Newbery Medal Winners

2011 Winner

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool - Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter who, in the summer of 1936, sends her to stay with an old friend in Manifest, Kansas, where he grew up, and where she hopes to find out some things about his past.

2011 Honor Books

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm - In 1935, when her mother gets a job housekeeping for a woman who does not like children, eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to stay with relatives she has never met in far away Key West, Florida.

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus - In 1841, rescued by an American whaler after a terrible shipwreck leaves him and his four companions castaways on a remote island, fourteen-year-old Manjiro, who dreams of becoming a samurai, learns new laws and customs as he becomes the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen - A collection of poems that celebrate the wonder, mystery, and danger of the night and describes the many things that hide in the dark.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia - In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

Caldecott Medal Winners

2011 Winner

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead - "Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper, always made time to visit his good friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl. But one day--'Ah-choo!'--he woke with the sniffles and the sneezes. Though he didn't make it into the zoo that day, he did receive some unexpected guests."--Dust jacket.

2011 Honor Books

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill - Chronicles the life of Dave, a nineteenth-century slave who went on to become an influential poet, artist, and potter.

Interrupting Chicken, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein - Little Red Chicken wants Papa to read her a bedtime story, but interrupts him almost as soon as he begins each tale.

Look What's New for Teens!

Zombie-loan vol 8: Peach-Pit by Momo no Tane - Still trapped inside the ARRC's alternate dimension, Shito careens toward his partner as Chancellor Shimotsuki's ragtag group of rescued A- and Z-Loaners hijack the shinigami train and change its direction to find Chika. But when Michiru, separated from the others, lands herself plop in the middle of enemy territory, will Shito and Chika manage to regroup in time to come to her aid? The Loaners' showdown with Chitose and Caramelo of ARRC is finally here!

Look What's New for Kids!

EcoMazes: Twelve Earth Adventures by Roxie Munro - Mazes through 12 ecosystems, from evergreen forests to coral reefs, from the frozen tundra to hot desert sands.

January Recommendations for Kids

Fiction

Goodnight, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman - This tale is for all those little monsters that have a difficult time going to bed. Eye catching illustrations and amusing rhymes enhance this story about a monster preparing for dreamland.

Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka - Do you think your parents would really ever give your bedroom away to someone else just because you accidentally broke the window on your mom’s china cabinet and forgot to take out the garbage (okay, so it was three full cans, and it was hot outside and they were really smelly)? Have you ever tried to remove a wart from your foot with pliers? All this and the world’s largest pool of chocolate milk!

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A. Spratt - What would happen if Mary Poppins, the infamous nanny, had been a pig? Luckily for the children Nanny Piggins’s previous experience consisted of being shot out of a circus cannon. Nanny’s favorite activity is mud wrestling, and she thinks school uniforms are a terrible idea. An abundance of chocolate and giggles await the reader!

The Odious Ogre by Norton Juster - This is the story of an extraordinary large, exceedingly ugly, unusually angry, constantly hungry, and absolutely merciless (and rude) ogre. Everyone was frightened of him until he met a young girl who managed to outwit him and literally killed him with kindness!

Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire; Because the Undead Have Feelings by Tim Collins - Nigel is an average teenage boy who falls head over heels in love for Chloe. He spends time plotting on how to win her love, but since he is a vampire and is awake all night, that is plenty of time! His amusing diary documents his unhappy relationship with the worst gym teacher ever, and even attacks by a gang of mangy squirrels. This is what the wimpy kid would write if he were a vampire.


Nonfiction

Alexander the Great by Demi - Alexander the Great became a king at age twenty, and for the next twelve years conquered most of the known world of the ancient Greeks. He ordered a mass wedding between the Macedonians and Persians to maintain his supremacy. He was a brilliant, but cruel strategist.

Biggest Bugs Life-Size by George Beccaloni - Butterflies over 10” long, a rhinoceros cockroach over 3” long, a goliath bird-eating spider with a leg span up to 11”, Giant Sawyer beetles nearly 7” long, the White Witch Moth with a wingspan of 12” and the Saint Helena giant earwig with a total body length of nearly 3” are all portrayed in this well illustrated book. The highest ick award goes to the Emperor Scorpion at 7” which use their large claws to crush their prey, and the mothers carry their brood of 30-50 frightening babies on her back! Yuck!

Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese - 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, ...What do these numbers mean to you? To Fibonacci, one of the greatest mathematicians of the Middle Ages, this puzzle is connected with his famous rabbit problem (how many rabbits will there be at the end of a year if one pair of rabbits each produce one pair of rabbits per month). Why does this Fibonacci Sequence seem to be everywhere: in plants, music, buildings, and art?

January Recommendations for Teens

Fiction

Payback Time by Carl Deuker - Aced out of the editor’s job his senior year at Lincoln High, Daniel, nicknamed Mitch (for the well padded Michelin Man), manages to uncover a mystery on the high school football team. His tenacity in digging for facts leads him and his intriguing photographer into a murky world and a bigger story than he imagined.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - “Killing always costs”. Climate change has swamped the Gulf coast and forever altered its life. Teenaged Nailer strips metal from grounded ancient ships, and following a violent storm he discovers a swank named Nita, a beautiful rich heiress in a sleek grounded clipper ship. As he strives to protect her from his camp, his brutal father, and disloyal employees he encounters villains at every turns. Non-stop action punctuates this thriller.


Nonfiction

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin - He was a Dogo and missing an ear and half of his face was covered in scar tissue and he had been used as dog bait. Larry, his wife Jennifer, and his twelve-year-old boys adopt Oogy who miraculously survived after being brutally wounded. He captures their hearts, and learns to open the refrigerator door and find his own snacks. The author claims Oogy proves happiness, love and hope can exist in spite of horrific events. Oogy overcame his past without lasting damage and became capable of giving and receiving love.

99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf by Faith Blakeney - Can you think of 99 things to do with a scarf? What about making a: necklace, sundress, a beach cover-up, placemat, bag, lounge pants, curtain, beauty bag, belt, party dress, pillowcase, balloon skirt, hairband, knot necklace or a skirt with suspenders? All this and more await your nimble fingers!

The Earring Style Book: Making Designer Earrings, Capturing Celebrity Style, and Getting the Look for Less by Stephanie A. Wells - Forty designs for any occasion, profusely illustrated, detailed instuctions on how to make stunning earrings.

January Recommendations for Adults

Fiction

The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin - A haunting vision in the woods sets off a series of tragic events, leaving Nicholas Close lost amid visions of ghosts trapped in their often violent, final moments. These uniquely terrifying apparitions lead him on a thrilling and suspenseful ride to confront a wicked soul, and will leave an indelible mark on lovers of high-quality suspense and horror alike. Stephen M. Irwin is the kind of debut author that readers love to discover. His electric use of language, stunning imagery, and suspenseful pacing are all on full display here. The Dead Path is a tour de force of wild imagination, taut suspense, and the creepiest, scariest setting since the sewers in Stephen King’s It.

Half Price Homicide: A Dead-End Job Mystery by Elaine Viets - A posh Fort Lauderdale, Fla., resale shop provides the snazzy scene of the crime in Viets's superior ninth mystery starring Helen Hawthorne, the queen of dead-end jobs and magnet for murder (after 2009's Killer Cuts). Helen and Vera Salinda, the owner of Snapdragon's Second Thoughts, are shocked when Chrissy Martlet, a wealthy developer's sexy trophy wife, is found fatally bonked on the head with a Limoges pineapple, then hung with a Gucci scarf after trying to sell Vera some of her designer goods. Identifying Chrissy's killer as well as the culprit who bashes in the head of a model friend with a beer bottle tests Helen's sleuthing abilities to the limit. A teasing plot twist serves up a reminder that even if her greedy ex-husband, Rob, might finally stop pestering her and better jobs appear, there are still mountains to climb before Helen can rest easy with Phil, her PI honey. Viets doesn't waste a word in this tight, fast-paced installment as she deftly balances comedy and tragedy. - Review from Publisher’s Weekly.

Mary Ann in Autumn: A Tales of the City Novel by Armistead Maupin - Twenty years have passed since Mary Ann Singleton left her husband and child in San Francisco to pursue her dream of a television career in New York. Now a pair of personal calamities has driven her back to the city of her youth and into the arms of her oldest friend, Michael "Mouse" Tolliver, a gardener happily ensconced with his much-younger husband. Mary Ann finds temporary refuge in the couple's backyard cottage, where, at the unnerving age of fifty-seven, she licks her wounds and takes stock of her mistakes. Soon, with the help of Facebook and a few old friends, she begins to reengage with life, only to confront fresh terrors when her checkered past comes back to haunt her in a way she could never have imagined. More than three decades in the making, Armistead Maupin's legendary Tales of the City series rolls into a new age, still sassy, irreverent, and curious, and still exploring the boundaries of the human experience with insight, compassion, and mordant wit.

