Congratulations Neil Gaiman!

Wow, I never thought I'd see the day, but one of my all-time favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, a man that I regard as visionary, but not particularly mainstream, has been honored with the Newberry award for his recently published The Graveyard Book, reviewed here. It's always a pleasure to see some of my favorite authors make good. Congratulations Neil. I can't wait to see Coraline. a full list of award winners for 2009: (from the ALA website. Check the links on the homepage.)

2009 Medal Winner

The 2009 Newbery Medal winner is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by HarperCollins Children's Books.

A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose. A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.

"A child named Nobody, an assassin, a graveyard and the dead are the perfect combination in this deliciously creepy tale, which is sometimes humorous, sometimes haunting and sometimes surprising," said Newbery Committee Chair Rose V. Treviño.

2009 Honor Books

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)

Underneath the canopy of the loblolly pines, amid the pulsating sounds of the swamp, there lies a tale. Intertwining stories of an embittered man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat and a vengeful lamia sing of love, loss, loneliness and hope. Appelt's lyrical storytelling heightens the distinguished characteristics of this work.

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt & Comapny)

The Surrender Tree utilizes compelling free verse in alternating voices to lyrically tell the story of Cuba's three wars for independence from Spain. Combining real-life characters (such as legendary healer Rosa La Bayamesa) with imagined individuals, Engle focuses on Rosa's struggle to save everyone--black, white, Cuban, Spanish, friend or enemy.

Savvy by Ingrid Law (Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group in partnership with Walden Media, LLC

This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride, winding through the countryside on a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions. Newcomer Law weaves a magical tall tale, using vivid language and lively personalities, all bouncing their way to a warm, satisfying conclusion.

After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson (G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Books for Young Readers)

This tightly woven novel looks back on two years in a New York City neighborhood, where life changes for two 11-year-olds when a new girl joins their game of double Dutch. Bonded by Tupac's music, the three girls explore the lure of freedom and build a friendship that redefines their own identities.

The Sisters Grimm- Michael Buckley

The Sisters Grimm, by Michael Buckley, is a relatively pleasant addition to the genre sometimes known as "fractured fairytales," i.e. conventional themes and characters from world folklore updated and adapted for new settings, contemporary environments, or additional adventures.

In this case we have the sisters of the title, Sabrina and Daphne, who are the great great grandchildren of the legendary Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. In the story, the Brothers Grimm were not just compilers of the stories they grew up recording, but recorders of actual events in Europe and the rest of the world.

Once contact between the characters of the stories (Prince Charming, the three little pigs, Jack-he of "and the beanstalk" fame-, the Queen of Hearts, Beauty and the Beast, Shere Khan from The Jungle Book, Mama Bear, Puck, among many, many others...) became too frequent, they moved to the then unsettled by Europeans continent of North America. There, a spell was cast by the legendary witch Baba Yaga confining all of these magical beings (referred to as "Everafters") to a small town in upstate New York. The descendants of the Grimms also live in the town and serve as the town's detective and overseers. The spell keeps the Everafters trapped in the town as long as there is a Grimm living there. Needless to say, the Grimms are not very popular with the denizens of the town...

As the story begins, Daphne and Sabrina are unaware of their heritage and destinies. Their Father, Henry, had turned his back on the family business and raised them oblivious in New York City. Unfortunately, Henry and the girls' mother, Veronica, have disappeared at the beginning of the story.

The girls have been bounced around from one foster home to another for the better part of a year. Eventually, they end up on the way to live with a grandmother they never knew they had in the town of Ferryport (originally "Fairy"port...get it?) New York.

Their grandmother, Relda Grimm, greets them enthusiastically with her companion Mr. Canis and an enormous great dane named Elvis. He's a major "Everafter" but I'll let you find out who for yourself. His name is a big hint, however. Sabrina, the older of the two sisters, is very wary and suspicious (especially after a year of awful foster home experiences) and is keen to escape from the house as soon as possible. The younger Daphne is more loving and trusting and is quick to believe Relda's story about being their grandmother.

After an escape attempt is foiled by an attack of malevolent pixies, the girls are forced to accept that there may be more to Ferryport than initially meets the eye. Just as they start to learn about their role as Grimms they run afoul of an angry giant and a mysterious plot that may or may not lead back to Ferryport's mayor, the nefarious Prince Charming.

Relda and Canis are kidnapped, and the rest of the story follows the attempts of Daphne and Sabrina (along with the aid of Puck, a magic mirror, and Jack of FEE-FI-FO-FUM fame who has particular expertise regarding giants) to save their new family and friends from the giant, avoid the attention of three porcine policemen, and figure out just what exactly it is that Charming is up to.
along the way we see Ichabod Crane, Dorothy's Ruby Slippers, Ali Baba's flying carpet, and even Excalibur! Buckley has a lot of fun with these beloved and familiar characters, and he balances the story well with tantalizing hints about a larger conspiracy involving the disappearance of Daphne and Sabrina's parents. Presumably, this larger mystery will be examined and solved over the course of the five subsequent sequels. I have heard that the sequels get pretty repetitive over time, the same fate that I felt befell the latter Series of Unfortunate Events books which became the same story over and over and over. It remains to be seen whether or not Buckley can keep his relatively original idea fresh. I'd love feedback from any readers who are familiar with any of the sequels; leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Sisters Grimm Site