The Ones That Got Away—Great Books that Didn't Get Their Due

Great Books that Didn't Get Their Due

By Rick Margolis -- School Library Journal, 11/1/2007

The publishing gods must be crazy. How else can you explain the cruel fate of so many deserving children’s books? While mediocre works abound among annual best sellers, scores of perfectly wonderful kids’ books have vanished faster than Tony Soprano’s henchmen. To address this injustice, we asked a select group of librarian reviewers, booksellers, and children’s book aficionados to choose their favorite overlooked titles—books that they and the kids they serve truly love.

We provided, of course, a few ground rules. For starters, the hidden gems had to be published between 2001 and 2006, and only those titles that had not received a lot of marketing hoopla or a major American award could be considered (sorry, Mr. Caldecott). After that, the rules bordered on anarchy: anything from wordless books for newborns to angst-ridden titles for teens was fine, and selections could come from any genre—fiction, nonfiction, or even graphic novels.

We did insist that each contributor choose only one title. In hindsight, it was like asking a mother bear to surrender most of her cubs. “One!” replied a number of librarians, seriously shocked. “You want me to pick just one book?”

In the end, we received many surprising selections—in fact, more than we could possibly squeeze into these pages. To see the complete list, visit our Web site—and while you’re there, don’t forget to add your own undervalued ruby or emerald. Who knows? Maybe by sharing your choices, we can call attention to some terrific overlooked titles and show the importance of libraries in keeping good books in print.

Harriet McBryde Johnson’s groundbreaking novel, Accidents of Nature (Holt, 2006), shows the political awakening of a 17-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who spends a week at a camp for disabled teens. Told in a first-person voice that’s often humorous, and sometimes painfully intimate, it gives readers an eye-opening perspective of what it’s like to live with a disability.—Kathleen T. Horning, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

There’s been a lot of discussion recently about the increasingly blurry lines separating adult and young adult books. Andreas Steinhofel’s The Center of the World (Delacorte, 2005), a challenging German novel about a 17-year-old boy’s coming out and coming-of-age in an eccentric family full of secrets, is one of my favorites from that slippery crossover camp.—Gillian Engberg, Booklist

How can you not love a character whose name is Franklin Delano Donuthead? In Sue Stauffacher’s Donuthead (Knopf, 2003), poor Franklin is afraid of germs, safety violations, and most especially his new classmate, Sarah Kervick, who is about as germy and unsafe as they come. This novel has that satisfying mix of laugh-out-loud debacles and poignant moments that make it a perennial favorite of both boys and girls.—Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI

Gothic mystery meets historical fiction in Laura Amy Schlitz’s A Drowned Maiden’s Hair (Candlewick, 2006), a thrilling tale of young Maud Flynn and her life with three very fake spiritualists. Exciting, intriguing, and, above all, the story is entrancing.—Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library

I wish I could have read Wendelin Van Draanen’s Flipped (Knopf, 2001) when I was in middle school. It’s about the relationship between Bryce and Juli, who have known each other since they were second graders. The story says everything about boy-girl relationships that a tween knows in his or her heart, but doesn’t dare articulate. It also contains some of the most beautiful writing you’ll find anywhere, particularly a remarkable scene in which Juli’s father finds a way to comfort her after her favorite tree is cut down.—Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ

Meet seventh-grader Ananka Fishbein, the narrator of this funny and wild ride of an adventure, who is well on her way to becoming a hard-boiled detective. I loved Ananka from the moment she looked out of her Manhattan bedroom window, saw her local park collapsed into a sinkhole, and went to investigate while still in her nightgown. My students love Kirsten Miller’s Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City (Bloomsbury, 2006), too, and that includes as many guys as girls. After all, who can resist a story that features an underground city, complete with millions of hungry rats?—Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City

In K. L. Going’s The Liberation of Gabriel King (Putnam, 2005), the title character knows he’s a scaredy-cat. But during the summer of 1976, his friend Frita decides they will both conquer their fears, so they can enter fifth grade fear-free. Set in a small Georgia town that has an active Ku Klux Klan, the novel addresses racism and fear, while displaying the courage and decency that lie in all of us.—Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX

A situation that’s likely to be familiar to children and their parents alike gets a truly silly spin in Amy Krause Rosenthal’s Little Pea (Chronicle, 2005). The idea of an all-legume cast is funny in itself, but the author keeps piling on the twists, as fussy eater Little Pea negotiates with his parents at the dinner table, then suffers through having to eat five whole pieces of his least favorite food—candy!—in order to get a scrumptious dessert. And what would that be? A big bowl of spinach, extra yum!—John Peters, New York Public Library

Wendy Mass’s A Mango-Shaped Space (Little, Brown, 2003) is a funny, touching, and fascinating tale of self-discovery and self-acceptance. Thirteen-year-old Mia has synesthesia, a rare neurological condition that causes her to see colors in sounds, numbers, and letters. But after she’s called a “freak” in third grade, she keeps her condition a secret. Mia’s struggle with feeling different has great appeal for all those middle schoolers who feel different, too. This book, popular with both boys and girls, flies right off the shelf.—Connie Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

Thirteen voices combine to narrate Allan Wolf’s amazing New Found Land: Lewis & Clark’s Voyage of Discovery (Candlewick, 2004). Most of this tale is presented in verse, although there are extracts from Lewis’s and Clark’s actual journals and a Newfoundland dog offers a running commentary on his human companions. The riveting nature of the journey itself and the assuredness of Wolf’s writing make for a stirring and provocative work of historical fiction.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY

Being a big brother isn’t easy (trust me!), and it’s also not easy to be a little brother (so mine says). Of course, siblings can still love each other, as Jack and Kenny certainly do in Not Me! (Dutton, 2001) by Nigel McMullen. This charming picture book has it all: great illustrations and text, diaper humor, and a satisfying, happy ending. Basically, it’s a boy-appealing book that’s funny, warm, and reassuring.—Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library

Oscar’s Half Birthday (Candlewick, 2005), author-illustrator Bob Graham’s joyful account of a baby’s six-month birthday, overflows with infectious good humor. Nothing momentous happens—an urban family goes to the park for a celebratory picnic—but the love they have for each other is palpable, and there’s a wonderful sense of community as everyone in the park joins in singing “Happy Birthday” to the oblivious baby. Graham’s illustrations are full of marvelous details to pore over, and the text is perfect for reading aloud. The fact that the family is biracial is incidental; what’s important is the warm depiction of a family enjoying one perfect afternoon.—Terri Schmitz, Children’s Book Shop, Brookline, MA

Although Phillip Hoose’s boyhood memoir, Perfect, Once Removed: When Baseball Was All the World to Me (Walker, 2006), is set in the 1950s, today’s teens (especially guys) won’t have any trouble relating to it. The “Perfect” of the title refers to the author’s father’s cousin, who turns out to be (shock of shocks) New York Yankee legend Don Larsen, the only man who has pitched a perfect game in the World Series. Every detail of this baseball-obsessed boy’s life is right down the middle of the plate, and the dialogue totally cracked me up.—Nick Glass, TeachingBooks.net

From its attention-grabbing title to its obscure subject (the ivory-billed woodpecker), The Race to Save the Lord God Bird (Farrar, 2004) presents a compelling introduction to how everything is so interconnected. Phillip Hoose’s accessible text shows how critically important habitat protection is to the preservation of species and how such diverse matters as hat fashions and politics have conjoined to doom this once plentiful and majestic bird. But wait… here’s some late-breaking news. Soon after the book’s publication, it was learned that the declaration of the bird’s demise was premature. Huzzah! Hope springs eternal, even though this amazing chronicle cautions against undue optimism.—Joel Shoemaker, South East Junior High, Iowa City, IA

