Newbery and other Book awards for 2010
Today American Library Association announced it's literary award winners. We have only read a few of the books awarded and look forward to reading many more.
John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature
When You Reach Me Four Newbery Honor Books also were named:
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice 
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon 
Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (Newbery Honor Book) Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children
The Lion & the Mouse Two Caldecott Honor Books also were named:
All the World 
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults
Going Bovine Four Printz Honor Books also were named:
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith 
The Monstrumologist 
Punkzilla 
Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance 1973 Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal (Exceptional Social Studies Titles for Intermediate Grades) One King Author Honor Book was selected:
Mare's War Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award
My People One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected:
The Negro Speaks of Rivers Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
“The Rock and the River,” written by kekla magoon, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.
The Rock and the River Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
Walter Dean Myers
Monster Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience
Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were selected:
Diego: Bigger Than Life 
My Abuelita 
Gracias / Thanks (English and Spanish Edition) Pura Belpré (Author) Award
Return to Sender Two Belpré Author Honor Books were named:
Federico Garcia Lorca (Cuando Los Grandes Eran Pequenos/ When the Grown-Ups Were Children) (Spanish Edition) Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience
young children ages 0 to 10.
Django Schneider Family Book Award for middle grades (ages 11-13).
Anything But Typical Schneider Family Book Award for The teen (ages 13-18)
Marcelo in the Real World William C. Morris Award honors a book written by a first-time author for young adults
Flash Burnout Odyssey Award for excellence in audiobook production
Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken Three Odyssey Honor Audiobooks were named:
In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber (Bloody Jack Adventures) 
Peace, Locomotion 
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for most distinguished beginning reader book
Benny And Penny in The Big No-No (Toon Books) Four Geisel Honor Books were named:
I Spy Fly Guy 
Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon Books) 
Mouse & Mole, Fine Feathered Friends (Mouse and Mole) 
Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day (Dial Easy-to-Read) Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults
Jim Murphy
Truce Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream Three Sibert Honor Books were named:
The Day-Glo Brothers 
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover)) YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award
Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video (The video is unavailable so I linked to the book for now.)
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States
A Faraway Island Three Batchelder Honor Books also were selected:
Big Wolf and Little Wolf 
Eidi: The Children of Crow Cove (The Children of Crow Cove Series) 
Guardian Of The Darkness (Moribito) Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope 
The Bride's Farewell 
Everything Matters!: A Novel 
The Good Soldiers 
The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir 
The Magicians: A Novel 
My Abandonment 
Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) 
Stitches: A Memoir 
Tunneling to the Center of the Earth: Stories (P.S.) May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site
Lois Lowry
The Giver Our Summer Reading Program
Our Summer Reading Program
Our family loves to read, but one thing that is lacking in our reading repertoire is a good dose of classic literature. I’m busy reviewing popular YA and children’s fiction and curriculum for our website, and my boys tend to gravitate to book series and fantasies So, to stretch our literary experience, I’ve put together a classy list of books for the boys (and me) to read over the summer. As no reading program is complete without an incentive, I am paying them a penny a page. They can’t collect any money until they have written a brief book report and have passed an informal oral quiz on the book’s content. And, they can collect an extra 75 cents if they list and define ten unfamiliar words from the book. I also set up a cute “book nook” area for them with a basket chock full of some of the books on their list. And, they were given a $10 gift card to Barnes and Noble to help them kick things off (which they spent within hours of receiving).
If they tackle a good portion of the reading list, they will have accumulated about $100 each, but most importantly, will have gained a priceless addition to their education.
See below for our 2008 Homeschoolbuzz.com summer reading list.
Book report guidelines
Title read:
Author:
Pages read:
Date completed:
Book report: Include basic plot summary, interesting characters, morals or things learned, and overall impressions of the book. Should be between 25-75 words.
Rate book: 0-5 stars (0=bad, 5=outstanding)
Also, list 10 words you read that were new to you, include the definition (brief) worth an extra 75 cents.
You should write daily in your journal, include progress or notes on your reading (or a word definition, or write about ideas, feelings, special events, etc.
Homeschoolbuzz.com Summer reading list for advanced 6th grade readers and up
*
Hamlet By Shakespeare*,
Romeo and Juliet
Count of Monte Cristo*
Poems
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Across Five Aprils
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
Treasure Island
The Hound of the Baskervilles
A Boy’s War
Calico Captive
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl*
Number the Stars
Good-Bye, Mr. Chips,
The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day
How Green Was My Valley*
In His Steps
The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1)
The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, Book 2)
The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Book 3)
Rascal
The Miracle Worker
The Moonstone*
An American Plague
Lincoln: A Photo-biography
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Onion John
The Last of the Mohicans*(or other selections)
Gulliver’s Travels* by Swift, Jonathon (314 pages)
And Then There Were None*
Watership Down*
Profiles in Courage*
Hunchback of Notre-Dame* by Hugo, Victor
Les Misérables*
Ivanhoe*
The Once and Future King*
To Kill a Mockingbird*
King Solomon's Mines*
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (The Wolves Chronicles)
Old Yeller
Gentle Ben
Labels: Books, homeschool, Reading, Reviews
The Crucible
Below is an essay my son wrote on the Crucible. This is one of those books you’ll find on many “must read” high-school literature lists, and is a classic that has earned it’s place there. Who can forget John Proctor’s sacrifice for truth. Read more...
