2008 Notable Books for Children

Agee, Jon. Nothing.

Suzie Gump, the richest lady in town, visits Otis’ s Antique Shop to buy something special. When she asks Otis what was on sale and he answered nothing, she asks for that nothing and buys it. In no time, the entire town is buying nothing as well creating a series of hilarious events that lead to buying something again. Jon Agee is trying to play a trick on his readers to show how crazy we can get when it comes to shopping and he is also playing with space as he illustrates each page. This book is suitable for readers ages 4 years and older because the vocabulary is simple and the pictures are big and exciting enough to grab the early readers' attention.

Broach, Elise. When Dinosaurs Came with Everything.

How would you like to go buy a doughnut and get a dinosaur for free? On the day when a little boy had to go with his mom to run some boring errands like going to the barbershop, the most amazing thing happened: on this day only, stores all over town are giving away one special treat: a live dinosaur. Imagine by the end of the day, if you got o the mall! This crazy story only gets better with the gigantic illustrations and funny events that take place. Young readers will be fascinated by how the main characters are handling things. This book is intended for readers 4 years of age and older. The illustrations take almost the whole page in each page and the text is simple to read.

Brown, Monica. My Name Is Gabito: The Life Of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of the most brilliant writers in Latin America. This book talks about his early years and how he began imagining the characters for his stories. Great story! Excellent illustrations. Inspirational story full of imagination and creativity that will teach the value of perseverance. This inspirational book is about an inspired person full of creativity and talent. Young readers will love this book. This book is suitable for readers 8 years and older because of the text and problems that require more understanding.

Pinkney, Jerry. Little Red Riding Hood.

In this remake of the classic Grimm Brothers folktale, Jerry Pinkney introduces the two main characters slightly different than the originals: a black Little Red Riding Hood and a “sly, scary wolf.” The typical girl going to visit her grandma who lives in the woods. When the wolf finds out where she is headed, he hurries off to Grandma's house and eats her before Little Red Riding Hood gets there. He ends up eating the girl too, and a wood cutter happened to find out and killed the wolf to save Little red Riding Hood and her grandmother. This book is perfect for a read-aloud with the different sounds described in the story, like the wood cutters’ “Chop, Chop!” of the wood, the “Crunch, Crunch!” of the girl’s feet on the snow. The illustrations vividly depict the narrations. This book is suitable for readers 4 years and older because the text is easy to read.

Global Fund for Children. Global Babies.

This great board book shows babies around the world dressing colorful clothes. The clothing reflects the different traditions and costumes around the world. The pictures make the book more visually appealing. It is perfect to share with babies and preschoolers because it has a plethora of pictures. My baby loved the book. Looking at other babies from different backgrounds will grab the interest of children. Pictures taken by Frans Lemmens and Keren Su. This book is perfect to use with infants and kindergarteners because it is amzing how there are so many people in this world and yet, all different.

Finalist for the 2008 National Book Award in Young People's Literature Category

Duey, Kathleen. A Resurrection of Magic-Book One: Skin Hunger

Two stories that take place centuries apart are connected with the single concept of magic. In one story, magic is banned by kings in the place where Sadima, a girl who lost her mother on the day she was born to a fake magician, and who has the ability to communicate with animals lives. After her father dies, she decides to leave her brother and move to the city to find Franklin. When she finds him, she falls in love with him but is desperate because Franklin is a slave that belongs to Somiss, a man who is trying to restore magic. In the other story, magic is only available to people who can afford to pay schooling to train young men. Hahp is the second child of a wealthy family and he is forced to attend a school of magic. He had no choice because every other school he has attended has suspended him for bad behavior. Now he finds out he can do more with his life. He is actually the first one to make food in a magical stone. He knows he is going to succeed in this school where only one will succeed and the rest may end up dead. The two stories are connecting more and more as the stories progress. Great story that engages the reader into each of the chapters. As you read each page, you will feel so attracted and interested in the stories that you will not stop reading until you finish the book. It is wonderful how Kathleen Duey connects the two stories with very little information at a time. This book is not suitable for children under 12 years because of the magic, and some scenes that involve some sexual thoughts.

2008-2009 Lone Star, Tayshas, Blubonnet or 2x2 List

DeFelice, Cynthia. One Potato, Two Potato.

Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady have only one coat, one chair, one blanket, and one coat. They have to share everything. They only dig one potato a day from the garden a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After digging the last potato, Mr. O’Grady finds a magical pot that doubles everything you put in it. They start doubling everything until they find out that what they really want, they can’t buy: a friend. When they duplicate themselves, they finally get what they always wanted. The ending only makes this book more exciting. The illustrations of this Chinese folktale make the characters simple and unique. This is book is suitable for readers 4 years of age and older because the text is very simple to read and illustrations are fun.

2008-2009 Bluebonnet Award

McCully, Emily Arnold. Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became An Inventor.

Margaret E. Knight also known as “Lady Edison” for her famous inventions had a very hard time living in a world where men did not see women as smart and hard working human beings. Her family was poor and she had to work to help her widowed mother. She had to go through many problems, like the time a man stole her invention and registered it under his name. She fought for her invention, took thematter to court and won because she had prove of her skills. Her skill and determination led her to a successful life. This book will inspire children, especially young girls, to fight for their dreams. This book is suitable for children 7 years and older because the language might be hard for younger readers.

2008-2009 Bluebonnet Award

McNish, Cliff. Breath: A Ghost Story.

Jack had a hard time accepting the death of his father. When his mother buys an old house to start new, Jack discovers they are not the only inhabitants in the house. There are four other children in the house with them. He also discovers his sixth sense: he can feel, see and talk to ghosts. There is also the ghost of an older woman who lost her daughter to a bad sickness in the past and yearns another child. She tries hard to make Jack love her as a mother. In this thrilling story, Jack needs to control not only his asthma, but also things that got out of hand. With his mother in terrible danger, and the "kids" about to disappear forever, Jack will have to travel to the unknown to find out what to do and maybe find out about his own father. At the end, Jack and his mother are relief to have ended the hell that some souls were going through. Every page engages the reader deeper into the story. Once you start reading, you will not stop until you finish it. This book is intended for readers in Grades 4th and higher because it might be too scary for the younger readers and also because of some violence.

2008-2009 Lone Star List

Halls, Kelly Milner; Spears, Rick; Young, Roxyanne. Tales of the Cryptids. Mysterious Creatures that May or May not Exist.

Have you ever wondered if stories about the Chupacabras, Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster, giant squid, and other weird unexplainable animals are true? Halls, Spears, and Young research these cryptids and try to answer as many questions as possible. This exciting book contains detailed information and illustrations as well as interviews and a cryptid dictionary that contains how real these creatures might be. Great book to have in libraries because that is what children love to read about. I have this book in my classroom library and it is one of the ones that students fight for. Great illustrations, but not proven real. This book is suitable for readers 10 years and older because of the vocabulary used. It might be too advanced for younger readers.

2008-2009 Lone Star Reading List

Patterson, Nancy Ruth. The Winner's Walk.

“It is more important to do your best than to be the best.” Mrs. Wright told Case, but he wanted to be and feel important, like his talented stage actor mother or horse trainer dad, or even excellent swimmer sister Quinn. He decides that he will be in the newspaper like his family, but he has no idea how his life will change after meeting a special someone: Noah. A someone who has a past that will teach Case a lesson. This book is very inspirational because it is perfect for children who struggle to find their talents and children who love dogs as well. The black and white illustrations make this book fun for the young readers, especially to the ones that love dogs. This book is intended for readers 7 years and older. The vocabulary is a little harder for younger readers.

2008-2009 Bluebonnet Award

2008 Quick Pics for Reluctant Readers List

Adams, Lenora. Baby Girl.

Sheree, or Ree Ree, as her friends and family call her, is going through a hard time. She has a nice-looking mother who is not the best role model to follow, a father who has another family, and she has a whole lot of problems. Ree Ree is a confused African American teenager who gets pregnant in her search for love and desire to be loved. Now, with a new baby to care for, Ree Ree discovers several things that help her realize and mature. The book is written as three letters Ree Ree writes. The first one is a letter about her life and family, the second letter is about how her mom raised her and how she made the same mistakes her mom made as a teenager, and the third letter is about the consequences of her own decisions and how she faces her new born son. The author uses common language used in streets to make the story more realistic. I especially enjoyed reading this book because the problems Sheree experiences happen in real life. Through this book, teenagers can realize that their acts will have consequences, just like it happened to Sheree. This book is recommended for readers 14 years of age and older because of the violence, language and of course, pregnancy and sex.

