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October 17, 2007
National Book Award Nominees
The following books were nominated for the National Book Award in the Young People's Literature category.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
In this semi-autobiographical book, Arnold Spirit spends his time lamenting life on the "poor-ass" Spokane Indian reservation, drawing cartoons and, along with his pal, Rowdy, laughing over anything and nothing, as best friends so often do. When a teacher pleads with Arnold to want more, to escape the hopelessness of the reservation, Arnold switches to a rich white school and immediately becomes as much an outcast in his own community as he is a curiosity in his new one.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The perfect combination of illustrations and words. The story revolves around 12-year-old Hugo and his efforts to fix an old automaton (a machine or robot that is programmed to perform specific actions in a human-like manner, used primarily as a toy) that his father found. The story opens in a Paris train station in 1931 as Hugo is running to his hiding place. An orphan, he maintains the clocks in the train station for his uncle who disappeared. He steals mechanical toys to use as parts for the automaton. When the toymaker catches him, a series of events unfolds that sheds light on the toymaker and his goddaughter, Hugo, his father and uncle and early movie makers and magicians.
Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic, Book One by Kathleen Duey
This dark fantasy, the first in a planned trilogy, weaves together the stories of two teens who live in a world in which magic has a turbulent history. When her father dies, Sadima, a young woman who can communicate with animals, keeps house for two renegade magicians at a time when magic has been outlawed. Her experiences alternate with those of Hahp, born generations later. Exiled by his wealthy, disapproving father, he attends a school of wizardry where, among other unpleasantness, students are starved to death if they can't conjure up food. Sadima's and Hahp's worlds are separated by generations, but their lives are connected in surprising and powerful ways.
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Deanna was 13 when her father caught her and 17-year-old Tommy having sex. Three years later, she is still struggling with the repercussions: how Tommy jokingly made her into the school slut; how the story became legend in her small town; how her father can't look at her. Meanwhile, in a misguided search for love brought on by the confusion of seeing Tommy again, Deanna intentionally hurts her two closest friends. She struggles to gain insight into herself, her family, and her friends. When she finally does, she's able to create small but positive changes in her relationships with them all.
Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin
To those back in Haiti, "touching snow" means living in America. For seventh-grader Karina, however, life in suburban Chestnut Valley, NY, is far from easy. Her extended family struggles to survive in a world in which they are social and cultural outsiders, where food and shelter are still uncertain, and where a visit from the authorities can mean deportation to a desperate homeland. For Karina, though, the biggest threat is within her family--her stepfather, who uses brutal force to dominate his wife and stepdaughters.
Ed Goldberg
Teen Services Librarian
Posted by egoldberg at October 17, 2007 9:18 AM