Awards Books

You learn about the life of this child and experience his triumph over adversity. The book makes you want to read the child's original words even though they are in Spanish.

How would you feel if your former master, who had loved you and cared for you like you were her own child, had said that once she died, you and your family would be free. Happy, right? Well what if no one paid any attention and you were sold to another master who punishes you for crimes you didn't commit?
That is the dilemma Juan Fransisco Manzano faces when his former owner, who took him to parties and had him wow her guest with his uncanny ability to recite poems and verses from the bible. At his baptism, Dona Beatriz, his former owner, declares that once she dies, he and his family will be free, for the price of 300 pesos, and any new-born babies will be born free. But once Dona Beatriz dies, Juan's family discovers they don't have enough money to buy Juan's freedom. So he is sold to La Marquesa De Prado Amendo, whose son, Don Nicolas, takes a liking to Juan, and befriends him. But La Marquesa frequently and brutally punishes Juan for sneaking peaks at her books. But she is grateful enough to let Juan watch her sons take art classes, and Don Nicholas gives Juan some parchment and a stub of crayon to draw with. Eventually, Don Nicholas helps give Juan the courage to run away, and Juan flees in search of his mother.
In really enjoyed this book for three reasons: the poetry, the character development, and the Spanish vocabulary sprinkled into the text.
The first reason I liked this book was in was written in free verse poetry form. This made the book very quick and easy to read, which made me like it more. It was also very unique, and was very well done.
The second reason I liked this book was the character development, mainly Juan. He grows up a lot in the book, from age eleven to age sixteen. But he also develops, by not abiding to La Marquesa's rules or caring about the consequences. He also learns that he doesn't need to keep sneakily buying pen and paper using the money he receives at parties. He can just store all the knowledge in his head.
And finally, I enjoyed the Spanish vocabulary sprinkled in. I take Spanish class on B days and found that the Spanish words were very useful. I also like how the author used in text definitions to explain to you what the word was.
In conclusion, I thought this was a fabulous book and would recommend it to someone looking for either a book written in poetry of a book with Spanish sprinkled into the text.

C. Davidson

The verse novel is a tricky fickle thing. Though no one to the best of my knowledge has ever put down the rules that govern the creation of a verse novel, there are always a couple unwritten understandings. No verse novel should tell its tale through poetry when it would make more sense to tell it through prose. Also, just breaking up a bunch of sentences into lines doesn't mean you're writing poetry or anything. The ideal verse novel is one where it makes sense to write a story through poetry AND just happens to have an ear for beautiful language. Such is the case with Margaraita's, "The Poet Slave of Cuba". In the book it says that, "The life of Juan Francisco Manzano haunted her for years before she finally realized that to do justice to the Poet Slave's story, she needed to write it in verse". The result is an achingly beautiful and horrific story that deserves to be read by teens everywhere.

Born a slave in Cuba in 1797, Juan Francisco Manzano grew up the toast of his owner Dona Beatriz. His ability to memorize speeches, plays, and words of all sorts made him a kind of sought over pet to the Spanish aristocracy. Though she promised to grant him his freedom when she died and she allowed both his parents to buy their freedom, Juan Francisco remained a slave after Dona Beatriz's death and was handed over to the dangerously psychotic Marquesa de Prado Ameno. The Marquesa resents Juan from the moment he is put into her possession and every attempt he makes at reading or writing is put down with shocking violence. A biography told in poems, this book shows the worst of slavery's cruelties and the sheer will it takes to not only survive under such conditions but escape.

The text in the book alternates between different points of view on almost every page. In a sense, the villains have just as much of a say as the heroes. Juan, for his part, sometimes will have three pages in a row of thoughts, each with its own separate poem. Alongside this format are illustrations by Sean Qualls. Qualls has a style that usually doesn't do much for me. In this case, however, he's the perfect complement to Engle's tale. The white aristocracy with their blank eyes and sharp pointed teeth are positively horrific. These images magnify the storyline. Here, for example, are two ladders that lead suggestively against a wall. Now a shiny coin. Now a butterfly. They are rough unfinished drawings that show far better Juan's situation than any polished colored print could ever convey.

