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27 June 2008 I don't know how many of you will be reading this now the winners have been announced, but I wanted to pay tribute to the 2008 winners. I'm so proud of the books we chose as winners this year. The quality of writing and illustration is so strong. Here Lies Arthur is a book with considerable strength. One of the things I found reading this book was that I discovered more the more I read. As a judge, we have to read the books more than once, and on each reading there was more to find. On the first reading I was carried along by the strength of the story, and on the subsequent readings the strength of the style of writing stood out. It's a book with great layers and great depth. Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears again is a book with a lot of depth. Each time you read the story there is more to find. There is so much detail, but it isn't spared. Every detail feeds into the story and relates to the theme of the mouse and his fears, which helps to strengthen the main story and also adds humour to the tale. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make the awards ceremony this year, which I was so upset about. However, during the ceremony the judge's video was played and the awards were given to Philip Reeve and Emily Gravett. The 2008 Awards page shows you to the videos and photos from the ceremony. There will be an audio link on there soon. Don't forget, if you're still reading the shortlisted books you can use the shadowing site to post reviews, and also have a look at the Living Archive for past winners and to tag your favourite books. I hope you've enjoyed being a part of the CKG awards process and enjoyed reading and discussing all the books. I've certainly enjoyed being a part of the judging process and talking to shadowing groups about how they feel about the shortlisted books. It will be interesting for me next year not being a part of the process – I’m going to try to guess the winners and see if I can work out who it’s going to be from my 2 years’ experience as a judge. 22 June 2008 So, the wait is nearly over. The books have been read, the discussions have been had and the reviews have been written… One of the things I love about being a judge is that every school I visit has a different idea about who they want to win, and yet they all have exactly the same passion about their favourite reads. It makes the process really interesting and the wait for the winners really exciting. One of the great perks to being a judge is the medal awards ceremony. Each of the judges is asked to be a minder for one of the shortlisted authors or illustrators, which means we look after them for the day and make sure they have everything they need before going into the ceremony. During the ceremony the judges’ video is shown, which includes a selection of judges talking about the shortlisted books. This is the 2nd year I’ve done the video, and it’s a nerve wracking experience (especially as we get to see it for the first time on a huge screen in front of a room full of people; not to mention the authors and illlustrators whose books we’re talking about). The rest of the ceremony is not unlike the Oscars in a way – the winners are announced and awarded with their medals, then they talk about how they were inspired to write and how much the award means to them. It’s a fantastic atmosphere, and a great culmination of all the work the judges have done to get to a winner for each of the awards. It’s a strange feeling for me now being a 2nd year judge. The judging is done over two years, so each of the judges is either a 1st year or 2nd year judge. This Thursday will mean the end to my two years as judge, and I think it will be a bittersweet experience. I’ve loved judging the book prizes so much, but it’s been an exhausting experience. Over the two year period, I have read and reviewed 72 books, and this hasn’t included the books I’ve read anyway (the months between the 2007 and 2008 awards I was reading books I thought would be on the longlist for the 2008 awards - one of the useful things I learned would help after being a 1st year judge). So, I wonder how many shadowing groups will be watching to find out the winner on Thursday? I hope all of you! As a judge I meet lots of different shadowing groups, and without doubt the question I am asked the most is who I want to win. I find this a really hard question as I generally know the winners when this is asked, but it’s interesting that so many young people try to bribe, coerce and trick me into telling them the winner (it won’t work!!!) It shows how excited everyone is, and how much the awards mean to them, which I think is great. I hope you are happy with the books we have chosen as the winners for the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway awards. I’m really proud of our shortlist this year – I think they have all been very strong candidates. It’s a very exciting week, and Thursday will be a very exciting day!!! 19 June 2008 Apache by Tanya Landman WARNING!!! May contain spoilers! This is an incredibly strong story, and incredibly beautifully written. Siki is a very strong character. She is dignified and proud, but not arrogant. She epitomises the Apache ideals – saying only what needs to be said and acting only when her actions are necessary. Her strength comes through wanting to avenge her brother Tazhi’s killing at first, and so I expected this to be a story of revenge and triumph. However, the story becomes much more than that. Siki avenges Tazhi’s killing half way through the story, and so this becomes more a story of her growth and finding her place in the world, which makes it a much more satisfying read. I enjoyed Siki’s relationship with Golahka. In a way he was like a father figure, but I felt like it was much more than this. Everybody in the tribe saw Siki in a poor light. Women couldn’t understand why she would want to be a warrior, men couldn’t take her seriously as a warrior and thought she was ‘playing’, or else saw her as a threat. Golahka, however, was at first amused by her determination, but also was willing to give her opportunities to move herself forward and prove her worth. This shows his strength, compassion and love far more effectively than words would have. I found this to be a very seductive read. The language is beautiful and stylised. The metaphors are all relating to nature, which reflect the Apache ideals. There is a very consistent language used throughout the book. The scenes are described in such great detail that they are easy to visualise. This story made me very angry. Of course it is an invented story, but the bibliography shows it has been well researched, and there is no denying that the Native Americans were driven out of their homes by the English settlers. The heart of this story is that of cruelty for no reason, but I never felt that this message was preachy. It is a very one-sided view, but then it is in 1st person, so that is to be expected. This gave me a greater understanding of the Apache way of life, and I always enjoy books I feel I’ve learned from. Ultimately, I think the essence of this story is that what makes you Apache is what you do, not who you are. Calling yourself Apache is not enough. Finding your place in the world you live in is more important that the place you’ve come from, and I think this applies to any young person from any background. 