Comments on: Pyrite Printz: Deadlines!

By: Karyn Silverman

Karyn Silverman — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:47:44 +0000

If Sailor Twain isn't eligible, then neither is The Silence of our Friends, as it is also listed as adult in the First Second catalog. I wish they had stuck to the no ages specified for anything policy; I loved the message it sent about fluidity of readers. But since we take publisher age recs as a standard in determining YA or not YA for Printz purposes, we need to abide by them across the board.

By: Emily H.

Emily H. — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:16:43 +0000

I agree about the excellence of THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS but I’m not sure it’s eligible; I know that with graphic novels the line between adult and YA is fuzzier, but it feels like a more adult perspective to me and my library holds it as an adult GN.

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:36:13 +0000

It has been a while since a Printz committee recognized a graphic novel but I would love to think that THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS is a dark horse candidate. It was published way back in January so that may be an additional strike against its chances. In a year filled with good but not great civil rights related books, this one reaches closest to greatness.

By: Karyn Silverman

Karyn Silverman — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:24:21 +0000

I haven’t read it (so many books!), but did pull it aside a put it in the stack that is the consideration pile. There’s been some quiet buzz about it. Sarah and I were just talking yesterday about trying to squeeze in a few more books from the dark horse pile. What are the other dark horse candidates, the books no one has really been talking loudly about, but that have some serious chops?

By: Monica Edinger

Monica Edinger — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:02:03 +0000

JEPP’s great! Was delighted to see it on the Times list.

By: Jonathan Hunt

Jonathan Hunt — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 23:49:39 +0000

Karyn, I am still confused by your process, but I think you are saying that these books we are nominating right now do not automatically continue on to be voted upon. There will be a round of cuts first? Regardless, I don’t think anything should get a free pass.

By: Miriam

Miriam — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:09:13 +0000

NYTimes Notables is up! http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/books/review/notable-childrens-books-of-2012.html

The teen books are:
BITTERBLUE (nominated)
CODE NAME VERITY (nominated; auto-push to shortlist)
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (nominated; auto-push to shortlist)
JEPP, WHO DEFIED THE STARS (hasn’t been on the Contenda list)
NEVER FALL DOWN (discussed)
SON (not yet discussed but on the Contenda list)

Iiiiiiiinteresting. Anyone read JEPP?

By: Karyn Silverman

Karyn Silverman — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:26:39 +0000

The 6-star auto push forward was only intended initially for books that were actually nominated (otherwise we are using the stars to build the nomination list, when the idea was that readers would build the list). We considered pushing a nonfiction through regardless of nominations (but hadn’t decided to definitely do so) because we think it would be great to actually in-depth discuss a nonfiction title, but were still on the fence because of the above how we create the shortlist issue.

Given that, I think it makes more sense to jerry rig by pushing through one nominated nonfiction title, although it only has five stars; unless someone nominates Moonbird, we won’t put it to poll OR push it to round 2. If Moonbird does get nominated, then it should get bumped forward like all the other 6-star books. Does that make sense? Because pushing a book forward that has no one who believes in it strongly enough to nominate it doesn’t seem to support a modeling of the RealCommittee process at ALL. Or we can drop the whole auto-forward idea and you all can give me a sharp slap on the wrist…

Jonathan, if you were attempting to cheat the system (in the non-pejorative sense) to get two nonfiction books on the initial list and guarantee at least one moves to actual discussion, but now would rather give your support to Moonbird, let us know! But I suspect Bomb will actually move forward based on votes anyway.

Remember when I said we were making it up as we went along?? I’m making notes for next year!

By: Jonathan Hunt

Jonathan Hunt — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:55:37 +0000

I just nominated BOMB. MOONBIRD makes it on the basis of auto-shortlisting six star books.

By: Karyn Silverman

Karyn Silverman — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 03:28:50 +0000

Thanks, Miriam! By my own 6-star rule, it should probably be Moonbird, although actually no nonfiction has formally been nominated for the Pyrite at all. Hmmm. My bias would be towards Bomb because I actually want to read it, but that’s an unfair and not even slightly objective criteria…