The Finalist for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature

10/6/2021

One Note Before We Start

Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday is building a team of curators and social media specialists.

Check out this link for more information.

2022 National Book Award Finalist for Young Peoples Literature

Ok, for somebody who has paid attention the the National Book Award, for nearly two decades, this is a tough confession. I was blanked by the list of finalist. I ... have ... not ... read ... a ... single ... one, YET! Yes, that right. I now have a new task. Some years I have read most of the long list. Many years I have the bulk of the finalist. Give all of that, some of my favorite years have been books that didn't move into the finals or that didn't win. For example I loved We are Not Free and Apple: Skin to the Core in 2020.

In 2019 what is not to love about Patron Saints of Nothing or Look Both Ways. 2018 brought us a fabulous winner with The Poet X and the finalist included The Journey of Little Charlie and Hey, Kiddo, not to mention Blood Water Paint, Boots on the Ground, and We'll Fly Away as part of the longlist. The 2017 list is amazing with several books that I still teach and write about-- What Girls are Made Of, American Street, The Hate U Give, Long Way Down, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and You Bring the Distant Near. I have probably failed to mention somebody's favorite book from the award lists during the last four years. Sorry, that just goes to speak to the quality and the diversity of the choices. I must say that the diversity and representation of authors and communities has certainly increased since we discussed and documented the first 20 years of the award.

Let's take a look at my new "to be read" list and some of the resources I have gathered. (All of the titles below are linked to the books page within the National Book Award website. It also has links to more information about the books author.)

The Legend of Auntie Po

Kirkus Review The Legend of Auntie Po

Common Sense Media The Legend of Auntie Po

School Library Journal Review The Legend of Auntie Po

The Horn Book Review The Legend of Auntie Po

Comics Beat Review The Legend of Auntie Po

Lesbrary Review The Legend of Auntie Po

Publishers Weekly Review The Legend of Auntie Po

Muse Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books The Legend of Auntie Po

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

KIrkus Review of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Rainbow Round Table Book and Media Reviews Last Night at the Telegraph Club

School Library Journal Review of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Utopia State of Mind Review of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Lesbrary Review of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

The Lesbian Review Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Publishers Weekly Review of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Too Bright to See

The New York Times Review of Too Bright to See

Kirkus Review of Too Bright to See

Shelf-awareness.com review of Too Bright to See

Publishers Weekly Review of Too Bright to See

Falling Letters Review of Too Bright to See

Mombian Review of Too Bright to See

Muse Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Review of Too Bright to See

Revolution in Out Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People

revolutioninourtime.com

Kirkus Review of the Revolution in Our Time

Publishers Weekly of Revolution in Our Time

School Library Journal Review of Revolution in Our Time

Zinn Education Project Review of Revolution in Our Time

Teaching Books Revolution in Our Time

Me (Moth)

NPR book review of Me (Moth)

Publishers Weekly review of Me (Moth)

WeWriteatDawn.com review of Me (Moth)

Koosreviews.com review of Me (Moth)

Diversebooks.org Q&A with Amber McBride

Until next time.

Dr. Steve Bickmore
Creator and Curator

Dr. Bickmore is a Professor of English Education at UNLV. He is a scholar of Young Adult Literature and past editor of The ALAN Review and a past president of ALAN. He is a available for speaking engagements at schools, conferences, book festivals, and parent organizations. More information can be found on the Contact page and the About page.

Dr. Gretchen Rumohr
Co-Curator

Gretchen Rumohr is a professor of English and writing program administrator at Aquinas College, where she teaches writing and language arts methods. She is also a Co-Director of the UNLV Summit on the Research and Teaching of Young Adult Literature. She lives with her four girls and a five-pound Yorkshire Terrier in west Michigan.

Bickmore's
Co-Edited Books

Meet
Evangile Dufitumukiza!

Evangile is a native of Kigali, Rwanda. He is a college student that Steve meet while working in Rwanda as a missionary. In fact, Evangile was one of the first people who translated his English into Kinyarwanda.

Steve recruited him to help promote Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media while Steve is doing his mission work.

He helps Dr. Bickmore promote his academic books and sometimes send out emails in his behalf.

You will notice that while he speaks fluent English, it often does look like an "American" version of English. That is because it isn't. His English is heavily influence by British English and different versions of Eastern and Central African English that is prominent in his home country of Rwanda.

Welcome Evangile into the YA Wednesday community as he learns about Young Adult Literature and all of the wild slang of American English vs the slang and language of the English he has mastered in his beautiful country of Rwanda.

While in Rwanda, Steve has learned that it is a poor English speaker who can only master one dialect and/or set of idioms in this complicated language.

Blogs to Follow

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