Today, let’s revisit two of our Pyrite 11 that both have at their cores events that forever change their protagonists. I am, of course, talking about Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun and Andrew Smith’s 100 Sideways Miles.
Pyrite Redux: What Doesn’t Kill You…
January 25, 2015 By 1 Comment
Pyrite Redux: Lifestyles of the Rich and Privileged
January 24, 2015 By 12 Comments
The ALA Youth Media Awards are just around the corner and that means that it’s redux time! Today we’re revisiting two 2014 favorites: Candace Fleming’s The Family Romanov and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. [Read more...]
Sex and girls and stuff
January 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment
We’ve got another round up here and this time, it’s all about the complexities and frustrations and amazing moments related to gender, sex, identity, hook ups, heartbreak, and true love. And who couldn’t use a little love at this time of year, amirite? Well, to be honest, these three books aren’t all about wuv (twue wuv); they are more about all the messy parts — the hook ups and doomed romances, the figuring yourself out, and the murder mysteries you might find yourself investigating from your family’s vintage record store. Although I’m not convinced that these titles are in the running for Printz medals, I’m excited to share these books here; they have some really great moments. [Read more...]
Morris Nominations
January 21, 2015 By 30 Comments
YALSA’s Morris Award (technically the William C. Morris Debut Award) is a great showcase of strong new voices in the YA literature field. Often there are a few books we have had on our speculation list that end up being Morris finalists, because good writing is good writing. And, of course, sometimes the best writing is a debut — from Looking for Alaska, 10 (TEN!) years ago (before the Morris, but still a debut) to Seraphina just two years ago.
But the thing is that the Morris pool is a LOT smaller. And often crowded with schools of commercial clone fish, against which the more original and/or literary novels tend to really shine. And we all know that a big fish in a small pond often becomes a small fish when the body of water is bigger.
The Printz is a pretty big body of water. [Read more...]
100 Sideways Miles
January 18, 2015 By 8 Comments
100 Sideways Miles, Andrew Smith
Simon & Schuster, September 2014
Reviewed from final copy
If you were a teenager who spent at least one long night with friends discussing the future, destiny, and the fear that you can’t control the course of your life, 100 Sideways Miles probably reminded you of those moments. Finn Easton, the novel’s narrator, is a teen deeply concerned about his place in the universe and whether or not he has any say in his fate. Some of the themes Andrew Smith is thinking about in Grasshopper Jungle recur here—specifically connection and friendship; however, while Grasshopper Jungle takes quite a cynical view of human nature, 100 Sideways Miles has the kind of hopeful ending that feels like a beginning.
I have a feeling that this book’s optimism is a factor in why Andrew Smith’s second novel of 2014 has five stars to its predecessor’s three. (And just for reference, last year’s Winger was a three star book in addition to being a BFYA top ten pick.) [Read more...]
Picture Books for … Teens?
January 13, 2015 By 2 Comments
It’s rare that there are true all-ages picture books.
This year, we have two of note.
Both are beautiful, thought-provoking, unusual, and skew way up. All the way to adolescence and beyond.
I’ll eat my hat if either receives a silver from the RealCommittee. Hell, I’ll eat all y’all’s hats. BUT. These are gorgeous books with appeal for older readers, so here’s me shining a bit of light on them.
Mock Printzing the Night Away
January 11, 2015 By 4 Comments
Collecting data requires fancy equipment and complex mathematics.
Well, results are in for the Pyrite and for our local mock roster, and it’s interesting.
Also, we have a winner!
It will be interesting see if discussion knocks this one down in either final vote, but right now Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun is the runaway winner.
The breakdown: Locally, our group of 9 voted a unanimous 9 “yes, let’s discuss this” votes (note that we had an actual poll for the local Mock, although write-ins are encouraged). Here on the blog, with 27 voters, it received 13 nominations, the highest number.
Popularity or prediction? Only time will tell…
(Insert portentous dun-dun-dun music here.)
Let’s see what other data can be gleaned from the compare and contrast and data gathered.
Dreaming in Indian
January 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices, edited by Mary Beth Leatherdale and Lisa Charleyboy
Annick Press, July 2014
Reviewed from final copy
I’m a day late in getting to this one because I just finished it. With no digital copies available, and my usual source without it in stock, I had to wait on a delivery. It was totally worth the wait, and I’m so glad it’s a physical copy (I don’t often say that, to be honest, but this is one gorgeous book; I enjoyed poring over the pages). I’m guessing that this will be a somewhat short review as a result, as I’ll continue to process…in the comments. 
[Read more...]
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone
January 6, 2015 By 6 Comments
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone, Adele Griffin
Soho Teen, August 2014
Reviewed from final copy
A few weeks ago, I reviewed How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon. It’s not immediately obvious, but that title shares remarkable similarities with Adele Griffin’s faux-nonfiction novel, The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone. Both books focus on dead teens, using multiple voices to reconstruct the story of how they died. It’s an interesting structure for the examination of a single teenager and the multitudes an individual can contain.
[Read more...]
Was It the Timing?
January 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Usually the Pyrite nominations bring all y’all out of the woodwork, because it’s the moment to champion the books you’ve loved this year.
So either we launched the 2015 Pyrite at a terrible time, right before the insanity of the holidays, or this year is a really dull year.
Which is it?
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