Merci Suárez Changes Gears  by Meg Medina

This is kind of a sprawling novel, with a large cast of characters and several related plot threads…but in the best ways. It all comes together because Merci is such an engaging and interesting character. Her seventh grade problems are fairly typical: a mean girl, a cute new boy, missing soccer tryouts, etc. But as told through her honest, energetic, and heartfelt (but never preachy) narration, they matter a lot.

Medina captures Merci’s family life with insight and subtlety. Language and cultural elements are evident, but don’t overwhelm the story. It’s the distinct personalities of her relatives and the ways they interact that really shine. Her family is strong and supportive, but they also fight and bicker and irritate each other, like so many close-knit families really do. The family dynamics impact her challenges at school too. As Papi says: “You have to show everyone here every day that they did the right thing accepting you. You have to act like a serious girl.” (p 174).

The ways Merci “changes gears” over the few months of the novel are meaningful and convincing. She’s probably still going to bend the rules, and she likely won’t be friends with Edna, but she has a stronger sense of herself and some fuller understanding of others.  The most serious plot element, Lolo’s struggles with Alzheimer’s, steadily develops alongside the other events. His condition isn’t going away, but Merci’s gift to Lolo at the end shows that she’s coming to terms with it, and, typically, will still be creative and insist on trying to make things better. This is a rich and engaging story, artfully constructed around a memorable and highly appealing character.

As outlined in the Discussion Procedures, let’s start with some positive feedback about MERCI from HMAC and from any other Heavy Medal readers who want to chime in.

Now, a brief description of a Newbery Book Discussion model before we start the practice:

Overarching Etiquette:

• Civility and focus on the literary qualities of books are maintained throughout the hours of discourse.
• Listen and respond to what is being said and not who has said it.
• Committee Members should both express their opinions when needed and be mindful to not monopolize the conversation.

Discussion Procedure:

• A member of the Committee is responsible to introduce each book in less than 2 minutes.
• The introduction should focus on a few positive literary qualities of the book that warrant its nomination.
• No book summary.  (It’s a waste of precious discussion time when everyone at the table is familiar with all the books.)
• The Chair then would ask others who also have positive comments to chime in.  Members of the committee are encouraged to show their agreement with audible or visible cues: “yeses,” and “rights,” nods, smiles, silent jazz hands, etc.
• After ample chances have been given to positive feedback, the Chair would open the floor for concerns and disagreements.
• All critiques should be firmly grounded in the text – not vague feelings or conjecture beyond what could be found in the book itself.

Today, we will discuss Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed.  It has quite a bit of Heavy Medal reader support and is on many end of year’s “Best of” lists. I will serve as the book introducer.  Heavy Medal Award Committee (HMAC) members (along with Heavy Medal readers) are welcome to discuss the book following the guidelines above.

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Saeed has created a brave character in Amal, who is also caring and resourceful. From the get go, you see Amal supporting her younger siblings, her parents, and her friends. Even when she feels envious of her friend Omar’s good fortune to attend a much better school, she is genuinely happy for him, hugging him. (Chapter 3) Her love of learning and intelligence also comes through many times. Saeed includes details that make the surroundings of a rural Pakistan village easy to imagine: from the sugarcane maze, the roses planted around Amal’s gray house, to the opulence of Khan Sahib’s mansion with its sunken living room, floor-to-ceiling windows, a tiled veranda, and the sprawling garden. Since readers see everything through Amal’s eyes, what she finds ordinary (the farm land) or unfamiliar (a rich man’s household) is conveyed organically to the reader, without traces of exoticism.

The theme of the intrinsic unfairness of a society with strict social hierarchy is presented with a fairly compelling plot line and in a style appropriate for the intended readers. Amal’s predicaments seem small and domestic, but they reflect the power structure and contemporary socio-economical realities. One distinguishing feature is that this story could be read on two very different levels: one just about Amal defying her odds and getting out of her unfortunate indentured servitude — unbinding herself from a personal oppression; the other to examine and challenge the systemic oppression and hope for a more liberated populace — perhaps to unbind many, via literacy and knowledge.

That is about 1 minutes and 45 seconds long. Now, I invite HMAC members and Heavy Medal readers to add to the positive aspects of this book – or expand upon what I have presented above.

