Virginia Readers' Choice High School List

Last, but not least...the high school list.

Acceleration by Graham McNamee

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

Jason & Kyra by Dana Davidson

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Working Fire: The Making of a Fireman by Zac Unger

Thanks to VSRA Virginia Readers' Choice committee for making the selections. I look forward to reading them all. The list for each age category has intriguing books--some I have read, some I haven't. I can't wait to get reading.

Not from Virginia? Want to see your own state's young reader's choice awards? Click here.

Virginia Reader's Choice Middle School List

This is the middle school list for Virginia State Reading Association's Virginia Reader's Choice:

Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester

Free Baseball by Sue Corbett

Ghost Girl: A Blue Ridge Mountain Story by Delia Ray

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt

Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble

Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee

Virginia Reader's Choice Elementary List 2007-08

As promised, I will list the books for the Virginia Reader's Choice list for 2007-08. This is the Elementary List for grades 3-5.

The Big House by Carolyn Coman

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford

John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith

Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park (for Linda Sue Park's blog, click here)

Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look

Scarecrow and His Servant by Philip Pullman

Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson

Three Good Deeds by Vivian Vande Velde

Whales on Stilts by M. T. Anderson

Unlike the primary list, I have actually read quite a few books from this list, and I'm familiar with the ones I haven't read. One of my favorite ones is John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith. This is book is hilarious--and kids who have studied American history love the humor in this book. He even includes a true/false quiz in the back to have kids figure out what parts are factual and what details are made up.

Virginia Reader's Choice 2007-2008

When I was at the Virginia State Reading Association Conference last week, Perma-Bound was handing out lists of the 2007-2008 nominees for the Virginia Reader's Choice Awards. The books are read in classrooms and libraries across Virginia and students vote on their favorite book. It's always a great list of books, so I anxiously await the list each year and attempt to read most of them.

They are four lists categorized by age:

Primary (Grades K-3)
Elementary (Grades 3-5) ** Yes, Grade 3 is an overlap year--you can pick either list.
Middle School
High School

Today, I will list the Primary books and links to find the books and their authors. I'll highlight a different list each day.

Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives by Kathi Appelt

Duck and Goose by Tad Hills

He Came With the Couch by David Slonim

Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale from the Andes by Barbara Knutson

Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth by Alison McGhee

Once Upon a Time, The End: Asleep in 60 Seconds by Geoffrey Kloske

Russell and the Lost Treasure by Rob Scotton

Stan the Dog and the Sneaky Snacks by Scoular Anderson

Terrific by Jon Agee

Three Pebbles and a Song by Eileen Spinelli

These titles all look so intriguing. I can't wait to read them!

Twisted Podcast

Laurie Halse Anderson has just released a podcast about her new book Twisted. In the podcast she reads from several passages in the new book and gives insight into how she wrote the book. She speaks specifically to how she wrote it from a guy's point of view.

I always enjoy hearing an author read from his/her own work. Click here to listen.

I just received an e-mail from Amazon.com this weekend saying that Twisted was on it's way to my house. Can't wait to read it!

A weekend of authors!

I spent the weekend at the VSRA Conference at the Hotel Roanoke. It's always one of the best conferences of the year. I was very active in the Virginia State Reading Association before I had my daughter, so it was good to get to go back this year. I had the chance to hear 5 authors speak. The Virginia Readers' Choice 2007-2008 list was given out, and I made it through my own presentation: "Reading Like a Writer" before an overflowing room of enthusiastic teachers.

I will try to highlight an author a day this week.

The last author I heard speak was Kim Norman, a fellow Mid-Atlantic SCBWI member, and e-mail friend.

Kim's long-awaited picture book Jack of All Tails will be available in June 2007. Kim is a wonderful singer and enthusiastic presenter, so I was entertained by her entire presentation. She read the text of Jack of All Tails and showed the accompanying illustrations (when they were still in their sketched form).

The family members all become hired out as pets for neighborhood families. Kristi, the protagonist, keeps trying to be all sorts of animals before she finds a perfect fit for herself. This book is laugh-out-loud funny. I can't wait to buy it for my daughter. I know it will be a favorite bedtime story.

Hattie Big Sky

I just finished reading my third and final Newbery Honor book this morning. I finished Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Lawson. This week has been very stressful as I have been preparing for a session I was presenting at the VSRA conference on "Reading Like a Writer." On top of that, I am preparing for a big bridal shower for my future sister-in-law and I'm in charge of the food! This book was such a good "vacation" for me. Hattie Inez Brooks, the main character of the book, is based on Kirby Lawson's great-grandmother who "proved up" in Montana during the First World War. This book was fascinating to me on many levels. I don't typically read a lot of historical fiction, but every time I do read it, I wonder, why don't I read more of this??? I knew little about the development of the West during this time. It's a tale of adventure, but also a coming of age story where things don't always turn out perfect. I will be looking for more from Kirby Lawson!

A short interview with Kirby Lawson is in this month's edition of The Edge of the Forest.