Lindsay (the 2008 Newbery Committee chair), but I’m occasionally reading a non-eligible book. I’m pretty good most of the time — reading, reading, and reading the hundreds of eligible books (2007 books for children written by “… authors who are citizens or residents of the United States). But sometimes I just can’t resist a book by a favorite author, in a beloved genre, or one that sounds just too intriguing to miss. I think of it as a bit like wine tasting; “A sip of water between wines can also help preserve your palate.” And so reading the occasional non-eligible book hopefully preserves my mind to better focus and appreciate those that are eligible.
And so what are some recently read non-eligible books that are preserving my reading palate?
- Nina Lindsay’s poetry book, Today’s Special Dish, is full of poems that refresh me. (Here’s a review of it.)
- Richard Reeve‘s forthcoming Starcross, a sequel to Larklight and equally entertaining.
- Shaun Tan‘s deservedly lauded The Arrival. Wow, wow, wow!
- Click by Linda Sue Park, David Almond, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Nick Hornby, Deborah Ellis, Tim Wynne-Jones, Ruth Ozeki, Margo Lanagan, and Gregory Maguire. Since only three of these authors are US citizens or residents I’m assuming the book is not eligible — if I’m wrong, please let me know and I’ll take it off this post (as I’m not blogging about eligible books, remember?). Anyway, this book is very, very cool. Linda Sue began the story and the others continued it in their own style and way. I enjoyed it very much.
And what are some forthcoming non-eligible books I plan to read?
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, natch.
- Jasper Fforde‘s Thursday Next: First Among Sequels out just a few days later. (I am thinking of doing it as an audio book, though.)
- Probably others that I can’t resist!
Thanks, Alice, for these non-Newbery picks! One of my interests is in seeing more books in English by non-U.S. writers recognized here. I follow the Carnegie awards and read a lot of their shortlisters amd feel we here are a bit short-sighted as to where we cast our nets.
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[sound of one hand slapping]
I read Haruki Murakami’s “After Dark” on the plane after our meetings.
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A book for grown-ups? I’m not even sure I know how to read a serious one of those anymore! Presumably, it is like riding a bicycle and I’ll be still able to do it come next January (says Monica holding her smarting cheek:).
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I second the Haruki Murakami recommendation. Anything by him is a welcome respite and a great read. But reading Murakami can be like eating potato chips, if you’re new to his books. It’s hard to read just one.
When I served on Newbery, at the beginning of the year a friend gave me an adult short story by Ursula LeGuin that had been published as a limited edition monograph, with the note “Open in case of emergency.” I gratefully read it in about mid-December. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received.
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