SAVING WINSLOW  by Sharon Creech, (who won a Newbery Medal and an Honor for longer works) received two Heavy Medal nominations. With 49 short chapters, most just two or three pages, it’s just right for kids new to chapter books. The story centers around Louie’s effort to save the newborn mini donkey he’s adopted. But it’s also about Louie’s sense of self-worth, and the way he misses both his older brother who’s joined the army and his three-years-older best friend, who’s drifting away from him, and a tentative new friendship with a girl who also appreciates the donkey. Louie identifies with Winslow, and that comes through effectively, as when he’s getting to know Nora, a girl who seems pushy to Louie at first:

Nora looked Louie in the eye. “Our brother was born two months early – ”

“So was I!” Louie said. “I was a pitiful, struggling, scrawny thing.”

Nora touched Louie’s arm with one finger. “But you made it.”

“Oh.” It was surprising, Louie thought, how much one simple sentence could affect your opinion of someone. (31)

There’s a lot packed into this short little book. Even the closing line is economical, but powerful: Louie, after letting his donkey go to his uncle’s farm, leaves him a note that neatly echoes the last line of his brother’s postcards: “Remember me.”

DRAGONS IN A BAG by Zetta Elliott also received two HM nominations. It’s a short fantasy with magical elements that aren’t too complex for younger readers: a magical witch named Ma, three baby dragons, time travel. The story moves quickly, with a quick trip to the Jurassic Era and the introduction of several characters who help Jax on his quest to save Ma and the dragons. Along the way we learn more about the boy’s family and about the nature of magic. It’s the first book in the series, so the plot feels kind of unfinished: Ma returns home, but an escaped dragon is still at large in Brooklyn. The backstory about the nature of magic and the conflict within Jax’s family about accepting or rejecting magic is needed for the series set up, but a little heavily weighted when we look at just this book. I think this will be popular, and it’s great to have a fantasy for young readers with African-American characters, but I’m not sure I see Newbery potential in this one.

FINDING LANGSTON by Lesa Cline-Ransome received just one Heavy Medal nomination, but it’s appeared on several Best of the Year lists. It’s short, but definitely for an older readership than SAVING WINSLOW or DRAGONS IN A BAG. In twenty chapters and just over 100 pages, Cline-Ransome develops  a powerful story with a distinct and memorable protagonist. Langston’s first person narration captures the harshness and the beauty of his life in 1946 Chicago:

Daddy ain’t the best company, but ain’t nothing worse than being alone. Not used to coming home to an empty house. The smell of last night’s dinner and Daddy’s sweaty work clothes hanging in the air. Every day I open the door, it takes just a minute ‘fore I remember I won’t hear Mama getting supper started, or her her humming – His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me – and just a little bit longer to remember I won’t see Mama ever again. [I’ve only got the e-book, so can’t cite a page number]

Okay, I guess that example is just the harshness. And the first few chapters are evocative, but pretty grim. It’s when Langston enters that the public library that things get a little hopeful. The solace and inspiration he finds within the building and in the poetry he reads is powerful and sometimes moving. His narrative voice is eloquent and insightful, but still feels like it’s conveying the thoughts of this particular eleven-year-old. As an adult reader, I found the presentation of themes a little too blatant at times, but this might not be an issue for kids. Like when Lymon, the bully, mockingly reads a phrase from a poem, and the passage happens to be the exact same one that Langston just read in one of his mother’s letters. Or when his new friend Clem so elegantly sums up what poetry means to Langston:

“So the poetry you read is a way of putting all the things you feel on the inside on the outside.”

“That’s about it.” Between all he knows about the library and getting my mixed-up words, Clem is a lot smarter than I thought.

Still, it’s an impressive book, with a strong sense of history, convincing family relationships, and an inspiring look at the power of books and poetry.  And she did it all in 107 pages!

Are other Newbery possibilities out there for this in-between level of fiction?

THE CARDBOARD KINGDOM is a unique book in many ways. Chad Sell illustrated the whole thing, but also worked with nine different writers  to create the cast of characters and their individual, but inter-related stories. Molly Muldoon is a librarian here in Oregon, and I talked with her briefly about how the collaboration worked. She created her character (“The Animal Queen”) and wrote that chapter, but also worked with Chad and the other authors in subsequent chapters where her character appeared. So it seems like the other nine writers had input at various times throughout the book, but that Chad had a guiding hand throughout.

