Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Rooting for the Home Team

I am really looking forward to the award announcements from ALA on January 23rd.


I love to root for the home team, so here are a few books with Minnesota connections I am hoping will get some notice by awards committees.


Perfect Square
by Minnesotan Michael Hall






Blogged earlier this year here: http://liblaura5.blogspot.com/2011/06/perfect-square-by-michael-hall.html




Celebritrees
by Minnesotan Margi Preuss



What I love about this book: 
The premise is fabulous, it's not just a book about types of trees, but specific trees that are celebrities among trees - 14 trees so beloved they have earned names for themselves, including:
Methuselah - the oldest tree (4,800 years old)
General Sherman - the biggest tree (the biggest living inhabitant of the earth by volume)
and my favorite... The Tree That Owns Itself!
Official Site for Celebritrees
Review from 100 Scope Notes


Sparrow Road
by Minnesotan Sheila O'Connor



What I love about this book: 
I met Sheila O'Connor at Red Balloon Books last fall where she spoke about her 20 years of working with students as a poet in the schools through COMPAS. She explained that this book was her gift to the students, everything that she would want to say to them now that she was retiring. 


There is so much more loveliness to to this book - wonderful characters, and rich setting...
The Lemme Library explains it wonderfully here 
in her spoiler free book talk. 

Official Site for Sparrow Road




Luck of the Buttons
by Anne Ylvisaker, Raised in Minnesota



What I love about this book:
Luck of the Buttons reminded me a lot of one of my favorite musicals: The Music Man.
Also The town library and the fabulous librarian Miss Lucy play a wonderful part in Tugs' story. 
Offical Site for Luck of the Buttons 
Fuse #8 Review of the Day




Breadcrumbs
by Minnesotan Anne Ursu




Book trailer created by Julie hembree (@mrs_hembree), Librarian at AG Bell Elementary, Kirkland, WA


What I love about this book: 
I love the enchanting magical realism, the allusions to so many other stories from Narnia to Star Wars, and the brave, beautiful character Hazel.
Listen to NPR's Backseat Book Club session on Breadcrumbs
Official Site for Breadcrumbs






I have high hopes for this year, due to Minnesota's strong showing last year.
Last year's ALA award winners with ties to Minnesota included:


Geisel Award Winner
Bink and Golly 
by Alison McGhee and Kate DiCamillo







Newbery Honor winner
Heart of the Samurai 
by Margi Preus





Newbery Honor Winner
Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night
by Joyce Sidman






Do you have any hometown favorites from 2011?

3 comments:

  1. I like this! I know that Helen Frost's Hidden has Indiana ties! Will have to see if my top books have IN ties!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I would love to see your Indiana faves list. :)

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  2. This is a great list of Minnesota books.

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