Friday, October 30, 2009

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies


Cochrane, Mick. 2009. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies. Random House. 177 pages.

On Monday, after band rehearsal and intramurals, when Molly got home from school, her mother was sitting at the kitchen table going through the day's mail.

Another book about baseball. And grief. Not that I have anything against grief. It's a trend that really never goes away. Perhaps because that's how life is. It's realistic for books to be sad. Molly, our narrator, is grieving for her father. So is Molly's mother, in her own little way. She's checked out--emotionally at least--from her life. Molly becomes almost invisible, a complete afterthought. I think Molly's mother just doesn't want to feel anything, and that means she's missing out on Molly...on what she wants, on what she needs. Molly is clinging to memories of her father, and that means she's clinging to baseball. A shared hobby for the two of them. They loved to play catch together. They loved to watch it together. Her father thought she was special. Thought her pitch was special. Her knuckleball that floated like a butterfly.

In The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, Molly tries out (and makes) the boy's baseball team. Can playing baseball heal her broken heart? Can it mend the pieces of her broken family? What can she learn from the game that will help her in life?

As I said, I have nothing against grief. I just don't care for baseball all that much. So I didn't really enjoy this one all that much.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Middle Grade Nominees for Cybils

Al Capone Shines My Shoes

by Gennifer Choldenko
Dial

Nominated by: Mary Ann Scheuer



Alibi Junior High

by Greg Logsted
Aladdin

Nominated by: Stephanie Elliot



All The Broken Pieces

by Ann Burg
Scholastic

Nominated by: Laurie Schneider



Also Known As Harper

by Ann Haywood Leal
Henry Holt

Nominated by: Jeni Bell



Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters

by Lenore Look
Schwartz and Wade Books

Nominated by: Natasha Maw



Angel Cake

by cathy cassidy
Puffin UK

Nominated by: Anna



Anna's World

by Wim Coleman
Chiron

Nominated by: Bethany Brown



Anything But Typical

by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Simon & Schuster

Nominated by: Pam W Coughlan



Beast of Blackslope (The Sherlock Files), The

by Tracy Barrett
Henry Holt

Nominated by: Shellie Braeuner



Beef Princess of Practical County, The

by Michelle Houts
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Pat Zietlow Miller



Best Bad Luck I Ever Had, The

by Kristin Levine
Putnam Juvenile

Nominated by: Amanda Snow



Beyond the Station Lies the Sea

by Jutta Richter
Milkweed Editions

Nominated by: Librarian Pirate



Black Angels

by Linda Beatrice Brown
Putnam Juvenile

Nominated by: Susan



Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally)

by Lisa Yee
Arthur A Levine

Nominated by: Jennifer Roy



Born to Fly

by Michael Ferrari
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Alyson



Boy Trouble (Claudia Cristina Cortez)

by Diana G. Gallagher
Stone Arch Books

Nominated by: Jennifer Glidden



Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., The

by Kate Messner
Walker Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Jennifer Laughran



Brooklyn Nine, The

by Alan M. Gratz
Dial

Nominated by: Sarah



Brushing Mom's Hair

by Andrea Cheng
Wordsong

Nominated by: Linda Sanders-Wells



Bull Rider

by Suzanne Morgan Williams
Margaret K. McElderry

Nominated by: Greg Leitich Smith



Bystander

by James Preller
Feiwel & Friends

Nominated by: Nan Hoekstra



Callie's Rules

by Naomi Zucker
Egmont USA

Nominated by: Torey Yates



Captain Nobody

by Dean Pitchford
Putnam Juvenile

Nominated by: Dawn Mooney



Carolina Harmony

by Marilyn Taylor McDowell
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Becky



Castle of Bran, The

by Stephen S. Keeney
Zumaya Thresholds

Nominated by: Elizabeth Burton



Chains

by Laurie Halse Anderson
Simon & Schuster

Nominated by: melissa



Confetti Girl

by Diana Lopez
Little, Brown

Nominated by: Laurie Amster-Burton



Dani Noir

by Nova Ren Suma
Aladdin

Nominated by: Chelsea Campbell



Dear Pen Pal (The Mother-Daughter Book Club)

by Heather Vogel Frederick
Simon & Schuster

Nominated by: Jennifer Donovan



Dessert First

by Hallie Durand
Atheneum

Nominated by: Beth Kizer



Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better

by Lauren Barnholdt
Aladdin

Nominated by: Mandy Hubbard



Dog Whisperer: The Rescue

by Nicholas Edwards
Square Fish

Nominated by: Doret



Dragon Wishes

by Stacy Nyikos
Blooming Tree Press

Nominated by: Tricia Hoover



Dunderheads, The

by
Candlewick Press

Nominated by: Paula Willey



Emma Jean Lazarus Fell in Love

by Lauren Tarshis
Dial

Nominated by: EM



Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, The

by Jacqueline Kelly
Henry Holt

Nominated by: Scope Notes



Extra Credit (Junior Library Guild Selection)

by Andrew Clements
Atheneum

Nominated by: Abby Johnson



Faith, Hope, and Ivy June

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Katie



Fiona Finkelstein, Big-Time Ballerina!!

