This is our second in a series of entries on the new Sasquatch Award Nominees for 2010.andnbsp; Just to give you a little taste of what to expect and some cool background tidbits as a bonus.
Brendan Buckley is a scientist, a rock hound, and a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do.andnbsp; You know, just an ordinary kid.andnbsp; He keeps track of his many scientific discoveries in a top secret notebook along with a long list of unanswered questions.andnbsp; He's big into figuring things out and you can't do that without asking questions!andnbsp; He believes he's an ordinary kid living an ordinary life until he steps right into the middle of a family mystery that just keeps adding questions to his ever growing list.andnbsp; After awhile Brendan begins to wonder if he'd have been better off keeping his questions to himself.
Brendan Buckley's Universe is a first novel for kidsandnbsp;by Sundee T. Frazier and she does a pretty good job her first time out!andnbsp; There are heavy questions being asked about race, family, and loyalty but she keeps adding in things that make you laugh while you work through the tough stuff.andnbsp; Brendan is such a likeable, interesting kid that you will find yourself rooting for him through the whole story.
This book won the American Library Association's Coretta Scott King Award which honors African-American authors and illustrators who create outstanding books for children and young adults.andnbsp; Sundeeandnbsp;Frazier won for New Talent.andnbsp;andnbsp;Brendan Buckley'sandnbsp;Universe isandnbsp;funny, it's challenging and it has definite kid appeal particularly for those in 4th - 6th grade.andnbsp;
