Friday, March 27, 2015

Rewarding Reads

Or should it be Awarding Reads? This post is about some of the award winning books for this year that I've been checking out.
Bluebonnet Books
Sky Jumpers-looking for a good sci fi action story? This is an awesome choice. In a future devastated by war, one girl believes it is up to her to save her community when they are held hostage by bandits, braving the deadly air and a blizzard to get help.
Saving Lucas Biggs- The audiobook of this fantasy story is so well done. How can a girl save her father who's just been sentenced to death for a crime he's innocent of? By going back in time to fix the wrong. But just how far back she must go and how to fix it is hard to believe. Kind of like trying to untangle Christmas lights.
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus- yes! Finally an answer to why he did it! And it has such beautiful artwork. This is a picture book, so it's nowhere near as intimidating as it might sound.
The Night Gardener- One thing I've learned as a MS librarian is that all these kids love scary stories. Here you go. How about one where a house and its inhabitants are slaves to a magical tree that grants wishes and its gardener, who takes a part of their soul every time?

Lone Star List
Great Greene Heist- Working on this book for our Guys Read Book Club! Jackson is trying to quit with all the school pranks, but his crush Gaby needs help winning the student council election since her opponent is cheating! No one else could pull it off like he can.
Popular: a Memoir- Also the winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, this story is written by teenage Texan Maya van Wagenen about how she decided to change her life by following the advice in a vintage popularity guide. What a great inspiration for girls today!
Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights- I'll be adding this one to my list of books to booktalk for African American month. It's a finalist for the above award. I knew nothing of this story from World War II about African Americans in the Navy who refused to continue loading bombs onto ships after a massive explosion caused the deaths of over 300 soldiers and injuring more than 400. It became a trial for the lives of these 50 men accused of mutiny.
Tut: the Story of My Immortal Life-  Percy Jackson fans will love this modern adventure of the immortal King Tut in Washington D.C. as he fights his lifelong nemesis, uncle Horemheb! Gods and goddess popping up all over the place! I wonder if there's going to be a sequel...

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