Erskine, Kathryn. Quaking.

Matt has had a hard life. It all started when she was little at home. She was a victim of domestic violence along with her poor mother who ended up dead. Since her mother's death, Matilda "Matt" has moved constant;y from home to home never getting attached to people. She is very smart but when she feels threatened, she will run away. When she is placed in the home of a Quaker family who believe peace is very important. The town attacks anyone who does not support the war and this is exactly what Matt avoids: getting bullied or attacked. After spending time with this new family, Matt discovers that there is more to life than just running away. This family cares about her. Sam is trying hard to spend time with her and getting her to love him as a father. After spending time with this family, little by little, Matt starts to love them without realizing it. It was not until the Rat, a boy from school who is constantly bullying her tries to burn the church Sam is at that Matt realizes how much she loves him and how much she cares about him. Quaking is not a bad thing after all. This is a great story that teaches the reader that no matter how hard life seems, there is always hope. The characters are very strong and this is a plus because it makes the reader experience and feel what Matt feels. This book is not suitable for readers under 14 years of age because of violence and the use of some language not appropriate for younger readers.
QP Top Ten

Greenfield, Lauren. Thin.

In this extraordinary book, Lauren Greenfield shows eating disorders in a totally different way. She includes interviews of people that have experienced any of the most common eating disorders. The book also contains the background and science of eating disorders by famous researchers like Dr. Michael Strober and others. I could relate to this book because I experienced Anorexia Nervosa when I was 17 years old. I was hospitalized more times than I can remember and I could relate to some of the people mentioned in the book. My parents went through hell during that time and I don't think I would do it again, but you don't realize you are sick. Having an eating disorder is very serious and with this book, I hope that girls realize the consequences of obsessing with being"thin." This book is suitable for young adults (14 and older) because of some pictures and experiences that individuals interviewed had.

QP Top Ten

Helfer, Andrew. Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography

The life and death of Malcolm X in an unusual, but creative way: in graphics. Through newspaper-like black and white pictures, the author and illustrator represent the most important events that happened to Malcolm like the time he met with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his conversion to Islam, his time in prison, the time he would hold a rifle to protect his life, his assassination and more. This is a new approach to writing biographies and it is working. Readers, including myself, enjoy reading a biography like this because you can visualize what you are reading. I love this approach. I am sure we will see more biographies like this one. This book is not intended for readers under 14 years of age because of language, drugs, and violence.

Thalia. Thalia: Belleza! Lessons in Lip gloss and Happiness.

With years of experience, this Latin diva shares with readers hew tips on how to care for their faces and necks in detail. She provides beauty tips on how to always look feminine, sexy and seductive. She also provides tips on hair dos that go with each of the types of faces. Excellent beauty tips that can be applied by most women, especially teens who are just learning about make-up. I loved some of the tips and I even started using them as soon as I read them. Great tool to have in your home library. This book is intended for readers (especially girls) 12 years and older who are barely learning the basics of make-up. After all, you don't want a 4th grader to look sexy!!

QP Top Ten

Five Books from the 2008 Best Books for Young Adults List

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Arnold Spirit, or Junior as he is known in the rez, was born with health problems, but that never stopped him from dreaming. He loved his people, his best friend Rowdy, and his family. He had a talent: he loved drawing cartoons, and he was very good at it. After receiving a textbook at school that had once belonged to his mother, he decided to switch schools to Reardan, an all white school. He faced some difficulties at that school, but he also made very good friends. He also made a very beautiful girlfriend. He was very poor and had to walk to school when his dad had no money for gas. Arnold loses his grandmother to a drunk driver, his best friend Rowdy because he decided to move to Reardan, and his dad's best friend. Arnold compares the fatalities of people that live in reservation camps and white people. This proves that it is harder for Indians to live and fulfill their dreams. Arnold never gives up no matter how hard it sometimes looks. This story shows a little of what Indians went through after the reservations, what they felt and how they see the world around them. It also shows never to give up, always fight for your dreams. I loved the way Junior narrated his thoughts and feelings. We can feel what he is feeling. The author wrote this book around his own experiences. Wonderful, hilarious and heart-breaking. This book is not appropriate for children under 12 years of age because of some sexual vocabulary and violence.

