YALSA-BK and ALA
I must confess that with all the committee meetings and other events at Midwinter, I was unaware that yalsa-bk dropped from sight for a time. Imagine my surprise when I began to read all the posts from those worried that it had disappeared totally because of the conference. In any event, all is now well and the messages are flying back and forth with lightning speed.
I think this says a lot about how we depend on yalsa-bk as a learning community. The discussion about the lists and the awards has been brisk as always. As a (now) former committee member of QP and Edwards, it is interesting to see the “Monday morning quaterbacking” about the deliberations and decisions. Even on my own committee, not all the books I thought deserving were included. That is the nature of committee decisions. There is compromise; there are passionate disucssions. Sometimes what one member thinks is noteworthy is not deemed so by another.
Seattle was a wonderful host to the meeetings. Weather was clear and most days saw some sunshine if only through the windows of the meeting rooms. I hope folks will plan now to come to DC and celebrate all the winners.
Posted by Teri Lesesne
I appreciate how difficult it is to put together the Alex list. Finding new work with literary merit, that will also interest teen readers of all stripes, is a tall order and one that we struggle with here every day.
In the interest of sharing information (which is what it’s all about, right??), I’m passing along my own latest pick for the ever-challenging reluctant male teen reader: Rory Stewart’s THE PLACES IN BETWEEN. This memoir of a young Scottish historian’s walk from Herat to Kabul in 2002 Afghanistan was spare and immediate and quite complete. It got low marks from reviewers on character development and motivation, but I really feel that exposition of this nature would have tied an anvil to the narrative. There’s so much to the story: adventure, enough history and current events not only to offer answers but also to spark questions and further research. Take another look at this one !