Nonfiction Award: Interview with Phillip Hoose

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At Midwinter 2010 in Boston, the winner of the inaugural YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults will be announced.’  To celebrate this award, the YALSA blog will be publishing interviews with some of the shortlisted authors.’  Our last interview is with Phillip Hoose, author of Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice.’  Don’t forget to tune in on Monday, January 18th to see who wins the first-ever YALSA Nonfiction Award!

Claudette Colvin

Claudette Colvin

The Nonfiction Committee on Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice:’  “Hoose recounts the largely untold story of Claudette Colvin, who was arrested and jailed at the age of 15 after refusing to relinquish her seat on a bus to a white woman. Interviews with Colvin create a vivid picture not only of the Montgomery bus boycott but also the Browder v. Gayle case, in which she was a key defendant.”

YALSA Blog:’  Congratulations on being included on the shortlist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults!’  What was your reaction to being included on the shortlist for this first-ever award?

Phillip Hoose:’  First, I’m thrilled that at last there is such an award.’  It’s long overdue’  recognition of those who have been telling true stories artfully.’ ‘  Of course I feel honored to be’  a finalist, especially in the first group.
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Nonfiction Award: Interview with Tanya Lee Stone

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At Midwinter 2010 in Boston, the winner of the inaugural YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults will be announced.’  To celebrate this award, the YALSA blog will be publishing interviews with some of the shortlisted authors.’  Our next interview is with Tanya Lee Stone, author of Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream.

Almost Astronauts

Almost Astronauts

The Nonfiction Committee on Almost Astronauts:’  “In the early 1960s, the doctor in charge of testing NASA’s astronauts decided to find out if female pilots were capable of passing the grueling qualification tests required of male pilots. Feasible? Yes. Allowed? No. All testing of women’s potential for the Mercury program was done outside NASA’s purview and without their permission. The reasons why will stun readers.”

YALSA Blog: Congratulations on being included on the shortlist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults!’  What was your reaction to being included on the shortlist for this first-ever award?

Tanya Lee Stone:’  I was ecstatic! It’s such an honor to be included, and so exciting to be part of the first year’s celebration.
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Nonfiction Award: Interview with Sally Walker

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At Midwinter 2010 in Boston, the winner of the inaugural YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults will be announced.’  To celebrate this award, the YALSA blog will be publishing interviews with some of the shortlisted authors.’  First is Sally M. Walker, author of Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland.

Written in Bone

Written in Bone

Written in Bone as described by the Nonfiction Award Committee:’  “By presenting a detailed examination into the work of different types of forensic archaeology at excavations in both Jamestown, Virginia, and Colonial Maryland, readers are rewarded with both a picture of this fascinating work and an appreciation for what it contributes to our knowledge of history.”

YALSA Blog:’  Congratulations on being included in the shortlist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults!’  What was your reaction to finding out you were on the shortlist for this first-ever award?

Sally Walker:’  My heart started racing, like I’d been using the elliptical at the YMCA. Of all my books, WRITTEN IN BONE is the dearest to my heart, so maybe that was the most fitting first response. Now, I’ve settled into incredibly happy. All in all, getting the news was a great way to start my day.

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New to Me: Beauty

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Fairy tale retellings often feel like a dime a dozen.’  Whether they’re modernized or grounded in the past, gender flipped or boundaries blurred, the heart of the fairy tale must remain.’  Otherwise, the retelling feels cold and disconnected, lacking all the magic of the original story.’  But sometimes, a retelling gives the fairy tale a new complexity and shading.

Beauty
Robin McKinley
Published 1978
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New to Me: Annie on My Mind

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Once upon a time, being homosexual in a YA novel meant you were the sidekick, if you were lucky.’  If you were the main character, you could be abused, raped, beaten, or even killed.’  Homosexual characters didn’t get happy endings–until Annie on My Mind.

Annie on My Mind
Nancy Garden
Published 1982
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New to Me: I Am the Cheese

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One of several YA classics written by the late Robert Cormier, I Am the Cheese is a tense psychological study.’  A young teenager named Adam starts on a bike ride from Massachusetts to Vermont.’  At the same time, Adam is being questioned by an unknown man about his personal history.’  What is the connection between these two stories?’  The reader is left to figure that out over the course of the novel as a creeping sense of unease develops.

I Am the Cheese
Robert Cormier
Published 1977

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New to Me: Summer of My German Soldier

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A moving story of tolerance in the Deep South during World War II, Summer of My German Soldier isn’t about civil rights or post-slavery relations.’  There is some of that, but the bigger issue is tolerance between Jew and German, as a young Jewish girl finds the person who makes her feel good about herself–and that person is a young German POW.

Summer of My German Soldier
Bette Green
Published 1973

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New to Me: Johnny Tremain

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I’m in the minority, I suspect, to be reading Johnny Tremain as an adult.’  Many people were assigned to read this novel, set during the early days of the American revolt against the British, in school as part of units on the American Revolution.’  It’s a pleasure to find out that reading it as an adult is an exciting, enjoyable process.’  But how might a modern teen react?

Johnny Tremain
Esther Forbes
Published 1943
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New to Me: Forever . . .

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With everything there is to read, it’s no surprise that many of us teen librarians have missed a must-read book here and there.’  I was reminded of this with the 100 YA Books meme that’s been going around on Facebook and the blogosphere.’  So, welcome to “Why Didn’t I Read That Book Before?” with me!

Forever . . .
Judy Blume
Published 1975

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