This extremely well-written novel stars Marcelo Sandoval, a character who has a lot of Asperger-like proclivities, but who does not consider these indications of any kind of disability. The story follows his experience leaving the comfortable setting of his private school to work as an intern in his father's law office so he can experience (in the words of his father) the "real world."

A lot of what he learns about the "real world" is disheartening, but the beauty of this book is the privilege of following Marcelo's thought processes as he decides how to cope and adapt without losing himself.

This book leaves you committed to the idea that the opposite of normal is not necessarily abnormal, that sometimes what some call a "symptom" another may call a "gift," and that the "real world" needs more people like Marcelo.  

This book received a starred review in nearly every library journal where it was reviewed, as well as multiple awards. It is also on the 2011-12 Iowa Highschool Battle of the Books list, and will be a book discussion choice at the local book club,  LOL @ MHS, in November, 2011.

With the holidays approaching...thought some of you might be interested in some "best of 2009 lists." I am going to try and make my own recommendations, soon...but here you go:

When author Sarah Prineas was here this fall, she recommended Savvy by her friend Ingrid Law, who won the Newbery for this title in 2008. I recently listened to this title on CD, and think this is a great story for anyone of any age.

In the Beaumont family, when a child turns 13, he or she comes into their own unique "savvy"--an ability or gift that he or she must learn to manage and balance (or "scrumble" as they call it.) Mibs has her 13 birthday while her father is lying far away in Salina, KS,  in a coma from a recent car accident...and she is convinced that she needs to travel to Salina so her new savvy can help Papa come back to his family.

Stowing away on a pink bible-delivering bus driven by bumbling Lester, Mibs, two of her brothers, her one and only friend, Will,his angsty teen sister, Bobbi, and Lil, a waitress rescued from a broken-down car, set out on an "Oz-like" journey that takes them further and further away from home.

With lessons about the Savvy in each and every one of us, this sweet and wacky adventure is a story that will stay with you for a long time.

I'm always excited to see which books have won the major awards (like Newbery and Caldecott)....check it out at the American Library's Association's website.

Preview:

Newbery Winner: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Caldecott Winner: The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes and written by Susan Marie Swanson.

 

I would really recommend the novel Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings for all kinds of readers. This title, which is on the Iowa Teen Choice Award list for 2008-09, tells the story of Brady Parks, who gets a lot of attention when he rescues a young neighbor boy after a kayak capsizes in rough waters. Events turn tragic and suspenseful when Brady realizes that the sinking of the kayak was not accidental. He is faced with some really hard decisions about right and wrong, as well as the meaning of friendship.

This is one of those books that pulls you in from the very beginning and you just want to keep reading. I gave it to my husband Terry, who likes to read exciting adventure kinds of books, and he read it nearly straight through. My only complaint about this book is that the cover art and title don't convey what a great story is inside.

The American Library association has announced the award-winning books for kids for 2008. To see a list of winners, as well as explanations of the criteria for various awards, go this this ALA link.

Interestingly, the Caldecott medal--the award for the best illustrated book-- this year was awarded to a chapter book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik. This book is a one-of-a-kind suspenseful reading experience about a young boy who lives secretly on his own after his clockwinder uncle disappears. Set around the era of the silent film, the pages of this thick book are as full of detailed pencil illustrations--giving a feel of film frames---as print pages.

The format of this book really stretches the boundaries between picture and chapter book, as the art is truly integral to the story in a way that is unusual for a book for this intended audience. I would highly recommend this book to elementary through adult age readers. Aside from the interesting story, this novel gives a fascinating glimpse at the history of the film and entertainment industry.