My Top Ten Picture Books of 2014

Finally, here are my top ten picture books from this past year. Some of the books are older, but I was working at a middle school until October, so I wasn't around very many picture books.

10. Lost Cat by C. Roger Mader

9. The Dark by Lemony Snicket

8. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett

7. Journey by Aaron Becker

6. This is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson

5. The Adeventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

4. Sparky by Jenny Offill

3. Tacky's Christmas by Helen Lester

2. What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night by Refe and Susan Tuma

1. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak

My Top Ten Middle Grade Books of 2014

Again, in no particular order, here are my top ten middle grade books I read in 2014:

10. Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

9. Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal

8. Ungifted by Gordon Korman

7. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

6. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

5. Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales Brief and Sinister

4. Greenglass House by Kate Milford

3. The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein

2. Rain Reign by Ann Martin

1. The Red Pencil by Andrea Pinkney

I chose more diverse genres with these books (two fantasy, three realistic, one poetry, and four mysteries), but only three of the books featured a nonwhite protagonist, one had a protagonist with a disability, and none of the books featured LGBTQ characters.

My Top Ten Young Adult Books of 2014

I generally read newly published books, but there is a chance that a few of these books have been published in 2013 or possibly earlier.  In any case, without further ado here are my top ten YA novels that I read in 2014, in no particular order:

10.  Freakboy by Kristin Clark

9. Proxy by Alex London

8. Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac

7. The Secret Side of Empty by Maria Andreu

6. One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

5. Pantomime by Laura Lam

4. The Before Now and After Then by Peter Monn

3. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

2. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

1. Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

By my count, this list includes six realistic fiction, two science fiction, one fantasy, and one historical fiction.  Also, at least six of the books feature nonwhite protagonists and eight of the books feature LGBTQ characters. Not too shabby.

How It Went Down

Magoon, Kekla. How It Went Down.Henry Holt & Co. BYR, 2014.

Tariq Johnson is shot outside a store in his neighborhood. He's shot by a white man who flees the scene. The aftermath of this story is told from multiple perspectives - Tariq's mother, his sister, the girl who tried using CPR to rescue him, a minister who fancies himself a voice of the people, the store owner, the owner of another nearby store, etc. This obviously is a very timely work that is a good representation of current events.

I don't feel qualified to speak on the topic of race or discrimination, so I will leave that subject for other reviewers and instead focus on the narrative itself. It was interesting to read a story from so many viewpoints. I have enjoyed books with multiple narrators before, but this one had so many narrators it became difficult to distinguish between all the voices. That being said, I think having that many viewpoints on an important event like this made sense for the story itself; I just wish I had gotten to know the various characters a bit better. I am also glad that Tariq's little sister, who has a disability, was given her own voice. She wasn't there to highlight her disability; she was just there as a kid whose brother had been shot.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: lots of language, lots of violence
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Rain Reign

Martin, Ann. Rain Reign. Feiwel & Friends, 2014.

Rose is a child with high-functioning autism. She is trying sixth grade for the second time, in hopes that she will learn the necessary social skills to succeed in middle school. Rose's father does not want help raising his daughter and has insisted that she be treated like non-disabled students, so she is not receiving as many services as she otherwise would. When a big hurricane blows through town and Rose's dog, Rain, gets lost, how will she cope with the changes in her life?

This book is so wonderful, I'd give it more than five stars if it were possible to do so. Rose is a wonderful young lady who is learning how to cope with her limitations, and it's beautiful to watch her make friends throughout the story. Even her obsession with prime numbers and her "conversation starters" made me smile. Rose's dad doesn't know how to help her, and he seems very angry and a bit too proud to accept help himself, so I felt bad for Rose from the outset of the story. But all is not lost. Rose has helpers in her life - her uncle helps take care of her, and Rose does make friends at school. The story doesn't have a Disney-esque ending, but it is a satisfying ending. Strongly recommended.

Recommended for: middle grade, people who work with children, especially children with disabilities
Red Flags: Rose's dad beats Rain and shouts a lot
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Rules, Paperboy, Hurt Go Happy