Sleepers (Part I): 100 Books Too Good to Miss
Staff -- School Library Journal, 9/1/1998
Ten SLJ reviewers list the books that didn't win big awards but still won children's hearts.
Several months ago, we posed this question to 10 SLJ reviewers who work with children and young adults: "What are the top 10 books that you would call "sleepers?" By that we meant high-quality trade books that did not win major awards but that still found a following among readers. The results are the booklists that follow. Together they form a compilation we hope will assist you in the ongoing quest to connect young people and books.
These books did not become popular by accident. Our contributors told us that while some books really do just fly off the shelves, most titles require a little nudge, which is, of course, where librarians excel. Take Wendy Lukehart. In compiling her list, she realized that a book's popularity was directly related to her enthusiasm. "It struck me again," she said, "what a role we have in getting kids excited about great books." We disqualified a few submissions as too well known to be sleepers. But we also tried to give our contributors some wiggle room in deciding what belonged on their lists.
Kate McClelland, for instance, convinced us to include Karen Hesse's The Music of Dolphins, which is both popular and acclaimed. It would be a shame, she argued, if the book were overlooked because its author just won the Newbery Award for a different book, Out of the Dust.
Finally, neither we nor our reviewers think every book listed should have won an award. Some are simply good books readers will like. As Steven Engelfried said of The Year of the Wolves: "This is not wonderful prose, but it's a good plot and it grips kids. And it's way better than Goosebumps. "We hope you'll use these lists in the coming months. Let us know how you do."
The reviewers who compiled "Sleepers" lists are: Connie Burns, Jo Crabtree, Steven Engelfried, Karen James, Susan Moore, Gerry Larson, Wendy Lukehart, Kate McClelland, Cooper Renner, Bruce Anne Shook, and John Sigwald.
| Connie Burns Library Media Specialist Mahoney Middle School South Portland, Maine |
FINE, Anne. The Book of the Banshee. 176p. Little, Brown. 1992. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-316-28315-0. o.p.
Gr 6-9: With humor and insight, Will Flowers tells of his sister Estelle's transformation into a teenaged banshee and the resulting war zone at home. Includes some of the funniest parent-teen battle scenes in YA literature.
GARLAND, Sherry. The Silent Storm. 288p. Harcourt. 1993. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-15-274170-4; pap. $6. ISBN 0-15-200016-X.
Gr 5-8: Alyssa has not spoken since watching her parents die in a hurricane. Another dangerous storm now threatens to unleash Alyssa's memories and to destroy the home she shares with her grandfather.
HENEGHAN, James. Torn Away. illus. by author. 192p. Viking. 1994. Tr $14.99. ISBN 0-670-85180-9; pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-14-036646-6.
Gr 6-9: Deported to live with his uncle in Vancouver because of his terrorist activities in Northern Ireland, Declan must choose between seeking revenge or becoming part of a family. The issues and fast-paced action make this a great title to booktalk.
HESSE, Karen. Phoenix Rising. 192p. Holt. 1994. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-8050-3108-1; Puffin. pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-14-037628-3.
Gr 6-9: On a Vermont sheep farm, Nyle learns that hope and friendship can rise from destruction and despair in the aftermath of a nuclear power plant accident. Nyle's grandmother illustrates the heroism of simple acts of kindness.
HUGHES, Monica. Invitation to the Game. 192p. S & S. 1993. pap. $3.95. ISBN 0-671-86692-3.
Gr 6-9: In 2154, Lissa and seven other unemployed recent graduates are bored until an invitation to participate in the Game transports them to a future first attractive, then frightening. Underlying the exciting sci-fi/survival story is a cautionary parable.
IRWIN, Hadley. The Original Freddie Ackerman. illus. by James Hosten. 192p. S & S. 1992. PLB $15. ISBN 0-689-50562-0; pap. $3.99. ISBN 0-689-80389-3.
