Cuba, 1961, Lucia and her little brother Frankie are glad that Castro has closed the schools and they get to laze on the beach, but the then truckloads of soldiers go by. Her parents make them stay in the house and the one time they go out, they see some businessmen being beaten. Lucia thinks they must be rebels. But then people start saying her father is a rebel and she sees the murdered body of her doctor who just wanted to discuss things. What will Lucia’s family do?
The Red Umbrella (Knopf, 2010) by Christina Diaz Gonzalez is an excellent historical book. It’s one of those that gives you an education without you realizing you’re being educated. That’s probably one of the reason it is winning awards!
I was fortunate to briefly meet Christina after I’d read her book. She’s very gracious and friendly. And, yes, as beautiful as her pictures. Read about her on her site, where she also has information about awards, her upcoming book, and a link to her blog. I especially enjoyed her entry about 20 things that stood out in her last year, posted on her birthday 8/20.
Category: Award Winners
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin
Humor, Attitude, and Murder!
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010) by Josh Berk mixes in those 3 elements plus history, a new friend and hot girls!
Will Halpin has left his girlfriend and the deaf school behind as he doesn’t want to take sides in the deaf fight. He’s a good lip reader so starts at a mainstream school at Carbon High. There in a history book, he discovers a relative’s death in the town coal mine. But that’s not the murder Will needs to solve.
This debut novel has received starred reviews from Kirkus. Josh Berk has another comedy/mystery coming out next year. I’m looking forward to it!
Read more about Josh at his website, where you can learn what inspired Dark Days and enjoy more of Josh’s sense of humor.
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree
“Strange: adj, extraordinary, remarkable, singular”
I don’t know how I managed to miss this Golden Kite Honor book in 2008, but I’m glad I’ve caught up with this award winning book. Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree (Dial, 2007) by Lauren Tarshis is told in two different viewpoints. And like Emma-Jean the 2nd definition of strange fits this delightful book.
Emma-Jean is the smartest girl in 7th grade and has been observing her class mates for a long time so knows all about their lives, even if she doesn’t really understand them. But when Colleen Pomerantz asks for help because Laura Gilroy is trying to steal her best friend Kaitlyn, Emma-Jean decides to get involved in their messy lives.
Colleen cares very much what others think of her and wishes she could be more like Emma-Jean who doesn’t care that others think she’s strange (definition 1, not 2). But when Laura cancels the ski trip with Kaitlyn, Colleen is suddenly afraid that Emma-Jean had a hand in it.
Then there’s the companion book, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love (Dial, 2009), which I need to get a hold of next. Though I might have to hide it from my husband so he doesn’t get it first–he definitely enjoyed Emma-Jean.
There’s an interview with author Lauren Tarshis here where she talks about her process. On her website, not only can you learn about her other books, but learn about her magazine editor job.
memoirs of a teenage amnesiac
memoirs of a teenage amnesiac (Farrar, Stauss and Girioux, 2007) by Gabrielle Zevin is very, very good. It’s an interesting concept, and very believable.
16-year-old Naomi fell and hit her head. She can’t remember anything from the last 4 years: her boyfriend; her parent’s divorce; her half sister; her best friend, Will Landsman, who calls her Chief; why she loves working on the Yearbook; French; how to drive a car. She doesn’t know why she was with Ace; she’s interested in James, the new guy, who rescued her when she fell. She decides she doesn’t like who she was. THEN, she remembers . . . everything!
Go to author Gabrielle Zevin’s website to read about all the awards this book has garnered. There’s also a book trailer, and news that it’s being made into a movie!
Gabrielle also wrote Elsewhere (review here) and a number of books for adults.
How to Steal a Dog
How to Steal a Dog (Frances Foster Books an imprint of FSG, 2007) by Barbara O’Connor is winning awards: Kansas’ William Allen White Award (3rd-5th grade book) and the South Dakota Children’s Prairie Pasque Award.
“The day I decided to steal a dog was the same day my best friend, Luanne Godfrey, found out I lived in a car.” How can you not read on after reading that line? The rest of the book holds up to that beginning, too.
Good story about what happens after a father abandons his family and truthful look at the struggles (laundry, hygiene, food, frustration). Georgina tries to fix their homelessness herself. We see her bad attitude towards her mother, how her little brother figures out things she should have, and her notebook about how to steal a dog. Through the help of a bum, Georgia learns about forgiveness.
Barbara O’Connor has published 8 novels and 6 biographies. Read more about her here.