Illustrator Ryan Price exhumes Poe’s gothic poem in The Raven (Kids Can, 2006) and infuses it with a murky luminosity and an unnerving rendering of madness. Crosshatched ink prints, sepia tones, and disorienting fishbowl perspectives bring the poem’s compulsive reiterations, intoxicating cadence, and warped sensibility to life—and teens will giddily jitter with each nervous tick.—Shelley Huntington, New York Public Library

In Janet McNaughton’s dystopian novel The Secret Under My Skin (Eos, 2005), a tormented child clings to her name—the only knowledge of her past that she possesses. The year is 2368, and Blay lives in a world where technology is the enemy and knowledge is insidious. Blamed for an environmental disaster that resulted in a new Dark Age, scientists are now feared and oppressed. Reminiscent of Lois Lowry’s The Giver, this provocative tale of a possible future is a fine balance of sci-fi and passion.—Janet Thompson, Chicago Public Library

Timothy Pope visits the park with his new telescope and sees something that just might be… a shark! Nick Sharratt’s Shark in the Park (Random/David Fickling Bks., 2002) demands audience involvement, and, of course, that’s why children love it so much. And it’s just a little bit scary—another attraction for four- and five-year-olds. Oh, yes, and it invites the children to shout, too. It’s fun to begin the book by reading the back cover, which immediately engages young listeners with “Is there really a shark in the park? Go on, be brave, open the book and see!”—Nell Colburn, Multnomah County Library, OR

There are several picture books that deal with kids’ anger, but Rachel Vail’s Sometimes I’m Bombaloo (Scholastic, 2002) is my favorite because the reality quotient is so high. Vail captures the intensity of emotion that children feel when they’re angry, and then distills it with laughter, while Yumi Heo’s artwork shows not just Katie’s fury, but also her fear of being out of control and remorse.—Ilene Cooper, Booklist

I must have read Daniel San Souci’s Space Station Mars (Tricycle, 2005) to my students a hundred times, and they absolutely adore it. After seeing a scary movie about space invaders, Danny and Bobby turn their clubhouse into Space Station Mars, where they and their friends draw pictures of aliens and search the night sky for spaceships. San Souci gives youngsters permission to look at the world with new eyes and see possibilities that just might save it. And the blending of their imaginary and real worlds is irresistible.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

Set in Gaza City in 1988, Cathryn Clinton’s A Stone in My Hand (Candlewick, 2002) tells the story of Malaak, a Palestinian girl, and her family who live under Israeli military occupation. The young girl’s narrative captures the experience and the never-ending cycle of anger and retaliation. The Palestinians are diverse in religion and politics, even within Malaak’s family. What’s great here is that Clinton gets beyond any simplistic political message, and her book is bound to spark debate wherever there is passionate concern about the Middle East.—Hazel Rochman, Booklist

A Story for Bear (Harcourt, 2002) by Dennis Haseley is a gentle, sweet tale about the pleasures of books and friendship. Artist Jim LaMarche’s soft, golden-toned illustrations complement the story perfectly. I used to feel pretty silly, because I got teary every time I read the book or described it to a customer—until I realized that it affected most people in exactly the same way. This is a great read-aloud, but watch out for the lump in your throat at the end!—Ellen Richmond, Children’s Book Cellar, Waterville, ME

Mary Hoffman’s “Stravaganza” series—City of Masks (2002), City of Stars (2003), and City of Flowers (2005, all Bloomsbury)—combines fantasy, historical fiction, and a ripping good plot. Both contemporary Britain and Renaissance Italy—actually, a slightly alternative Italianate country—are so fully realized and the quests of the modern and historical characters so compelling that I’ve had to talk kids through the brief waiting period between volumes of the trilogy.—Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia

In Kyoko Ariyoshi’s Swan (CMX, 2004), a classic shojo, or manga aimed at adolescent girls, Masumi is an aspiring dancer from a backwater Japanese town. Although she has the talent and determination to become a prima ballerina, her technique is flawed. Will Masumi’s perseverance pay off? Will she fulfill her dreams? This 21-volume series was originally published in Japan in the late 1970s (so far, 11 volumes are in English), and its stunning art and addictive plots continue to make it a best seller there.—Cara Kinsey, St. George Library Center, Staten Island, NY

