Oh Hey, It’s November

Hi all,

It has been a whirlwind of September/October/November and now it’s nearly Thanksgiving and we haven’t posted our reviews for some time! Thanks for waiting, but here’s what we’ve read these past few months.

Nominations

Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry

This story is about two girls who are lesbians in a very conservative and homophobic town. when they are caught, they are sent to a conversion camp. Our main character Raya resolves to take her[self] and her best friend and escape the camp.

–Sarah Nominates

 

Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry

Brynne Rebele-Henry paints a harsh picture of the reality of life in a conservative Texas town. Raya, the main character, is sent to a conversion camp after she is caught kissing her best friend Sarah. The book reveals the cruel realities of life in these kinds of places, telling a story that needs to be told.

–Nicole Nominates

 

Dig by A.S. King

An intricate mystery about deep roots that connect a strange yet relatable cast of characters. The book expertly weaves paranormality with a cryptic visualization of the mind while explaining the very real problems of the physical world. The author easily gives each member of the ensemble cast a distinct voice to keep the story fresh while also connecting the characters with common themes to keep the reader curious. Dig was a wonderful journey through the tunnels of the mind that I would be happy to nominate.

–Caleb Nominates

 

Recommendations

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

This fairy-tale retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses captured my attention quickly. The magical elements were not worked in very well, but otherwise the story was intriguing and fun.

–Nicole Recommends

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

It is about a girl who is finding her lost brother. Plot twist when she realizes that her brother is right in front of her [a] completely different person. I think it was a good book, it was funny at some points. It should be recommended because it was overall a good book with a great plot.

–Gania Recommends

 

Impossible Music by Sean Williams

A guy becomes deaf and can’t hear anything, especially music. He loves to play music and once he becomes deaf, his whole life turns upside down. He starts to lose meaning in life until a girl helps him find himself again. I liked the plot and the detailed descriptions. Also, I like how they use sign language in the book. In all, I recommend this book, because it’s a great book but not Newbery [Printz]-worthy.

–Gania Recommends

 

Black Enough Edited by Ibi Zoboi

Black Enough is an excellent anthology featuring multiple different black kids living their lives. I really enjoyed all the stories and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of anthologies.

–Nicole Recommends

 

The Disasters by M.K. England

The Disasters tells an excellent, twist-rich tale about four rejects from a space academy teaming up to solve a crime–while being framed for said crime. It is a fun wild ride of a read. I enjoyed it very much and definitely intend to read more of M.K.’s books.

–Nicole Recommends

 

Final Nomination List

So our last meeting is this upcoming Friday and I have assembled a list of all the books that have been nominated for the Printz by our Mock-Printz club. The list is in alphabetical order by title, and the place in line in no way indicates the standing or number of nominations that a book has.

1. Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Sacanna Ganucheau
2. The Cold is in Her Bones by Perernelle Arsdale
3. Dig by A.S. King
4. Fear of Missing Out by Kate McGovern
5. Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
6. The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey
7. The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
8. The Lovely War by Julie Berry
9. The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg
10. Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry
11. Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
12. Slay by Brittany Morris
13. The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
14. The Trans-Human Project by Erin Rhew
15. Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliot
16. You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook

 

May the best book win!

 

 

September Meeting 1

Hi All,

School has begun! We’re working on reading potential Printz books between working on school work, homework, and our jobs and these are the ones we’ve reviewed so far.

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

• Stepsister is the story of Cinderella’s step sisters. The story starts when Cinderella leaves with Prince Charming. After that moments the stepsisters’ lives turn upside down. They start to change into different people and face many challenges
• One of the stepsisters talks to monkeys and has amazing talent in fighting
• I think it was a great book with a lot of character development and a lot of adventure.

Recommended by Gania

Fever Year by Don Brown

• It is about the killer flu that killed many people in 1918.
• More than 3,000 people died in America in 1918 [from the flu].
• “I think it being a graphic novel helped make the story more interesting because you weren’t just reading a bunch of information” (approximated quote)

Recommended by Gania

Lovely War by Julie Berry

When Aphrodite is caught committing adultery by her husband, she begins telling an intricate tale following four individuals in World War II in hope that the tale will show her husband what she is going through. The novel is written in different perspectives and really captures human nature beautifully. This romance/historical-fiction fusion was a page turner and I highly recommend it for all history fanatics.

Recommended by Shreeya

Unnatural Disasters by Jeff Hirsch

A girl tries to rebuild after DC is bombed and her world falls apart. I found the way the story skips ahead to be a little annoying, but other than that it was an enjoyable read.

Recommended by Caleb

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

A story of a black, questioning teen girl with HIV struggling to navigate high school. It focuses on her relationships with her friends and fellow classmates, and attempting to keep her HIV a secret. A liked how well the main character was written and developed, and her story is one that needs to be told. It was an excellent book, I would highly recommend.

Nominated by Jackie

 

We have another meeting coming up this Friday and some more books to review then, so stay tuned.

 

Happy Reading!