Sisterhood. It's really a strange relationship, filled with tears, laughter and the odd screaming match. If you're like me, your sister fills some of your most intense memories, good, bad and silly. When I lost my sister to a sudden illness two years ago, I realized that she was my best friend. It's sad that I didn't know it until she was gone. We were very different and we drove each other crazy, but she was my sister, my buddy, my co-conspirator, my scapegoat, my confider and my friend. I miss her every day.
Recently I read Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur. It is a powerful juvenile novel about a young girl who is transformed by loss. Her younger sister dies in the story, and I found myself sobbing as I identified with her anger, grief and confusion. The novel was cathartic for me, for it seems that the loss of a sibling is seldom discussed. It is such an unusual relationship; our siblings are our past, present and future. Losing one is truly like losing a part of yourself. Aubrey's story resonated with me as she coped with her loss, grieved and ultimately moved forward. The most moving parts of the story reduced me to a little girl, missing her big sister.
Showing posts with label Juvenile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Juvenile. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2011
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Young Readers' Choice Awards 2010
There's just sometihng about a children's book that appeals to me. I don't know if it's the magic and innocence or the ability to escape from adult problems for a short while, but I can completely immerse myself in a juvenile or teen novel. This must be why I love the Young Readers' Choice Awards titles. I can still remember voting for my favourites back in elementary and junior high school. Now that I work as a Library Assistant, I have started reading the YRCA nominees again.
For those of you that are wondering, the YRCA nominees are chosen by kids and teens, librarians and teachers in the Pacific Northwest- Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Once the final nominees have been chosen, it is up to kids to read the nominees and vote for their favourites in each category. Since the voting is now complete and the results will be out any day, I thought it would be fun to put in my two cents.
For the junior division (grades 4-6), my favourite is The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, author of the wonderful Fablehaven series. Candy that is both delicious and magical- what could be better? But a group of kids soon learn that the grandmotherly owner of the new candy shop is hiding something more sinister. My second place vote goes to The Mysterious Benedict Society. In this novel, gifted children are handpicked to join said society to help save the world. Think of this one like a clever combination of Harry Potter and Lemoney Snicket, though it certainly has standing power on its own.
For the intermediate division (grades 7-9), two books have my vote for first place. Michael Scott's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a delightful blend of magic, fantasy and history. In this fun read, a brother and sister help Nicholas Flamel keep his secrets of immortality out of the wrong hands. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale reads like an exotic fairy tale- a girl and her maid are locked into a tower for refusing a cruel suitor. As the days go by and the supplies dwindle, they wonder if they will even survive, let alone find true love.
I read almost all of the books in the Senior division (grades 10-12), and only two books really stood out. My vote for first place goes to Caroline B. Cooney's Enter Three Witches. Whether you enjoy Shakespeare's MacBeth or not, you will enjoy this novel that tells the story through a young girl's eyes. In second place is Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted. I first encountered Ms. Anderson when I read her stunning novel Speak, and this one packs almost as much of a punch. Like Speak, Twisted tackles some tough teen issues, but from a male perspective.
The nominees for the 2011 nominees have recently been released, and I've read several of them already. Some of my favourites so far? Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. For more information on the YRCA nominees, go to http://www.pnla.org/yrca/index.htm
In the meantime, happy reading!
For those of you that are wondering, the YRCA nominees are chosen by kids and teens, librarians and teachers in the Pacific Northwest- Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Once the final nominees have been chosen, it is up to kids to read the nominees and vote for their favourites in each category. Since the voting is now complete and the results will be out any day, I thought it would be fun to put in my two cents.
For the junior division (grades 4-6), my favourite is The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, author of the wonderful Fablehaven series. Candy that is both delicious and magical- what could be better? But a group of kids soon learn that the grandmotherly owner of the new candy shop is hiding something more sinister. My second place vote goes to The Mysterious Benedict Society. In this novel, gifted children are handpicked to join said society to help save the world. Think of this one like a clever combination of Harry Potter and Lemoney Snicket, though it certainly has standing power on its own.
For the intermediate division (grades 7-9), two books have my vote for first place. Michael Scott's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a delightful blend of magic, fantasy and history. In this fun read, a brother and sister help Nicholas Flamel keep his secrets of immortality out of the wrong hands. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale reads like an exotic fairy tale- a girl and her maid are locked into a tower for refusing a cruel suitor. As the days go by and the supplies dwindle, they wonder if they will even survive, let alone find true love.
I read almost all of the books in the Senior division (grades 10-12), and only two books really stood out. My vote for first place goes to Caroline B. Cooney's Enter Three Witches. Whether you enjoy Shakespeare's MacBeth or not, you will enjoy this novel that tells the story through a young girl's eyes. In second place is Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted. I first encountered Ms. Anderson when I read her stunning novel Speak, and this one packs almost as much of a punch. Like Speak, Twisted tackles some tough teen issues, but from a male perspective.
The nominees for the 2011 nominees have recently been released, and I've read several of them already. Some of my favourites so far? Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. For more information on the YRCA nominees, go to http://www.pnla.org/yrca/index.htm
In the meantime, happy reading!
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