In the sequel to The Game of Sunken Places, Brian first realizes that something is amiss when a bizarre creature tries to kill him in the subway station.  That's not supposed to happen.  He won the last game, so he is supposed to be designing the setting for the next one.  Also, his best friend Gregory's cousin, Prudence, isn't answering his e-mails, even though she had been helping him with questions about designing the game.  So Brian and Gregory decide to pay Prudence a visit.  When they arrive at her housing development in Vermont to find her missing, dazed adults, time gone wonky, and real estate being sold by a man they know to be dead, they begin to realize how much danger both that suburb, and indeed human civilization itself, is truly in.

Anderson delivers a fun, humorous, action-packed sequel.  It did, however, read very much like a sequel. Although I could follow it having not read The Game of Sunken Places, it was clear that knowledge of the previous book would have been helpful.  Not a Newbery contender, but a great pick for middle grade boys.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

When You Reach Me is also the official 2010 ALA Newbery Medal award winner.

Many thanks to the YCTNN Committee, the KCLS Children's Librarians and the 5th Grade students of Grass Lake Elementary for reading with us and anyone else who participated.

Voting is open online and in community libraries through January 17th for anyone who has read at least four of the eight titles.

Watch the awarding of the real Newbery live from Boston at (or the podcast later, if you don't want to get up early!)

Just a few quotes from these articulate students:

• This was the best. It was a mock election and a contest. It got me to read books that I wouldn't have read. (Sterling)
• The contest was really fun. I really liked stating my opinion about the books and eating lunch in the Boardroom! (Aaron)
• This contest was so much fun! It makes me feel much more excited about reading when we do something like this! (Alayna)
• Thanks to this Newbery event, I got to read one of the best books of all time - The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had. Thank you librarians! (Madison)
• The experience helped me to speak out more! (Dylan)
• Voting in the mock Newbery election has been a great experience for me.
I read good books and found out about new authors! (Hannah)

Each year the American Library Association (ALA) honors books and media for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children's and young adult literature and media.

This year's ALA Youth Media Awards announcement will take place from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Jan. 18, at 7:45 a.m.  Doors open at 7:30 a.m.

The American Library Association (ALA) will provide a free live webcast of its Youth Media Awards. The number of available connections for the Webcast is limited and the broadcast is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online visitors can view the live Webcast the morning of the announcements by going to http://alawebcast.unikron.com.  Those interested in following the action live should bookmark the URL. 

Follow the ALA Youth Media Awards live on Jan. 18, 2010

The official Newbery winner will be announced from the ALA Midwinter Conference on Monday, January 18th.

To vote online for the KCLS event, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K3M2TP2 or choose Vote Here on the Kids Page. Or you can cast a paper ballot at any of our branches.

Results from our voting will be announced on January 20^th.

Update: If you missed attending a discussion event, you can listen to the Covington discussion here.

Choose the Next Newbery at KCLS culminates on December 18, 2009 when we open the voting so King County can choose its own winner. You can vote online or in person at your local library. The official Newbery Award will be announced at the end of January. To be eligible to vote you need to read at least  four of the eight nominees. 

The Final Eight

All The Broken Pieces : a novel in verse / by Ann E. Burg

Read the original blog post and add your comments.

Hear Micheline presenting...

Hear Angela presenting...

Notables Titles That We Really Liked

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
The Brooklyn Nine by Alan Gratz
Carolina Harmony by Marilyn Taylor McDowell
The Doom Machine by Mark Teague
Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
Fortune's Folly by Deva Fagan
Gone From These Woods by Donny Bailey Seagraves
Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes
Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
Slob by Ellen Potter
Tracktown Summer by Elizabeth Holmes
Tropical Secrets by Margarita Engle
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

While this is a well-written, thoughtful book, it doesn't have that extra "something" to put it on my Newbery contender list.

Rating: 4 of 5

To suggest other titles to the committee, please email newberysuggestions@kcls.org .

The constant rumbling of the train going past sets the routine for their summer days and mirror the emotions of both boys. Holmes explores complex issus of separation, abandonment, mental illness, anger management and the importance of a true friend. The ending is neither trite or wrapped up neatly- just like real life.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

To suggest other titles to the committee, please email newberysuggestions@kcls.org.

It's been just Colton and his mom for a long time. His dad is a professional rodeo cowboy so Colton doesn't see him often. When his mom decides to move them from Idaho to California Colton isn't sure, but California turns out to be ok. Moving is easier with Smoke, his twenty pound main coon cat. His dad gave him Smoke when he was two and the cat is his connection to his dad. But when Smoke goes missing in California Colton is distraught.

Jukes writes a solid boy story. Part ghost stories, part learning how to be a man, but mostly just a story about family and friends. Boys can relate to Colton, he isn't a strong reader and needs extra help. He's not good at soccer but he's willing to learn. And the palatable suspense will keep readers anxious to discover what happened to Smoke.  

Scores: 3.5 out of 5

To suggest other titles to the committee, please email newberysuggestions@kcls.org.

Abby Carson lives in Illinois and is in danger of flunking the 6th grade. In a desperate attempt not to be left behind she must get a strong B on everything for the rest of the year and do an extra credit English project. She ends up writing to a pen pal in Afghanistan and life is very different there. Sadeed has the best English so he is asked to "help" his younger sister write letters to Abby because the elders of the village find it improper for a boy to write to a girl. But as they write back and forth Abby and Sadeed make a connection, so much so that Sadeed dares to send her a secret letter so she knows it's really him she's talking to. But people on both sides of the world don't like an American writing to an Afghani and the letters must stop.

Clements is the master of the "school story", but he bests himself with this novel. The plot is current to political world events and by not tying the ending up with a neat clean bow the novel is far more believable. The hope is that we will learn to be understanding of other cultures and finally focus on our similarites instead of our differences.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

To suggest other titles to the committee, please email newberysuggestions@kcls.org.

The year is 1900 and scientific advancement is everywhere. Verna and Carlie move to the grounds of a large asylum for the mentally ill where their father will help treat patients. He has new theories on how to make people better and spends hours holed up writing his book. 

Since their mother died, cranky Aunt Maude has lived with them and Verna would like her to go back to her own home. But she moves with them and is just as cold and devoid of fun as ever. When the girls and their father become attached to one of the patients Aunt Maude becomes so jealous that a battle of wills begins where there is no clear winner, only losers.

The historical note gives the reader a quick peak into the history of mental illness in the United States and its treatments over the years. While the facility in this story was based on one of the nicest asylums, many in this country were not. This would be a good discussion book for children who know someone with a mental illness or just to bring aweness to a topic not often discussed.

Score: 4 out of 5

To suggest other titles to the committee, please email newberysuggestions@kcls.org.