Newbery Award

Law, Ingrid. (2008). Savvy. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Summary:
Turning 13. Becoming a teenager. No longer a little child. Mibs Beaumont is about to turn 13, but she is about to get something special for her birthday. Members of her family receive their savvy when they turn 13. A savvy is like a super power. Her mother’s savvy is being prefect in everything she does. One brother creates electricity, while another brother can control water. The excitement of her upcoming birthday is cut short when her Poppa is involved in a horrible accident and is put into a coma. Just as expected, Mibs receives her savvy – the ability to hear ink (i.e. tattoos). But Mibs misunderstands her savvy and thinks she can wake people up. And the only person she wants to wake up is her Poppa. Ingrid Law takes readers on a journey that involves a trip in a pink Bible bus, interesting characters, and the mix of reality and fantasy.

Genre: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book
Suggested Grade Level(s): 5th – 8th
Awards:
2009 Newbery Award Honor Book
2009-2010 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee

Lord, Cynthia. (2006). Rules. New York: Scholastic Press.

Summary:
Catherine believes she must make a list of rules for her autistic brother David, so he can make it through life. But after befriending a paraplegic, Jason, she realizes that she has been making the rules so that David would fit in with the rest of the world, Catherine’s ideal world, something he might never do. Through the rules and her friendship with Jason, Catherine learns that it is better to be yourself, rather than act like someone you are not.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book
Suggested Grade Level(s): 3rd - 6th
Awards:
2007 Newbery Award Honor Book
2007 ALA Notable/Best Book
2008-2009 Lamplighter Award

Schlitz, Laura Amy. (2007). Good masters! sweet ladies! voices from a medieval village. (R. Byrd, Illus.). Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Summary:
Good masters! Sweet Ladies! is a collection of monologues of children from the Middle Ages. Laure Amy Schlitz created this book to teach readers about life during the Middle Ages. Suggested to be preformed, each character’s story is either written in prose or verse. The book includes footnotes, a bibliography, and two-paged spreads explaining the background of the monologues.

Genre: Informational
Format: Picture Book
Suggested Grade Level(s): 5th – 8th
Awards:
2008 Newbery Award Winner
2008 ALA Notable/Best Book