Kids Lit
Books and More for Children and Teens

Mystery Writers of America have announced the 2008 Edgar Award Winners.  Here are the juvenile and teen ones:

Best Juvenile:  The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

Best Young Adult: Rat Life by Tedd Arnold

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The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall.

Return to the charming world of the Penderwick sisters as they return home to Gardam Street after their summer adventures.  Mr. Penderwick's sister delivers a letter from his dead wife, telling him to start dating again, and horribly he does!  Rosalind is terribly scared of having a stepmother and brings her sisters together to form the Save-Daddy plan.  Meanwhile, Jane and Skye do one another's homework which leads to a web of deceit, Batty tries to warn everyone of a stranger lurking around the neighborhood, and Hound develops a fondness for a new cat next door.  Just normal life around Gardam Street.

Birdsall certainly didn't suffer from the Sophomore Slump with this second novel.  In fact, I enjoyed it even more than the first.  The sisters are all unique and interesting characters facing normal life crises.  It is the writing itself that charms, creating a book filed with the warmth, confusion, love and mess of real life.  There is still that old-fashioned feel to the series, as if a book from your childhood has moved forward to modern day but maintained the same sense of safety and a rightness with the world.  Refreshing yet reminiscent.

If you enjoyed the first book, make sure to check out the second.  Another great read-aloud for classrooms and a must-purchase for libraries.  Highly recommended for ages 10-14.

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Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke, illustrated by Garry Parsons.

Early one morning, a hen notices that one of her chicks is stuck in the mud.  She pushes and shoves, but can't get the chick out and then finds herself stuck too!  One by one, more animals join them stuck all together in the mud.  All push and strain to get unstuck, but all are trapped.  All except one!  The little chick who started the mess!

The art here is so funny and inviting.  Done in a cartoon style that will make small children right at home, it is perfectly paired with the zany text that will have children even more at home.   The text is pitch perfect, reading aloud so easily that it fairly skips along.  This is the perfect book for a toddler story time where children will love to shout out the animal names and join in the straining to push and pull the animals out of the mud.

Highly recommended for ages 3-6.  Have a muddy good time!

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Forever Rose by Hilary McKay.

Return once again to the Casson family as they verge on disaster but always pull together as a family by the end of the story.  Rose is being left alone more and more as her sister Caddy has left, Saffy is busy with friends and school, Indigo is into his music, her father is away living in London, and her mother is in her shed feeling ill.  But maybe it's worse when one of Indigo's friends moves his drum set in and ruins her latest painting.  Certainly it is worse when she finally realizes what she has agreed to do with her friends at the zoo!  But it is far too late to back out by then.

McKay has such a deft hand with characters.  They are constantly surprising but true to themselves.  She is particularly wonderful at creating people with true flaws, but also making sure they are not only lovable but loved.  While one doesn't wish to move in with the family, one would love to know them and be part of their world. 

Once again, a Casson novel that triumphs.  Highly recommended for readers ages 10-14, but only if they have read the rest of the series!

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Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker.

Every time a new Clementine book comes out, my toes wiggle with glee.  I know that between those pages, I will find moments to laugh aloud, discover myself as a small child again, recognize my children, and simply sink into a wonderful book.  They never disappoint.

This third Clementine book has her bonding with her third grade teacher until he is nominated to go on a trip to Egypt.  Now Clementine has to cope with a new teacher who doesn't seem to have the same rules while desperately trying to keep her old teacher from winning the award and leaving.  Clementine also has to try to do something extra nice for her mother because she is writing a story with her father.  It's only fair to do things equally according to her friend Margaret. 

Once again I was charmed not only by the effervescent Clementine who walks her own walk and sees the world through her own special lens, but by her parents who love her simply for being herself.  Other adults are equally well drawn and complete as are the children around Clementine.  Add to that Frazee's line art which constantly shows the field of chaos around Clementine as she moves through life, and you have such a believable and vibrant book that it is hard to put down.  In fact, I recommend having all three at hand, because you are going to want to start the entire series once again just to spend some more time with them.

Highly recommended as a readaloud, or for parents of children who don't conform to what the world seems to expect, or for children themselves who have a good sense of humor and love to laugh.  Hey, it's great for everyone.  Enjoy!

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I love seeing who has won the Jane Addam's Children's Book Awards because the focus of the award is so near and dear to me.   Books on the list "effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence."

Here are the 2008 Winners:

The Escape of Oney Judge: Martha Washington's Slave Finds Freedom by Emily Arnold McCully.

We Are One:  The Story of Bayard Rustin by Larry Dane Brimmer.

And the honors:

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II by Lita Judge.

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins.

Eljah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Birmingham, 1963 by Carole Boston Weatherford.

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I always love seeing what VOYA has dubbed the best science fiction, fantasy and horror books.  Will my favorites make it?  How about yours?

Take a look at the list.  It is a pdf file and may require patience to load.

Here are ones I am glad to see on the list:

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke (I wish this had been a Cybil nominee!)

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (Yes!  The best of the year!)

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (Hurrah!  Love this one!)

The Chaos King by Laura Ruby

But there are so many I didn't read and so many that were never on our list to consider for the Cybils!  Any other must-reads on the list?  Some of my favorites are missing.  Where is Epic?  Where is Wildwood Dancing?  Any others that should be on such a lengthy list?

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The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2008 has been announced:

Gatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Ruby Red by Linzi Alex Glass

Crusade by Elizabeth Laird

Apache by Tanya Landman

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

What I Was by Meg Rosoff

Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine (published in the U.S. as Me, the Missing and the Dead)

Remember, this is a British award, so some of the books aren't released in the U.S. yet.

Has anyone got any favorites?  I haven't read any of these!

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