Dead End in Norvelt

by Jack Gantos

Dead End in Norvelt is the winner of the 2012 Newbery Medal.

I must say that I went into this book with some hesitation. I have not been overly impressed with some of the recent Newbery picks and did not like the last book I read by this author. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised by this offering.

Told by a character named Jack Gantos, we get to spend his summer with him while he is grounded in his small quirky town called Norvelt. Jack's world is filled with many eccentric neighbors from an old lady who cooks her hands and loves writing obituaries, to an old man who travels around on a gigantic tricycle to a girl who lives in the mortuary.

Told with warmth and a healthy respect for history with a lot of humor thrown in I enjoyed this story and can see what the Newbery committee was thinking.

*** 1/2

A Wrinkle in Time

By Madeleine L'Engle

A wonderful classic tale! Winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal this story has enchanted readers for years. It has been one of my personal favorites for years. I was introduced to it as a read-aloud in perhaps the fifth grade.

This book captivates me from the first sentence "It was a dark and stormy night" to the final pages. A mixture of science fiction, fantasy and human relationships the story unfold as Meg goes on an adventurous search for her mysteriously missing father.

With character who are flawed, but doing they best they know how I find that this book really connects with me and I am sure many others. We get to see Meg grow as a person and as a sister, daughter and friend throughout the course of the story. While her physical journey is very much a part of the fantasy aspects of the story, her personal journey rings very true.

Highly recommended. This is also a great family read-aloud.

****

When You Reach Me

By Rebecca Stead

When this first won the Newbery Medal I read it as soon as I could get my hands on it. I was less than hugely impressed. This year Provo City Library in connection with Provo School District decided to pair this with its "companion" book A Wrinkle in Time for the ProvoREADS selection. ProvoREADS choses a different book each year, all citizens of the city are encouraged to read the book during that school year. As part of ProvoREADS I decided to reread the book. Still less than impressed.

The main character, Miranda, tells her own story. Miranda loves the book "A Wrinkle in Time" and has read her copy so often that it is beginning to fall apart. She and some of the other characters refer to this classic a few times, and I guess I can sort of see the tie-in to the plots, but I hardly consider it a "companion" book, in my opinion it barely pays homage.

I did like Miranda as a character and her spunk and interaction with other characters around her. We do get to see her growth and changes throughout the story. One minor character that I found especially memorable was the school secretary "Wheelie"

When You Reach Me is set in the 70's and some of the pop-culture references likely will not really connect with the children of today. There are some clever ideas that are more apparent the second time you read the book. But for my money you'd be better off skipping this and reading Madeleine L'Engle' classic instead.

I have talked to others who enjoyed the book much more than I did. I encourage you to read it yourself and form your own opinion. Please comment and let other know what YOU thought of When You Reach Me.

**