Adult Shortlist - Part 2 The Final Final

Here they are folks! These are the 20 titles we are bringing to the table January 21, 2012!  Please read and respond to as many as you can!  In addition to reading like a maniac, check out Kris' directions at the bottom and decide which books you want to champion!

1. The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall


2. Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley


3. Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming


4. Hidden by Helen Frost


5. True...Sort of by Katherine Hannigan


6. Junonia by Kevin Henkes


7. Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer Holm


8. Small as An Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson


9. Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby


10. Freedom Stone by Jeffrey Kluger


11. Inside Out And Back Again by Thannha Lai


12. Never Forgotten by Patricia McKissack


13. Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson


14. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (the experts aren't sure whether this book will be eligible or not, so it's staying on the list)


15. Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy


16. Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt


17. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick


18. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys


19. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu


20. Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

TO DO LIST

BY JANUARY 6 - email Kris your top 5 titles! Use the Note Taking Guide that was emailed to you to help firm up your thoughts!  Please email if you need another copy!



BY JANUARY 6 - email Kris the 3 books you believe are distinguished.  You will discuss the merits of each, briefly (2min or less),  listing strengths and how each particular book compares to other titles on the list.

Happy Reading!

Adult Mock Newbery 2012 List #2

Here are ten more titles for your consideration!



Have you read these yet?  What are you waiting for!?? Read these titles and be ready to discuss them at our Adult Mock Newbery meeting in January.



Click on each link to add your voice to the discussion!

City of Orphans by Avi

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Flesh and Blood So Cheap by Albert Marrin 

The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban 

Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm

True...Sort of by Katherine Hannigan

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

The Adult Mock Newbery Club meeting will be held on January 21, 2012 from 10:00am - 5:00pm in the Children's Services Storytime Room at the Main Library.  Register HERE, if you haven't already done so!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Scholastic Press

2011

416p.

Nineteen-year-old returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against
Puck Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races,
both trying to keep hold of their dangerous water horses long enough to
make it to the finish line.

Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson

Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson

Candlewick Press

2011

288p.

A magical amulet brings power and despair to those who touch it.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Farrar Strauss Giroux

2011

341p.



In the historic town of Norvelt,
Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962
grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly
neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead,
molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving,
lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.

Dragon's of Silk by Laurence Yep

Dragon's of Silk by Laurence Yep

Harper Collins Children's Books

2011

339p.



Four generations of Chinese and Chinese-American girls, beginning in 1835, are tied together by the tradition of raising silkworms and the legacy of the legendary Weaving Maid.

The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty

The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty

Harcourt Children's Books

2011

345p.



In early twentieth-century New York, Sacha Kessler's ability to see
witches earns him an apprenticeship to the police department's star
Inquisitor, Maximillian Wolf, to help stop magical crime and, with
fellow apprentice Lily Astral, Sacha investigates who is trying to kill
Thomas Edison, whose mechanical witch detector that could unleash the
worst witch-hunt in American history.

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

Harper Collin's Children's Books

2011

320p.

 

A mix-up involving the greatest magic in the world has tremendous
consequences for Liesl, an orphan who has been locked in an attic, Will,
an alchemist's runaway apprentice, and Po, a ghost, as they are pursued
by friend and foe while making an important journey.

Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Circle of  Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Litlle

Scholastic Press

2011

336p.

A year after her mother has deserted the family, eleven-year-old
Shelby goes to stay with her, deep in the Louisiana bayou, where they
both confront old hurts and regrets.

Apothecary by Maile Meloy

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

G P Putnam Sons

2011

368p.





Follows a fourteen-year-old American girl whose life unexpectedly
transforms when she moves to London in 1952 and gets swept up in a race
to save the world from nuclear war.

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Scholastic Press

2011

336p.



Princess Solveig and her siblings are trapped in a hidden fortress
tucked between towering mountains and a frozen fjord, along with her
best friend and an army of restless soldiers, all awaiting news of the
king's victory in battle, but as they wait for winter's end and the
all-encompassing ice to break, acts of treachery make it clear that a
traitor lurks in their midst.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Walden Pond Press

2011

320p.



A stunning modern-day fairy tale from acclaimed author Anne Ursu Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," "Breadcrumbs" is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

Ten Rules for Living With My Sister by Ann M. Martin

Ten Rules for Living With My Sister by Ann M. Martin

Feiwel and Friends

2011

228p.



Nine-year-old Pearl and her popular, thirteen-year-old sister, Lexie, do not get along very well, but when their grandfather moves in and the girls have to share a room, they must find common ground

With A Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

Farrar Strauss Giroux

2011

249p.



Thirteen-year-old Olivene Love gets tangled up in a murder mystery when her itinerant preaching family arrives in the small town of Binder, Arkansas in 1957.

City of Orphans by Avi

City of Orphans by Avi

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2011

351p.



In 1893 New York, thirteen-year-old Maks, a newsboy, teams up with Willa, a homeless girl, to clear his older sister, Emma, from charges that she stole from the brand new Waldorf Hotel, where she works. Includes historical notes.