BBYA Top Ten

Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.

Ishmael Beah narrates the story of his life. He talks about his family and friends, his favorite music and hobbies as a child, then he describes how rebels attacked his village while he was out on a neighboring village with his brother Junior and some other friends to perform in a talent show. After returning to an empty village full of blood and corpses, the boys embarked on a journey from village to village in search of their loved ones until they are separated in another attack. Ishmael continues alone until he meets other boys in the way. The boys get to become friends but are constantly attacked every time they reach a village because people feared they were part of the rebel group. When they were about to meet with their loved ones, rebels once more attack the village where their parents were leaving not a single soul alive. The boys join, or rather, are forced to join the army and kill as many rebels as possible. They imagine how their loved ones were killed and want revenge. They live killing people every day for food, ammunition and places to live. They do drugs and kill, that is all they do. Ishmael was one of those boys who killed and killed until some boys, including him were told they had to go and were sent to a rehab center, but Ishmael had not seen the end of the war yet. When the facility in charge of his rehab found a relative: his uncle, Ishmael finally moved to a home with family. He tried to live a happy life but the war broke once more in the city. With all the shootings and curfews, his uncle dies and Ishmael decides to live in America with a woman he met in a conference. After a hard and dangerous trip, he reaches his destination where happiness awaits him. I think that what makes this book so amazing is that it was told by the person that experienced the story. I followed Ishmael through every event that took place in his short life. I read how the war was like through the eyes of a young boy. Excellent story, I just wish it was not real. This book is suitable for children 14 years and older because of all the violence and problems the main character goes through.

BBYA Top Ten

Noyes, Deborah. The Restless Dead: Ten Original Stories of the Supernatural.

Deborah Noyes edits ten original short stories of the supernatural written by famous writers. Each story has its uniqueness and history behind it. Each author is briefly introduced at the end of the book which gives the reader more information about why each story was created, and what the authors think about them. Readers will be thrilled reading stories about how the dead refuse to cross over and want to stay amongst the living. Every story was different but scary. One was about three dead daughters who everyone they touch dies right away. Another story is about a family who loses a son, but refuses to let him go. It was up to the little sister to end this poor boy's misery of being dead but alive. Another story is about a young writer who buries his poems with his girlfriend and decides to dig up the corpse to get his poems back but he got stuck with the spirit of a different girl. After reading this book, the dark will never be the same. I loved the details and introductions of each story and I loved every single one. Great Book!!! This book is not recommended for those faint or weak hearted and it is not recommended for readers under 14 years of age because of the scary content.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

In the seventh and last book of her amazing series, Rowling writes about how Harry Potter, with the help of his two best friends, must find a way to finally defeat Lord Voldemort forever. Harry finally finds the place here his parents lived when they were alive. He finds their tombstones in the cemetery and also finds Voldemort. After several fights, Harry finally defeats the dark lord, but he must first die himself. Many secrets are revealed and missing parts of the puzzle in Harry’s life are finally found and put together. A few extra surprises are added at the end of the story, like Harry's wife and kids are introduced. Mr. and Mrs. Ron Weasley are also introduced and how their children along with Harry's are getting ready to take the Hogwarts Express. Great book! This was undoubtedly my favorite book in the series. This book is not appropriate for children under nine years of age because of the violence and plot. The best book of the series.

Tan, Shaun. The Arrival.

A novel narrated through the use of sepia-toned graphics. It gives the impression at first that the story takes place in the past, but then in the future, but as Brian Selznick, author of The Inventions of Hugo Cabret puts it, when a person moves into a different country not known the spoken language, everything looks black and white. They cannot understand the street signs and what people say. You feel lost, like the man from the story. Feelings of joy, sadness, wonder, and excitement can all be understood just by looking at the pictures, and every time you go over the book, you find a new detail you had not seen before. This book is intended for readers 12 years and older because it might be confusing to the younger ones.

BBYA Top Ten