The 2012 Newbery Honors

I looked over the list of 2011 children's books and honestly the pickings were pretty slim. There were some good sequels on the list, but unless a book really really hits Rockstar status I'm going to shy away from praising sequels, and unless I've heard lots and lots of buzz surrounding a book, if I haven't read it I won't be commenting on it. The two honor books from this year were exceedingly short, but very good.

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

A fast peek behind the Iron Curtain. Sasha is completely dedicated to the Communist cause and idolizes his hero Stalin. One day everything changes and we are along for the ride as Sasha begins to realize that maybe Stalin isn't who he believed and maybe there are more shades of grey than he believed. The thing that really ground my gears was how his teacher was depicted. Bad teachers are always such a turn-off and Sasha's teacher has major 1984 vibes going on. Overall a great introduction to life under Stalin and the early days of Communist Russia.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

The story of the fall of Saigon and one Vietnamese family resettling in the USA. The story is told similar to a diary following the course of one year. The fast pace of the story makes it a great introductory text, but I found myself wanting the details and emotions fleshed out more. The narrator is very much the focus of the story and we aren't privy to the thoughts and feelings of anyone else in her family. Still, for its length, it packs a punch and delivers the perfect jumping off place to learn more about this period of American history.

Hmmmm....

Honestly I find these both to be as enjoyable as Dead End in Norvelt. I'm fine with Norvelt winning but I would have been fine with either of these as the winner too.