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Not a big fan of the whole jet lag thing, which I normally avoid but didn't on this trip. Spent too much of yesterday making a complete mess of organising today -- at one point I'd triple-booked my today's late afternoon, and even now, having tried to sort it out, I think it'll run like a french farce. Wanted to go and see Jason Webley yesterday evening, but instead I had fish and chips with daughters and a very early night.

Signed up for Good Reads (http://www.goodreads.com/) -- had planned to simply accept friend requests, as I do at Last FM (http://www.last.fm/user/neilhimself/) but it takes too long. Apologies.

Maddy says I have to stop typing and go to breakfast. Then we get shown around a studio.... Read the rest of this post

Texas Woman's University
School of Library and Information Studies
Master List, Librarians' Choices 2003

Appelt, Kathi. 2003. BUBBA AND BEAU GO NIGHT-NIGHT. Ill. by Arthur Howard. San Diego: Harcourt. ISBN 0152045937 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Bailey, Mary Bryant. 2003. JEOFFRY’S HALLOWEEN. Ill. by Elizabeth Sayles. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374336776 [SUGGESTED Grade Levels K-3]

Barrett, Tracy. 2003. COLD IN SUMMER. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805070524 [Suggested Grade Level 4 through 8]

Bank, Kate. 2003. WALK SOFTLY, RACHEL. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374382301 [Suggested Grade Levels 7-10]

Blackwood, Gary. 2003. SHAKESPEARE’S SPY. New York: Dutton’s Children’s Books. ISBN 0525471456 [Suggested Grade Levels 6-8]

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. 2003. FAVORITE THINGS. Ill. by Laura Huliska-Beith. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0803725973 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-3]

Browne, Anthony. 2003. THE SHAPE GAME. New York: Farrar, Strauss Giroux. ISBN 0374367647 [Suggested Grade Levels: 2-4]

Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2003. TURTLE’S RACE WITH BEAVER. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0803728522 [Suggested Ages 4-8]

Bynum, Janie. 2003. PIG ENOUGH. New York: Harcourt. ISBN 0152165827 [Suggested Grade Level PreK-2]

Byrd, Robert. 2003. LEONARDO: BEAUTIFUL DREAMER. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525470336 [Suggested Grade Levels 3 through 8]

Calhoun, Dia. 2003. WHITE MIDNIGHT. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374383898 [Suggested Grade Levels 9-12]

Cameron, Ann. 2003. COLIBRI. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374315191 [Suggested Grade Levels 7-10]

Cart, Michael. 2003. NECESSARY NOISE. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060275006 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-12]

Cave, Kathryn. 2003. ONE CHILD, ONE SEED. Ill. by Gisele Wulfsohn. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805072047 [Suggested Grade Levels K-2]

Chandra, Deborah and Madeleine Comora. 2003. GEORGE WASHINGTON’S TEETH. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374325340 [Suggested Grade Levels 1-3]

Cheng, Andrea. 2003. THE KEY COLLECTION. Ill. by Yangsook Choi. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805071539 [Suggested Grade Levels 2-6]

Crew, Gary. 2003. TROY THOMPSON’S EXCELLENT PEOTRY [sic] BOOK. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller. ISBN 1929132522 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-8]

Crowe, Chris. 2003. GETTING A WAY WITH MURDER: THE TRUE STYORY OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803728042 [Suggested Grade Levels 7 and up]

Crutcher, Chris. 2003. KING OF THE MILD FRONTIER: AN ILL-ADVISED AUTOBIOGRAPHY. New York: Dreenwillow Books. ISBN 0060502509 [Suggested Grade Levels 8-12]

Cushman, Karen. 2003. RODZINA. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618133518 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-8]

Dale, Penny. 2003. PRINCESS, PRINCESS. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763622125 [Suggested Grade Levels K-2]

Davies, Nicola. 2003. SURPRISING SHARKS. Ill. by James Croft. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763621854 [Suggested Grade Levels 1-3]

DePrau, Jeanne. 2003. THE CITY OF EMBER. New York: Random House. ISBN 0375822739 [Suggested Grade Levels 6 and up]

DiCamillo, Kate. 2003. THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX. Ill. by Timothy Ering. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763617229 [Suggested Grade Levels 3-5]

Dodd, Emma. 2003. DOG’S NOISY DAY: A STORY TO READ ALOUD. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525470158 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-1]

Donnell, Jennifer. 2003. A NORTHERN LIGHT. San Diego: Harcourt. ISBN 0803727356 [Suggested Grade Levels 7 and up]

