2011 Memorable Reads

I have an inordinate fondness of (annotated) lists and countdowns. When I was a child, I repeatedly checked out something called "The Kids' Big Book of Lists" (or a similar title; I've never been able to find it, and it's probably been long out of print). It was awesome; it had an orange cover, I believe, and had a ton of lists. The best roller coasters, babysitting tips, weirdest town names,...you get the picture. So, it should come as no surprise that I'm a big fan of the "Best Of" 2011 lists. Best books, movies, recordings, craziest moments in sports, etc lists entertain me to no end.

I also enjoy making my own Memorable Books of 2011 lists. I don't call them "bests" because I'm mainly judging them on the impact that they had on me, the reader. There are some technically superior books that I've read this year that might not make it to the list.

To make the lists, I scrolled through this blog and wrote down titles that I felt should be on the primary list. I divided them into categories (YA, Adult Fiction/Nonfiction, Poetry, Children's Nonfiction, Children's Fiction, and Older Books, which consists of books published prior to 2011 that I read in 2011) and chose three books (gold, silver, bronze, and honorable mention in some cases).


I'm going to kick off this series with "Older Books"-books published before 2011 that I read in 2011.

Older Books

Bronze

I Must Have Bobo

This charmer from 2010 will captivate anyone who's ever lost a beloved toy or stuffed animal.

Silver

Five Flavors of Dumb

This 2010 young adult novel realistically captures the life of a deaf teenager who just happens to manage a teenage band.


Gold






War Horse

Originally published in 1982, this unforgettable novel about an English boy and a horse during World War I has enjoyed renewed interest due to a well-received London and Broadway production (earned the Tony for Best Play). Steven Spielberg attended the original British production and was instantly attached to the story; his film version will debut on Christmas Day. Anything Spielberg directs draws a massive amount of attention, so this is naturally drawing a ton of attention (and Oscar buzz) before it even opens (yay! the author likes it!). Yes, a few articles call the book "young adult," but the term "young adult" is something that's interpreted differently by some people. It's published and marketed as a children's novel. A sophisticated and mature children's novel, but a children's novel.

Tomorrow: adult fiction/nonfiction picks.