At first I was a little perturbed that for all the book's poetry and loveliness, I couldn't find any actual poetry by the real Juan Francisco Manzano. Then I reached the end of the title and in the back found that author Margarita Engle not only offers us a biography of the true Juan Francisco, but reprints his bibliographic details as well.

Now, there is a debate surrounding this book. It is not a debate that questions whether the story is told well or whether or not Engle gets her point across to the reader. It's more a question of audience. Though published by Henry Holt, Inc's young reader division, and not a specific teen imprint, there is little doubt in my mind that this is not exactly kiddie fare. It's repeatedly violent, often to extremes. There is more bloodshed, torture, screams, and pain in this book than you'll find in most children's literature. To put it plainly, this is the "Beloved", of kiddie lit. Which, when you think about it, doesn't make it very kid-friendly at all. Teens, on the other hand, will find much to appreciate here. Juan Francisco spends much of this book as a teen, after all. His thoughts and actions are not those of a young boy, but rather a man trapped in an untenable situation. As such, I'd steer this book clear of the shorter set and aim towards kids with some maturity.

You read about the main character's pain, and to some extent a kind of apathy has to take place or the story's too difficult to bear. As a reader, you actually find yourself wondering how a person could live under such grueling conditions without a hope of a reprieve and still want to live. And there is a moment in the book when someone says that good always triumphs over evil. That it is amazing that the devil even tries. Words like these and phrases of this sort have been turning about in my brain ever since I put, "The Poet Slave of Cuba" down. Engle's text has a kind of staying power that wordsmiths everywhere should envy. Envy and admire.

I guess I should point out that while, "The Poet Slave of Cuba" is well-written, smart, and beautiful, it is not a pleasant book to read. Teens who pick up this book should be informed right off the bat as to what the book consists of. Just the same, it's definitely one of the more honest treatises on slavery I've ever had the chance to read. Engle does a magnificent job with her subject. She does the man's memory proud.

This book will grab your heart from the very beginning and not let go. Even after finishing the very last page, you will keep this story in your heart. Don't miss this book!

Maggie, the heroine, is a baby facing a challenging life with the help of her tenacious and loving mother. What that mother needs is someone with whom she can share her life -- and Maggie. Allison shares with us her deepest concerns and makes us realize our human frailties as well as our small triumphs. Joe is equally as lovable, and wins your heart.... Kathleen Korbel has written an excellent 'keeper.' "A Rose For Maggie" is a timeless story that has something for all of us. I highly recommend it as a gift for your friends, and for you.

This book is gutwrenching so be warned, do not attempt to read it without a full supply of tissues. I was floored by the intensity and the realism the characters exhibit. They are not perfect super people who handle troubles without a doubt, guilt or worry. I liked that everything wasn't sugar coated and their thoughts weren't always pretty, they were human, and I always admired both Joe and Allison throughout their story. I read this book with my stomach in knots and an ache in my heart. I felt deeply for these characters and wasn't once tempted to skim. Although this is a very serious book there are bits of humor scattered throughout the story and the excerpts of Joe's children's books are charming. A ROSE FOR MAGGIE was a truly incredible story and the ending, wow, it was wonderful! I give this book my highest recommendation with absolutely no reservations. If you're lucky enough to find this treasure hold on tight to it

I started reading my 7 year old daughter's books, primarily to stimulate our conversations, and found myself very keen to keep on reading this particular story late into the night!

Having read many of her Enid Blyton books now (which have almost all been very good), this remains the best so far.

In brief, 3 children find themselves in the care of their Aunt and Uncle when their parents go missing on a long flight in a small plane. The Aunt and Uncle start out quite nice, until everyone starts to believe that the children's parents have died.

Their Aunt and Uncle start to treat them so badly, that they want to run away, but are scared about what might happen when they eventually have to return. An older child they are friends with helps them to run away to a secret island in the middle of the lake, to start a new life all by themselves.

This tale is exciting, funny and educational. The young run-aways learn how very hard it is to make their own living, the importance of work and helping each other, and how careful they have to be with food and clothing.

Each week on their secret island brings new challenges and adventures. The book certainly has momentum, and rises to a great climax, with a satisfying little twist at the end.