Take One Candle Light A Room by Susan Straight - Fantine (FX) Antoine is a travel writer, a profession that keeps her happily away from her Southern California home. When she returns to mark the fifth anniversary of the murder of her closest childhood friend, Glorette, she finds herself pulled into the tumultuous life of Glorette’s twenty-two-year-old son—and Fantine’s godson—Victor. After getting involved in a shooting, Victor has fled to New Orleans. Together with her father, Fantine follows Victor, determined to help him avoid the criminal future that he suddenly seems destined for. Fantine’s own fate will be altered on this journey as well: her father will reveal the wrenching secrets of his past, and she will be compelled to question the most essential choices she’s made in her life. As they cross from California to the heart of Louisiana, all three characters will come face-to-face with the issues of race that beset them: Fantine, whose light skin has allowed her a kind of invisibility; her father, who grew up in the Jim Crow South and has tried to guard his family against that world; and Victor, whose fall into violence mirrors the path of so many other young black men. For Fantine, finding Victor could offer them both a way to face the past and decide between different futures.


Nonfiction

Barnum Brown: The Man Who Discovered Tyrannosaurus Rex by Lowell Dingus - A century after his stunning discovery of the most fearsome dinosaur in the world comes the biography of its discoverer. One of the most famous scientists in his day, Brown’s passion for collecting dinosaur fossils allowed him to roam the world as representative of the American Museum of Natural History on expeditions that often served to disguise his covert spying for the U. S. government and oil companies. Brown’s fame extended beyond the dusty fields of paleontology, he was also known as a flashy dresser, gambler and ladies man in the higher circles of society. This absorbing biography takes full measure of a man equal to his historical legacy, making it the definitive account of the life and times of a singular man and superlative fossil hunter.

The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine - When he was in his late fifties, Michael Caine believed his glamorous, rags-to-riches Hollywood career had come to an end. The scripts being sent his way were worse and worse. When one script really disappointed, he called the producer to complain about the part. The producer said, "No, no, we don't want you for the lover, we want you for the father." Salvation came in the unlikely form of his old friend Jack Nicholson, who convinced him to give acting one more shot. What followed was not only an incredible personal transformation but also one of the most radical comebacks in film history. Learning to accept his new role both on camera and in his own life, Caine went on to win his second Oscar, be knighted by the queen, and deliver some of his best performances to date. Now he shares the spectacular story of his life, from his humble upbringing in London's poverty-stricken Elephant and Castle, his military service, touching marriage and family life, and lively adventures with friends, to legendary meetings with fellow stars, forays as a restaurateur, and hilarious off-screen encounters from his glittering five-decade career. Caine brings his gift for storytelling and his insider's view to a tale that is funny, warm, and deeply honest.

Lost Boy, Lost Girl: Escaping Civil War in Sudan by John Bul Dau and Martha Arual Akech - One of thousands of children who fled strife in southern Sudan, John Bul Dau survived hunger, exhaustion, and violence. His wife, Martha, endured similar hardships. While John was raised in a centuries old village and Martha in the city of Juba, both convey the best of African values while relating searing accounts of famine and war. There’s warmth as well, in their humorous tales of adapting to American life. For its importance as a primary source, for its inclusion of the rarely told female perspective of Sudan’s lost children, for its celebration of human resilience, this is the perfect story to inform and inspire readers of all ages.

The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head: A Psychiatrist’s Stories of His Most Bizarre Cases by Gary Small - True stories are more bizarre than any fiction, and Dr. Gary Small knows this best. After thirty distinguished years of psychiatry and groundbreaking research on the human brain, Dr. Small has seen it all—now he is ready to open his office doors for the first time and tell all about the most mysterious, intriguing, and bizarre patients of his career. Here we are presented with a spellbinding collection of the doctor's most bewildering cases, from hysterical blindness to fainting schoolgirls, and frighteningly psychotic romantic desires. It is an illuminating journey into the mind of a practicing psychiatrist and a behind-the-scenes look at the field and a variety of mental diseases that, in their puzzling eccentricities, make us human. His career and personal life come full circle when his own mentor becomes his patient, making Small realize that no one is beyond mental exploration—not even himself.