Downing, Julie. 2003. WHERE IS MY MOMMY? New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0688178243 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Dunkle, Clare B. 2003. THE HOLLOW KINGDOM. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805073906 [Suggested Grade Levels 7 and up]

Fleming, Denise. 2003. BUSTER. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805062793 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Florian, Douglas. 2003. AUTUMNBLINGS. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060092793 [Suggested Grade Levels 1-5]

France, Anthony. 2003. FROM ME TO YOU. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763622559 [Suggested Grade Levels K-3]

Franklin, Kristin L. 2003. GRAPE THIEF. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763613258 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-8]

Fredericks, Mariah. 2003. THE TRUE MEANING OF CLEAVAGE. New York: Atheneum Books. ISBN 0689850921 [Suggested Grade Levels 7 and up]

Freedman, Russell. 2003. IN DEFENSE OF LIBERTY: THE STORY OF AMERICA’S BILL OF RIGHT. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823415856 [Suggested Grade Levels 5 and up]

Gaiman, Neil. 2003. THE WOLVES IN THE WALLS. Ill. by Dave McKean. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060530871 [Suggested Grade Levels 2-5]

Going, K.L. 2003. FAT KID RULES THE WORLD. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399239901 [Suggested Grade Levels 8 and up]

Griffin, Adele. 2003. OVERNIGHT. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399237828 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-8]

Haan, Amanda. 2003. I CALL MY HAND GENTLE. Illustrated by Marina Sagona. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670036218 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-K]

Henkes, Kevin. 2003. OLIVE’S OCEAN. New York: HarperCollins. ISBE 0060535431 [Suggested Grade Levels 4-7]

Herman, John. 2003. ONE WINTER’S NIGHT. Ill. by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0399234187 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Hoffman, Nina Kiriki. 2003. A STIR OF BONES. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670035513 [Suggested Grade Levels 7 and up]

Holm, Jennifer L. 2003. THE CREEK. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060001348 [Suggested Grade Levels 8 and up]

Holt, Kimberly Willis. 2003. KEEPER OF THE NIGHT. New York. Henry Holt. ISBN 0805063617 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-8]

Horvath, Polly. 2003. THE CANNING SEASON. New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374399565 [Suggested Grade Levels 6-9]

Hudson, Cheryl Willis. 2003. HANDS CAN. Photographs by John-Francis Bourke. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763616672 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-K]

Jay, Alison. 2003. ABC: A CHILD’S FIRST ALPHABET BOOK. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525469516 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Johnson, Angela. 2003. I DREAM OF TRAINS. Ill. by Loren Long. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0374309477 [Suggested Grade Levels K-3]

Jones, Melanie Davis. 2003. PIGS ROCK! Ill. By Bob Staake. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670035815 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Jung, Reinhardt. DREAMING IN BLACK AND WHITE. Translated by Anthea Bell. New York: Fogelman. ISBN 0803728115 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-8]

Kay, Verla. 2003. ORPHAN TRAIN. Ill. by Ken Stark. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399236139 [Suggested Grade Levels 2-5]

Keller, Laurie. 2003. ARNIE THE DOUGHNUT. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805062831 [Suggested Grade Levels 2-5]

Koertge, Ron. 2003. SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763621161 [Suggested Grade Levels 6 and up]

Koja, Kathe. 2003. BUDDHA BOY. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374309981 [Suggested Grade Levels 7-10]

Levitin, Sonia. 2003. ROOM IN THE HEART. New York: Dutton Children’s Book. ISBN 0525468714 [Suggested Grade Levels 7-10]

London, Jonathan. 2003. WHEN THE FIREFLIES COME. Illustrated by Terry Widener. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525454047 [Suggested Grade Levels K-4]

Long, Melinda. 2003. HOW I BECAME A PIRATE. Ill. by David Shannon. San Diego: Harcourt. ISBN 0152018484 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. 2003. PAUL REVERE’S RIDE: THE LANDLORD’S TALE. Ill. by Charles Santore. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0066237475 [Suggested Grade Levels 2-8]

Martin, Bill Jr. 2003. PANDA BEAR, PANDA BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? Ill. by Eric Carle. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805017585 [Suggested Grade Levels K-3]

Matas, Carol. 2003. ROSIE IN NEW YORK CITY: GOTCHA! New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 0689857144 [Suggested Grade Levels 3-6]

