Sam B, The Interview Part 2

Sam and I!

Here is Part 2 of my interview with Sam, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing the interview! I hope to do other interviews in the future, dream interview subjects include all the authors I love.

Dan Darigan - John Newbery Award Committee Member

This is a super cool look at the Newbery Committee from a current committee member.  Does it make me a geek that I studied his book shelf and piles to make sure the books I LOVE this year were there?  Oh, how I would LOVE to be on the Newbery Committee! 

The Dreamer

It surprised me how cruel Neftali Reyes's father was to him when he was writing.  I am glad that my parents do not discourage writing and reading and collecting.  I don't think that I would be able to survive without books to read or a computer to write.  Neftali's experiences were easy and fun to read about, but I still don't think it is fair to be jailed because you have a different opinion than the government.  I think that this book would be great for adults as well as kids because they would probably go on to read the books of poetry by Neftali Reyes that are listed in the back.  Maybe, a Newbery???  Definitely a great book for kids who like poetry.

Rating:  *****

ACPL Mock Newbery

A three hour car ride was worth it! The ACPL is HUGE… We were a little bit early so I got to explore. Their children’s section alone is twice the size of the Zionsville Library. When it was time to start I was thrilled by the packet. It was a small group (two kids and two adults). To start we talked about the history of the Newbery and then we talked about each book. After we covered all the books we voted on a ballot for our top and second place. On the very first ballot Eric and I voted the exact same. So, our Mock Newberry is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead and our honor book is Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin.
As a major bonus we got to look through the Advance Reader Copies of books the library had received and I got to take home a PILE of books (they are extra cool because they have some difference to what actually ends up getting published). This was great fun and I would highly recommend it to any kid who likes to read!

When You Reach Me

What an overwhelming book! It is amazing that one book can pack in some much! This book talks about parents, growing up, time travel, epilepsy, homelessness, mental illness, and death. The book is about Miranda, a young girl who is struggling with the loss of her closest, and only, friend. This book is so complicated I can't tell you anymore about it without giving it away. No one would want to turn this book down. Even though it seems complicated when you look back at it, it all makes sense while you read it. It is complicated in a really unique and awesome way.

Rating: *****

The Magician's Elephant

By the author of The Tale of Despereaux, 2004 Newbery, this book is "about trusting the unexpected - making the extraordinary come true". When a fortune teller comes to his town, Peter uses the money his master gave him for food on being told his fortune. He asks if his sister is alive, and when he discovers she is, he sets of on an adventure to find her. The book is about how he tries to find his sister. I liked this book because I really like love Ms. DiCamillo's writing style. I also liked the story it told.

Rating: *****

Melonhead

This book made me laugh out loud at times. I think the only thing that would keep it from being the Newbery is competition. It would be nice to have such a fun and light-hearted book on the list of serious winners. This was the story of a nine-year-old boy nick-named Melonhead, his last name is Melon, and his adventurous life. He does some of the most impossible things. In two weeks he can get his foot stuck in a tree and have to be rescued by the Jaws of Life, rescue a snake, get in trouble for owning a sake, enter a contest, and nearly forfeit the contest. Even if this isn't the Newbery it's worth reading for a good laugh.

Rating: *****

Anything but Typical

This is a story about a boy who has autism who becomes a great writer to escape from the challenges of being "different". It also talks about his life before he was diagnosed and how he was extra smart. I liked this book because it is a simple book to read, but when you think more deeply about it, you discover a whole new view of his life. It made me feel bad for him because of his lack of friends. I liked this book more than others because it shows all of his struggles because he was different. I think it has a pretty good chance of winning this years Newbery!
(Yes, I did read the whole book since my last post!)

Rating: *****

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum

If this book wins the Newbery this year, it will be the only non-fiction winner in over 20 years. I really liked this book because it tells the life of P.T. Barnum in a fun and playful way; I think it is probably impossible to write about Barnum without it being fun and playful! Who is P.T. Barnum? What is a "showman"? These are the questions I asked myself when looking at this book. Soon I found out that P.T. Barnum was the greatest and the most famous showman ever, and that a showman was someone who could make a great show. In this book you experience the ups and downs of Barnum's carrier. I recommend it to all!!!

Rating: *****

Road Trip

Recently I was invited by the Allen County Public Library (IN) to come to their Mock Newbery discussion on the 10th. I accepted and will be reading the following books:

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Melonhead by Katy Kelly
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

This will delay my big Newbery project, but I think one of these might actually be this year's winner; therefore I will have already read it.