And now... presenting... a CLIP from the audio book! Enjoy!
This may be a first. I was actually able to read the Newbery Award winner first rather than after the honor books. However, I’ve somehow managed to read all of them before getting to the review stage. The honor books are both quick reads.
In review, the John Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature, from the previous year, for children. The purpose of this award is to encourage original creative work in the field of books for children; emphasize that such contributions deserve recognition; and give librarians an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field.
Professionalism aside, while reading this book, at one point, I was telling people that I was simultaneously “grossed out beyond all belief” and “laughing the snot out of my nose”. It is true. That happened prior to page 81. I have proof that I am not the only one. I know my boss was laughing out loud for one. Two, I took the opportunity to read my favorite scene out loud to a co-worker while she stared at me in horror. But when I got to the punch line, she was relieved and joined me in the guffaws. My girls will probably never be interested in this title, but they were curious about it and I retold my favorite scene so that they could tolerate it – i.e. not lose their dinner. They also joined in the giggles while my husband looked at me as if I had gone mad. Possible.
I wish there had been more of that. That is the scene that I will hold in my memory for a very long time which is probably forever. But I will forget most of the rest of the book.
All of the Newberys this year are semi-autobiographical. The other two are more believable. They say that truth can be stranger than fiction which really makes me wonder what parts of this novel are based upon fact and which ones are actually created out of the mind of the writer. Some things you simply cannot make up.
There really is a Norvelt, Pennsylvania. It really was a Federal Government funded community to help laid-off coal miners survive through the Great Depression. Norvelt was actually born out of the socialist idea of community farming. In some respects, it worked. In others, it didn’t. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, even visited the community although she didn’t have quite the hand in it that the book might lead you to believe. And Norvelt is named after her EleaNOR RooseVELT.
The best part of this novel is the characters, and the city is certainly included among the characters. The city is dying much like the original Norvelt Homesteaders are dying off. One by one. Very quickly. One right after the other. And my favorite character is not only their medical examiner, but also their obituary writer – Miss Volker who is also one of the original homesteaders. She provides most of the history lesson in this book. I’m glad she made it through to the end with her life, if not her hands.
I enjoyed the book. Probably wouldn’t have chosen to read it otherwise. And I certainly learned a lot about a part of history that I am not as familiar with. I think boys will enjoy this more than anyone. Tweenage boys will enjoy the humor. My girls continued to be curious about this book. When I was finished, I told them how it ended. Their quizzical brows matched mine. Until I had regurgitated the ending, I hadn’t realized what part of the book was about. A serial killer. Strange.
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