The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
	Blue Ribbons are chosen annually by the Bulletin staff and represent what we believe to be the best of the previous year's literature for youth. See the Blue Ribbon Archive for other lists from 1990 through the present. Please feel free to copy, download, or link to these lists. We ask only that you cite the source.
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	2009 Blue Ribbons

Another year, another angst-filled deliberation and consideration of issues new and old and the delicious dilemma of choosing the best of a selection of the very fine indeed.  We're certainly pleased that this year has brought a satisfying variety of texts from the standpoint of audience age, and there are stellar titles within realms--beginning readers, concept books--that don't always reach Blue Ribbon levels of excellence. Add to that a wide range of subjects--war and witches, archeology and animals, snow and scientific inquiry and school silliness--and we've got a list containing delights for many different readers. We hope they--and you--enjoy.

Deborah Stevenson, Editor

FICTION

• Anderson, Laurie Halse.  Wintergirls.  Viking.  Gr. 9 up   (March)
  Elegant imagery marks the story of Lia, a supposedly recovered anorexic who’s still as dangerously obsessed as ever, only now she’s haunted by real or imagined ghost of her late friend and partner in self-destruction.
  
  
• Cashore, Kristin.  Graceling.  Harcourt, 2008.  Gr. 8-10  (January)
  Katsa is one of a rare few born with a special ability called a Grace; her special talent, however, is killing, which has been used by her uncle the king to his advantage—until Katsa finally finds an opportunity to rebel and atone.
  
  
• Dowell, Frances O'Roark.  The Kind of Friends We Used to Be.  Atheneum.  Gr. 5-7  (May)
  This sequel to The Secret Language of Girls (BCCB 7/04) sees Kate and Marylin starting their seventh-grade year and beginning to develop their own identities in a story remarkable for its blend of accessibility and sympathetic perception.
  
  
• Hardinge, Frances.  The Lost Conspiracy.  Bowen/HarperCollins.  Gr. 7-10  (November)
  Hathin’s sister Arilou is thought to be one of the Lost, people whose senses are only loosely tethered to their bodies and who protect the inhabitants of the island, but when the Lost are mysteriously wiped out, Hathin must protect his sister against the suspicious inhabitants in this finely crafted story set in an original and atmospherically evoked world.
  
  
• Kelly, Jacqueline.  The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.  Holt.  Gr. 5-8  (July/August)
  This story of a small-town Texas girl looking into the twentieth century with a thirst for science and a wonder about what the future will hold for her is a winning blend of humorous family story and natural-history exploration that recalls memoirs by Sterling North, Farley Mowat, and Gerald Durrell.
  
  
• Milgrim, David. My Dog, Buddy; written and illus. by David Milgrim. Cartwheel/Scholastic. Gr. K-2 (March)
  Restricted vocabulary doesn’t restrict the liveliness of the story in this tale of an obstreperous pet who disobeys everyone (“Mom says ‘STOP, STOP, STOP!’ Buddy goes, goes, goes”) except the narrator.


• Mills, Claudia.  How Oliver Olson Changed the World; illus. by Heather Maione.  Farrar.  Gr. 2-4  (April)
  The fate of the ex-planet Pluto and the independence of helicopter-parented-third-grader Oliver Olson are brilliantly tied together in this hilarious, perceptive, and understanding story.
  
  
• Tan, Shaun. Tales from Outer Suburbia; written and illus. by Shaun Tan. Levine/Scholastic. Gr. 5-10 (March)
  Over a dozen stories, ranging in weirdness from slight to extreme, bring the uncanny valley to normal suburban life while suggesting it may have been there all along.


• Tharp, Tim. The Spectacular Now. Knopf. Gr. 9-12 (February)
  Amiable, girl-loving Sutter Keely considers himself “God’s own drunk” and drifts through high school in a haze; Tharp cleverly allows Sutter’s narration to reveal the hurt and abandonment behind the alcoholic in a downward spiral even as Sutter relates his story as the best of all possible times.


• Townsend, Michael. Kit Feeny: On the Move; written and illus. by Michael Townsend. Knopf. Gr. 2-5 (November)
  Take the zany irreverence of the Captain Underpants books and put them into a comparatively realistic (although the protagonist does seem to be some sort of critter) school and home story told in graphic panels in black and orange, and you’ve got the howlingly hilarious story of young Kit Feeny, struggling to find a friend in his new home.
  

• Umansky, Kaye. Clover Twig and the Magical Cottage; illus. by Johanna Wright. Roaring Brook. Gr. 4-6 (October)
  When eleven-year-old Clover Twig takes a job with the local witch, even she’s surprised by the extent of the magic she finds in this delightful British fantasy.
  


• Wallace, Rich. Perpetual Check. Knopf. Gr. 7-10 (April)
  Brotherly rivalry and an overbearing father make this account of a chess tournament as taut and compelling as any contest on gridiron or field.

NONFICTION

• Cassino, Mark. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder; by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson; illus. by Nora Aoyagi and with photographs by Mark Cassino. Chronicle. 7-9 yrs (December)
  Cassino’s photographs unpack (heh) the wonder that is the snowflake, with text that explains in elegant clarity the snowflake’s structure and making.
  
  
• Floca, Brian. Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11; written and illus. by Brian Floca. Jackson/Atheneum. Gr. 2-5 (July/August)
  Poetic text that fairly begs to be read aloud partners with line-and-watercolor art that moves smoothly from homey to luminous in this stellar (lunar?) account of the first moon landing.
  


