Tuesday 22 November 2011

Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is one of the most beautiful books I've read, the illustrations and the story telling are amazing, so I was partly excited by and partly dreading the release of the film 'Hugo' on December 2nd until I saw this trailer...


...at which point I started to wholly dread the film because it looks like a typical American kids' film :-(  The fact that they've made it 3D just puts me off straight away as it should be a celebration of the tradition of film making!

Hopefully Martin Scorsese can prove me wrong...

Added 28th November - I saw a trailer on TV at the weekend and the way they're advertising it for the British public makes it look far better than the American trailer...I'm kinda looking forward to it again.

Final update!  Saw it and loved it, phew!  Beautiful imagery and a nice retelling of the story.  My only complaint is that my eyes do not enjoy 3D so quite a lot of it was blurry for me :-(

Wednesday 16 November 2011

The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Longlists 2011

The longlists for the two awards, nominated and voted for by Children's Librarians, were announced this month.  As I've mentioned before, the Greenaway award is for outstanding illustration in a book for children/young people while the Carnegie is for the writing.  The main criteria is that the book has to have been published in the UK between september 2010 and end of August 2011, and not have been published in another country more than 3 months earlier.

Remember they're not necessarily amazing literature, at the moment each book is on the lists because at least one Librarian in the country enjoyed reading it and so voted for it (each member of CILIP can vote for 2 books in each award).  The judges have to read them all and narrow them down to a shortlist by Easter 2012.  By that point they will have looked at the detailed list of criteria for winning the awards (you can find these on the CKG website if you're interested).

Here's the Carnegie list.  Those in red I read and love, those in green I've read but don't think they're amazing, those in white I haven't read yet.  For the last 3 years running I've read the whole shortlist before it was announced so I'll try to keep that streak going!

Almond, David My Name is Mina
Publisher: Hodder ISBN: 9780340997253
Barraclough, Lindsey Long Lankin
Publisher: Bodley Head ISBN: 9780370331966
Bedford, Martyn Flip
Publisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406329896
Blackman, Malorie Boys Don't Cry
Publisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385604796
Bowler, Tim Buried Thunder
Publisher: Oxford Children's Books ISBN: 9780192728388
Boyne, John Noah Barleywater Runs Away
Publisher:David Fickling ISBN:9780385618953
Brahmachari, Sita Artichoke Hearts
Publisher: Macmillan ISBN: 9780330517911
Bruton, Catherine We Can Be Heroes
Publisher: Egmont ISBN: 9781405256520
Collins, B.R Tyme's End
Publisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408806470
Condie, Ally Matched
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141333052
Crossley-Holland, Kevin Bracelet of Bones
Publisher: Quercus ISBN:9781847249395
David, Keren Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery
Publisher: Frances Lincoln ISBN: 9781847801913
Deary, Terry Put Out The Light
Publisher: A & C Black ISBN: 9781408130544
Diterlizzi, Tony The Search for Wondla
Publisher: Simon & Schuster ISBN: 9781847389664
Dogar, Sharon Annexed
Publisher: Andersen ISBN: 9781849392211
Doherty, Berlie Treason
Publisher: Andersen ISBN: 9781849391214
Donnelly, Jennifer Revolution
Publisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408801529
Downham, Jenny You Against Me
Publisher David Fickling ISBN: 9780385613507
Earle, Phil Being Billy
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141331355
Eastham, Ruth The Memory Cage
Publisher: Scholastic ISBN: 9781407120522
Evans, Lissa Small Change for Stuart
Publisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385618007
Fine, Anne The Devil Walks
Publisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780857530646
Forward, Toby Dragonborn
Publisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406320435
Gibbons, Alan An Act of Love
Publisher: Orion ISBN: 9781842557822
Grant, Helen Wish Me Dead
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141337708
Halahmy, Miriam Hidden
Publisher: Meadowside ISBN:9781845395230
Hardinge, Frances Twilight Robbery
Publisher: Macmillan ISBN: 9781405055390
Hartnett, Sonya The Midnight Zoo
Publisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406331493
Ibbotson, Eva One Dog and His Boy
Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books ISBN: 9781407124230
Kennen, Ally Quarry
Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books ISBN:9781407111070
LaFleur, Suzanne Eight Keys
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141336060
Lewis, Ali Everybody Jam
Publisher: Andersen ISBN: 9781849392488
Lewis, Gill Sky Hawk
Publisher: Oxford Chldren's Books ISBN: 9780192756237
Mason, Simon Moon Pie
Publisher: David Fickling ISBN: 9780385618519
McCaughrean, Geraldine Pull out all the Stops
Publisher: Oxford Chldren's Books ISBN: 9780192789952
McKay, Hilary Caddy's World
Publisher: Hodder ISBN: 9781444900538
Mitchelhill, Barbara Run Rabbit Run
Publisher: Andersen ISBN: 9871849392495
Morpurgo, Michael Shadow
Publisher: HarperCollins ISBN: 9780007339594
Mulligan, Andy Trash
Publisher: David Fickling ISBN: 9780385619011
Ness, Patrick A Monster Calls
Publisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406311525
Peet, Mal Life : an Exploded Diagram
Publisher: Walker ISBN:9781844281008
Perera, Anna The Glass Collector
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141331157
Pitcher, Annabel My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
Publisher: Orion ISBN: 9781444001839
Priestley, Chris The Dead of Winter
Publisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408800133
Rai, Bali Killing Honour
Publisher: Corgi Childrens ISBN: 9780552562119
Revis, Beth Across the Universe
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141333663
Rooney, Rachel The Language of Cat
Publisher: Frances Lincoln ISBN: 9781847801678
Rosoff, Meg There is no Dog
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141327167
Saunders, Kate Magicalamity
Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books ISBN:9781407108964
Sepetys, Ruta Between Shades of Gray
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141335889
Stephens, John The Emerald Atlas
Publisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780857530189
Young, Moira Blood Red Road
Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books ISBN: 9781407124254