by Shawn K. Stout
Aladdin

Nominated by: Jessica Burkhart



Girl Who Threw Butterflies, The

by Mick Cochrane
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Shannon Bosley



Gone from These Woods

by Donny Bailey Seagraves
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Hester Bass



Heart of a Shepherd

by Rosanne Parry
Random House Children's Books

Nominated by: jone



I Am Jack

by Susanne Gervay
Tricycle Press

Nominated by: Hayley Gonnason



Ice Shock (Joshua Files)

by M. G. Harris
Scholastic

Nominated by: Anna



Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire

by Brenda A. Ferber
Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Nominated by: Megan Germano



Journey of Dreams

by Marge Pellegrino
Frances Lincoln Childrens Books

Nominated by: Janni



Kind of Friends We Used to Be, The

by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Atheneum

Nominated by: Sheryl



Kip Campbell's Gift (Funeral Director's Son)

by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Simon & Schuster

Nominated by: elaina



Last Invisible Boy, The

by Evan Kuhlman
Ginee Seo Books

Nominated by: sharon H



Last Newspaper Boy in America, The

by Sue Corbett
Dutton Juvenile

Nominated by: Mark Di Vincenzo



Leaving the Bellweathers

by Kristin Clark Venuti
Egmont USA

Nominated by: Kathy Temean



Liberty Porter First Daughter

by Julia DeVillers
Aladdin

Nominated by: Melissa Wiechmann



Lincoln and His Boys

by Rosemary Wells
Candlewick Press

Nominated by: Jenny Choy



Living It Up to Live It Down

by Ronica Stromberg
Royal Fireworks Publishing Company

Nominated by: Lee Allen



Love, Aubrey

by Suzanne LaFleur
Wendy Lamb Books

Nominated by: Jen Barnes



Lucky Breaks

by Susan Patron
Ginee Seo Books

Nominated by:



Melonhead

by Katy Kelly
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Jennifer Wharton



Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies

by Erin Dionne
Dial

Nominated by: Megan Crewe



Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

by Rodman Philbrick
Blue Sky Press

Nominated by: Kara Dean



Mudville

by Kurtis Scaletta
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Deva Fagan



My Life in Pink & Green

by Lisa Greenwald
Amulet

Nominated by: Sarah Rettger



Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, The

by Trenton Lee Stewart
Little, Brown

Nominated by: Sherry Early



NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (Book One)

by Michael Buckley
Amulet

Nominated by: Alison Fargis



Neil Armstrong is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me

by Nan Marino
Roaring Brook

Nominated by: Kristine Michael



Newsgirl

by Liza Ketchum
Viking

Nominated by: Vicki Palmquist



No Girls Allowed (Dogs Okay) (Secrets of a Lab Rat)

by Trudi Trueit
Aladdin

Nominated by: Trina L.



Operation Redwood

by S. Terrell French
Amulet

Nominated by: Ellen Jensen Abbott



Operation Yes

by Sara Lewis Holmes
Arthur A Levine

Nominated by: Laura Purdie Salas



Ottoline Goes to School

by Chris Riddell
HarperCollins

Nominated by: Elaine



Paris Pan Takes the Dare

by Cynthea Liu
Putnam Juvenile

Nominated by: Sarah Ockler



Peace, Locomotion

by Jacqueline Woodson
Putnam Juvenile

Nominated by: Jessica



Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone: The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival

by Dene Low
Houghton Mifflin

Nominated by: Colleen Mondor



Piper Reed Gets a Job

by Kimberly Willis Holt
Henry Holt

Nominated by: Pam Calvert



Positively

by Courtney Sheinmel
Simon & Schuster

Nominated by: amanda berlin



Problem with the Puddles, The

by Kate Feiffer
Simon & Schuster

Nominated by: Jess



Recipe for Robbery, A

by Marybeth Kelsey
Greenwillow Books

Nominated by: Jenny Moss



Red, White & True Blue Mallory

by Laurie Friedman
Carolrhoda Books

Nominated by: Lindsay Matvick



Rescuing Seneca Crane (A Kari and Lucas Mystery)

by Susan Runholt
Viking

Nominated by: Britt Aamodt



Return to Sender

by Julia Alvarez
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: LaTonya



Road to Tater Hill

by Edith M. Hemingway
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Bonnie J. Doerr



