Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

2010/368 pgs

About the Book: Abilene has just arrived in her father's old stomping grounds, Manifest, KS. He doesn't think hopping trains and traveling is a good life for a young lady, so he's sent Abilene to Manifest, a town he stayed in as a boy. In her room she stumbles across a box with mementos and a box of letters from a boy named Ned, who lived in Manifest the same time as Abilene's father-and who claims a spy once lived in Manifest. As she gets to know the town, the people and Manifest, Abilene uncovers the truth she is looking for and more. Told in various time periods with different narrators, Moon Over Manifest is the story of a girl and a town and how the two can change each other.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I wasn't familiar with this book until the January ALA when it was announced that Moon Over Manifest was this year's Newbery winner. The crowd was stunned and confused since this was a quiet little book that didn't receive much attention when it was released. I'm so glad it caught the Newbery committee's eye! It's a fantastic debut that deserves lots of attention.

The book is told mainly from Abilene's point of view (in the 1930's), but we also hear from the past (1917-1918) through newspaper articles, letters and Miss Sadie's "divining". The stories connect and it was a bit predicitable how the stories would weave together, That didn't matter though-I still enjoyed the book and was eager to see how everything would tie together. I loved the flashes to the past and how the author would relate what was in Abliene's present to what she had learned about.

This book had the feel of a classic and is a lovely old fashioned book that I want to read again and share with others. I listened to this on audio and I loved that the audiobook featured different narrators for different aspects of the book. This added to the richness of the story and made the whole book really come alive.

I'm glad this one won the Newbery so it's getting attention it deserves. A wonderful pick for the Newbery!

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm

2010/208pgs.

About the Book: It's 1935 and jobs aren't easy to find. So when Turtle's mom gets a housekeeping job that won't allow her to have kids in the house, she send Turtle to live in Key West with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins. Turtle doesn't know anything about living in Key West and finds a whole new world. She encounters scorpions, a group of boys known as the diaper gang, a crabby old lady, and a legend about buried treasure. Can Turtle find the treasure and find her way to easy street?

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I'm a bit mixed on if I think this book was Newbery Honor worthy. On one hand I really enjoyed it, the storyline is great, and the author weaves together a lovely plot. On the other, I thought there was a lot that wasn't developed and the book wrapped up too quickly. The end of the book felt much different than the beginning.

The setting of 1930's Key West is a unique one-I didn't know much about Key West during this time, so I learned a bit from this book. But while this is a historical novel, it could almost be set in any time period. Turtle's life might be a bit simpler, and there are lots of references to 30's comics and Shirley Temple, but the characters and adventure and dreaming for something bigger fit no matter what the time period.

Although Turtle is the narrator and the story is told in first person, there were times I forgot she was narrating the story. At times it almost feels like her voice goes into a third person limited narration. This threw me off a bit and I had to remind myself Turtle was telling the story. I also had a problem with how fast the ending wrapped up. For the most part, the book reads almost like a diary, with day to day adventures of Turtle and her cousins in Key West. Then the ending throws in a bunch of twists and instead of giving time to wrap things up with these characters we've gotten to know and care about throughout the book just ends. As an adult, I got the subtlety that is thrown in at the end and could figure out the things left unsaid, (and yes, it's a bit predictable) but I wonder how much will go over young readers heads.

It might sound like I didn't enjoy this one, but I really did! It's a fast read that's full of humor and I really enjoyed Turtle's voice. She's a likeable character and she reminded me a bit of India Opal Buloni from Because of Winn-Dixie or Franny Chapman in Countdown. I loved the diaper gang and thought they were hilarious! And the setting of 1930's Key West makes the book stand out and a bit more unique.

It's a great read and I flew through it-it's a very easy read. It would be good for a classroom read aloud and I think it has some kid appeal, especially for readers who like historical fiction. I could even see it being used as a step up from the American Girl series for readers who like Kit. I just would have liked a more fleshed out ending.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman

2010/29 pgs

About the Book: What happens at night? 12 poems explore animals and plant and their nighttime activities.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: This book wasn't even on my radar until it won a Newbery Honor and I'm glad it won which forced me to pick it up and read it.

I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of poetry, but Ms. Sidman's poems are very enjoyable. She has a very lyrical style and I can easily see this poems being read aloud to all ages. The illustrations are detailed and done in a linoleum-block printmaking technique that stands out. It gives the illustrations a dark, atmospheric feel and you feel as though you are in the woods with the animals.

I liked that not only are there poems about animals, but the moon, trees, and plants. Accompanying each poem are short factual paragraphs about the subject of each poem. The information is never overwhelming and the author never talks down to the reader.

I would recommend to all ages and for readers of poetry and non-fiction. After devouring this collection of poems, I think it is very deserving on a Newbery Honor!