The Pilgrim Adventure: Our America series Volume 1
Homeschooling mom and author Susan Kilbride has a new history series that is sure to spark your child's interest in learning about our Country's roots. Here's what she shared with me about this new title, and she generously includes a free unit study on pilgrims. Finn & Ginny’s parents are lost back in time, and the two young twins have decided to go back to early America to find them. Read more...
Zero the Hero
A child's first exposure to math should be fun. Forget repetitive drills and boring worksheets. One of my favorite books I first used to teach my young boys the concept of counting was the M & M's Counting Book. It's a fun and yummy introduction to basic math. I'd get other colorful books from the library, anything creative and eye-catching would work for such an important concept. Read more...
Fablehaven
Siblings Kendra and Seth are sent to stay with their grandparents while their mother and father cruise the Caribbean. Disappointed not to be vacationing with them, the kids anticipate the 2 weeks will be drudgery. Contrary to their beliefs, when they arrive at their grandparents estate, they are surprised to find a tree house, swimming pool, and a gigantic playroom full of books and toys. What they don’t know is how many secrets await them. Read more...
Mathematical Reasoning: Middle School Supplement
There are some kids who have an insatiable appetite and intense passion for mathematics. You may recognize the signs: cruising through math homework, A+ average, may watch extra math lectures, answers your questions with statistical probabilities, and looks for logic and reasoning themes in both games and reading material. If you see this love for math in your middle schooler, you’re likely on the look-out for puzzle books or supplements to keep your budding Archimedes challenged and happy. Read more...
The Code Book
The Code Book is a nonfiction book on the history of code-makers and code-breakers. It starts out with the trial of Mary queen of Scotts--whether she lives or dies is determined entirely by queen Elizabeth’s code-masters. If they crack Mary’s code and see the messages she had been smuggling out of jail are plans for a rebellion, she’s as good as dead. The book recounts the captivating, historically accurate tale of the evolution of code. Read more...
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner
I have a struggling learner, and we had a tough 4th grade school year. Math was a chore. Writing was like medieval torture, and the basic rules of grammar might have well been a foreign language. It seemed as though everything I tried to teach my son ran out of him like water through a sieve. We needed help. When I heard Kathy Kuhl was speaking at our local homeschooling convention this past June, I knew I had to go and hear her talk. Read more...
Chord Buddy
I fell in love with the guitar when I was 12 years old and my romance flourished for over three decades. I still have the Martin Sigma Anniversary acoustic my parents bought me when I turned 16. I admit the first year of learning to play was touch and go - sore fingers, muffled sounds, buzzing strings. It seemed I would never produce anything that resembled music. Never one to give up easily, I persisted and eventually things clicked. Read more...
The Ultimate Top Secret Guide to Taking Over the World
As soon as I read the title of this book I knew it would be just right for my 10-year-old reluctant reader. I toss him at least 3 different books a week – he'll read a chapter (if even that) and quickly loses interest. A typical boy, he likes video games, playing outdoors, staring out the window, eating candy, and scheming secret plots to take over the household. Household today. Country tomorrow, and I'm sure world domination is in his long-term plans. Read more...
SAT ACT TOEFL: College Prep English Practice
Now that two of my boys are in high school, my ears are frequently tuned towards SAT information. When to take it? How many times? How critical is scoring well to future college placement? And finally, how should my sons best prepare? If you want to know the basics of the test, visit here. Should a high SAT score be your goal? Of course you want your student to do well, but the SAT is only one piece of the puzzle. Read more...
Zondervan Bibles
Zondervan recently sent me three of their new bibles - The Liberty, The Clutch, and The Bloom. Looking at them brought back memories of when I bought my first bible 30 years ago. I went to the only Christian bookstore in town in search of the perfect one. Even back then I was overwhelmed by the choices. Read more...
Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotations
The Critical Thinking Company has a vast selection of materials to both teach and allow application of reasoning and thinking skills. As I've mentioned before, I've used an array of their products over my past 10 years of homeschooling. I recently sampled their Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotations, a tool that specifically requires the use of deductive and mathematical reasoning skills. Read more...
Bindi Wildlife Adventures Book 1: Trouble at the Zoo
Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin (AKA The Crocodile Hunter), has followed in her father's footsteps with her desire to help endangered wildlife. She's been a busy young lady – staring in a TV show, designing her own fashion wear, traveling the world, and now she's the heroine of her own adventure book series. Read more...
James Madison Critical Thinking Course
I am a huge fan of The Critical Thinking Company's products. Over the past 11 years of homeschooling I have used their Science Books 1 and 2, Editor in Chief, Building Thinking Skills, Mathematical Reasoning, and Mindbenders. When I heard about this new critical thinking course, I was anxious to review it. If you need convincing about why you should teach (or you yourself learn) critical thinking skills, click here. Read more...
Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers
This collection of fun science lessons and activities are designed to offer hands on experiments that will satisfy the curious nature of children, while making it easier for parents to teach science. Kids love to pour, measure, taste, alter, and explore their environment. If you can direct their experimentation to teach a concept, then you are more likely to help them remember the material. Read more...