Ruby Flips For Attention (Ruby And The Booker Boys)

by Derrick Barnes
Scholastic

Nominated by: Kelly Starling Lyons



Sahwira: An African Friendship

by Carolyn Marsden
Candlewick Press

Nominated by: Edith Hope Fine



Scat

by Carl Hiaasen
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Jenn R



Season of Gifts, A

by Richard Peck
Dial

Nominated by: Jeff Barger



Ship of Lost Souls, The

by Rachelle Delaney
HarperCollins

Nominated by: Tara MacDonald



Signal

by Cynthia DeFelice
Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Nominated by: Dick Holmes



Sisters Eight Bk 1: Annie's Adventures

by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Houghton Mifflin

Nominated by: Stephanie Elliot



Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, The

by Barbara O'Connor
Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Nominated by: Augusta Scattergood



Solving Zoe

by Barbara Dee
Margaret K. McElderry

Nominated by: Julie Peterson



Standing for Socks

by Elissa Brent Weissman
Atheneum

Nominated by: Little Willow



Storm Chaser

by Chris Platt
Peachtree

Nominated by: Carrie, Reading to Know



Strawberry Hill

by Mary Ann Hoberman
Little, Brown

Nominated by: Deborah Freedman



Take the Mummy and Run: The Riot Brothers Are on a Roll (The Riot Brothers Series)

by Mary Amato
Holiday House

Nominated by: kathleen morandini



Touchdown Trouble (Fred Bowen Sports Story Series)

by Fred Bowen
Peachtree

Nominated by: Lesley



Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba

by Margarita Engle
Publisher not defined

Nominated by: Elizabeth Bird



Umbrella Summer

by Lisa Graff
HarperCollins

Nominated by: Franki Sibberson



Walking Backward

by Catherine Austen
Orca Books

Nominated by: Geoff Quaile



Wanting Mor

by Rukhsana Khan
Groundwood Books

Nominated by: Marjorie



When the Whistle Blows

by Fran Slayton
Philomel

Nominated by: Tarie Sabido



White Cave Escape

by Jennifer Mcgrath Kent
Nimbus

Nominated by: C Drake



Wild Things

by Clay Carmichael
Front Street

Nominated by: Joyce Moyer Hostetter



William S. and the Great Escape

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Atheneum

Nominated by: Sara Lea



Winnie's War

by Jenny Moss
Walker Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: R.J. Anderson



Year of the Bomb, The

by Ronald Kidd
Simon & Schuster

Nominated by: Della



Year the Swallows Came Early, The

by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
HarperCollins

Nominated by: Melissa



The following nominated books are ineligible:

Amelia's Middle School Survival Guide: Amelia's Most Unforgettable Embarrassing Moments, Amelia's Guide to Gossip

by Marissa Moss
Simon & Schuster

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: new edition of previously published texts

Nominated by: Jenisa



Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls)

by Ally Carter
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Pub date 2007

Nominated by: Nadia Murti



Dog Gone

by Cynthia Chapman Willis
Square Fish

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Hardcover pub date April 2008

Nominated by: Tara Lazar



How to Steal a Dog

by Barbara O'Connor
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Hardcover 2007 pub date

Nominated by: Greta Blanchard



If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period

by Gennifer Choldenko
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Hardcover published 2007

Nominated by: LaTonya M. Baldwin



Looks

by Madeleine George
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Hardcover published June 2008

Nominated by: Nora Olsen



One Crazy Summer

by Rita Williams-garcia
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Pub date January 2010

Nominated by: Cynthia Leitich Smith



Out of My Mind

by Sharon M. Draper
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Nominated by: Beth Kizer



Peeled

by Joan Bauer
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Pub date Hardcover 2008

Nominated by: Terry Doherty



Piper Reed: The Great Gypsy

by Kimberly Willis Holt
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Hardcover August 2008

Nominated by: Cherie Saylor Garrett



The Aurora County All-Stars

by Deborah Wiles
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Hardcover 2007 (nominated that year as well)

Nominated by: Kristy Dempsey



The Chicken Dance

by Jacques Couvillon
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Hardcover April 2008 pub date

Nominated by: Holly Hensley



The Dragonfly Pool

by Eva Ibbotson
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Nominated by: Kristen Nielsen



The Second Street Snoops

by Nancy Sweetland, author/illustrator
Publisher not defined

Status: Not Eligible
Reason ineligible: Published May 2008

Nominated by: Nancy Sweetlan





© Becky Laney of Young Readers