Maurer, Richard. 2003. THE WRIGHT SISTER: KATHARINE WRIGHT AND HER FAMOUS BROTHERS. Brookfield, CT. Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 0761325646 [Suggested Grade Levels 6 and up]

McDonald, Janet. 2003. TWIST AND TURNS. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374399557 [Suggested Grade Levels 7 and up]

Mead, Alice. 2003. YEAR OF NO RAIN. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374372888 [Suggested Grade Levels 3-6]

Mills, Claudia. 2003. GUS AND GRANDPA GO FISHING. Ill. by Catherine Stock. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0370328153 [Suggested Grade Levels K-3]

Morrow, Trar Jaye. 2003. MOMMY LOVES HER BABY, DADDY LOVES HIS BABY. Ill by Tiphanie Beeke. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060290781 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-1]

Murphy, Jim. 2003. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395776082 [Suggested Grade Levels 6 and up]

Murphy, Jim. 2003. INSIDE THE ALAMO. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385325746 [Suggested Grade Levels 5 and up]

Myers, Walter Dean. 2003. THE DREAM BEARER. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060295228 [Suggested Grade Levels 6-9]

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 2003. BABY RADAR. Ill. by Nancy Carpenter. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0688159486 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

O’Neill, Mary. 2003. THE SOUND OF DAY, THE SOUND OF NIGHT. Ill. by Cynthia Jabar. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374371350 [Suggested Grade Levels 0-1]

Orenstein, Denise Gosliner. 2003. UNSEEN COMPANION. New York: HarperTempest. ISBN 0060520566 [Suggested Grade Levels 9-12]

Paolini, Christopher. 2003. ERAGON. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0375826688 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-9]

Patz. Nancy. 2003. WHO WAS THE WOMAN WHO WORE THE HAT?. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0525463330 [Suggested Grade Levels 3-6]

Peck, Richard. 2003. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803727356 [Suggested Grade Levels 6 and up]

Peters, Lisa Westberg. 2003. EARTHSHAKE: POEMS FROM THE GROUND UP. Ill. by Cathie Felstead. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060292660 [Suggested Grade Levels 3-6]

Plum-Ucci, Carol. 2003. THE SHE. New York: Harcourt. ISBN 0152168192 [Suggested Grade Levels 8 and up]

Pressler, Mirjam. 2003. MALKA. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 0399239847 [Suggested Grade Levels 7-10]

Prose, Francine. 2003. AFTER. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060080825 [Suggested Grade Levels 8-12]

Recorvits, Helen. 2003. MY NAME IS YOON. Ill. by Gabi Swiatkowska. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374351447 [Suggested Grade Levels K-2]

Reynolds, Peter. 2003. THE DOT. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISIBN 0763619612 [Suggested Grade Levels K-5]

Rockwood, Joyce. 2003. TO SPOIL THE SUN. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805073728 [Suggested Grade Levels 9 and up]

Root, Phyllis. 2003 BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD. Ill. by Helen Oxenbury. Cambridge. MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763611328 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Rowling, J.K. 2003. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 043935806X [Suggested Grade Levels 4-8]

Schwartz, David M. 2003. MILLIONS TO MEASURE. Ill. by Steven Kellogg. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 006623784X [Suggested Grade Levels 1-4]

Shields, Carol Diggory. 2003. ALMOST LATE TO SCHOOL: AND MORE SCHOOL POEMS. Ill. by Paul Meisel. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 052547437 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-5]

Simon, Seymour. 2003. HURRICANES. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0688162924 [Suggested Grade Levels 3 and up]

Simon, Seymour. 2003. SPIDERS. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060283912 [Suggested Grade Levels 3 and up]

Sis, Peter. 2003. THE TREE OF LIFE: A BOOK DEPICTING THE LIFE OF CHARLES DARWIN, NATURALIST, GEOLOGIST & THINKER. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374456283 [Suggested Grade Levels 4 and up]

Smith, Greg Leitich. 2003. NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO. New York: Little, Brown. ISBN 0316778540 [Suggested Grade Levels 5-8]

Smith, Hope Anita. 2003. THE WAY A DOOR CLOSES. Ill. by Shane Evans. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 080506477X [Suggested Grade Levels 5-8]

Smith, Lane. 2003. THE HAPPY HOCKY FAMILY MOVES TO THE COUNTRY. New York: Penguin. ISBN 0670035947 [Suggested Grade Levels 1-5]

Smith-King, Dick. 2003. CLEVER LOLLIPOP. Ill. by Jill Barton. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763621749 [Suggested Grade Levels 3-5]