I’m actually not sure how this fits in with the Terms and Criteria, which state that: “Author may include co-authors.” Does that mean all nine would receive an award, or would it go to Chad Sell for overseeing the development? Either way, the Committee would need to look at the book as a whole and evaluate whether or not it stands out as the most distinguished book for children of the year, without bringing the authorship details into that discussion.

The creativity of the plot and the presentations of themes seem very strong to me. There’s a rough pattern, where we meet a new kid each time and learn about their regular lives (to varying degrees) and their roles in the imaginative neighborhood games. But it’s never predictable and the different perspectives we get about the kids is often pretty powerful. When Seth meets the Animal Queen, for instance, he affably breaks through her bossiness: she won’t quite make him “animal king,” but she dubs him “captain of the guard” instead of just “peasant.” In Seth’s own chapter, “The Gargoyle,” though, we get a look at his troubled home life. And in both instances, the freeing power of imagination and pretending plays a role, though not in quite the same ways.

There’s a lot more to this book, and certainly any Newbery discussion would need to involve a hard look at what constitutes of “the text of the book” as directed by the Terms and Criteria. THE CARDBOARD KINGDOM received five nominations from Heavy Medal readers and made at least three “Best of the Year” lists.

SANITY & TALLULAH by Molly Brooks came out in October, received one nomination, and made PW’s best or the year list. Typically I’m not the ideal reader for science fiction graphic novels, but this one worked for me and I think it was more through the words than the illustrations. The title characters are best friends who live on a space station. One is super-smart (Sanity) and both easily disregard rules. When they’re in a tunnel they shouldn’t be in, trying to track down their missing three-headed kitten, they rationalize about why they shouldn’t go home like they’re supposed to:

[Tallulah]:  And look at it this way: we’re not gonna be in trouble until we get out of the tunnels, so we might as well do everything we can now while we’re in here, so we don’t waste any mischief!

[Sanity]:  That’s not how it works. But, okay.

The dialogue is crisp, funny, and really helps establish characters. Personalities are interesting and distinct; supporting characters too, not just the two girls. There’s humor throughout, and also a pretty engaging plot. The search for the cat turns into a space situation survival mystery/adventure, and the girls are involved throughout. There’s plenty of science jargon enmeshed in the plot, but I like the way the technical talk is often balanced by humor and the human-ness of the characters:

Sanity’s Father:  You want to string a bunch of decommissioned taffimatter equipment together into a temporary generator while you shut Wilnick’s engine off?

Tallulah’s Mother: Well, I don’t want to.

I think this is a well-written graphic novel, with stronger development of characters and themes than we typically see in this genre.

Graphic novels have been featured in previous posts, including HEY, KIDDO, THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER, and BE PREPARED; the first two are on the HM16 list.    Do either or both of these rank with those? And are there other graphic novels from 2018 that warrant Newbery consideration?

In compiling the list, we try to balance between reader support: many of the titles have received strong HM reader support; critical success: winning other awards, making multiple end-of-the-year best lists, etc.; and the HM bloggers’ personal picks: since even one nomination could put a book on the table during the real Newbery process. We also believe that our Mock Newbery list should feature books representing varied genres and age-brackets while always centers the consideration of the Criteria: distinguished literary qualities.

So, here we go, in alphabetical order by title, we present to you the sixteen (yup, we have to squeeze one more in) books that will be discussed and eventually voted on, starting January 2nd, 2019.

• The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson
• The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
• The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix
• Front Desk by Kelly Yang
• The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman
• Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
• A House That Once Was by by Julie Fogliano, illus. by Lane Smith
• The Journey of Little Charlie by Chrisopher Paul Curtis
• Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
• The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
• The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
• The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
• The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
• Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
• Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Tell us what you REALLY think: let the celebration and the indignation begin!

Let the excitement mount!

As our final nomination round winds down and the discussion of the many”Best Of” lists of the year comes to an end, it’s time to officially call for the Heavy Medal Committee members.  These will be HM readers who are committed to:

• Read (and re-read) all the 15 (fifteen) titles on our final list (to be revealed next Monday);
• Be able to fully participate during the weeks of discussion*: From Wednesday, Jan 2nd to Tuesday, January 23rd (only Weekdays)
• Be able to vote, re-discuss, and re-vote between Wednesday, January 24th and Friday, January 26th.