So I've read 22 out of 52 so far...how many have you read and which is your favourite?

Thursday 3 November 2011

No Passengers Beyond this Point by Gennifer Choldenko



I don't understand how I've not seen loads of reviews for Gennifer Choldenko's latest gem 'No Passengers Beyond this Point'!  I didn't even know it existed until I saw it on the shelves in a public library (where would we be without them eh?) and it has been out since May 2011 in the UK (Feb in America) so I've missed the chance to put it on the CKG longlist for this year, boo.  Hopefully someone else in CILIP found it in time, but anyway I digress...

 Three siblings - India, Finn, and Mouse - have less than forty-eight hours to pack up all their belongings and fly, without Mom, to their uncle Red's in Colorado, after they lose their house to foreclosure. But when they land, a mysterious driver meets them at the airport, and he's never heard of Uncle Red. Like Dorothy in Oz, they find themselves in a place they've never heard of, with no idea of how to get home, and time is running out.

In a total departure, Gennifer Choldenko tells a story of adventure and survival, set in a fantastical place with rules all its own. Sharp dialogue, high stakes, and taut action make this a book that will stick with you long after you read the incredible ending.
summary from Goodreads

It is a typical sibling relationship, with a selfish older sister, conscientious middle brother and loopy younger sister (I'd guess autistic although she never states that) but stretched by an atypical happening that is very well devised.  Their mum suddenly tells them that they have to move to their Uncle's house because they are losing theirs, and they have to fly there without her while she finished the term teaching.  Plot spoiler here: the plane they are on crashes but they don't know this, in fact the reader doesn't really, they think that they've landed in a strange place.  It turns out that the challenges they face will determine whether they survive or not.  All the way through (because I figured this out straight away, probably kids will too) I was worried, thinking "She can't possibly let them die but how can they survive a plane crash without a ridiculous miracle?" but I was actually really pleased by the end, which I won't spoil :-)

It is quite different to 'Al Capone Does my Shirts' (and '...Shines my Shoes') and 'If a Tree Falls and Lunchbreak', the other books by her that I've read over the years and loved, but it is still in her lovely child-friendly style.  As there is such an age difference in the characters, and there are chapters from each of their perspectives with well created voices, I'd highly recommend it for confident readers of all ages!