Cybils

It's officially Cybils Nomination time.  

For anyone who doesn’t know about Cybils, it is Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards, given to the best judged books in a variety of categories.  The judging panels vary for each category, but consist of a who’s who among the best the Kidlitosphere.  Nominations are still open, so feel free to go and make a nomination. (Be sure to read the updated rules!)

Visit Cybils HERE

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss is loved by many readers of YA.  It’s won awards, it’s gotten awesome reviews. It sounds sweet.  It looks sweet.  It has to be sweet, right?  I am pleased to say I finally read the book and every single page of the book was fun and sweet.  I just can’t tell you if I loved the book so much because of the writing or because of the storyline, but I enjoyed it so much, I was just left wanting more of the likable cast of characters.  Come on, couldn’t you see the students at SOAP (Anna’s Paris American School) each having their own awesome storyline in a YA book of their own?

Anna is on her way to Paris to spend her senior year at a French boarding school.  When she arrives she finds she is the only new student in her class.  She is introverted, but finds some true friends including a charming American boy with a French name and a British accent.  Oh, American boy with French name and British accent also has a girlfriend.  Anna takes solace in the fact that she kinda has a guy at home too.  While Anna is dealing with French class, a new culture, an overwhelming city of light, and this gorgeous guy, she truly does find real friendship.

I just have to recommend that all YA and romance readers read Anna and the French Kiss.  It’s a fast read, very fun and sweet.  The romance is just this side of innocent, but quite believable as a teen love.  As a writer, Stephanie Perkins speaks to her readers like they were friends.  She speaks a language that includes pop-culture and history, music and style, friends and family, sexy and sweet.  She’s won me over and I’ve already added Lola and the Boy Next Door to my To Be Read List.  Highly Recommended !!

Easy Reader Reading Review: Gus Gets Scared

Gus Gets Scared by Frank Remkiewicz is an easy reader book for the very young. With only 65 short words this sweet book is about a rhino boy who feels adventurous enough to spend the night in his brand new tent. Each page offers hand-drawn and charming illustrations by the author, Remkiewicz, whose illustration style you might recognize from his other popular works including the Horrible Harry and Froggy series. The book is labeled as Pre-1which is suggested for pre-school and kindergarten age students.

You might think a book with only 65 words would have a difficult time telling a complete story, but in Gus Gets Scared we get to meet not only Gus, but also his family. We learn much about him from the adorable illustrations and his short adventure. One page shows young Gus carrying a flashlight and sleeping bag into the tent; Gus has his head held high, but is obviously struggling with the task as his tongue is sticking out a little to the side in a face full of concentration. I have to admit this drawing tugs at my heart-strings since I see this look often on my Lil Guy’s own face as he attempts difficult tasks.

My Lil’ Guy likes this book a lot and at age 2 he even ‘reads’ some of the pages independently. Also as we read the book, he also can retell the story and can tell the points where Gus gets too scared. The book isn’t scary either. It’s only a cute little owl making sounds that makes Gus gets too nervous in his little tent in the backyard! One of the things that makes easy reader books like this so popular is that they are inexpensive, lightweight, and (as the name denotes) easy to read. I know that anyone looking for a simple easy reader will fall in love with Gus the way we have! Remkiewicz is publishing several other books about the little rhino, Gus, and I am going to be sure to pick those up too.

*I nominated this book in the Easy Reader Category @ Cybils.

Cybils are Here

Even though I am new to the world of blogs,
I was proud to have recommended one book
in the YA category for Cybils.  For anyone
who doesn’t know about Cybils, it is
Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary
Awards, given to the best judged books in a
variety of categories.  The judging panels
vary for each category, but consist of a
who’s who among the best the
Kidlitosphere.  Nominations are still open,
so feel free to go and make a nomination.
(Be sure to read the rules!)

Visit Cybils Here

A Must Read for 2011

The Berlin Boxing Club

The Berlin Boxing Club is a powerful new YA book written by Robert Sharenow. The book is a solid YA read that will draw readers into a historical fiction story set in World War II. This is only Sharenow’s second novel and he drew his inspiration from some real-life stories about World War II.

Karl Stern is a teenager living in Berlin in the 1930’s. He wasn’t raised in the Jewish faith, but that doesn’t stop his classmates and others in his community from identifying him as a Jew. He is bullied as is his family. Karl turns toward 2 secret loves: boxing and cartooning. In the 1930’s boxing was a worldwide phenomenon. Karl is introduced into the boxing world by a very famous German boxer, none other than Max Schmelling. Schmelling teaches Karl about boxing and gives the young teen advice when he is in town, which isn’t often. Schmelling, however, remains somewhat neutral to the political turmoil that is turning Karl’s life upside down. Throughout the book we are also shown illustrations of Karl’s work and see comic strips created by the character.

I hope this book gets noticed by other YA readers, librarians, bloggers, and teens. It’s on my list of must-reads for 2011. I have read other books that have similar themes, but none that were from such a strong perspective of a teen living through the devastating changes that Hitler and his Nazi party brought to Berlin. If you know a teen or even an adult that is interested in WWII history or fiction, this book is a great read. I really appreciated the amount of historical scenes we are given as we read the book as well. All of this plus the dramatic world of boxing are brought together in a well written book. The descriptions of the boxing are well done and easy to follow when the action gets intense. The book is amazingly true to life in the portrayal of a teen dealing with something so unreal, so unfathomable, so devastating, that it tears the character (and reader) apart. I would have to say, for me, this was a difficult read because of the subject matter. At times I had to put the book down and walk away because my emotions were riding a little too high. I will just recommend that if any part of this review interested you; you won't be disappointed by the read.

Grades 8 and up.