cookie. Then Gayle meets Great, the family matriarch. Gayle's life begins to change--perhaps she can make her own place in the world after all. | 1995 | ALA Best Books Young Adults, ALA Recmd for Reluctant YA's, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 7th to Up |
| Aardema, Verna (Edt) | Misoso | From Angola to Zanzibar, here's a timeless treasury as varied and bountiful as Africa itself. Master storyteller Verna Aardema has gathered 12 misoso tales--fables that enthrall--and retold them with inimitable style alongside full-color illustrations that vibrantly reflect the spirit of these read-along delights. | 1994 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Kindergarten to 5th |
| Harris, Robie H. | It's Perfectly Normal | When children ask questions about sex, where do they go for answers? Presenting accurate, clear answers to children's questions about sexuality, It's Perfectly Normal is an ideal guidebook for kids and for parents to share with kids. Topics include puberty, birth control, AIDS, and more. Packed with warm, often humorous, full-color illustrations. | 1994 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, NY Times Notable Bks of Year, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | 5th to 9th |
| Isaacs, Anne | Swamp Angel | Caldecott artist Zelinsky puts oils to cherry and maple for this tall-tale competition between a Tennessee woodswoman extraordinaire and a hungry, fearsome bear. This debut of a promising new storyteller adds to the tall-tale tradition a pictorial counterpart that will entertain and endure for a long time to come. | 1994 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ, SLJ's Best Books | Preschool to 3rd |
| Carrick, Carol | Whaling Days | This history of American whaling describes the early whale hunters, the growth of the whaling industry, and the economic and environmental changes that led to current efforts to save endangered species. The concise text and stunning full-color woodcuts vividly evoke both the hardships and excitement of a whaleman's life during the golden age of American whaling. | 1993 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 2nd to 5th |
| Cohn, Amy (Edt) | From Sea to Shining Sea | A unique celebration of America, splendidly illustrated by 15 Caldecott Award-winning artists. Here are more than 140 folk tales, songs, peoms and essays by voices as diverse as Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Abbott and Costello, and Bob Dylan. | 1993 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 2nd to Up |
| Coman, Carolyn | Tell Me Everything | After her mother dies in a rescue mission on a snowy mountain, twelve-year-old Roz wonders if talking to God, and to the boy for whom her mother died, can help her understand what happened. | 1993 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, ALA Recmd for Reluctant YA's, Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 5th to 9th |
| Freedman, Russell | Eleanor Roosevelt | : Freedman's detailed exploration of Mrs. Roosevelt's life and career reveals a woman who genuinely cared about people. A strong advocate of human rights and world peace, Mrs. Roosevelt represented her husband in places where he could not go. Photos. A 1994 Newbery Honor Book. | 1993 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, ALA Best Books Young Adults, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 4th to 7th |
| Hamilton, Virginia | Plain City | Going forward without a past is not easy--Buhlaire Sims has been doing it as long as she can remember. Her mother is silent about her missing father, society doesn't accept how she looks or where she's from, and then she discovers everything she thought about her father was a lie. The only way to deal--find the truth for herself. An ALA Notable Children's Book. | 1993 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 4th to 7th |
| Ray, Jane | The Story of the Creation |
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1993 | Booklist, Kirkus, PW, SLJ |
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| Say, Allen | Grandfather's Journey | Through compelling reminiscences of his grandfather's life in America and Japan, Caldecott Medalist Allen Say gives us a poignant account of his family's unique cross-cultural experience. Illustrated with memorable full-color paintings, this is Say's most personal and remarkable picture yet of the bridging of the two cultures. 1994 Caldecott Medal. | 1993 | ALA Notable Childrens Books, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | Preschool to 3rd |
| Temple, Frances | Grab Hands and Run | In her second novel, the award-winning author of Taste of Salt explores another political hotspot in this story of a family's flight from El Salvador. Temple paints a strong picture of what the family's life was like before, during and after their journey, as well as in a U.S. Detention center. | 1993 | ALA Best Books Young Adults, Booklist, Booklist Ed Choice, Kirkus, PW, SLJ | 4th to 7th |
Hotlists
African American Fiction | Christian Fiction
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Overbooked is a volunteer project undertaken by Ann Chambers Theis: Collection Management Administrator, Chesterfield County (VA) Public Library. 9501 Lori Rd. or P.O. Box 297, Chesterfield, VA, 23832. Phone: 804.748.1760.
Overbooked is not an official Chesterfield County Public Library service. Overbooked.org is a nonprofit web site hosted by CVCO - Central Virginia's Community Online. Overbooked.com is a nonprofit web site in experimental mode. Overbooked does not endorse any commercial providers (or their products and services) linked to from this web site.
Please join the conversation(s) at Overbookers - a rather quiet social space for the chronically overbooked.
Join the Overbooked List - A quiet list for readers to share recent reads, keep up to date with details about new books, discuss favorite authors/titles, etc.
Comments, suggestions, corrections: Ann Chambers Theis (AKA Ann/ACT):
overbooked1@verizon.net
or
ann@overbooked.com
I really appreciate all the e-mail I receive from avid readers and writers and regret that I am not able to respond to all correspondents. Special thanks to those folks who regularly help keep me on track - you know who you are....