This was the first book I ever read entirely on my own, and I'm happy to say it led to a lengthy affair with the written word. It remains, to this day, one of my favourite books.

Its a story of 3 siblings who's parents have died, and they have been sent to live with their abusive aunt and uncle. Their only solace is a local boy who has even less than they have in life. The 4 of them plot and execute their escape. Its an excelent tale of adventure, with a great ending, and is perfect reading for someone just starting out.

The story is set in england in the early to mid 20th century (It was written around then as well) but this doesn't alienate the reader. I first read it in the mid 1980s and found I could completely relate to the heros of this story.

I highly recomend it to get your kids away from the boob tube and start them reading. It worked for me, and I have the attention span of your average gnat.

This is the first book in the Secret series and the most exciting one of them. It's about four children who run away from home. They set sail to an island nearby to hide out. Even bringing along with them a cow and some chickens. What makes this book so fun to read is how they were able to survive on this island. There are descriptions of caves with secret entrances, wild berries to pluck and eat, a club house made completely from interwoven willow trees, cooking and eating at a campsite, hiding from the grownups that are looking for them to drag them back to their mean aunt and uncle. A dreamy whole summer until it starts getting cold. The story does end with the desired happily every after and the promise of more adventures to come.

The best book ever which brings back wonderful memories of one of my three brothers reading this to me when I was about 5 years old. We used to sit on top of a big chest of drawers behind a curtain and read about three boys who sent messages in a bottle and formed the most exciting club. Matobi. The whole experience was magical and brought the book alive and absolutely real. My four children think this is a book that is amazing and rate this as one of their favourite books. They conjure up all sorts of adventures for the holidays just as I did as a kid. It's brilliant to fire the imagination and get children using make-believe and inventing things from natural materials. A must for a seaside holiday or somewhere near the coast. Enjoy! Relive the magic of your naive and beautiful childhood.

I have read this book when I was about six years old, now I am fourteen, and I can say that this a great book. I enjoyed it then, and even though it is easy to read now, I still enjoy it just as much. And for such, a price, what do you have to lose?

I'm happy to say that I now am able to read the same copy of this book to my own children that I myself once read as a child. Most appropriate for kids aged about 5 to 10 I'd say, though it can certainly appeal to kids outside that group as well. Three friends send bottles by sea with coded messages to each other and form a secret club. A good book for people who want their kids to develop an interest for imaginitive play and adventure, or as a precursor to books like the Hardy Boys series. Fun illustrations and large, easy-to-read print. Matobi!

I liked this book. Both Matthew Jackson and J.P. had problems. Matthew had trouble with reading and J.P. is a basic tomboy with green eyes, freckles, inch-long hair, and strange habits.

Not only did they have to face their own problems but those they encountered at River Road School. Matthew had friends back in New York and help with reading, something he missed in Ohio. J.P. just had to get through school without getting into a fight "just for looking different" and "acting strange".

Miss Bass asked the class to read books during the summer, which frightened Matthew. He couldn't read well and needed help with big words. J.P. just needed a friend to understand her awkward looks and strange ways. I liked that they complimented each other. Even Miss Bass admitted to having a few problems of her own growing up. J.P.'s grandmother was one smart cookie because J.P. was always quoting her throughout this book.

I liked this book. Both Matthew Jackson and J.P. had problems. Matthew had trouble with reading and J.P. is a basic tomboy with green eyes, freckles, inch-long hair, and strange habits.

Not only did they have to face their own problems but those they encountered at River Road School. Matthew had friends back in New York and help with reading, something he missed in Ohio. J.P, just had to get through school without getting into a fight "just for looking different" and "acting strange".

Miss Bass asked the class to read books during the summer, which frightened Matthew. He couldn't read well and needed help with big words. J.P. just needed a friend to understand her awkward looks and strange ways. I liked that they complimented each other.

This was a good book. Very funny! I could identify with Matthew feeling embarrassed by JP's odd behavior because I had a friend who did that, too. It was very embarrassing. However this book helps you to learn to be a good samaritan. JP was a good samaritan by befriending Matthew, who didn't know anyone since he was a new student; and noone liked JP and she was picked on a lot but Matthew was a good samaritan to her! Great book!

