Comments on: Black Hole and Moonbird http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/ A Mock Newbery Blog Sat, 08 Jun 2013 20:41:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: YALSA Reveals Five Nonfiction Award Finalists | School Library Journal http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-107413 YALSA Reveals Five Nonfiction Award Finalists | School Library Journal Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:34:36 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-107413 [...] Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 (Farrar) by Phillip Hoose, which explores a species of bird that migrates hundreds of thousands of miles over the course of its life. [...] [...] Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 (Farrar) by Phillip Hoose, which explores a species of bird that migrates hundreds of thousands of miles over the course of its life. [...]

]]> By: Jonathan Hunt http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103708 Jonathan Hunt Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:00:04 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103708 http://www.hbook.com/2012/10/blogs/calling-caldecott/ocean-sunlight/ Over on Calling Caldecott, Lolly Robinson asks the following question about OCEAN SUNLIGHT: "Does this book have a chance with the committee? Will it depend on how many of them have an interest in science?" It's ironic that we have been saying the same thing for A BLACK HOLE IS *NOT* A HOLE. Should it matter whether the committee likes science? Shouldn't they just recognize the most distinguished book--whether or not they like it? http://www.hbook.com/2012/10/blogs/calling-caldecott/ocean-sunlight/

Over on Calling Caldecott, Lolly Robinson asks the following question about OCEAN SUNLIGHT: “Does this book have a chance with the committee? Will it depend on how many of them have an interest in science?” It’s ironic that we have been saying the same thing for A BLACK HOLE IS *NOT* A HOLE. Should it matter whether the committee likes science? Shouldn’t they just recognize the most distinguished book–whether or not they like it?

]]> By: Nina http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103275 Nina Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:38:47 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103275 Okay, having finally just gotten my hands on and finished both...am I the first one to say that BLACK HOLE strikes my warm-fuzzy bone better than MOONBIRD? I think both are great, btw...and we do have more NF to discuss. But I was the kid for whom those goofy thought experiments eclipsed any heroic migration story, which I'd have known I was supposed to feel emotional about, and so resist. Okay, having finally just gotten my hands on and finished both…am I the first one to say that BLACK HOLE strikes my warm-fuzzy bone better than MOONBIRD? I think both are great, btw…and we do have more NF to discuss. But I was the kid for whom those goofy thought experiments eclipsed any heroic migration story, which I’d have known I was supposed to feel emotional about, and so resist.

]]> By: Ed Spicer http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103267 Ed Spicer Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:34:01 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103267 And you didn't even do anything but mention Bomb, which is better than both. And you didn’t even do anything but mention Bomb, which is better than both.

]]> By: Mark Flowers http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103198 Mark Flowers Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:52:41 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103198 Speaking of Science NF, and particularly @Mr. H, here's my mom's thoughts on THEIR SKELETONS SPEAK and THE GIANT (both of which are strong contenders, for me): http://crossreferencing.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/cardiff-giant-vs-kennewick-man/ Speaking of Science NF, and particularly @Mr. H, here’s my mom’s thoughts on THEIR SKELETONS SPEAK and THE GIANT (both of which are strong contenders, for me): http://crossreferencing.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/cardiff-giant-vs-kennewick-man/

]]> By: Jonathan Hunt http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103194 Jonathan Hunt Mon, 01 Oct 2012 18:43:45 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103194 Mr. H: BLACK HOLE would be a good choice because it is so different from the other books in the field--being both a science book and an expository text--and it's relatively short, too. I would describe BOMB, IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE, TITANIC, FAIRY RING, and THE GIANT as narrative nonfiction. To one degree or another, each author uses suspense to drive their story in the same way a novelist might. WE'VE GOT A JOB is also quite good and civil rights books (THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION and CLAUDETTE COLVIN) have done well in the past. Sandy: It's sad, isn't it? But here's another sign of the science stigma. Sy Montgomery has won the Sibert and two honors for Scientist in the Field books, but she's never been buzzed for Newbery--until this year when she a biography out. I know the design of Scientist in the Field is awesome and kind of overshadows the text, but still . . . Mr. H: BLACK HOLE would be a good choice because it is so different from the other books in the field–being both a science book and an expository text–and it’s relatively short, too. I would describe BOMB, IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE, TITANIC, FAIRY RING, and THE GIANT as narrative nonfiction. To one degree or another, each author uses suspense to drive their story in the same way a novelist might. WE’VE GOT A JOB is also quite good and civil rights books (THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION and CLAUDETTE COLVIN) have done well in the past.