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer

Dutton Children's Books

2011

294p.



Twelve-year-olds Duncan Dorfman, April Blunt, and Nate Saviano meet at the Youth Scrabble Tournament where, although each has a different reason for attending and for needing to win, they realize that something more important is at stake than the grand prize.

Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father's Secret Children by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Dial Books for Young Readers

2011

360p.



A fictionalized look at the last twenty years of Thomas Jefferson's life at Monticello through the eyes of three of his slaves, two of whom were his sons by his slave, Sally Hemings.

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Harper Collins Children's Books

2011



A fearful sixteen-year-old princess discovers her heroic destiny after being married off to the king of a neighboring country in turmoil and pursued by enemies seething with dark magic.

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell

Alfred A. Knopf

2011

33p.



In late nineteenth-century Maine, isolated, eleven-year-old Clara Dooley gains a friend and uncovers a magical secret that changes her life when she learns to care for the once-feared birds in the aviary attached to the Glendoveer mansion where she lives.

Paintings From The Cave by Gary Paulsen

Paintings From The Cave : Three Novellas by Gary Paulsen

Wendy Lamb Books

2011

161p.



 "In these three novellas, Gary Paulsen explores how children can survive the most difficult circumstances through art and the love of dogs"--Provided by publisher.

Toys Come Home by Emily Jenkins

Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins

Random House Children's Books

2011

132p.



When a little girl gets a plush stingray for her birthday, it makes friends with some of her other toys as they all try to navigate in the world of real people.

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

Harcourt

2011

152p.



Mattie, a shy fifth-grader, wants to hide out at her new school by acting as apprentice to her Uncle Potluck, the custodian, but her plan falls apart when she summons the courage to speak about what matters most and finds a true friend.

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods

Penguin /Nancy Paulsen Books

2011

137p.



Saint Louis Armstrong Beach is enjoying life in New Orleans, playing clarinet for the tourists in his spare time, accompanied by Shadow, a local stray dog. When Hurricane Katrina approaches, Saint faces unexpected challenges in trying to rescue Shadow

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

Bloomsbury

2011

154p.



A series of poems describes all the baffling changes at home and at school in twelve-year-old Joylin's transition from tomboy basketball player to not-quite-girly girl.

Island's End by Padma Venkatraman

Island's End by Padma Venkatraman

G. P. Putnam Sons

2011

228p.



A young girl trains to be the new spiritual leader of her remote Andaman Island tribe, while facing increasing threats from the modern world.

You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does) by Ruth White

You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does) by Ruth White

Delacorte Press

2011

258p.



Forced to flee a small North Carolina town when the neighbors suspect they are aliens, sixth-grader Meggie Blue and her family leave Earth and arrive in Fashion City, where individuality is punished and the greatest crime is being "grossly unique."

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

Dial Books for Young Readers

2011

346p.



Young prince Rashko, aided by wise old Georgi, must channel the power of his ancestor, Pavol the great, and harness a magical dragon to face the evil Baron Temny after the foolish King and Queen go missing.

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

2011

217p.



 In 1919, independent-minded fifteen-year-old Rosalind lives in India with her English parents, and when they fear she has fallen in with some rebellious types who believe in Indian self-government, she is sent "home" to London, where she has never been before and where her older brother died, to stay with her two aunts.

Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker

Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker

Candlewick Press

2011

224 p.





In Iowa circa 1929, spunky twelve-year-old Tugs vows to turn her family's luck around with the help of a Brownie camera and a small-town mystery that only she can solve.

The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier

The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier



Alfred A. Knopf



2011



                     388p.



The adventures of two teenaged cousins who live in a place called The Floating Islands, one of whom is studying to become a mage and the other one of the legendary island flyers.

Adult Mock Newbery 2012 List #1

Here's our first list of the year!



Make sure you read at least these 10 titles because we will for sure discuss these at our Adult Mock Newbery meeting in January.  Click on each link to add your voice to the discussion!



The Adult Mock Newbery Club meeting will be held on January 21, 2012 from 10:00am - 5:00pm in the Children's Services Storytime Room at the Main Library.  Register HERE, if you haven't already done so!

• Amelia Lost by Candice Fleming


• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys


• Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney


• Divergent by Veronica Roth


• Hidden by Helen Frost


• Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai


• Junonia by Kevin Henkes


• Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt


• Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall


• Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo

Can't wait to hear from you!

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Scholastic Press

2011

608p.



Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City, and meets there Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures.

Water Balloons by Audrey Vernick

Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick

Clarion Books

2011

320p.



With her best friends pulling away from her, her newly-separated parents deciding she should spend the summer at her father's new home, and a babysitting job she does not want, Marley's life is already as precarious as an overfull water balloon when a cute boy enters the picture.

Floors by Patrick Carman

Floors by Patrick Carman

Scholastic Press

2011

261p.



A handyman's son explores the mysteries of a very odd, very colorful hotel in the newest adventure from bestselling author Patrick Carman. The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him... boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake... and so is Leo's own future!