Following the weird but vaguely sensible logic of a dream, a teacher finds his school's field trip buses redirected to his father's house, where he grew up.

Once there, the father presents the son's life in a dry slide show. The son rushes from room to room, encountering memories and blocked escapes. A mother and a former lover that he pleads with to hide so that no one should see them. That his lives, past and present, should remain segregated.

And throughout, despite his attempts to put clothes on, the son finds himself naked.

Field Trip, a story from Greg Downs' collection Spit Baths, paints the haunting hopelessness of the great Southern exodus -- the withered roots that never quite break from a region that's all but died. And the guilt that always hangs with the accumulating weight of generations. Each story aches with the same pains.

They flow into each other, each one an expansion on the same themes. The blending of stories is subtle, rich, and connected by the universal string of the past. The prose throughout has a Southern informality to it, making an accessible and enjoyable read which still manages to glimmer with fluid and evocative observation. Cans twang in impacts against the ground, a girl's skin coats her lover's tongue with dried sweat. It all has the familiar, dry, dead beauty of a preserved antebellum house, with furnished rooms all coated in dust.

Spit Baths is a subtle but stunning achievement. A must-read for all Southerners, both resident and expatriate - Greg Downs has given us as grand a eulogy as any for our lost homeland, but tucked it quietly into the obituary page of a small town newspaper.

I am generally not into this genre of fiction, but, a reading group that I follow picked the book up and I decided I would try it out. I'm glad I did. Greg has an uncanny ability to get deep into his characters with what seems like minimal effort and smooth transition.
I'm looking forward to his future work.

I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. Downs characters have a very unique view of the world they inhabit. Their pasts weigh heavy on them as they struggle or push themselves to move forward in an ever changing world. Their take on events and often peculiar advice is refreshing, if somewhat bizarre. It's a good read.

Author Joosse chooses a tough subject and writes about it in the most touching manner. The love of a family, a mother and a younger brother, are not enough to keep a boy from joining a gang. Even though Richard tries to hide his gang activities from them, the young narrator of the story tells us "I know what I know." The boy and his mother come up with a plan that involves their neighbors, making them true "stars in the darkness." Every parent and child will find in this powerful book a way to connect to the feelings, fears, and hopes of the families whose lives are affected by gangs.

This book is worth buying twice just to support the author. Fantastic writing, illustrating, everything. As soon as I picked it up I was instantly drawn to its pages and once I began I couldn't put it down-and it's a book for kids! In any case, it's a book all pre-schoolers will cherish. It's about love and family and sticking together to overcome adversity. I can't wait for Barbara Joosse's next book. She's doing something great. And as always, I leave you with my favorite picks: most creative, The Butterfly: A Fable (Singh); most engaging, The Alchemist (Coelho); most interesting, Life of Pi (Martel); most enlightening, 9-11 (Chomsky); most thrilling, The Lovely Bones: A Novel (Sebold); and finally, the most creative, engaging, interesting, enlightening and thrilling book of all, The Little Prince (Saint-Exupery). These are the books I'd recommend to my family, friends, students, and wife. There are many more, trust me, but these are the first that come to mind (for having left an impact slight or proud as it may be). If you have any questions, queries, or comments, or maybe even a title you think I should add to my list, please feel free to e-mail me. I'm always open to a good recommendation. Thanks for reading my brief but hopefully helpful review. Happy reading. Donald S. Buckland

