Best Books 2007

It's that time of the year again....when magazines, journals, and newspapers publish their "Best Of" 2007 lists. Not wanting to be left out, I've created my own "Best Of" list. However, my list is not relegated to books published in 2007; any book that I read in 2007 is eligibile. Also...I've put a little spin on my list. Hope you enjoy!

Best Newbery Book That No One Reads Anymore:
Strawberry Girl
See my review

Best Book That I Should Have Read Long Before I Reviewed It:
Babe the Gallant Pig
See my review
Honorable Mention: Yellow Star
See my review

Best Book By Someone Who Should Have Won at Least The Newbery Honor Last Year:
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!
See my review

Best Book About A Quirky Kid That Doesn't Cross Over Into Annoying Territory: A Crooked Kind of Perfect
See my review

Best Blending of Words And Illustrations That Confuses The Daylights Out Of Anyone Foolish Enough To Guess The Newbery And/Or Caldecott:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
See my review
Honorable Mention: The Wall
See my review

Best Book That I Ended Up Liking Despite The Fact That I Didn't Think I Would (At First): Shark Girl
See my review

Best Book That I Liked In Spite of Its (Rather Weak and Questionable) Ending: Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam
See my review


Best Old Book That Would Be An Excellent Addition to a World War II Curriculum: Petros' War
See my review

Best Book About A Subject That Can Turn Awfully Maudlin in Children's Books, But Handled The Subject Rather Well: Remembering Mrs. Rossi (dead mother)
See my review
Honorable Situation: Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam (dead dogs...NO, I didn't give away the ending)

Best Book That Made Me Cry The Most This Year: Hana's Suitcase
See my review
Honorable Mentions: Remembering Mrs. Rossi

Best Adaptation of Song To Book (Because Sometimes It Doesn't Work): Easter Parade
See my review
(Didn't review, so not eligible...but I Love You! A Bushel and a Peck is also very cute.)

Best Book Read In Storytime That Was Checked Out Multiple Times Until The Child's Mother Ended Up Buying Her Son His Own Copy: The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds
See my review

Best "New Baby" Book: Welcome Precious
See my review

Best YA Novel That I Read This Year But Was Published Last Year: Accidents of Nature
See my review

Best Book About Baseball, But More Than Baseball: Samurai Shortstop
See my review

Best "Stand and Deliver" Type of Book (I.E. Teacher Turns Around a Class And They Accomplish Things No One Thought They Were Capable Of): All of the Above
See my review

Best Continuation Of An Adorable Character:
Lucy Rose, Busy Like You Can't Believe
See my review

Best Newbery Honor Book That I Liked More Than The Medalist: Rules
See my review

Best Book That Should Have Received More Attention For Last Years' Lists and Awards: Vive La Paris
See my review

Best Biography That Is Well Written and Kid-Friendly: Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini
See my review
Honorable Mention: Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium
See my review

Even though I never, ever correctly guess the winners of the various children's/YA literature awards (to be announced at the American Library Association's Midwinter Conference in January), here are my predictions for the awards. I haven't reviewed them because I'm still reading them or they are in my "to be read" pile:

Printz:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

Newbery:
I'm going to chicken out and name several. This was an exceptional year. I guessed one of last year's Honor books (Penny From Heaven, which was one of the Honor books)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Wednesday Wars
See my review

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Elijah of Buxton

Caldecott: I am no good at guessing the Caldecott. However, I'll take a guess and say Jabberwocky.

(I'm sure I just jinxed the authors!)