Historical Fiction - 2012 Scott O'Dell winner

It's 1962 in Norvelt, a small town declining in its fortunes. Jack Gantos is grounded for the summer after accidentally firing his father's WWII Japanese rifle souvenir. The 11 year old has a nose that sprays blood "like dragon flames", a best friend who grew up in a "house filled with dead people", and a new job typing up obituaries for his arthritic neighbor Miss Volker. And there are a lot of obituaries because the original residents of the town are dropping like flies. A bit of mystery and lots of humor make this coming of age story one that holds special appeal to boys and reluctant readers. There are lots of choices for funny scenes to use as hooks to introduce Norvelt. One that stands out to me involves Miss Volker and molten wax.

Author Jack Gantos won both the 2102 Newbery (best contribution to children's literature) and the Scott O'Dell Award (best youth historical fiction) for Dead End in Norvelt. The book has the sharp witted, somewhat frantic style that you would expect from the author of the Joey Pigza books. Clearly there are autobiographical elements to this story aimed at middle schoolers given that the main character has the same name as the author. Gantos has previously written an autobiography for older teens, Hole in My Life, the story of how he became a writer. After graduating from high school and in need of money, he recklessly agreed to sail a 60-foot boat filled with a ton of hashish from the Virgin Islands to NYC - where he was picked up by federal agents and sentenced to 6 years in prison. It was while locked up that he went from wanting to be a writer to committing himself to his craft. I heard him when he was a guest on the "Not My Game" segment of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me news quiz. The comedians on the show really got a kick out of this year's Newbery winning author having a criminal background for smuggling drugs.

Information text - Lord God Bird

This is a great example of an incredibly engaging information text with a powerful message. In The Race to Save the Lord God Bird (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2004), Phillip Hoose tells the story of extinction: the loss forever of an incredible bird, the Ivory-bill Woodpecker.  The story stretches over 200 years of history mixing science, economics, and social and political history. A tremendous amount of research went into this book. Each page includes unique details that keep the reader's interest, humanizing the story. Many black and white photos and maps bring the story to life.

The first chapter opens in a dramatic fashion. The "Father of Ornithology", Alexander Wilson is described as a "walking powder keg". Early birders shot birds in order to learn about them because they didn't have the technology to observe from a distance (binoculars and scopes) or capture the image or sound of birds (cameras with long distance lens and audio recording devices). After shooting some several birds, he brought an injured Ivory-bill back to his hotel room to study. As he was stabling his horse he returned to his room a few minutes later to find the air filled with dust and chunks of plaster on his bed. The great bird was smashing away at a wall with its mighty bill and just seconds away of escaping. Wilson was frequently bloodied by the Ivory-bill as he sketched it over the next few days. The great bird refused to eat and three days later it was dead. To introduce this book to teens (gr. 6-12), I would tell about this chapter and use some "props". I would hold up a yardstick and explain that this was the wing span of the bird (know as Lord God bird because that was people's reaction to it when they saw it). I might also use a document camera to share some of the photos or the maps of the collapsing habitat on page 156-157.

The author, Philip Hoose, clearly cares passionately about the loss of biodiversity and challenges his young readers,  "Can we get smart enough fast enough to save what remains of our biological heritage?" He is the author of another favorite information text of mine, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, 2010 National Book Award winner. I was lucky enough to hear him speak and meet him at the last annual OELMA conference. Definitely a "non-fiction author with authority".

Modern Fantasy - The Next Hunger Games??

I "read" this book by listening to it on audio in my car. It was great!
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (2011) is a science fiction story that should have wide appeal. Fifteen year old Waverly was born upon the space ship Empyrean that is traveling to colonize New Earth. They are not due to arrive for another 40 years. She knows she needs to marry soon due to fertility issues in space and is hesitating to accept Kieran, her good friend who is expected by everyone to one day assume leadership of the ship. There is an attraction to the bad boy moody Seth that she can't ignore. Everything changes when their sister ship, the New Horizon, with whom they had been out of contact for many years, suddenly invades the Empyrean. Many adults are killed and all the girls are kidnapped and taken to the New Horizon ruled by the evil religious leader, Ann Mather. Turns out the women of the New Horizon are all sterile and the girls are needed ensure the continuation of its people. Back on the Empyrean, all the adults are either dead, dying or have disappeared chasing the invaders. The boys are left to cope and a violent power struggle ensues between Kieran and Seth. The story line changes back and forth from Waverly and Kieran.


This is the first book in a planned series. Lots of action. Some critics have been concerned by what was perceived as an anti-religious slant. While religion mixed with power is being misused, I'm didn't feel that the book was anti-religious. There were a lot of secrets from the history of the older generation that leave readers unsure of who to trust. I will read the next one for sure. Boys and girls grades 8-12 will like it. To introduce, I would read or describe the scene where the Empryean is attached and the girls kidnapped. The next Hunger Games??

A second new book I have to mention is Legend by Marie Lu. It is also the first in a planned series. June, a brilliant girl of the privileged classes, is destined for a great future. Day, an outlaw boy of the streets, struggles to assist his family and fight the evil Republic. When June's brother is killed, Day is accused and June is charged with bringing him to justice. But things are not what they seem and soon the star-crossed lovers are working together. The next Hunger Games??

Realistic fiction #2 - Heist Society

Ally Carter's Heist Society (Scholastic, 2010) is a fast paced art thief story with teenage protagonists. Kat was trying to leave the "family business" and assimilate into boarding school life, when her father is accused of stealing 5 very valuable paintings from a powerful mob boss. And he wants them back. Now. The only problem is that he can't return the paintings because he doesn't have them. Kat knows that he is innocent (he actually was busy stealing other art works at the time and Interpol is his trail for that job). Kat, along with her friend, the very hot Hale, have two weeks to retrieve and return the paintings.

Glamorous and extremely cinematic, this book is a quick read. Think Ocean's Eleven as written by the author of the Gallagher Girls. It is appropriate for teens from grade 6 up. It would be an easy sell - read the back cover aloud and show the front cover!