Gr 5-8: Refusing to spend another summer with his extended family of divorces and remarriages, Trevor is sent to stay on an island off the Maine coast with two eccentric great aunts. A funny, poignant coming-of-age story.
NELSON, Theresa. Earthshine. 192p. Orchard. 1994. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-531-06867-6; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-531-08717-4; Dell. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-440-21989-2.
Gr 6-9: Slim lives with her charming actor-father, who is dying of AIDS, and his devoted partner, Larry. Slim's emotional grieving is balanced by humor as she struggles to face her father's death at the book's gentle ending.
PARK, Barbara. Mick Harte Was Here. 89p. Knopf. 1995. Tr $15. ISBN 0-679-87088-1; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-679-97088-6; pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-679-88203-0.
Gr 4-7: In this short, intense novel, Phoebe recounts the days immediately following the death of her brother in a bicycle accident. The ending, when Phoebe admits that Mick wasn't wearing a helmet, makes this a great discussion-starter.
SEBESTYEN, Ouida. Out of Nowhere. 192p. Orchard. 1994. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-531-06839-0; PLB $17.99. ISBN 0-531-08689-5; Puffin. pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-14-037640-2.
Gr 6-9: Abandoned by his mother in the Arizona desert, Harley connects with a curious collection of fellow rejects. Together, they strive to build a new family in this celebration of the human spirit.
SPINELLI, Jerry. Crash. 162p. Knopf. 1996. Tr $16. ISBN 0-679-87957-9; PLB $17.99. ISBN 0-679-97957-3; pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-679-88550-1.
Gr 5-8: A relationship with a Quaker boy and his beloved grandfather's stroke teach John "Crash" Coogan, a smug jock, that he doesn't have to crash through life. Features a clever, breezy first-person style.
| Jo Crabtree Children's Librarian Cuyahoga County (OH) Public Library |
ARMSTRONG, Jennifer. Steal Away. 224p. Orchard. 1992. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-05983-9; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-531-08583-X; Scholastic/Apple. pap. $3.99. ISBN 0-590-46921-5.
Gr 4-7: During their dangerous journey north, two 13-year-old girls, a white orphan and a black slave, learn to trust and respect each other.
BYARS, Betsy. McMummy. 160p. Viking. 1993. Tr $13.99. ISBN 0-670-84995-2; pap. $3.99. ISBN 0-14-036439-0.
Gr 4-6: In this witty fantasy, the eccentric Professor Orloff hires Mozie to care for his experimental plants in the greenhouse, where he discovers a human-shaped, humming pod.
CLEMENTS, Andrew. Frindle. illus. by Brian Selznick. 106p. S & S. 1996. Tr $15. ISBN 0-689-80669-8; pap. $3.99. ISBN 0-689-81876-9.
Gr 3-6: Trying to outwit his fifth- grade teacher during a lesson on word origins, Nick invents the word "frindle." This results in a hilarious etymological battle.
HAHN, Mary Downing. The Dead Man in Indian Creek. 160p. Clarion. 1990. Tr $15. ISBN 0-395-52397-4; Avon/Camelot. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-380-71362-4.
Gr 4-7: A fast-paced murder mystery begins with the discovery of a body by two boys and the suspicion that one of their mothers may be involved.
HESSE, Karen. Letters from Rifka. 160p. Holt. 1992. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-8050-1964-2; Puffin. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-14-036391-2.
Gr 5-7: Twelve-year-old Rifka, a Jewish immigrant, tells her story of adversity, courage, and separation from family in letters to relatives left behind in Russia.
KING-SMITH, Dick. Jenius: The Amazing Guinea Pig. illus. by Brian Floca. 52p. Hyperion. 1996. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-7868-0243-X; pap. $3.95. ISBN 0-7868-1135-8.
Gr 1-3: Judy, age eight, is convinced her guinea pig is a genius--she misspells it "Jenius." The delightful guinea pigs "talk" in this beginning chapter book fantasy.
