Recently Nominated Books
Caitlyn and her father try to find closure after her older brother, Devon, is killed in a school shooting. This is especially difficult for Caitlyn because she has Asperger's Syndrome. Told from Caitlyn's point of view, you see how she negotiates recess, finding friends, and learning about emotions without her big brother's help.
After eleven-year-old Zitlally’s father is deported to Mexico, her sadness alienates her from her middle-class friends at school and she takes refuge in solitude amidst the abandoned cars behind her trailer park, away from her sisters and her frantic mother. There she finds a dirty, skinny dog, also seemingly abandoned. As she cares for the dog she calls Star, she comes to believe that the fate of the dog is tied to that of her father, and if she can keep the dog safe, her father will be safe, too. Then Star disappears and to find him Zitlally must team up with Crystal, another trailer park girl whom she has previously ignored. Can she find the dog and will that really bring her father home? This touching, short chapter book surrounding the timely issue of illegal immigrants includes both Mexican and Aztec words as well as themes of fitting in, friendship and hope, and will be of interest to those with a similar background and foster compassion in those who don’t. Annette C. Klause
Highly readable biography about a man who invented and popularized the automobile. Mitchell does not talk down to his readers as he points out Ford's flaws along with his virtues. Numerous bluish-gray photographs fill the page and enhance the text. Even though this book is short, it will give readers plenty to talk about. nominated by Blair Christolon
Denise Fleming offers a calming bedtime story for the very young, with her usual warm palette and full-page spreads of young animals cuddling up with a parent. With its simple refrain about each "tiny" animal being "sleepy, oh so sleepy" broken with a periodic rumination "where's my sleepy baby?", families will treasure this new addition to the lullaby genre, which is not too long, nor too trifling. Note her choice of animals includes many usual suspects (lions, mice, pandas...) but also some fairly unusual cameos (ostrich, possum, anteater...). -Rhona Campbell
This powerful title safely, beautifully, and respectfully introduces young children to the subject of homelessness. With a color scheme of matte greys, tans, and sea green, plus sketch-like pencil drawings using color carefully and sparingly to draw the eye, the reader follows young Marissa's visit to get her tooth pulled - a visit that, to Marissa, is more about the homeless man outside the dentist's office. This Canadian offering perfectly captures a child's empathetic response to seeing others in abject need. (Note: this title was released in 2009 in Montreal, but released in Kane Miller's Summer 2010 line-up here in the US...) Rhona Campbell
Miss Penelope Lumley, a recent graduate of the Swanburn Academy for Poor Bright Females, has just become the governess to three children found living in the wild. But where they came from is not the only mystery of Ashton Place. In between teaching the children manners and English, Penelope begins to wonder why the coachman lurks, why the master of the house is rarely around, and how to keep her charges from chasing squirrels. Katherine Kellgren's satirical and sublimely British narration only heightens the comparison between the Incorrigibles and the Baudelaires. -Colleen Beaupre
Excellent characterization brings to life an often overlooked effect of Vietnam War. 13-year-old Y'Tin loves elephants and is the newest handler for Lady, one of his tribe's three elephants. After the Americans' departure the Dega people do their best to live normally despite the war that is still raging around them. Before long, their village is attacked and many, including Y'Tin are captured. All he wants to do is care for elephants, but now, under the threat of being drafted into this guerrilla war, Y'Tin is faced with the challenge of escape, survival and finding his family and Lady. -Colleen Beaupre
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