PNLA Award

New Moon

By: Stephanie Meyer

This books won the PNLA award. The Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award is the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada.  Nominations are taken only from children, teachers, parents and librarians in the Pacific Northwest ~ Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

This is the third book in the Twilight Saga. This is one of the most popular series of books that are out at this time. I have read and greatly enjoyed each of this books. This particular book is about a human, Bella, who desperately wants to marry a vampire, Edward. This is the story of the hardships they face when the voltori, leaders of the vampire race, are avid on Bella being changed to a vampire. Bella is greatly in favor of changing into a vampire, but Edward loves her too much to do this to her. This is a great book for mature 8th grade readers and high school students. Many of my fifth grade students read the first two books, but I feel that some of the content in the last too is too mature for this age. I wouldn't recommend this as a classroom read, but it is a great book for teenage readers to choose for entertainment. There could be some great discussions on the choices Bella makes and arguments on whether or not Edward should change her, but these discussion should probably stay out of the classroom.

Pura Belpre Honor Book

Breaking Through

By: Francisco Jimenez

This book is a Pura Belpre Honor Book. This award is jointly sponsered by the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) and part of the ALA (American Library Association) as well as the REFORMA (National Association to Promote Library and information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking). This award was founded in 1996 and its primary aim is to recognize Latino/a writers and illustrators whose work best portrays affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature of children and youth.

This book is about a family of illegal immigrants whose father dug them into America when Fransico was only 4. At the young age of 6, Fransico is working in the fields of California trying to help his family raise enough money to move around in search for more work. His main goal is not to get sent back to Mexico because he was to get a good eduation in America. His nightmare came true when the immigration officers walked into his school and took him out. His family had to go back to Mexico until they could get what they needed to return to the US legally. This book tells about the things Fransico had to go through to get back to the US and finally graduate from High School in California. This book really made the reader understand and almost feel the hardships that the immigrant family went through and also helped you understand why they chose to go through them. This would be a great book to read in a middle or lower high school setting. Most of the content and discussions would be too mature a topic for elementary students.

Young Adult Canadian Book Award

True Confessions of a Heartless Girl

By: Martha Brooks

This book is the winner of the 2002 Governor Gernaral's Literary Award. This award is like the Canadian Newbery. This is a story about a seventeen year old girl who runs into a lot of trouble. She is pregnent and shows up to a Canadian town with a pocket full of stolen money and driving a stolen truck. This is a story full of the hardships this girls faces and how things slowly and subtley turn around for her. This is a story for a mature young audience. I think this would be a great story for high schools students. The characters are very detailed and well though out. Even though Noreen makes many mistakes and goes through a lot of hardships, she always seems to run into people who love her anyways. This book will make you really take a look at the people that surround you and appreciate them for who they are. Sometimes the best things in life are right in front of you and  you don't even know it.