We will announce Heavy Medal Winner and Honor Books on Friday, January 26th. (The Youth Media Awards announcement at Midwinter Conference will be on Monday, January 29th.)  From last year’s participants, we know that this will be a deeply rewarding and thrilling experience for all who take part.  We’d love to see more people involved!

We are also exploring the possibility of a Peanut Gallery for readers who are not HMC members to voice their thoughts during January.

Please sign up to be a Heavy Medal Committee Member in the comment below.  There is no restriction on how many people should be in this group (larger than 15 is fine) as long as you are committed to reading and discussing all the books through January.

* Updated Information: Fully Participating = having read all the 15 books and being able to discuss on Heavy Medal site in the comments area during those three weeks.  No group chat, no email chain, no time coordination necessary.  Sorry if that was very unclear!

The Newbery Committee has a very different task than the creators of these lists, of course. The Terms and Criteria strictly determine what constitutes “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children,” though as we see every year on this blog, and in the Committee choices, those criteria are certainly open to some interpretation.  The journals, on the other hand, are compiling large lists, usually unranked, representing a broad spectrum of books. It’s very possible that a book could appear on several “Best of” lists, by landing in everyone’s top 15 or 20, but at the same time not stand out enough to make anyone’s top 5.

So the “Best Books of the Year” lists don’t necessarily provide insight into a process devoted to finding the single best book of the year. Still, it’s always interesting to look at what shows up on the lists, and maybe even a little more interesting to see what doesn’t. We’re still waiting for more Best of the Year lists and our HM December Nominations are still in progress, but here are a few notable results seen when comparing the two:

5 books that have a high number of nominations here and also showed up on at least 3 of the 4 lists:

Front Desk

Parker Inheritance

Journey of Little Charlie

Truth as Told by Mason Buttle

Assassination of Brangwain Spurge

Of these five, Front Desk and Parker Inheritance made all four Best of the Year lists.

 5 books with lots of Heavy Medal nominations did not show up on any of the 4 lists so far:

Just Like Jackie

Louisiana’s Way Home

Snow Lane

Ghost Boys

Rebound

Kind of surprising to see two past Medal winners (Kwame Alexander and Kate DiCamillo) in this bunch.

5 books that have received no Heavy Medal nominations and appeared on at least two Best of the Year lists:

Dactyl Hill Squad by Older

Facing Frederick by Bolden

Jabberwalking by Herrera

Love Sugar Magic by Meriano

Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow by Thornhill

Of these, I’ve only read Facing Frederick, which was very good, and Jabberwalking, which was unique and creative but I’m still not sure what to make of it.

Feel free to share any thoughts about the Best of the Year lists below.  And we’ll post links when we learn about more lists being released.

A note from Roxanne — some of the accounting might not be entirely accurate. Please comment if you see errors!

Submit two Newbery-eligible titles in the comments section below.

If you have missed either of the two previous nominating periods, you can include titles that you would have submitted in October and/or November.  Not allowed in the real committee, but fine for our purposes.

You can nominate titles that have already been nominated, which can raise the profile of those books in the eyes of others.  In the real committee, you would also write a justification for your nomination, possibly changing the way others view the book.  But here just listing titles is fine.

The list of previously nominated titles is here.

We’ll accept nominations through Friday, December 7th, and share the totals on Monday, December 10th.

Coming soon on Heavy Medal

• A call for readers who would like to participate in the Official Heavy Medal Committee balloting.  Participants will need to finish the 15 titles on our Heavy Medal Long List and be ready to participate in online discussions on this blog starting January 2nd.
• The announcement of those 15 titles, which will be selected by Roxanne, Sharon, and Steven.
• A look at the Best of the Year lists from journals and how they line up with what we’ve all read and discussed.

But for now, it’s time for two of those so-hard-to-choose December nominations:

Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Why I love it => It’s a dark fairy tale with a very modern, very realistic twist.  It’s imaginative and nightmarishly disturbing.

Why it might not be a Newbery contender =>  The Committee members would probably consider it for readers older than the upper reach.  Also, upsetting fantasy tales are not most people’s cup of tea.