Sandy: It’s sad, isn’t it? But here’s another sign of the science stigma. Sy Montgomery has won the Sibert and two honors for Scientist in the Field books, but she’s never been buzzed for Newbery–until this year when she a biography out. I know the design of Scientist in the Field is awesome and kind of overshadows the text, but still . . .

]]> By: Sandy D. http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103182 Sandy D. Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:59:05 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103182 Huh. I knew that there wasn't much nonfiction (and no straightforward science w/o history) in the Newbery Award winners, but I honestly thought there must have been some in the Honors lists, especially with so many great science books in the last 10 years or so. How disappointing. I wish my local libraries would get more of these books you've just mentioned. They seem to get the literary Newbery possibles much earlier than the nonfiction ones. Huh. I knew that there wasn’t much nonfiction (and no straightforward science w/o history) in the Newbery Award winners, but I honestly thought there must have been some in the Honors lists, especially with so many great science books in the last 10 years or so. How disappointing.

I wish my local libraries would get more of these books you’ve just mentioned. They seem to get the literary Newbery possibles much earlier than the nonfiction ones.

]]> By: Sam Eddington http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103181 Sam Eddington Mon, 01 Oct 2012 13:48:35 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103181 Points well made and well taken, Jonathan, about a reread helping with evaluating the text of BLACK HOLE. As for the Newtonian/Relativistic issue, I may be projecting my own experiences as a child reader here. One of my favorite books growing up was THE CARTOON GUIDE TO PHYSICS, which is definitely pitched for an older audience than BLACK HOLE. CARTOON GUIDE took the strategy of saying up front, repeatedly, that Newtonian mechanics were only an approximation -- a good approximation under normal circumstances, and one that made the math a lot easier, but an approximation nonetheless. Maybe I wanted that out of BLACK HOLE, and maybe it's because that's how one of my favorite books approached it. It's funny, the way expectations can sometimes carry over. If we were having a conversation about this around the table, I think that's an objection you could talk me out of. Points well made and well taken, Jonathan, about a reread helping with evaluating the text of BLACK HOLE.

As for the Newtonian/Relativistic issue, I may be projecting my own experiences as a child reader here. One of my favorite books growing up was THE CARTOON GUIDE TO PHYSICS, which is definitely pitched for an older audience than BLACK HOLE. CARTOON GUIDE took the strategy of saying up front, repeatedly, that Newtonian mechanics were only an approximation — a good approximation under normal circumstances, and one that made the math a lot easier, but an approximation nonetheless. Maybe I wanted that out of BLACK HOLE, and maybe it’s because that’s how one of my favorite books approached it. It’s funny, the way expectations can sometimes carry over. If we were having a conversation about this around the table, I think that’s an objection you could talk me out of.

]]> By: Mr. H http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103167 Mr. H Mon, 01 Oct 2012 03:01:01 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103167 I finished BOMB last week and thought it was incredible. My favorite so far this year, but my reading list is limited. I do want to get to one more nonfiction title, and I'm thinking BLACK HOLE may be it. I read the free pages of MOONBIRD on Amazon and wasn't really that impressed. When my free time is so precious, I want to read something I'm going to "like". TEMPLE GRANDIN is there too, but I'd like to read something totally different from BOMB. Any suggestions? I finished BOMB last week and thought it was incredible. My favorite so far this year, but my reading list is limited.

I do want to get to one more nonfiction title, and I’m thinking BLACK HOLE may be it. I read the free pages of MOONBIRD on Amazon and wasn’t really that impressed. When my free time is so precious, I want to read something I’m going to “like”. TEMPLE GRANDIN is there too, but I’d like to read something totally different from BOMB. Any suggestions?

]]> By: mslibrarian http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2012/09/29/black-hole-and-moonbird/#comment-103139 mslibrarian Sun, 30 Sep 2012 02:30:53 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/?p=2512#comment-103139 Jonathan, I agree fully with this statement, "But anybody who has spent any time with expository books of information (whether published this year or any other) knows that this text is head and shoulders above similar books." I truly do -- appreciate the author's skills in presenting complex concepts to the intended young readers! And I love how the book ends, that a Black Hole is actually a LOT like a Hole :) Jonathan, I agree fully with this statement, “But anybody who has spent any time with expository books of information (whether published this year or any other) knows that this text is head and shoulders above similar books.” I truly do — appreciate the author’s skills in presenting complex concepts to the intended young readers! And I love how the book ends, that a Black Hole is actually a LOT like a Hole :)

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