Smothers, Ethel Footman. 2003. THE HARD-TIMES JAR. Ill. by John Holyfield. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374328528 [Suggested Grade Levels 1-3]

Sneed, Brad. 2003. AESOP’S FABLES. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0802727518 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Spinelli, Eileen. 2003. THREE PEBBLES AND A SONG. Ill. by S.D. Schindler. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803725280 [Suggested Grade Levels K-2]

Staples, Suzanne Fisher. 2003. THE GREEN DOG. A MOSTLY TRUE STORY. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374327793 [Suggested Grade Levels 2-4]

Steig, William. 2003. WHEN EVERYBODY WORE A HAT. New York: Joanna Cotler Books. ISBN 0060097000 [Suggested Grade Levels 1 and Up]

Trueman, Terry. 2003. INSIDE OUT. New York: HarperTempest. ISBN 006623962 [Suggested Grade Levels 7-10]

Turner, Sandy. 2003. GROW UP. New York: Joanna Cotler Books. ISBN 0060009543 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Wheeler, Lisa. 2003. AVALANCHE ANNIE: A NOT-SO TALL TALE. Ill. by Kurt Cryus. New York: Harcourt. ISBN 0152167358 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-2]

Wolf, Allan. 2003. THE BLOOD-HUNGRY SPLEEN AND OTHER POEMS ABOUT OUR PARTS. Ill. by Greg Clark. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 076361565X [Suggested Grade Levels 1-5]

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2003. LOCOMOTION. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399231153 [Suggested Grade Levels 4-7]

Note: The Librarians' Choices project started as a class at TWU in 2003. I was not a part of that class. (I have been a part of the subsequent Librarians' Choices projects, however.) This is the first I've seen of the list. I did not type this list. I've corrected the mistakes I've found, but there may be a few I've missed. If you see any spelling mistakes with author's names especially, you may leave a comment and I'll try to go back and correct it. For me it was easier to spot mistakes in titles than authors because of the whole last name, first name thing.

Librarians Choices 2007

About Librarians' Choices

The Librarians' Choices project began as a class assignment in Fall, 2003 at Texas Woman's University, with graduate students in Library Science enrolled in a Book Reviewing class. It has since evolved into a significant professional development activity involving volunteer teachers, librarians, and librarians-in-training associated with the School of Library and Information Studies at TWU. They spent the spring, summer, and fall of 2007, semester reading and discussing hundreds of new books for children and young adults provided by major publishers. In addition, other titles by other publishers were also sought out, read, and discussed. Participants determined which titles were most outstanding based on literary quality, appeal to children and young adults, the typical needs of a school or community library, and a comparative study of other professional review sources. Although we did not have access to ALL the children's and YA books published in 2007, nor did every student read every book as one would expect in a formal review or award committee, we did our best to be comprehensive and thorough.

In the end, a limit of 100 titles was set, with approximately half of the list being designated for picture books and half of the list designated for novels. Poetry and nonfiction titles were also incorporated as appropriate. As a culminating activity, each participant chose approximately nine titles to study closely and review. These reviews include a complete bibliography of each title with a description and analysis of the book, as well as connections for sharing the book with child/teen audiences and recommendations for related books to combine or compare with the featured title. The goals of the project are twofold, to develop participant knowledge base about current books for children and young adults and the ability to read and write critically about these books and to use this experience to create a professional resource for others interested in choosing outstanding and intriguing books for the young people they serve.

Three (soon-to-be four) of the Librarians' Choices lists are available online. Librarians' Choices 2004, Librarians' Choices 2005, Librarians Choices 2006.

For those that are wondering, the list was finalized on December 3, 2007.

Texas Woman’s University
School of Library and Information Studies
Librarians’ Choices 2007
Master List

[Note: As of 1/21/08, the list is still slightly tentative. Meaning that one or two slight changes might be made. But that most of it is good to go. The final, finalized list should be determined later this week.]

