So... if you didn't know, the ALA announced their Youth Media awards on Monday. That includes such things as the Caldecott, Newberry and Printz, among others! Check out the full list of winners here.
Anyway, some of ALA's favorites were my favorites, too!
A graphic novel won the Printz! This is a beautifully told (and drawn) story. It starts out with the tale of Monkey and his adventures (because who doesn't love Monkey?) We then see the story of the author, trying to fit in at a new school where he is the only Chinese kid. Eventually, another Chinese kid transfers to the school and, after a rough period, they become friends. Then we get the story of Danny, an althete and cool high schooler, who looks white until his cousin Chinkee (every awful Chinese stereotype you've ever seen) comes to visit and blows his facade away. The book flips between these tales until they come together at the end. Funny and moving, I highly recommend.
This is one of my favorite books of last year and a Printz honor book. Death narrates this tale of a small girl in Munich in WWII. Death is serious, and funny, and really sick of war. He's not a big fan of humans, and usually doesn't notice them, but he notices Liesel.
Liesel is sent to Munich as a foster child. She knows her mother is giving her up for reasons that have something to do with Hitler and that her dad was a Communist. In Munich, she makes unlikely friends and learns to read from a stolen book. There is power in stealing books. There is power in reading.
This book is beautiful and deep and stirring. I will warn you that I cried so hard at the end that I woke up Dan who was sound asleep.
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