Told in alternating points of view, John Smelcer’s The Trap (Holt, 2006) is the story of an Alaskan Native grandfather who is caught in one of his own traps and his grandson who worries but tragically delays coming to his rescue. Smelcer has crafted a novel of haunting paradoxes: horror and beauty, ancient legend and contemporary reality, age and youth, love and violence, courage and fear, the metal snare from which the grandfather cannot free himself and the dead-end village that would entrap his grandson’s future. The prose is piercing and spare; the effect is flawless and unforgettable.—Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT

Published to great reviews but no awards, Peter Sís’s The Tree of Life (Farrar/Frances Foster Bks., 2003) confounded those who wanted a straightforward explanation of evolution. Instead, the book is a remarkable joining of two imaginations, Sís’s and Darwin’s, hard at work to show us that scientific investigation is anything but straightforward. It instead requires the intense scrutiny of apparently disparate phenomena—just like this book.—Roger Sutton, The Horn Book

In Up Before Daybreak (Scholastic, 2006), Deborah Hopkinson does a fine job of explaining the human cost of producing cotton cloth. Many of our students know about slavery, but far fewer know the stories of mill workers or the children and adults who toiled long hours as sharecroppers in the post-Civil War South. The history is made palpable through the voices of the laborers and the haunting archival photos of children at work.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, Rolla, MO

Richard Mosher’s Zazoo (Clarion, 2001) is the story of a Vietnamese girl who lives with her adoptive French grandfather. Exquisitely written, quietly moving, it’s one of those books that swirls around you like a velvet cloak. A visit by a mysterious boy on a bicycle starts Zazoo on a quest for her identity and the answers to questions she’s never really known to ask. As layers are removed, the mystery deepens and the patient reader is rewarded many times over. Mystery, romance, cultural identity, intergenerational devotion, poetry, and history—it has it all.—Karen Breen, Kirkus Reviews

Barry Lyga’s The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (Houghton, 2006) is a story about bullies, misfits, finding one’s own path, and along the way, losing a friend… or two. It’s also a tale about finding a way to fit in. The story is told in a voice that’s fresh and funny and accessible to teens. It’s impossible not to have empathy for the protagonist because he’s so well written—even though he’s unlike you and me. Here’s a book that both manga and fiction readers will enjoy, and that’s a hard task to master.—Emily Garrett, NorthGarlandHigh School, Garland, TX

Author-illustrator Peter Catalanotto understands the power of an adult’s words to crush or nourish a child’s spirit. In Emily’s Art (S & S/Atheneum/A Richard Jackson Bk., 2001), an imaginative girl has a negative experience with an art contest that’s run by the principal’s mother, whose “cousin is married to an artist.” Like his protagonist, Catalanotto is adept at depicting a character’s interior world in fresh and provocative watercolor, gouache, and acrylic spreads. Humor and subtlety in the satisfying conclusion lead readers to believe that when it comes to aesthetic matters, it’s ultimately important to trust one’s own instincts.—Wendy Lukehart, D.C. Public Library, Washington, D.C.

The ingenious photos in Francois Robert’s Find a Face (Chronicle, 2003) show how everyday objects can look just like faces if you view them from the right perspective. The selected objects even have personalities: there’s a sad alarm clock; a stylish, long-haired mop; and an astonished cardboard box. Our kids have great fun trying to spot the individual facial features, and identifying the actual items can be equally challenging. Best of all, even after the book has been closed, conversations often abound between children and adults as they try to find the ears, eyes, and mouths that may be hidden in the objects they see all around them.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR

Ellen Klages’s The Green Glass Sea (Viking, 2006) presents an intriguing look at WWII from a child’s perspective, about facts that have been mostly unknown by the general public.—Chauni Haslet, All for Kids Books and Music, Seattle, WA