Randa Abdel-Fattah's Does My Head Look Big In This?
Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian.
Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted.
Kate Banks' Lenny's Space.
Lynne Barasch's Hiromi's Hands.
Donna M. Bateman's Deep in the Swamp.
Kelly Bingham's Shark Girl.
Nic Bishop's Spiders.
Robin Brande's Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature.
Cecil Castellucci's The Plain Janes.
Gennifer Choldenko's Louder, Lili.
Andrew Clements' No Talking.
Nancy Coffelt's Fred Stays With Me.
Ilene Cooper's The Golden Rule.
Ellie Crowe's Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku.
Chris Crutcher's Deadline.
Christopher Paul Curtis' Elijah of Buxton.
Karen Day's Tall Tales.
Jenny Downham's Before I Die.
Sharon Draper's Fire From the Rock.
Ann Dee Ellis' This Is What I Did.
Susan Fletcher's Dadblamed Union Army Cow.
Douglas Florian's Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings.
John Frank's How To Catch A Fish.
Russell Freedman's Who Was First? Discovering the Americas.
Knock, Knock by Jon Muth, Peter Reynolds, Brett Helquist, Saxton Freymann, Chris Raschka, Tomie de Paola, Yumi Heo, Laurie Keller, Sophie Blackall, Dan Yaccarino, Henry Cole, David Small, Boris Kulikov, Judy Schachner.
Peggy Gifford's Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little.
Gail Giles' Right Behind You.
Emily Gravett's Orange Pear Apple Bear.
Dan Gutman's Casey Back At Bat.
Shannon Hale's Book of A Thousand Days.
Janice N. Harrington's The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County.
Mette Ivie Harrison's The Princess and the Hound.
Linda Oatman High's The Cemetery Keepers of Gettysburg.
Jennifer L. Holm's Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf.
Kimberly Willis Holt's Piper Reed: Navy Brat.
Steve Jenkins' Dogs and Cats.
Peter Johnson's What Happened.
Tony Johnston's Bone by Bone by Bone.
Paula Jolin's In the Name of God.
Sheila Keenan's Animals in the House: History of Pets and People.
Barbara Kerley's Greetings From Planet Earth.
Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's The Top Job.
Jeff Kinney's Diary of A Wimpy Kid.
Katherine Kirkpatrick's The Snow Baby: The Arctic Childhood of Robert E. Peary's Daring Daughter.
Yoon D. Kwon's My Cat Copies Me.
R.L. LaFevers' Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos.
Julius Lester's Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire.
Ellen Levine's Henry's Freedom Box.
April Lurie's Brothers, Boyfriends, and Other Criminal Minds.
Barry Lyga's Boy Toy.
Leonard S. Marcus' Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark.
Shane Mc G's Tennis Anyone?
Sarah Miller's Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller.
Shelia P. Moses' Sallie Gal and the Wall-a-kee Man.
Catherine Gilbert Murdock's The Off Season.
Deborah Noyes' Red Butterfly: How A Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk Out of China.
Linda Sue Parks' Tap Dancing On the Roof.
Gary Paulsen's Lawn Boy.
Mal Peet's Tamar.
Jean E. Pendziwol's Marja's Skis.
Sara Pennypacker's The Talented Clementine.
Mitali Perkins' Rickshaw Girl.
Cris Peterson's Clarabelle: Making Milk and So Much More.
Laura Resau's Red Glass.
Cal Ripken's The Longest Season.
Amy Krouse Rosenthal's The OK Book.
Robert Sabuda's Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Mega-Beasts.
Lisa Ann Sandell's Song of the Sparrow.
Laura Amy Schlitz's Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices From A Medieval Village.
Gary D. Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars.
Editor, Ariel Schrag's Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age.
Elaine Scott's When Is A Planet Not A Planet? The Story of Pluto.
Laura Vaccaro Seeger's First the Egg.
Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Robert Sharenow's My Mother the Cheerleader.
Kathy Shaskan's How Underwear Got Under There: A Brief History.
Bob Shea's New Socks.
Joyce Sidman's This Is Just To Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness.
Peter Sis' The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain.
Anita Sitarski's Cold Light: Creatures, Discoveries, and Inventions That Glow.
Alexandra Siy's Sneeze.
Jordan Sonnenblick's Zen and the Art of Faking It.
Rebecca Stead's First Light.
George Sullivan's Helen Keller: Her Life In Pictures.
Shaun Tan's The Arrival.
Lauren Tarshis' Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out Of A Tree.
Peter Lane Taylor's The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story.
James Otis Thach's A Child's Guide To Common Household Monsters.
Linda Urban's A Crooked Kind of Perfect.
C.G. Watson's Quad.
Carole Boston Weatherford's Birmingham, 1963.
Lee Weatherly's Kat Got Your Tongue.
Rosemary Wells' Max Counts His Chickens.
Ruth White's Way Down Deep.
Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity.
Valerie Worth's Animal Poems.
Dan Yaccarino's Every Friday.
Sara Zarr's Story of A Girl.
Gabrielle Zevin's Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac.

