Amazing Faces

Amazing Faces
poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins
illustrated by Chris Soentpiet

2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Book

Elementary



This collection of sixteen poems portrays the many kinds of people that make up our nation.  Diversity in race, age, gender, and various emotions are present.  The book is full of expressive illustrations that help bring each poem to life.  Each reader will be able to relate to some of the poems on a personal level because they are about life.  I especially enjoyed A Young Soldier by Prince Redcloud.  This collection of poems will help readers celebrate what America is all about.

I created this Animoto book trailer to highlight the diverse nature of the poetry in Amazing Faces.

The Storm in the Barn

The Storm in the Barn
by Matt Phelan

2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Book

Tweens




Jack is an 11 year old boy living in Kansas during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.  Jack's family has not seen rain for four years, and they are beginning to suffer.  Crops will not grow, his sister is suffering from dust pneumonia, and Jack questions if the things he sees in a neighbors barn are real or if he is suffering from dust dementia.  The failed crops and lack of rain have hindered Jack's ability to prove himself a man.  Will Jack trust his heart and be a hero for the town that is dying?

This graphic novel is part historical fiction and part folk tale.  The illustrations are simple sketches, yet they are able to express a great deal of emotion.  Muted grays and browns set the mood and setting of the dust storms.  When Jack's mother describes what life was like before the drought, the colors are rich and vibrant.  Children of many ages will enjoy this book filled with history and mystery. 

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

by Tom Angleberger

2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Book

Tweens

Origami Yoda is a finger puppet Yoda that gives advice to McQuarrie Middle School students.  The real question is whether the advice is magical or just the quirky ideas of Dwight, the nerdy kid who created the puppet.

Each chapter of the book is a personal account of one student's experience with Origami Yoda's advice.  The personal accounts humorously depict typical middle school awkward situations.  Yoda repeatedly comes up with clever solutions that readers will enjoy.  I appreciated the variety of fonts and the illustrations added throughout the book.  These features could very well attract reluctant readers to pick up the book.  Read you must...

Abram Books created a YouTube video with Tom Angleberger demonstrating how to fold an Origami Yoda.  Watch this video and create your own Origami Yoda! 

                   

Nothing

Nothing
by Janne Teller

2011 Printz Honor Book

Teens

This novel tells the story of a group year 7 students in Denmark.  At the beginning of the school year, Pierre Anthon declares that nothing in life has meaning and that everything is a waste of time.  To prove his point, Pierre climbs up a plum tree and taunts his classmates with his ideas.  They are bothered by the idea that everything is meaningless, so they devise a plan to prove to Pierre wrong.  They begin building a "heap of meaning" at an old abandoned sawmill.  Their collection consists of meaningful items from each person in the group; and to be sure that a real sacrifice is made, each person decides what someone else must contribute.  As the collection grows, the demands become more and bizarre and sinister.

This book was disturbing to read and  will not be easily forgotten.  Does life have meaning?  This book explores what people do when they are confronted with the idea that life may be meaningless.  I enjoyed the fact that the chapters varied in length, some chapters were only one sentence long, and some were poetic.  I found it interesting that the book was originally written in Danish and won the Best Children's Book Prize from the Danish Cultural Ministry.