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  • Books, Library Serf

    Award Winners!

    25.01.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    Each year at approximately this time the American Library Association announces the winners of its prestigious book awards, generating much excitement. Here’s a quick summary of the deserved winners this year:

    Newbery Medal Winner

    The Newbery Medal is one of the most prestigious awards for writers of children’s fiction (and sometimes teen-type books win it also).

    Printz Award Winner

    The Printz Award is given for excellence in young adult literature.

    • Where Things Come Back, by John Corey Whaley

    Printz Honour Books

    Alex Awards

    The Alex Awards are for the best books that appeal to a young adult audience. There are 10 Alex Award winners (we have some in the general fiction collection):

    1. Big Girl Small, by Rachel DeWoskin
    2. In Zanesville, by Jo Ann Beard
    3. The Lover’s Dictionary, by David Levithan
    4. The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens, by Brooke Hauser
    5. The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
    6. Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
    7. Robopocalypse: A Novel, by Daniel H. Wilson
    8. Salvage the Bones, by Jesmyn Ward
    9. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures, by Caroline Preston
    10. The Talk-Funny Girl, by Roland Merullo

    If you’re interested in reading award winning books, have a look at these previous posts.


  • Books, Library Serf

    Blood Red Road Wins an Award

    05.01.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    Blood Red Road by Moira Young has won this year’s Costa Children’s Book Award. Which is a slightly more exciting bouquet than the librarian’s choice sticker we bestowed upon it, but we do what we can.

    The book trailer is here:

    Other posts about book awards are here.


  • Library Serf, Reviews

    Best of 2011: Rachel’s Pick

    22.12.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson

    Rory (short for Aurora) moves to London from Louisiana to go to boarding school when her parents get jobs nearby in Bristol. On her arrival, Rory finds out there’s a murderer on the loose who is mimicking the murders of Jack the Ripper from over a hundred years ago. Shortly after she arrives, Rory comes into contact with the killer, but it seems as though she’s the only one who can see him…

    There are a number of times when Rory is confused by British-isms somewhat endearingly, and while suspenseful the novel is also humorous. The first in a trilogy with the next one expected in late 2012!

    ~ Rachel


  • Library Serf, Reviews

    Best of 2011: Andrée’s Pick

    21.12.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    The Golden Day, Ursula Dubosarsky

    “The golden day is a novel set in Sydney in 1967, ending in 1975, about a group of schoolgirls whose teacher bizarrely goes missing on a school excursion, apparently murdered.”–Author’s note. 

    The language in this was lovely, simple and well thought out. A little like Picnic at Hanging Rock.

    ~ Andrée


  • Library Serf, Reviews

    Best of 2011: Sarina’s Other Pick

    19.12.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, by Annabel Pitcher

    “Ten-year-old Jamie Matthews has just moved to the Lake District with his Dad and his teenage sister, Jasmine for a ‘Fresh New Start’. Five years ago his sister’s twin, Rose, was blown up by a terrorist bomb. His parents are wrecked by their grief, Jasmine turns to piercing, pink hair and stops eating. The family falls apart. But Jamie hasn’t cried in all that time. To him Rose is just a distant memory. Jamie is far more interested in his cat, Roger, his birthday Spiderman T-shirt, and in keeping his new friend Sunya a secret from his Dad. And in his deep longing and unshakeable belief that his Mum will come back to the family she walked out on months ago. When he sees a TV advert for a talent show, he feels certain that this will change everything and bring them all back together once and for all.” (Catalogue description)


  • Books, Library Serf

    Stuck For Something to Read This Summer?

    16.12.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    Never fear! Here are some ideas:

    • - The Teen Blog summer reading list. This has got selected fiction from this year, loosely divided into categories (like Free Classic Novel e-books, Ghosts, The 20th Century for example).
    • - The New Books tag. Sift through new items that have arrived in the library this year. There’s heaps to choose from.
    • - Kirkus Reviews‘ best of 2011 list. This is an extensive list of excellent reading, from Anna Dressed in Blood to White Crow.
    • - Some New Zealand fiction. Have a look in the library for books that have koru stickers on their spines. For example, the Listener magazine thought these titles were a highlight of 2011:

    The Bridge, Jane Higgins
    Heart of Danger, Fleur Beale
    Calling the Gods, Jack Lasenby (on order, but you can reserve it!)
    Dark Souls, Paula Morris (on order: reserve it!)


  • Library Serf, Reviews

    Best of 2011: Ada’s Pick

    16.12.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    Beyond the dark journey: short stories and poems by young refugees in New Zealand

    Eight young people from Burma, Aghanistan and the Sudan write about their journey to Aotearoa and coping with settling in. I especially liked the poetry and would like to share this verse with you:

    I packed my bags throwing
    My life into my suitcase
    Not knowing where I was going.
    Here I’m in windy wild Wellington.
    Cold
    Depressing
    Alone
    Quiet
    Isolated
    A neglected human ~ Sonia Azizi

    I was priviliged to meet the young authors and after reading this book it has given me a better understanding about our courageous refugee community. A great read.

    ~ Ada

    Read about the evolution of the book here.


  • Library Serf, Reviews

    Best of 2011: Katie’s Other Pick

    14.12.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

    If you loved the Vampire Academy series, then this is the book for you. Bloodlines is the first book in the spin-off series of the Vampire Academy series narrated by Sydney Sage, a teenage Alchemist, a human bound to protect other humans from vampires, whether they’re the comparatively normal Moroi or the pure-evil Strigoi vampires and who is in hot water with the other alchemists for helping Rose (the original narrator of the Vampire Academy series …). However Sydney is called back into service when Jill Dragomir, Queen Lissa Dragomir’s half-sister, is in danger of being killed and the best way to keep Jill safe is to put her in a human boarding school, with Sydney posing as her older sister, despite the objections of Keith, a slimy Alchemist with a personal vendetta against her.

    Despite not having the original Vampire Academy series, I enjoyed it. Full of suspense, danger, drama, vampires being murdered, a little forbidden love thrown in… and even ‘illegal drug operations’… Can’t wait to read The Golden Lily.

    ~ Katie


  • Library Serf, Reviews

    Best of 2011: Sarina’s Picks

    12.12.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    Half Brother, by Kenneth Oppel

    “On Ben’s thirteenth birthday, his parents introduce him to his new sibling: a hairy, swaddled baby chimp that will be raised as part of the family in an experiment run by Ben’s father, a behavioral psychologist. At first, Ben resists calling Zan his brother, but as he begins to communicate with Zan through sign language, he develops a true, loving connection with the little chimp, even as he realizes that his father views Zan as just a scientific specimen. What will happen to Zan when the experiment is over? … A moving, original novel that readers will want to ponder and discuss” (Booklist review)

    Also great:


  • Library Serf, Reviews

    Best of 2011: Nancy’s Pick

    09.12.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    Kill All Enemies, Melvin Burgess

    “This tells the story of three teens with troubled backgrounds, one the daughter of an alcoholic, one who has an abusive stepdad, and one who is at odds with his middle-class upbringing. Here’s a review from the Guardian.” (teen blog!)

    It’s a bit dark and gloomy but has really excellent inner monologues and the story is told very well from a variety of kids’ perspectives.

    ~ Nancy


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