2011 Michigan Thumbs Up! Award Top 20

The Michigan Thumbs Up! Award Committee recently released their choices for the top 20 books in contention for the 2011 Michigan Thumbs Up! Award.   In case you didn’t know, the Thumbs Up! Award was established in 1986 by the Teen Services Division of the Michigan Library Association to recognize the excellence in, and to celebrate the uniqueness of Young Adult literature.  The committee consists of Teen and Young Adult Librarians from all over Michigan.  As you can see from the following list, the Librarians were successful in selecting an array of unique books.  These titles are sure to appeal to a wide variety of teens who love to read anything from graphic novels and supernatural fiction to romance and realistic fiction.  As always, teens have a say in which book will be deemed the best.  They are encouraged to vote for their favorite book. Follow this link for the ballot:  http://www.mla.lib.mi.us/node/1332.   You must hurry! All votes are must be submitted by April 29, 2011.

Happy Reading!

And the Nominees Are:

White Cat by Holly Black

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
Beat the Band by Don Calame
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Lost for Words by Alice Kuipers

Party by Tom Leveen

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Athena by George O’Connor
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Dirty Little Secrets by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Books about Books

It's late February here in Michigan.  One day it is close to 50 degrees outside and the next a blizzard is sweeping through.  It's an odd time of year, and would you believe it, also a very busy time for children's librarians.  Why? you may ask... well, you see here in Michigan, March is Reading Month.  My phone has been ringing with calls from teachers wanting to book library visits.  I love it actually - being able to get out into the community to meet the children and talk about books.  What librarian doesn't want to share their love of books?!? 

I have been putting together a list of books for an upcoming display that are basically "Books about books."  A couple titles have more to do with storytelling, but that is sharing a story, so I included them. I have also been asked for recommended titles and need books to talk about during library visits, so I thought "why not", I would post it here as well.  Maybe it will prompt a few of you to suggested titles as well?!! 

PICTURE BOOKS:

Book! book! book! by Deborah Bruss

Stella Louella's runaway book by Lisa Campbell Ernst

The wonderful book by Leonid Gore

Wolves by Emily Gravett

Zen shorts by Jon J Muth

Reading makes you feel good by Todd Parr
Wild about books by Judy Sierra
Interrupting chicken by David Ezra Stein

We are in a book! by Mo Willems

Dog loves books by Louise Yates

CHAPTER BOOKS:

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Moxy Maxwell does not love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford

How to save your tail by Mary Hanson

Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry

Shelf life : stories by the book edited by Gary Paulsen

The library card by Jerry Spinelli

My life as a book by Janet Tashjian

YOUNG ADULT:

No more dead dogs by Gordon Korman

Must Read Picture Books

I firmly believe it is never too early to start reading to your child.  That is why there are wonderful organiztions like RIF where locally they have the "Babies and Books" program which gives a total of three books to each child born in our county.  I love it. 


In fact, I love picture books.  All sorts:  I love them goofy and scary and sappy and funny.  I love serious stories and ones that make me laugh uncontrollably.  A library is a great place to find them all. 


Over the years I've compiled a list of my "must read picture books".  They are from all decades, and at last count was slightly over 50 in number.  Because of it's size, I can't include it here with book covers for all, but will try to insert a few.... Enjoy:

Beaumont, Karen. I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! Harcourt, 2005.

Bruss, Deborah. Book! Book! Book! Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001.

Buehner, Caralyn.  Snowmen at night. Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2002.

Burton, Virginia Lee.  The Little House.  Houghton Mifflin, 1942.

Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Houghton Mifflin, 1939.

Cooke, Kaz.  The Terrible Underpants. Hyperion, 2003.

Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. Simon and Schuster, 2000.

Curtis, Jamie Lee.  Today I Feel Silly. Harper Collins, 1998.

DiPucchio, Kelly.  Bed Hogs.  Hyperion Books for Children, 2004.

Downey, Lynn.  The Flea’s Sneeze. Henry Holt and Company, 2000.

Ehlert, Lois.  Leaf Man.  Harcourt, 2005.

Ernst, Lisa Campbell.  Stella Louella’s Runaway Book. Simon & Schuster, 1998.

Falconer, Ian. Olivia. Atheneum, 2000.

Feiffer, Jules. Bark, George. HarperCollins, 1999.

Funke, Cornelia.  The Princess Knight. The Chicken House, 2001.

Gravett, Emily.  Wolves. Simon & Schuster, 2005.

Henkes, Kevin.  Lilly’s purple plastic purse. Greenwillow Books, 1996.

Hills, Tad.  Duck & Goose. Schwartz & Wade Books, 2006.

Hoban, Russell. Bread and Jam for Frances. Harper and Row, 1964.

Howitt, Mary.The Spider and the Fly.  Simon & Schuster, 2002.

Ji, Zhaohua.  No! That’s wrong! Kane/Miller, 2008.

Johnson, Crockett.  Harold and the Purple Crayon.  Harper Collins, 1955.

Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. Viking, 1962.

Lester, Helen. Tacky the Penguin. Houghton Mifflin, 1988.

Lester, Helen.  A Porcupine Named Fluffy. Houghton Mifflin, 1986.

Lloyd, Sam.  Mr. Pusskins: a love story. Atheneum Books, 2006. 

Lovell, Patty.  Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2001.

McDonnell, Patrick.  Art. Little, Brown and Company, 2006.

McFarland, Lyn Rossiter.  Widget. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2001.

McMullan, Kate & Jim.  I Stink! Harper Collins, 2002.

Mosel, Arlene.  Tikki Tikki Tembo. Henry Holt and Company, 1968.

Munsch, Robert.  The Paper Bag Princess. Annick Press, 1980.

Numeroff, Laura.If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Harper and Row, 1985.

O’Connor, Jane.  Fancy Nancy. Harper Collins, 2006.

Palatini, Margie. Piggie Pie. Clarion, 1995.

Palatini, Margie.  Bedhead. Simon & Schuster, 2000.

Reynolds, Peter. The Dot. Candlewick Press, 2003.

Scieszka, Jon.  The Stinky Cheese Man and other fairly stupid tales. Viking, 1992.

Scotton, Rob.  Russell the Sheep. Harper Collins, 2005.

Simmons, Jane. Come Along, Daisy! Little, Brown, 1997.

Spinelli, Eileen.  When Mama Comes Home Tonight. Simon & Schuster, 1998.

Stein, David Ezra.  Leaves. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2007.

Stevens, Janet.  And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon. Harcourt, 2001.

Taback, Sims. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Viking, 1997.

Wiesner, David.  Tuesday. Clarion Books, 1991.

Wood, Audrey.  The Napping House. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984.

Wood, Audrey.  Silly Sally.  Harcount Brace Jovanovich, 1992.

Here are some great literacy tips from some early literacy websites - check them out!
Early On Michigan
Capitol Area Literacy Coalition
Reading is Fundamental