Having been inspired, I have been pondering my own favorite books of this year. Because of its length, I thought I would break it up into two posts-children/youth and adult books. I found myself in agreement with some of the Goodread's voters, and out on my own limb on others. Here it goes...hopefully you will be so inspired too.
Fave Picture Book
For illustrations--
Bear Has a Story to Tell written by Phillip C.E. Stead Illustrations by Erin E. Stead
Two years ago, I fell in love with this writer/illustrator duo with their first Caldecott-winning book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee. The level of detail in the illustrations blends well with the sweet tale of a bear who is searching for a friend to share his story. I too feel this way at times when life is whizzing by, and everyone is too busy to stop and listen.
Goodreads Summary-Bear found his friend Mouse, but Mouse was busy gathering seeds and didn't have time to listen to a story. Then Bear saw his friend Duck, but Duck was getting ready to fly south. What about his friend Toad? He was busy looking for a warm place to sleep. By the time Bear was through helping his friends get ready for winter, would anyone still be awake to hear his story?
Story-
The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco
I have yet to find a Patricia Polacco book that I don't enjoy. Her popular books tend to be used by language arts teachers, even in high school, as a mentor text for a variety of writing traits. This true story touched the teacher in me as I read of the school challenges Ms. Polacco faced as a child. While in high school, Trisha (our lovely author) is discouraged by her substitute teacher (I promise that we aren't all this way.) to not continue art. Instead of allowing this experience to destroy her passion, she, with the great support of her art teacher, Miss Chew, rises above and succeeds to become a world-renowned artist and illustrator. If you, or a child you love, has ever questioned their abilities, this is a great book to restore a bit of confidence.
Goodreads Summary-
After spending the summer with her artist grandmother, Trisha knows she wants to be an artist, too. She's thrilled when her sketches get her into Miss Chew's special art class at the high school. A substitute teacher tells her she's wasting time on art when she should be studying - but fortunately, this is one battle that Miss Chew and Trisha are up for!
Fave Middle Grade Fiction
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
My daughter and I spent some hot summer nights devouring this book. Our animal-loving souls were mesmerized by Ivan, a deeply depressed gorilla. You see, Ivan, lives in a cage, in a roadside show where tourists laugh, tap loudly on the cage and pretty much treat him like dirt. His life changes dramatically when...
Goodreads Summary-
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Fave Young Adult Fiction
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Cancer. Hate. It. This book, with a heavy theme, has hit the bookshelves with a huge thud, and has flown off with a grand following of fans. After living through the trauma and grief of my father living and dying from cancer, I raged at the unfairness of teens, in their prime of life, being hit with the final blow of terminal cancer. The characters reached out and grabbed me till I felt they were my own friends or family. I highly recommend this book for anyone, especially teenagers, who are or know someone dealing with cancer.
Summary-
Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.
Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.
Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.
Fave Young Adult Fantasy
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
As I have said before, my son LOVES dystopian literature...DEVOURS it!! This series, called I am Number Four, is his latest favorite. We read the latest one together and enjoyed the weaving of characters together into a wild ride around the world. FUN read!!
Goodreads Summary-
Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.
Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others. . . .
I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others--including John.
But so are they.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They caught me in New York--but I escaped.
I am Number Six.
They want to finish what they started.
But they'll have to fight us first.
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