Comments on: Is It That Time of Year Already?

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:13:15 +0000

“Best Books” for Cinder? Hardly. Don’t get me wrong – it was super fun and all – but it really doesn’t rank up there with the best quality books this year. But I can see why PW might put it there – that cover is OUTSTANDING and sells the book all on its own.

Ditto what Whitney said re: Drama. I give HUGE kudos and thanks to Telgemeier for creating fantastic graphic novels for this demographic, but I don’t think Drama will be able to compete for the Printz this year.

I was surprised about Bitterblue, actually. It is so dependent on having read the previous two books that I don’t think it can stand alone on a Best Books list.

And am I officially the last one in the country to not have read Code Name Verity???

By: Whitney

Whitney — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:13:15 +0000

I really enjoyed Cinder and think it’s probably one of the better sci-fi/futuristic books of the year, but more of just a fun read rather than one of outstanding literary quality.

Hilda and the Midnight Giant is delightful and I’m glad to see it on PW’s list. It would definitely appeal to teens (and adults!), but I think it’s more of a children’s book akin to something like Coraline.

Drama could fit into the Printz age bracket, but I’m not sure it would stand up to some of the stronger contenders from this year.

By: Mark Flowers

Mark Flowers — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:54:12 +0000

Karyn – oh sure, call me on my crankiness (blame on my severe head cold)

By: Karyn Silverman

Karyn Silverman — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:51:38 +0000

Mark, I’m not sure that’s an entirely fair assessment of the fiction. Several of these are fantastic reads, and while I think the list as a whole tends toward the obvious, it’s also a year in which the obvious and the excellent have overlap.
Let’s also remember that this is PW, the one industry rag aimed at the booksellers rather than the librarians, so a certain commercial bias is, perhaps, both appropriate and forgivable.
Your take on nonfiction, however, I absolutely agree with; I haven’t read nearly as much as you have, but just based on buzz from sources I trust (you among them, but not only you), it’s just unfathomable that there were only four books the editors at PW found worthy of noting here.

(edited to add: gracious I sound a bit lofty! Blame it on lack of coffee.)

By: Mark Flowers

Mark Flowers — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:35:12 +0000

Just a truly dreadful showing by PW on Nonfiction. There are easily 10-15 great Nonfiction Children’s titles that are better than several on the fiction list.

The fiction list itself reads more like a “most buzzed” list than a “best of” list. Very disappointing stuff.