I had really, really, really wanted to be able to present this year's Librarians' Choices list for the January carnival. But it's not looking like that is going to happen. I have had the privilege of participating in the Librarians Choices since 2004. (It was started in 2003.) And each year I've participated I've had the additional privilege of presenting those lists on the web. [Librarians' Choices 2004, Librarians' Choices 2005, Librarians' Choices 2006.] Some years I've even made Amazon Listmania lists. (I try to do everything in my power to promote the project.)

But since I can't announce this year's list at the moment, I decided to go ahead and talk about my experiences (focusing on this past year) with the project. (Keep checking back regularly. I hope to have it up sometime this month. And this is the link where it will *most likely* be found. It will be 'dead' until it's up.)

First of all the basics. The Who. The What. The Where. The Why. The How. The When.

Who: 2 professors of the Library Science department of Texas Woman's University along with an assortment of alumni and professional allies--ten to fourteen folks usually. Dr. Sylvia Vardell created and developed the project. This is her "baby." Dr. Janet Hilbun has joined Dr. Vardell for the past two years. In fact, Dr. Hilbun was the leader--the boss--this time. I believe--though I can't be certain--that they plan to take turns in the future.
What: These wonderful people--this Librarians Choices family--get together many times a year (6-8) to discuss children's literature. (And included in "children" I also mean YA.) Our goal is to decide (agree upon) which books are the 100 best books of the year. [50 or so picture books (also poetry and nonfiction picture books) and 50 or so books for older readers (fiction, nonfiction, poetry).]
Where: We meet on campus at Texas Woman's University. While there we get the pleasure of carting away books to read. (Or in my case read and review.) The books will then journey with us to the next meeting. It requires strong arms at times!!!
Why: Each of us loves books. Each of us loves reading. Each of us feels "called" to serve in some capacity the needs of children and young adults. (And by extension other librarians and teachers.) At the start, we noticed that there were "Choices" for other groups--kids, parents, teachers. But that there was no list for librarians.
How: Much discussion. Some arguments. A lot of passion. Some tension. And on a good day, the big day--pizza and brownies. [Read about my brownie nirvana here.]
When: March, June, July, September, October, November, December. Our BIG day was December 3rd. That is when our list was finalized.

I really love participating in Librarians Choices except for the rare moments when I hate it. Let me explain. The books. The reading. The joy of passionate discussion. The chance to be exuberant in public. The opportunity to experience the best-brownie-of-my-life. All things I love. Really love. These are things that keep me coming back for more despite the fact that I've graduated. Despite the fact that I don't "need" to be involved in order to get my hands on books.

What don't I love? The competition. The battles. The stress of choosing what is "best." You can't be a part of the Librarians Choices group and NOT be opinionated, NOT be passionate. Although I probably top the list when it comes to being most over-eager, most exuberant, most obsessively insane, most likely to bounce up and down in their seat, everyone is putting their time and energy and passion into the process, into the selection. The last night--the big night--truly falls into the category of "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That is the night when books go head to head. When battles are fought. Some win. Some lose. It's never pretty. There are battle wounds as personal favorites don't make the cut. No one leaves the room COMPLETELY happy because everyone has had to give up at least one of their "favorite, favorite, favorite" books. (What didn't make the list? Which one of my soldiers didn't make it through the night? Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.) But at the same time, you're HAPPY, thrilled, overjoyed at the books that DID make the list.

The funnest--though perhaps most dangerous--part of the night is deciding--battling--who gets to review which book. The decisions have been made. The 100 have been agreed upon. But then it comes down to who gets what book. The competition can be fierce at times. As exuberant shouts of "me, me, me" or "that's mine" or "I want that" fill the air. And a little into the process, as our required number are filled...there comes the time when books can be traded. It's always a most exciting process to "win" one of your favorite books. To "win" the privilege of reviewing it for the Librarians' Choices book.

Which books did I "win"? In alphabetical order, BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS by Shannon Hale, THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND by Mette Ivie Harrison, CUPID by Julius Lester, MISS SPITFIRE by Sarah Miller, SONG OF THE SPARROW by Lisa Ann Sandell, UNWIND by Neal Shusterman, A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT by Linda Urban, QUAD by C.G. Watson.

Did I "win" all my favorites? No. Of course not. I'm just thrilled that so many of my favorites also happened to be other people's favorites as well.

I fell in love with so many wonderful, wonderful books this past year. I did. I was only sorry that all of my "favorites" couldn't make it onto the list.