13 Gifts by Wendy Mass

13 Gifts by Wendy Mass

Scholastic Press

2011

341p.





Shortly before her thirteenth birthday, shy and withdrawn Tara is sent to stay with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in her parents' hometown of Willow Falls, where she makes friends and becomes involved with an elderly buyer and seller of collectibles, who seems to be trying to give Tara some kind of mysterious message.

Trapped by Marc Aronson

Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 miners from 2,000 ft below the Chilean Desert by Marc Aronson

Atheneum

2011

134p.





"The amazing story of the Chilean miners and their incredible rescue!"-- Provided by publisher.
"A middle grade nonfiction title about thirty-three miners trapped in a copper-gold mine in San Jose, Chile and how experts from around the world, from drillers, to astronauts, to submarine specialists, came together to make their remarkable rescue possible"-- Provided by publisher.

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri

Candlewick Press

2011

218p.





Twelve-year-old Cole's behavior causes his mother to drive him from Detroit to Philadelphia to live with a father he has never known, but who soon has Cole involved with a group of African-American "cowboys" who rescue horses and use them to steer youths away from drugs and gangs.

Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

Little, Brown

2011

323p.







Jack is practically invisible at home, but when his parents send him to Hazelwood, Iowa, to spend a summer with his odd aunt and uncle, he suddenly makes friends, is beaten up by the town bully, and is plotted against by the richest man in town.

Wilwood by Colin Meloy

Wildwood by Colin Meloy

Balzer + Bray

2011

541p.





When her baby brother is kidnapped by crows, seventh-grader Prue McKeel ventures into the forbidden Impassable Wilderness--a dangerous and magical forest in the middle of Portland, Oregon--and soon finds herself involved in a war among the various inhabitants.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Aladdin

2011

390p.





In a society that purges thirteen-year-olds who are creative, identical twins Aaron and Alex are separated, one to attend University while the other, supposedly Eliminated, finds himself in a wondrous place where youths hone their abilities and learn magic.

Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb

Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb

Balzer + Bray

2011

248p.





When eleven-year-old Mo's mother dies in an accident and Mo's devastated father deals with the loss by moving the family to a new town and starting a new life as the owner of a sports bar, Mo must leave her much loved neighborhood on Fox Street to live in an apartment above the "cursed" Corky's Tavern.

Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott

Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott

Farrar Straus Giroux

2011

178p.



Told from multiple points of view, a white family on a 1959 road trip between Ohio and Florida, visiting Civil War battlefields along the way, crosses paths with a black family near Atlanta, where one of their children has gone missing.

Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada

Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2011

147p.



When Margie's cousin Lupe comes from Mexico to live in California with Margie's family, Lupe must adapt to America, while Margie, who thought it would be fun to have her cousin there, finds that she is embarrassed by her in school and jealous of her at home.

Elephant Scientist by Caitlyn O'Connell

Elephant Scientist by Caitlyn O'Connell

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

2011

70p.



Journey to the Namibian desert with Caitlin O'Connell, an American scientist, and witness one of nature's largest, most complex, and most intelligent mammals living today on this earth.

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach

Henry Holt

2011

262p.



When brothers Simon, Henry, and Jack move with their parents to Arizona, they are irresistably drawn to explore the aptly named Superstition Mountain, in spite of warnings that it is not safe.

William's Midsummer Dreams by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

William's Midsummer Dreams by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2011

209p.



Now permanently settled with Aunt Fiona, who has adopted him and his siblings, thirteen-year-old William gets the chance to play Puck in a professional production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Bootleg by Karen Blumenthal

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years by Karen Blumenthal

Roaring Brook Press

2011

154p.



For more than a decade starting in 1920, millions of regular Americans ignored the law of the land. Parents became bootleggers, kids smuggled illegal alcohol, and outlaws became celebrities. It wasn't supposed to be that way, of course. When Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the sale and manufacture of alcohol in the United States, supporters believed it would create a better, stronger nation. Instead it began an era of lawlessness, when famous gangsters like Al Capone rose to fame, and many reconsidered their concept of right and wrong. This is the story of those years in American history-- the story of prohibition.

Can I See Your ID? by Chris Barton

Can I See Your I.D. : True Stories of False Identities by Chris Barton

Dial Books for Young Readers

2011

121p.



Stories of ten impostors-- many of them teenagers-- push questions of identity, deception, and gullibility to the extreme.

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

 Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Arthur A. Levine

2011

266p.

Lucky for Good by Susan Patron

Lucky for Good by Susan Patron

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2011

208p.



The residents of Hard Pan, California, come together to help Brigitte and Lucky when the County Health Department threatens to close down the café, and meantime Miles's life is complicated by his mother's return.

Mysterious Bones by Katherine Kirkpatrick

Mysterious Bones: The Story of Kennewick Man by Katherine Kirkpatrick

Holiday House

2011

60p.



Presents the story of Kennewick Man, one of the oldest and most complete skeletons found in America near the Columbia River in Washington.