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Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Why I love it => It’s a powerful and equally impactful sequel to Scythe, one of my favorite books from last year.  And the ending leaves me wanting more, immediately.  And Thunderhead is such a cool A.I.

Why it might not be a Newbery contender => It’s a sequel.  If many on the Committee did not read the first installment, it’s hard to convince them of the worth of the second book without demanding each person to read the first.  It’s SciFi.  SciFi is not everybody’s cup of tea.

 

My Beijing by Nie Jun (translated by Edward Gauvin)

Why I love it => It’s a whimsical and slightly melancholy graphic novel set in contemporary Beijing, told in several different vignettes, centered on a young child with a gimp leg and her grandfather’s backstory.

Why it could not be a Newbery contender => It’s an import.  The author/artist is not eligible to win the Newbery.

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What are some some titles that you admire but know that they have very little chance of sporting a Newbery seal come January 28th?

THE SEASON OF STYX MALONE is fun, funny, and generally lighthearted on the surface, but it contains insights and subtleties that are powerful and expertly drawn. Caleb’s sees exciting new possibilities and a chance to be “more than ordinary” when Styx enters his world. Caleb is one of the most interestingly drawn characters of the year for me. He’s curious and observant, and the way he uses Styx, or at least his image of Styx, to push himself into the kind of person he thinks he wants to be, is fascinating.

Maybe we just plain wanted everything he offered. Adventure. Excitement. The biggest trouble we’ve ever gotten into in our lives, we got into with Styx Malone. (1)

His mom declares that Styx is “a handful of trouble…the first time she laid eyes on him” (73), and readers get that too. Caleb ignores this and doesn’t care, at least at first. There’s clearly more to Styx’s story than Caleb knows at the outset, but he gradually catches on. I like the way the mystery of Styx’s past builds steadily, but without overshadowing the character development that’s really the heart of the novel. The truth about Styx isn’t nearly as interesting as the way Caleb’s understanding about him changes as it’s revealed.

And while the Caleb/Styx interplay seems to be center stage, the relationship between Caleb and Bobby Gene is equally important. In his rush to emulate Styx, Caleb’s almost dismissive of his less reckless older brother, but by the end he sees him very differently:

Bobby Gene met my gaze. Then he reached right across that ocean and took my hand. I wondered if it was hard for him, saying the right thing at the right time to Dad. Sticking up for me, when so much of what we’d done with Styx had pushed him to the limits, and beyond.

I was wrong about my brother. He wasn’t on the ordinary side of the canyon with Dad.

He was the bridge. (280)

The plot thread where Styx and the brothers try to complete “the Great Escalator Trade” for a moped is engaging enough, but for me this book excels in the areas of “delineation of characters” and “interpretation of the theme or concept.”

Jonathan Auxier’s SWEEP has received five nominations on Heavy Medal, and it has many strengths. As historical fiction, it presents a vivid picture of 19th century London. Readers get a feel for the city and also the people who populate it, especially the poorer ones. The book is also a fantasy, with a single magical element: the golem that Nan Sparrow receives as a parting gift from the Sweep. And it’s kind of a mystery, as Nan tries to find out what happened to the Sweep. Nan herself is a very engaging character, and the plot that’s built around her is multi-layered, but never confusing. Her adventures as a sweep, her wish for a better life, and the challenge of figuring out how to live with Charlie all move forward neatly and with plenty of surprises.

Underlying it all are multiple themes that are deftly explored through the unique story: the treatment of child workers; the nature of monsters; the importance of courage and decency. There are definitely some harsh realities in Nan’s world, and her view of that world and the people in it is often pretty grim, but I appreciated the way there’s also a positive spirit running through the novel. Like when Toby the mudlark explains the holiday Hogmanay to Nan:

“You know what they say about Hogmanay?” Toby said. “Whatever you’re doing at the stroke of midnight is what you’ll be doing all through the new year.”

Nan considered this. Sitting on a rooftop. Charlie on one side. Toby on the other. A clear sky above. The whole world below. She hugged her knees against her chest. “I could do worse.” (181)

I’m considering both of these for the two slots left in the December nomination, but that’s true of about a half-dozen other books too…this won’t be easy.