"Sometimes, Mama and me look down at the street and pretend it's not the city. We shut out eyes so only a crack is open, lookin' through our eyelshes, and pretend we live on the moon. The lights we see? They're stars, as many as the sky can hold. And sirens? That's wild wolves howlin' at the moon. If there's shots fired, we say it's the light of the stars crackin' the darkness..." So begins Barbara Joosse's nameless young narrator's story of the dangerous and tenuous life in the inner city. When his beloved brother, Richard, stops coming home at night, he and his mother realize he's become a gang banger. "We can't pretend no more," she says. "We gotta be strong now." His mother implores him, "Don't you be hanging' out with those bangers, Richard. Don't. Be somebody for this world." But Richard is caught up in the life, "walkin' that walk, like he's King Stuff." When Richard comes home injured and bandaged, Mama and Richard's little brother hatch a plan, a plan to take back the neighborhood. "We call 'em Peace Walks. Every night now, there's family on the street. We take turns walkin' the night. When it's my turn, I shut my eyes so only a slit is open, and I look through my eyelashes. I see streetlights, like before, but now I see flashlights, too. Stars crackin' the darkness." Ms Joosse's bittersweet picture book, geared to little brothers and sisters, "the stars in the darkness," is neither judgemental nor sentimental, but truthful and filled with hope. Her evocative text, rich in imagery and magic, is compelling, written in realistic language and complemented by Gregory Christie's powerfully bold and expressive illustrations. Together word and art paint a vivid portrait of life in the inner city, family love, and the courage and strength to try and make a difference. With an Author's Note about the real Richard, to enhance the story and help open important discussions, and a comprehensive list of resources on gang prevention, Stars In The Darkness is an inspiring narrative that shouldn't be missed, and definitely one of the best new books of 2002. Kudos to Joosse and Christie.

This song is so beautiful! It touches your heart and soul with so much Love and appreciation...I dedicate this song to my girlfriend Michele who led me to the Lord. It is a song that will bring tears to your eyes whenever you hear it, if you have Jesus in your heart and know He is the only way to Heaven! :)Like the song says...Thank you for giving to the Lord...Mine is the life that was changed! :) May you all experience God's life changing power. Amen!

I bought this for my son's birthday as I remember the day he had done a play at our church with this song. Their was not a dry eye when everyone listen to this song. It made me think he was thanking everyone around him as well as myself for his life was changed. An upbeat song teenagers will love as well as anyone else!

My daughter bought this book to thank her Dad and me for everything we have ever done for her. I read it and cried, as we had just lost our son to a battle with brain cancer, and this book reminded me of him as he touched so many lives esp. in how he accepted his illness and in his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. But it also reminded us of our other three children, as they, too, have touched many lives in their own way ----so we bought each of them this book to thank them for what they are. This book is for all the people who quietly do the kind things in life that few people know about, yet who influence people just by the goodness that shines through them. It is a heart warming reminder to all of us that everything we do does matter.

If ever a book should be required reading for middle-aged, basketball-playing, poetry-writing, underprepared-student-teaching folks, then that book is Themes for English B by J.D. Scrimgeour. As a reader, I happen to fall into that limited demographic, but this book far transcends such a small pool of potential readers.

Scrimgeour's unadorned but note-perfect prose dances through a range of subjects beyond poetry, teaching, and basketball to weave a collection of memoir essays united by the tread of thoughtful reflection on human experience--both his own and the people around him, his students, teachers, family members, friends, and teammates.

This book is highly recommended for readers with an interest in education, poetry, basketball, and life in general.

Scrimgeour writes not just about teaching, but about life. He has grasped the deep truth that what matters in everything -- in reading, teaching, baseball and basketball, choosing a place to live -- is how you connect with other people, and how you affect them. These are simple descriptions of simple, everyday events, but the clarity and honesty of his observations shine through on every page. Very worthwhile.

He says about college teaching what I wish I had said before him, but he says it better. He reminds us of why books matter. Very honest stuff, lyrical and -- at times - funny.

THIS IS AN EXCLLENTLY WRITTEN BOOK,THE FOMAT IS VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND ,IT HOLDS YOUR INTEREST FROPM BEGINING TO THE END.

Dr.Wood, M.D. gives hope to those who enter therapy with the idea that spirituality and hope is there for us to be found with the help of the counselor/therapist. I especially liked the idea that one should as the patient get in touch with the feelings I am feeling rather than have a negative or flat affect on my face. Or like smiling while inside I am crying my mind out. The pages in her book which list many emotions brought tears to my eyes. I had never got into touch with the real me before reading this book and discussing it with my psychotherapist/psychologist. I have already ordered both of Dr.Wood's upcoming new books. (And one is even in May 2007 due to be out!)

Excellent, hopeful book: very easy to read and clear. Written with compassion and dedication. Carefully examines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, psychodynamic influences, medication, and spirituality making a cogent case for an integrative approach.
Highly recommend to therapists and clients.