Richie's Picks: Great Books for Children and Young Adults

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"What are we coming to?
I just don't know anymore.
" -- Gillian Welch doing Radiohead's "Black Star

Now that I am a real librarian, I theoretically deal with more than just books. (Not that one could tell from where I'm sitting right now...)

Here is a most amazing and entertaining online educational resource to share with students and to think long and hard about ourselves:

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

This was such a great year for books. Not that there are any bad years but, even more than usual, there are so many stellar books that I must reluctantly leave off than the short list of my Best of 2007.

I'm beginning with picture books this year. No list of superlatives would be excessive in describing my favorite picture book of the year, a perfect, breathtaking, and incredibly essential picture book for older readers: WHY WAR IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA by Alice Walker, illustrated by Stefano Vitale
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/why_war_is_never_a_good_idea.html

And the one that has been such a big hit with all the hundreds of students, teachers, and librarians to whom I've read it: PREVIOUSLY by Allan Ahlberg, illustrated by Bruce Ingman
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/previously.html

Graphic novels: Nearly seven years ago, I wrote about how much I loved ARTEMIS FOWL by Eoin Colfer. I've been booktalking it ever since then. By far, my favorite graphic novel of 2007 is ARTEMIS FOWL: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL. The story doesn't let up for one moment and the artwork and the quality of the finished book are stunning. This one should be in every single school library from elementary up through high school.

The other graphic novel that has really stayed with me, a book that will hopefully cause some young readers to become animal rights activists: LAIKA by Nick Abadzis
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/laika.html

For young adults, my favorite pair of the year are:

MISTIK LAKE by Martha Brooks
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/mistik_lake.html
THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/absolute_true_diary_of_a_part_time_indian.html

Another pair that have really stayed with me are by longtime favorite YA authors: BEASTLY by Alex Flinn
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/beastly.html
WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/what_my_girlfriend_doesnt_know.html

And one at the young end of YA that really moved me with it's power and relevance: RED GLASS by Laura Resau
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/red_glass.html

There is one book that is so easily, hands down, my favorite story of the year, the book that should absolutely win the next Newbery. THE WEDNESDAY WARS by Gary D. Schmidt
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/the_wednesday_wars.html

There are a whole bunch of others from 2007 that I am booktalking constantly. My absolute favorites are:

DEMONKEEPER by Royce Buckingham
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/demonkeeper.html
REVOLUTION IS NOT A DINNER PARTY by Ying Chang Compestine
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/revolution_is_not_a_dinner_party.html
EMMA-JEAN LAZARUS FELL OUT OF A TREE by Lauren Tarshis
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/emma_jean_lazarus_fell_out_of_a_tree.html
ELIJAH OF BUXTON by Christopher Paul Curtis
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/elijah_of_buxton.html
IF A TREE FALLS AT LUNCH PERIOD by Gennifer Choldenko
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/if_a_tree_falls_at_lunch_period.html
THE OFF SEASON by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/the_off_season.html

In nonfiction, THE ULTIMATE WEAPON: THE RACE TO DEVELOP THE ATOMIC BOMB by Edward T. Sullivan
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/the_ultimate_weapon.html
M.L.K.: JOURNEY OF A KING by Tonya Bolden
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/mlk.html

And one more piece of nonfiction from totally out of left field: NEW HAMPSHIRE 1603-1776 (VOICES FROM COLONIAL AMERICA) by Scott Auden with Alan Taylor, consultant. I never did get to write about this one, but I previously knew nothing about colonial New Hampshire, it was so engaging, and just so totally opposite the typical book that a student would snore through in search of information for a report:

Finally, can a couple of hundred girls be wrong?

I wasn't surprised to booktalk BLUE LIPSTICK by John Grandits and have them fighting over it every single time. But the day that surprised me was the one when I DIDN'T get a chance to booktalk it -- it was just amid a pile -- and there were STILL three girls shoulder to shoulder, reading it together immediately after my presentation ended.
http://richiespicks.com/users/stories/picks/blue_lipstick.html

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
Moderator, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
http://www.myspace.com/richiespicks