KORMAN, Gordon. The Chicken Doesn't Skate. 197p. Scholastic. 1996. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-590-85300-7.
Gr 4-6: A sixth-grade scientist, the hockey team, the class nerd, and others fight over the fate of Henrietta, a chicken, in this side-splitting story.
LISLE, Janet Taylor. The Gold Dust Letters. 128p. Orchard. 1994. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-06830-7; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-531-08680-1; Avon. pap. $3.99. ISBN 0-380-72516-9.
Gr 4-6: Angela and her friends attempt to discover the source of the letters sent to her by a fairy, Pilaria, in this realistic, yet imaginative fantasy.
LYON, George Ella. Here & Then. 128p. Orchard. 1994. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-06866-8; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-531-08716-6.
Gr 5-7: When Abby portrays Eliza Hoskins, a nurse in a Civil War reenactment, the real Eliza time travels and begs Abby for necessary medical supplies.
RENDEL, Justine. A Very Personal Computer. 216p. HarperCollins. 1995. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-06-025404-1.
Gr 4-7: Rendall, a lonely eighth grader, is delighted with his very personal computer--it does his homework, simulates hitting a baseball, and helps him confront his unhappiness.
| Steven Engelfried Children's Librarian West Linn (OR) Public Library |
DEFELICE, Cynthia. Weasel. 128p. S & S. 1990. Tr $15. ISBN 0-02-726457-2; Avon. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-380-71358-6.
Gr 4-8: Eleven-year-old Nathan confronts true evil in the guise of "Weasel," a renegade killer in 1839. Features a moral dilemma and page- turning excitement.
HOWARTH, Lesley. MapHead. 160p. Candlewick. 1994. Tr $14.95. ISBN 1-56402-416-4; pap. $4.99. ISBN 1-56402-858-5.
Gr 6-9: MapHead has spent most of his life in the magical "Subtle World." The strange boy's attempts to fit in with humans are hilarious and touching.
KELLY, John, et al. The Robot Zoo: A Mechanical Guide to the Way Animals Work. Turner. 1994. ISBN 1-57036-063-2. o.p.
Gr 4 Up: "Robot" versions of 15 animals (and one virus). Ingenious illustrations present a wealth of information in a way kids will enjoy, understand, and remember.
KUSKIN, Karla. Soap Soup: And Other Verses. illus. by author. 64p. HarperCollins. 1992. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-06-023571-3; pap. $3.50. ISBN 0-06-444174-1.
K-Gr 3: Short poems with an easy reading vocabulary. Full of laughter and clever word play, yet simple enough to inspire imitation by young poets.
MCKAY, Hilary. The Exiles. illus. by Eileen McKeating. 224p. S & S. PLB $16. ISBN 0-689-50555-8; pap. $3.99. ISBN 0-689-80592-6.
Gr 6-9: Four strong-willed sisters are "exiled" to spend the summer with their no-nonsense grandmother. Delightfully original characters and sharp, tongue-in-cheek humor.
NAPOLI, Donna Jo. The Prince of the Pond. illus. by Judith Byron Schachner. 112p. Dutton. 1992. Tr $14.99. ISBN 0-525-44976-0; Puffin. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-14-037151-6.
Gr 3-5: The tale of an enchanted prince, as told by the female frog who teaches him to find food, escape enemies, and talk with a long tongue.
RICE, Bebe Faas. The Year the Wolves Came. 128p. Dutton. 1994. Tr $14.99. ISBN 0-525-45209-5.
Gr 4-8: In 1893, a pack of wolves ravaged the Canadian countryside where Therese was born. Thirteen years later they return to claim her mother.
SEIDLER, Tor. The Wainscott Weasel. 200p. HarperCollins. 1993. Tr $20. ISBN 0-06-205032-X; PLB $19.89. ISBN 0-06-205033-8; pap. $9.95. ISBN 0-06-205911-4.
