[LM_NET] Richie's Picks: THE BEST OF 2007

[Richie Partington <BudNotBuddy@AOL.COM>]

Richie's Picks: THE BEST OF 2007
 
"What are we coming to?
I just don't know anymore."  
-- Gillian Welch doing Radiohead's "Black  Star 
 
Now that I am a real librarian, I theoretically deal with more  than just 
books.  (Not that one could tell from where I'm sitting  right now...)  
 
Here is a most amazing and entertaining online  educational resource to share 
with students and to think long and hard about  ourselves:
 
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
 
This was such a great year for books.  Not that there are  any bad years but, 
even more than usual, there are so many stellar  books that I must 
reluctantly leave off than the short list of my Best of  2007.
 
I'm beginning with picture books this year.  No list of  superlatives would 
be excessive in describing my favorite picture  book of the year, a perfect, 
breathtaking, and incredibly  essential  picture book for older readers:
WHY WAR IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA by Alice Walker, illustrated by  Stefano Vitale
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/why_war_is_never_a_good_idea.html
 
And the one that has been such a big hit with all  the hundreds of students, 
teachers, and librarians to whom I've read  it:
PREVIOUSLY by Allan Ahlberg, illustrated by Bruce  Ingman
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/previously.html
 
Graphic novels:
Nearly seven years ago, I wrote about how much I loved ARTEMIS  FOWL by Eoin 
Colfer.  I've been booktalking it ever since  then.  By far, my favorite 
graphic novel of 2007 is ARTEMIS FOWL: THE  GRAPHIC NOVEL.  The story doesn't let 
up for one moment and the artwork and  the quality of the finished book are 
stunning.  This one should be in  every single school library from elementary up 
through high school.
 
The other graphic novel that has really stayed with me, a book  that will 
hopefully cause some young readers to become animal rights  activists:
LAIKA by Nick Abadzis
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/laika.html
 
For young adults, my favorite pair of the year  are:
 
MISTIK LAKE by Martha Brooks 
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/mistik_lake.html
THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman  Alexie
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/absolute_true_diary_of_a_part_time
_indian.html
 
Another pair that have really stayed with me are by  longtime favorite YA 
authors:
BEASTLY by Alex Flinn
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/beastly.html
WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/what_my_girlfriend_doesnt_know.htm
l
 
And one at the young end of YA that really moved me with it's  power and 
relevance:
 
RED GLASS by Laura Resau
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/red_glass.html

 
There is one book that is so easily, hands down, my  favorite story of the 
year, the book that should absolutely win the next  Newbery.
THE WEDNESDAY WARS by Gary D. Schmidt 
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/the_wednesday_wars.html
 
There are a whole bunch of others from 2007 that I am  booktalking 
constantly.  My absolute favorites are:
 
DEMONKEEPER by Royce Buckingham
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/demonkeeper.html
REVOLUTION IS NOT A DINNER PARTY by Ying Chang  Compestine
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/revolution_is_not_a_dinner_party.h
tml
EMMA-JEAN LAZARUS FELL OUT OF A TREE by Lauren  Tarshis
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/emma_jean_lazarus_fell_out_of_a_tr
ee.html
ELIJAH OF BUXTON by Christopher Paul Curtis
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/elijah_of_buxton.html
 
 (http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/red_glass.html) 
IF A TREE FALLS AT LUNCH PERIOD by Gennifer  Choldenko
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/if_a_tree_falls_at_lunch_period.ht
ml
THE OFF SEASON by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/the_off_season.html
 
In nonfiction, 
THE ULTIMATE WEAPON: THE RACE TO DEVELOP THE ATOMIC BOMB by  Edward T. 
Sullivan
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/the_ultimate_weapon.html
M.L.K.: JOURNEY OF A KING by Tonya Bolden
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/mlk.html
 
And one more piece of nonfiction from totally out of left  field:
NEW HAMPSHIRE 1603-1776 (VOICES FROM COLONIAL AMERICA) by  Scott Auden with 
Alan Taylor, consultant.
I never did get to write about this one, but I previously  knew nothing about 
colonial New Hampshire, it was so engaging, and just so  totally opposite the 
typical book that a student would snore through in search  of information for 
a report:
 
Finally, can a couple of hundred girls be wrong?
 
I wasn't surprised to booktalk BLUE LIPSTICK by John Grandits  and have them 
fighting over it every single time.  But the day  that surprised me was the 
one when I DIDN'T get a chance to  booktalk it -- it was just amid a pile -- and 
there were STILL  three girls shoulder to shoulder, reading it together 
immediately after my  presentation ended.
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/blue_lipstick.html
  
Richie  Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
Moderator, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
http://www.myspace.com/richiespicks
Caldecott  '09





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