VOTING TIME!!

[Amanda]

I had huge issues with the secondary storyline in Laura Dean and am not thrilled to see that one bring home a medal. I know RC likes to pick titles with weird themes, so Dig isn't a huge surprise, I just thought 13 Doorways did weird better. Frankly, I adored Ordinary Hazards and am thrilled it got a nod. I felt it was vastly superior to Shout and was frustrated one was getting all the buzz and Grimes wasn't getting enough credit. The other two titles though, super obscure, yeah, not sure if I will make it through either of them.

[Anne]

Bang Bang Books wrote: "Tatiana wrote: I am not in agreement with the committee at all this year, but I liked Dig well enough. 2 of the titles on the list I've never heard of, so that's something to check out at least. "
..."

Now that I am a retired Teen librarian I am finding great enjoyment in reading adult titles and finding YA titles not so much to my liking as I did in the past. I find myself phasing out, too. This year I read on eleven YA titles down from a few years ago when I read over 40. I was pretty sure I hadn't read the winner, but as it turns out I had. So yay for us. DIG may not prove to be a timeless choice, however, as I doubt many students will find their way to it. And shouldn't that be the ultimate reason for doing the award selection? To guide student choices?

Thanks for hosting us this year. We'll miss you in the future.

[Anne]

I searched for my blog reviews for what I said about DIG and discovered that I actually liked the book better that I remembered. Here is the review if you would like to read it: DIG review by Anne

[Mary HD]

Amanda wrote: "I had huge issues with the secondary storyline in Laura Dean and am not thrilled to see that one bring home a medal. I know RC likes to pick titles with weird themes, so Dig isn't a huge surprise,..."


Actually the McCaughrean book is not that obscure, since it won the 2018 Carnegie Medal in Britain where it was originally published. It was published here just a month ago, which probably accounts for the fact that no one has ever heard of it! It is about a group of boys left alone on a barren island to catch birds to provide meat and money for their village. But no one comes to pick them up at the end of the summer and the balance of the book is about their struggle to survive through the winter. The plot is exciting, the characters compelling, and the description of the natural setting is well done. It's a good read and I think teenage boys in particular will like it.

But I think I liked the Morris list more than the Printz list....I do look forward to the Grimes title

[Tj]

I felt really emotional when Dig. won. It was well-deserved for me, and it’s a book we champion in our small bookstore all the time. It is hands down one of the best YAs this past year.


I think Dig should, and hopefully will, be taught in classrooms. It’s a book that looks at white privilege from white characters lens, unpacking our tendency to stay quiet instead of speaking up about matters dealing with race. To learn, where previously generations were quiet, complacent, and sometimes outright racist. Most of the elements and character arcs connect to race in some way authentically without (in my opinion) calling attention to it all the time. It’s a book that makes you think and challenge yourself.

I think this article nails down what works so well in Dig better than I can say. I truly believe in this book and I know it can really impact its readers for years to come.



https://www.publicbooks.org/digging-u...