Gr 3-6: Bagley the weasel is hopelessly in love with a fish. When danger threatens his friend's pond, he becomes a hero worthy of his father's name.
SUTCLIFF, Rosemary. The Shining Company. 295p. Farrar. 1990. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-374-36807-4; pap. $4.95. ISBN 0-374-46616-5.
Gr 7-12: In seventh-century Britain, 300 sons prepare for the imminent Saxon invasion. A heroic and moving adventure tale.
VAIL, Rachel. Do-Over. 160p. Orchard. 1992. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-05460-8; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-531-08610-0; Avon. pap. $3.99. ISBN 0-380-72180-5.
Gr 6-9: Whit wants to "do over" each embarrassing mistake he makes during his eighth-grade year. Readers will find his problems funny, touching, and real.
| Karen James Manager, Children's Services Susan Moore |
COUSINS, Lucy. Maisy Goes Swimming. illus. by author. 16p. Little, Brown. 1990. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-316-15834-8.
PreS: Pull the tabs, lift the flaps, and undress Maisy the mouse for the swimming pool. Clever reinforcement of a skill that fascinates toddlers.
HATRICK, Gloria. Masks. 120p. Orchard. 1996. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-09514-2; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-531-08864-2.
Gr 4A±7: A paralyzing disease imprisons Will's body until he escapes via magical animal masks that his brother Pete brings. But there is danger in magic.
HENSON, Cheryl. The Muppets Make Puppets. 112p. Workman. 1994. pap. $16.95. ISBN 1-56305-708-5.
K Up: Large, color-photo how-to explains everything from building unique puppet characters to performing. The plethora of imaginative characters can be successfully copied by novice crafters.
MACLACHLAN, Patricia. Baby. 144p. Delacorte. 1993. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-385-31133-8; Bantam. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-440-41145-9.
Gr 4 Up: "This is SophieA-I will come back for her." A baby, a basket, and spare prose weave together this story of love, loss, and memory.
MARSHALL, James. Rats on the Roof: And Other Stories. illus. by author. 80p. Dial. 1991. Tr $13. ISBN 0-8037-0834-3; PLB $12.89. ISBN 0-8037-0835-1; Puffin. pap. $3.99. ISBN 0-14-038646-7.
Gr 1A±5: From singing rats to vain frogs, Marshall gives each story in this early chapter book a wry twist that is sure to amuse young readers.
MCPHAIL, David. Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! illus. by author. 32p. Dutton. 1993. PLB $14.99. ISBN 0-525-45079-3; pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-14-055313-4.
PreSA±Gr 2: Rollicking rhymes, mes-sy pigs, action-packed pictures: what more is needed to tickle the funny bone of any child?
NAPOLI, Donna Jo. Zel. 224p. Dutton. 1996. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-525-45612-0.
Gr 7 Up: The inside story of Rapunzel for those who wonder about her life locked in the tower and the mother who put her there.
PRELUTSKY, Jack. The Dragons Are Singing Tonight. illus. by Peter Sis. 40p. Greenwillow. 1993. Tr $16. ISBN 0-688-09645-X; PLB $15.93. ISBN 0-688-12511-5.
PreS Up: Dragons amiable, dragons disconsolate, dragons mechanical and booming--Prelutsky and Sis bring them all to life. Great to read aloud or read alone.
WALTER, Virginia. Hi, Pizza Man! illus. by Ponder Goembel. 32p. Orchard. 1995. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-06885-4; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-531-08735-2.
PreS-K: Who will deliver the pizza? Will it be pizza kitty, pizza cow, or--roar--pizza dinosaur? Imagination can make waiting fun even when you're hungry.
WILD, Margaret. Our Granny. illus. by Julie Vivas. 32p. Ticknor & Fields. 1994. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-395-67023-3; pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-395-88395-4.
PreS Up: "Some grannies have 'thin legs, fat knees'. Our granny has a wobbly bottom." An exuberant celebration of all grannies in words and pictures.
