2016 Caldecott Predictions:
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Beauty should be rewarded. And Mr. Lopez has not gotten his just rewards in this respect. I think we can all agree that when you add Lopez’s art to Engle’s writing, the results deserve as many of those bloody starred reviews as possible. And maybe a couple of those shiny round medals too.
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
That Ms. Blackall has never won a Caldecott seems to me a bit of an oddity. And consider the pedigree of this book. It’s about an animal that inspired one of the great characters in children’s literature. Lovely writing (which I found rather clever in its construction) alongside pitch perfect art. The tone, man, the tone! Can we talk about tone? Can we talk about the fact that there is a feeling of calm and peace that emanates from the pages? Give it something shiny, for the love of all that’s good and holy!
In a Village By the Sea by Muon Van. Illustrated by April Chu
You know, I started out by saying it was a dark horse contender but the more I look at it and the more buzz it receives, I think I’m actually on to something here. Chu’s a debut illustrator and this book is so smartly done. I still haven’t seen the work she’s done on Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, but give it time. This artist is going places.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena. Illustrated by Christian Robinson
I’ve been getting the title mixed up in my brain recently. And to Think I Saw it On Market Street . . . no . . . no, that’s not it. Or was it On Market Street? No . . . no . . . still not right. I know Chronicle managed to grab the wheel of the Christian Robinson conversation and put all the attention on that Mac Barnett book he did (which is, let’s all admit it, perfectly nice) but if you’re talking award contenders then this is the one to discuss. You get whiffs of Ezra Jack Keats off the pages as you turn them. That ain’t nothing.
The Marvels written & illustrated by Brian Selznick
That image of the baby. Need I say more? Those of you who read the book will understand. Baby. I’m out! *drops the mic*
The Moon Is Going to Addy’s House by Ida Pearle
I’m bloody standing by this one. I just get sort of tangled up in my own emotions when I encounter artists that can capture physical movement with mere snips of their scissors. The fact that the papers themselves are beautifully made doesn’t hurt, but I really like how the story is told, the relationship between the characters, and the overall package. Moon. Sisters. Bedtime.
Night World by Mordecai Gerstein
Another night book. Gerstein at his best attempting to capture whatever the opposite of “magic hour” is called. The nice thing about Mr. Gerstein is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time discussing him. He simply is the best.
Water Is Water by Miranda Paul. Illustrated by Jason Chin
Like a lot of children’s librarians I keep a little list of “Never Won a Caldecott But Shoulda” contenders in my back pocket. And if I were to rank them, Mr. Chin would be somewhere high up on the list. Until now his books have been his own. Here he combines with a different author and for all its simplicity it may well be his best work. He does such lovely things with mist. I shall say no more.
Float by Daniel Miyares
Back on the list by popular demand! Popular demand = people actually really enjoying it. When I mentioned this book on my spring list I was left wondering if I was the only person who saw real potential in it. Now I know I’m not alone. Miyares manages to not only capture a kind of cloudy light found only on overcast days, but the relationship between the boy and his father is so beautifully rendered (wordlessly at that!) that you can’t help but adore the end product.
Fire Engine No. 9 by Mike Austin
Betcha didn’t see THAT one coming! Ha ha! It’s not like we haven’t seen Mike Austin books before. You may even see this book and think “Oh great. Another firefighter book.” But that’s where you’re wrong, bucko. This is a great book. It’s an onomatopoeiaic (not a word) extravaganza. All the sounds of the fire engine with a classic look (it’s been compared to the work of Donald Crews) and a contemporary feel.
Waiting by Kevin Henkes
Betcha saw THAT one coming! I kid, but you did, didn’t you? Everyone did. Everyone has. Quiet Henkes at his best. I think I called it “Waiting for Godot . . . for Kidz!” once, which I’ll stand by. That said, it’s lovely and a child would actually find its static lack of action interesting. It’s probably a great big metaphor anyway and we all know how much librarians adore metaphors. So maybe maybe . . .
And now we move on to the,
2016 Newbery Predictions:
Usually I’m able to determine potential Newbery winners far easier than Caldecotts. This year is different. I’m having a great deal of difficulty with the Newbery slots, whereas the Caldecotts (as you can see) just keep on coming. Still, here are with the ones that I continue to like and some I have newly discovered.
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
Hm. I think it holds up. Granted my early impressions were tempered by low expectations. Someone referred to it as the “Snicker of Magic of 2015″ but I don’t get that vibe from it. I think I may need to reread it, though. Best villain of the year, in any case.
Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
Jonathan Hunt at Heavy Medals did some good pondering on this book so go thee hence and read what he has to say. Personally I found two of the stories far stronger than the third, and I found the magical element entirely superfluous. Yet I don’t think these objects make it any less “distinguished”. Interesting, isn’t it, how a tiny detail can sink some books in a reviewer’s eye while massive writing choices can be critiqued but the book remains strong just the same. Hm.
Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia
Recently Rita Williams-Garcia sat down with Jeanne Birdsall to discuss their series and how they write for sisters. And certainly the sisters in this book are its strongest element. Now the first time I read this book, I wasn’t sure if it stood up for me. I was confused by the great-grandmother’s tiff with her sister and if the book stood alone. This is why I sometimes feel bad for books with a late fall release schedule. As time goes by you have the ability to step back and process a book. To return to it and synthesize it and determine what truly did and didn’t work. In the end, I found that this book stands on its own (or so my fellow librarians tell me) and that the ending is gut punch powerful. In short, it works. You can see my recent interview with Ms. Williams-Garcia here (but only if you want to know what she’s working on next).
Goodbye, Stranger by Rebecca Stead
This was one of the books I felt truly baffled wasn’t nominated for the National Book Awards this year. To be honest though, children’s books didn’t make a strong showing in 2015 in general. It was all YA, YA, YA with two sole exceptions. A pity since this book straddles children’s books and YA titles so successfully and yet it will struggle forever to find its home on library shelves. Which section should it go into? I say juv. I love what Stead’s done here and feel it’s a return to form.
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
I’m so very pleased that everyone likes this book. And that everyone who walks into it with a skeptical eye walks away nodding slowly. Yes indeed. Strong writing that doesn’t pander. Big differing opinions on the book jacket, of course, but you can’t have everything in life. It was released VERY early in the year which may hurt its overall chances but I feel it has the chutzpah to carry through until the finish line. Go, team, go!
A Nearer Moon by Melanie Crowder
My new dark horse contender. I thought I’d be so sneaky to put it here but I see that it’s already been mentioned by a perceptive reader in the Heavy Medals comments. I was rather shocked that this slim little book was as beautifully written as it was. There is a great art to writing a short book for kids. I feel like the longer you go, the more you pad the story out. But Crowder (a master in her own right) keeps it “handsome” as my movie friends like to say. And in this post-Frozen world of ours, the theme of sisterly love is fascinating. It’s like a darker version of Rossetti’s Goblin Market or something. I still need to process it fully but it’s good. Very good.
The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
Because it’s one of the best books of the year. Period. I may be giving away my review of it, but I very much feel that this is a book that only Candlewick would have published and only Laura Amy Schlitz could have written. It is the book for the kid who says “I loved Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. Do you have anything like that but that just came out?” Because the answer is almost always no. No, they just don’t make books like those anymore. Books about 14-year-old girls that just pulsate with that age’s bizarre combination of worldliness, uncertainty, and downright childishness. I’ll stop myself now. It’s hugely distinguished. FYI.
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship ($5,000)
Phyllis Naylor 