My thoughts on a few potential Printz books

The ALA Youth Media Awards will be announced next Monday, Feb. 2, 2015. Prior to that time I will host a Mock Printz workshop here at GKHS where my 40+ readers will pretend to be the selection committee and select their favorite YA book of the year. Stay tuned for our results. They will be posted on January 30th.

My students read a lot of books this year in preparation for the mock Printz workshop, so many it is hard to keep them all straight. I compiled this chart to help me think through each book, to comtemplate to pros and cons of each book, and whether I think it is worthy of consideration for a youth media award.

Note, just because I don't think a book is Printz-worthy does not mean that the book isn't good or that it shouldn't be read. I liked all of the books on the list, just some more than others.

Title	Author	Pros	Cons	Printz worthy?
Brown Girl Dreaming	Jacqueline Woodson	Memoir in verse; historical-civil rights; learning disabilities	Poetry not that unique; Covering a time period in Woodsen’s life when she was a young child or pre-teen.	Yes, but I think there are better books.
The Crossover	Kwame Alexander	Concrete poems; very fast-paced storyline	Characters in middle school perhaps more likely to be considered for Newbery.	Yes, but this may be Newbery material.
Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind Environmental Headlines	Paul Fleischman	Information is timely and vital. Very readable.	Students are surprisingly uninterested in this book/topic.	No.
The Family Romanov	Candace Fleming	On the short list for the YALSA Nonfiction Award; pacing very good.	Nothing spectacular about the writing.	Yes, but I hope it earns the YALSA nonfiction award instead.
Girls Like Us	Gail Giles	Two narrators with very different voices. Both are special education students, both living in foster care.	It has an important message about acceptance and friendship but story actually seems quite unlikely, especially the ending.	No.
Half Bad	Sally Green	Imaginative plot and storyline	Writing good but not that spectacular; first book in a series which I think is a deterrent to the committee	No.
The Islands at the End of the World	Austin Aslan	Very exciting plot	Inaccurate description of epilepsy	No.
Otherbound	Corrine Duyvis	Very creative fantasy plot	Very confusing storyline between that world and this world and space in between.	No, but it should be considered for the Batchelder Award for books translated into English.
Say What You Will	Cammie McGovern	OCD and living with facial deformities; characters are unique and fully flushed out; just when you think you know where the story is going it veers in another direction	Do all stories have to have a happily-ever-after endings even for such dire circumstances?	Yes. It should also be considered for the Schneider Family Award.
The Story of Owen	EK Johnston	Realism and fantasy mingled together.	Also the first book is a proposed series; the action portions in the fights between man and dragon weren’t very exciting or tense.	No.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender	Leslye Walton	Magical realism; unique plot and strong writing. Symbolism abounds. On the Morris Award shortlist for debut authors.	Students are not sure if they can cope with the magical realism. J	Yes, this is one of my favorites.
Through the Woods	Emily Carroll	Fabulous graphics; really creepy short stories.	A student favorite.	Yes.
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy	Kate Hattemer	The introduction of the long poem; a character driven novel with just enough action to keep the plot moving along. This was an early favorite.	Even with the marvelous long poem usage the plot has faded in my memory. Maybe not as special as I once thought?	No.
We Were Liars	E. Lockhart	The only mystery in the bunch. Like layers of an onion the mystery is revealed. Most students report they were shocked by the ending.	I, on the other hand, saw the ending coming and wasn’t shocked at all.	Yes, but it is not a personal favorite.
100 Sideways Miles	Andrew Smith	Quirky characters, unique plot, pacing good.	Questions about the accuracy of health information and the decisions the adults make around health.	Hmm. Can’t decide. Sorry, no help from me.
This One Summer	Mariko Tamaki	Fabulous graphics; the coming-of-age story seems to ring true. Of all the books I read for the Mock Printz, this one has increased in my estimation since I first read it. It just seems so right on.	Characters are pre-teens but the storyline is definitely YA.	Yes.
I'll Give You the Sun	Jandy Nelson	Spectacular writing; story told in two voices; this book has a lot going for it-strong plot, artistic symbolism, teens dealing with feelings of grief, rivalry, artistic talents, sexual awakening. This is a favorite with the teen readers and with this blogger.	Critics say the book is over-written and the ending is tied up too neatly.	Yes, this is my favorite to win the top prize.
Glory O’Brien’s History of Future	A.S. King	Strong writing and imaginative plotting.	As distressing as the history of the future is the characters seem just resigned. Parts of this storyline just didn’t work for me.	Yes.
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces	Isabel Quintero	Latina character; coming of age. Plucky main character. On the Morris Award short list.	Too many issues, all of them huge: death, homosexuality, rape, birth of younger sibling, teen pregnancy, etc. My head is spinning to recall all the issues.	Yes, but I think this will likely earn the Pura Belpre Award.
Belzhar	Meg Wolitzer	Symbolism and relationship to Sylvia Plath’s Bell Jar. The ending was a shocker.	Much, much more could have been done with the symbolism. Writing not very stron	No.
Grasshopper Jungle	Andrew Smith	Wacky plot---big lizard mutants taking over the world but the writing is fast-paced and fun. (Crawl inside the head of a teenage boy and what do you get?)	Lots and I mean lots, of foul language and sex. Too much really.	Hmm. I am so conflicted about Andrew Smith.
The Impossible Knife of Memory	Laurie Halse Anderson	Anderson’s reputation after writing Speak has her positioned to be in consideration for awards every book she writes; this book’s theme is the devastation of war: PTSD. A timely and needed theme.	I wanted more on PTSD and less on angsty teenagers.	No.
A Time to Dance	Padma Venkatraman	Beautiful imagery written in verse; cultural and religious messages.	The story drags a little in the middle.	Yes, but I don’t think it will not get the love it deserves.