ZINDEL, Paul. Loch. illus. by Wayne McLoughlin. 192p. HarperCollins. 1994. Tr $15. ISBN 0-06-024542-5; PLB $14.89. ISBN 0-06-024543-3; Hyperion. pap. $4.95. ISBN 0-7868-1099-8.
Gr 5-8: Loch discovers a modern-day plesiosaur and struggles over whether to tell his father and the scientists who might destroy it.
| Gerry Larson Library Media Specialist Durham (NC) Magnet School |
BROOKS, Martha. Two Moons in August. 160p. Little, Brown. 1992. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-316-10979-7; Groundwood. pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-88899-170-3.
Gr 8-12: One year after the death of their mother, amid feelings of anger and loneliness, two sisters discover romance, their own frailties and strengths, and the ties that bind them together.
CANNON, A.E. Amazing Gracie. 224p. Delacorte. 1991. Tr $15. ISBN 0-385-30487-0; Dell. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-440-21570-6.
Gr 6-10: At 15, practical, sensitive Gracie emerges as a family heroine adjusting to her new stepfamily, moving to a new city, and coping with her depressed, suicidal mother.
CASTANEDA, Omar S. Among the Volcanoes. 192p. Dell. 1993. pap. $3.50. ISBN 0-440-40746-X; pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-440-91118-4.
Gr 7-12: An appealing teenage Guatemalan girl is caught in the continuing struggle between her family's ancient Mayan beliefs and her own observations and aspirations in a modern world.
CHOI, Sook Nyul. The Year of Impossible Goodbyes. 176p. Hough-ton. 1991. Tr $16. ISBN 0-395-57419-6; Dell. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-440-40759-1.
Gr 5-9: A heartrending story of a Korean girl and her family's determination to survive and escape first Japanese, then Communist, occupation of her country in the 1940s.
GARRIGUE, Sheila. The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito. 176p. S & S. 1994. pap. $3.95. ISBN 0-689-71809-8.
Gr 6-8: In Vancouver during World War II, the loyalty and spirit of a Japanese-American gardener capture the heart of a displaced English girl who witnesses the effects of war and prejudice on her family and friends.
JICAI, Feng. Let One Hundred Flowers Bloom. tr. from Chinese by Christopher Smith. 106p. Viking. 1996. Tr $13.99. ISBN 0-670-85805-6.Gr 7-10: An aging artist recounts traumatic personal experiences during Mao's Cultural Revolution, which left him ostracized and penniless but spiritually unbroken.LYONS, Mary E. Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs. 192p. Scribner. 1992. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-684-19446-5; S & S. pap. $3.95. ISBN 0-689-80015-0.
Gr 7-12: Through a collection of poignant letters, this novel reveals the experiences, hardships, and perseverance of a young North Carolina slave girl in the mid-1800s.
PRATHER, Ray. Fish and Bones. HarperCollins. 1992. Tr ISBN 0-06-025121-2. o.p.
Gr 6-9: Friendly, observant, 13-year-old Bones spends the summer of 1971 solving the mystery of a small-town bank robbery, uncovering a violent racial incident, and socializing with a rich cast of memorable characters.
WISLER, G. Clifton. Red Cap. 160p. Lodestar. 1991. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-525-67337-7; Puffin. pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-14-036936-8.
Gr 5-9: A young Union Army drummer is imprisoned at infamous Andersonville Prison, where he suffers terrible deprivations, clings to his Union loyalty, befriends a Confederate guard, and becomes a legendary Civil War figure.
WREDE, Patricia C. Dealing with Dragons. 224p. Harcourt. 1990. Tr $16. ISBN 0-15-222900-0; Scholastic/Point. pap. $4.50. ISBN 0-590-45722-5.
Gr 5-9: This humorous, lively, tongue-in-cheek tale introduces a rebellious princess who prefers adventure to decorum and practicality to flights of fancy.
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