Rick Geary’s The Murder of Abraham Lincoln (ComicsLit, 2005) is an absorbing nonfiction story presented as a graphic novel. Tracing the events leading up to President Lincoln’s assassination, the concise text uses old-fashioned, formal language. While the accompanying black-and-white drawings may look traditional at first glance, they’re actually thoroughly modern—using cinematic techniques to show the action from above, behind, and straight on. Overall, the inherent drama of the events and the well-chosen visual details will whet readers’ curiosity. And given our culture’s fascination with true-crime stories, this tale is bound to appeal to reluctant readers, too.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest’s Once I Ate a Pie (HarperCollins/Joanna Cotler, 2006) is a collection of funny, empathetic poems told from the point of view of 16 distinctive dogs, including Gus the German Sheppard, who likes to herd people together, and Lucy, who was adopted from a shelter and now claims everything is “Mine.” At my school, students especially love the Westie twins, Tillie and Maude, one of whom prefers to go to the bathroom in private places, while the other says, “I don’t care where I do it. Yesterday I did it in the living room.”—Lisa Von Drasek, Bank StreetCollege of Education, New York City

Gerald Morris’s The Quest of the Fair Unknown (Houghton, 2006) follows an obscure knight’s quest for the Holy Grail. Beaufils (a footnote in Arthurian legend) has been raised by his mother deep in the forest and hasn’t had contact with human society. In fact, he has no knowledge of class distinctions, private propriety, economics, and religion. As our good-hearted hero encounters each of these elements, we’re treated to a hilarious, thought-provoking tale that’s sure to snare both younger and older readers.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

With all of the buzz surrounding Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series, it’s surprising that there hasn’t been more buzz for Anne Ursu’s wonderful “The Cronus Chronicles,” beginning with The Shadow Thieves(S & S/Atheneum, 2006). Incorporating plenty of action and humor, Ursu weaves a wonderful tale of two 13-year-old cousins, Charlotte and Zee, who are out to save the world from a mysterious sickness—and a really nasty guy named Phil! It’s often difficult to find fantasy titles whose protagonists are people of color, like Zee, who’s of African decent.—Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH

As a newborn, Annika was abandoned in a country church and discovered by Ellie and Sigrid, the cook and housemaid, respectively, for three kindly professors who share a house in Vienna. In Eva Ibbotson’s The Star of Kazan (Dutton, 2004), Annika’s childhood is a happy one, despite the neighbors’ snobbery. But when the great-aunt of one of those neighbors unexpectedly leaves the girl an inheritance and a woman claiming to be her birth mother shows up, Annika’s life suddenly changes—and not for the better. This is one of the most breathless reads since Joan Aiken’s The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.—Ann Welton, HelenB.StaffordElementary School, Tacoma, WA

Set in a quiet Florida town, Kate DiCamillo’s The Tiger Rising (Candlewick Press, 2001) brings to life a rich cast of characters, including a scrappy girl named after the Sistine Chapel; a gold-chain-wearing, toothpick-chewing boss; and a depressed 12-year-old boy who happens to find a caged tiger. My fourth graders love the believable characters and the way the author captures the nuances of small-town life. I use this story to discuss many of the themes that are important to my students, such as bullying, loss, and the personal cost of holding back emotions.—Nicki Clausen-Grace, Carillon Elementary School, Oviedo, FL

Celia Rees’s The Wish House (Candlewick, 2006) is a richly atmospheric, postmodern story that beautifully blends Romanticism, the Gothic novel, mystery, and bildungsromans into a narrative structure that emulates an art-gallery installation. Set in Wales during the 1970s, the story focuses on Richard, a lonely, naive 15-year old whose life changes dramatically when he meets the eccentric, bohemian Dalton family. Rees creates an extraordinary sense of place and time, as she unflinchingly explores a boy’s first love set against a dark backdrop of artistry, drugs, free love, and witchcraft. I can’t think of another YA novel that so aptly chronicles a boy’s sexual awakening.—Philip Crawford, EssexHigh School, Essex Junction, VT

Author Information
Rick Margolis is SLJ’s executive editor.

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