• Heiligman, Deborah. Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith. Holt. Gr. 7-12 (February)
  Solid research, evocative writing, and perceptive analysis make this an anniversary-year biography to savor.
  
  
• Hoose, Phillip. Claudette Colvin: Twice toward Justice. Kroupa/Farrar. Gr. 5-10 (February)
  Rosa Parks may be famous, but teenager Claudette Colvin did it first; this biography explores both her initial act of civil disobedience and the reasons why Parks’ refusal to give up her seat and not hers became the spark for the Montgomery bus boycott.
  
  
• Jenkins, Steve. Down Down Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea; written and illus. by Steve Jenkins. Houghton. Gr. 3-7 (July/August)
  Vivid illustrations and clever scale markers make startlingly clear what kind of creatures inhabit the sea’s various levels and how much of the ocean is a dark, mysterious wonderland.
  
  
• Murphy, Jim. Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting. Scholastic. Gr. 4-7 (December)
  Veteran historian Murphy takes readers behind the legend of the World War I Christmas truce in the trenches.
  

• Ruddell, Deborah. A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk; illus. by Joan Rankin. McElderry. Gr. 3-5 (March)
  An array of crisp yet thoughtful poems in a variety of rhyme schemes focus largely on animal dwellers of the natural world, and their wit and aptness invite recitation as well as reading.
  
  
• Sidman, Joyce. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors; illus. by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton. Gr. 3-5 (March)
  Gifted poet Sidman turns her attention to the colors of the seasons in this image-rich collection illustrated with cleverly crafted mixed-media art in appropriately glowing hues.
  
  
• Weill, Cynthia. Opuestos: Mexican Folk Art Opposites in English and Spanish; illus. with photographs by Sergio A. Gómez. Cinco Puntos. 4-8 yrs (October)
  This triple-faceted gem shines as a concept book, a bilingual vocabulary primer, and an appealing introduction to Oaxacan folk art.
  
  
• Weitzman, David. Pharaoh's Boat; written and illus. by David Weitzman. Houghton. Gr. 4-8 (September)
  Weitzman offers an absorbing, visually impressive reconstruction of the rituals and boat building procedures involved in making an ancient Egyptian funerary boat and then recounts the efforts on the part of Egyptologist Hag Moustafa to rebuild the boat from its original pieces.
  
  

PICTURE BOOKS

• Aesop. The Lion & the Mouse; illus. by Jerry Pinkney. Little. 5-8 yrs (November)
  Pinkney takes this classic fable wordless, telling the whole story in oversized art with dramatic full-bleed watercolors punctuated by only the occasional animal sound. 
  


• Darbyshire, Kristen. Put It On The List!; written and illus. by Kristen Darbyshire. Dutton. 4-6 yrs (May)
  A chaotic family of anthropomorphized chickens can’t seem to plan their life ahead, resulting in grocery-store emergencies and shortages familiar to many a busy human family in this cheerfully absurd yet wittily knowing picture book.
  
  
• Rodman, Mary Ann. Surprise Soup; illus. by G. Brian Karas. Viking. 4-7 yrs (June)
  A friendly bear family sounds awfully human as Dad, older brother Josh, and narrator Kevin try to negotiate sibling rivalry and general ineptitude in preparing a meal in Mama’s absence.
  
  
• Rosenthal, Marc. Archie and the Pirates; written and illus. by Marc Rosenthal. Cotler/HarperCollins. 5-8 yrs (December)
  There are touches of both Curious George and Babar in this fantastical tale of Archie the monkey, who finds friends, makes a home, and fights pirates on a tropical island.
  
  
• Sakai, Komako. The Snow Day; written and illus. by Komako Sakai. Levine/Scholastic. 4-6 yrs (February)
  You can feel the hushed wonder of a snow-covered world in this Japanese import featuring a little bunny spending an intimate and unexpected day with her mother when the weather closes school.
  


• Scanlon, Liz Garton. All the World; illus. by Marla Frazee. Beach Lane/Simon. 4-8 yrs (October)
  Softly poetic verse pointing out human connection provides the frame for a detailed visual story featuring branches of an interracial family coming together for a family holiday.
  


• Weber, Elka. The Yankee at the Seder; illus. by Adam Gustavson. Tricycle. 7-10 yrs (May)
  In this picture book inspired by a historical event, the close of the Civil War sees a Jewish Confederate family hosting an occupying Union soldier as a surprise—and not entirely—welcome guest at the family seder.
  


• Willems, Mo. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed; written and illus. by Mo Willems. Hyperion. 5-9 yrs (February)
  Wilbur may be a naked mole rat, but he can’t resist a natty shirt and tie, much to the dismay of his fellow rats in this hilarious story about nonconformity.
  


• Willis, Jeanne. The Bog Baby; illus. by Gwen Millward. Schwartz & Wade. 5-8 yrs (December)
  An air of delicate mystery informs this gently playful story of sisters who find a very, very special baby animal and try to take care of it.

• Winter, Jonah. Gertrude Is Gertrude Is Gertrude Is Gertrude; illus. by Calef Brown. Atheneum. 8-12 yrs (January)
  Winter’s playful text both evokes and celebrates the great modernist Gertrude Stein as it describes her iconoclastic life and approach to art.