18 June 2008 The Lost Happy Endings illustrated by Jane Ray This book is rich in details, textures and colour. The use of gold is used fantastically well to add richness and an ethereal otherworldliness to the picture. Light and dark is used well to convey danger and darker elements, especially in the page with the burning witch. I find it interesting that the flames are black, and the background orange, which is a negative image of that which you would expect. Jub is a beautiful character. She comes across as incredibly humble and unassuming, and yet her job is so important to so many children, so the weight of the world is quite literally on her shoulders when she loses the happy endings. I think this comes over very clearly, and it helps the reader to empathise with her character and feel the loss and worry she feels. There is a great contrast between good and bad. When you see Jub in her home there is a lot of colour and clutter, showing the things she has collected and possibly reflecting the stories she has been surrounded by. There are lots of nature elements around her, and all the birds are pointing towards her, as if they are comfortable with her and looking at her. It’s a very secure feeling environment. Later, in contrast we see the witch, also with a round opening to her home, but living in a dark barren cave with bones strung around, emphasising the desolate bleak home she has. There is also a scene where the birds are fleeing from her and Jub, reflecting how they are terrified of the witch. Another great contrast is on the last page. The storyteller in the hut is very human looking in comparison to Jub and the witch. I don’t mean that Jub doesn’t look human, but with her 6 fingers and large eyes she feels ethereal and bohemian and is a real contrast, emphasising her role in the fairy tales and happy endings. One of the fantastic qualities of this book for me is that despite the length of the story you can easily read the story from just the pictures, which is a real strength of the illustrations. 17 June 2008 Ruby Red by Linzi Glass WARNING!!! May contain spoilers! This book really looks at tragedy in a very accessible way. Ruby has a great deal to cope with, having to keep her family’s priorities secret and falling for somebody she shouldn’t. I found it interesting that there were so many levels of prejudice, with even Ruby’s parents being unsure about her relationships with Johann and Loretta despite their broad views. There are several triangles at heart of this story. One is Ruby, Johann and Julian. Julian feels the Afrikaans are his enemy, and can’t understand Ruby wanting to be with one, outlying his own prejudices. However, he is also hurt that Ruby hasn’t mentioned him to Johann, making it clear that he may feel more for Ruby than he thinks she feels for him. Another triangle is between Ruby & her parents. They have a very close relationship because they are living very separate lives to the other people in their affluent community, but they all have different roles to play. Ruby’s father fights injustice through his law work and her mother does through her art gallery. Ruby, however, fights through refusing to be bound by stereotypes and prejudice, and seeing everyone on face value no matter what their background may be. There is also a very clear triangle between blacks, whites and Afrikaans people, emphasised through their prejudices of each other. Ruby’s parents’ cars reflect their personalities well. Her father drives a Volvo, whereas her mother drives a champagne Jaguar. I think this is a great reflection on their personalities and ideals – a practical car and one which is strong but beautiful. There is powerful writing throughout the story. It is especially strong with the alternating of scenes during riots. This heightens the tension and keeps the pace of the story very fast. Above all, I think this story provokes discussion, but not at the expense of the plot. There are many issues within the story that the reader can identify with, and not just prejudice; first love, finding your place in the world, friendship and family values. 16 June 2008 Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett There is so much to see in this book. There is fantastic attention to detail. The book offers a constant examination and exploration to the reader, encouraging them to have a real connection with the book. The use of fold-out pages and hidden detail encourage the reader to touch the book and interact with the book, even if it is a story they are having read to them by somebody else. Little Mouse is a great character. His fears reflect those of everyone, as most people will at some point in their life have an irrational fear, so he is immediately accessible and easy to identify with. His stance is well drawn – his whiskers perk up if he’s happy (as in the last scene when he sees that somebody is afraid of him) and they quiver when he’s upset. His gnawing on the pencil is also a constant clue to the reader that he is becoming ever more anxious. It’s a little like the human equivalent of chewing your nails. It’s easy to become very emotionally involved with him. Scale is used well to make Little Mouse feel very small when he his afraid. One of my favourite pages is the black page. I think it’s a combination of the matt finish and the tail you can just about see on the page, but it comes across incredibly well and really invites the reader to wonder what’s within the darkness that could be so scary. Eye movement and eye contact is also well portrayed, and as you see Little Mouse cautiously looking into the darkness, your eyes are drawn to the place he’s looking, so that we try to see what he possibly sees. There is great humour in the details in this book (such as the map and the receipts), and it’s a book that readers of all ages can find more in the more they look through it. 10 June 2008 Crusade by Elizabeth Laird WARNING!!! May contain spoilers! There are two stories within Crusade, that of Adam and Salim. Initially their stories are in alternate chapters, gradually inter-weaving as the boys become physically closer together. As a reader, you want them to meet and learn from each other. They both have stereotyped views of the other’s culture, and in getting to know each other they re-evaluate their views and learn to see each other as more than just their stereotype. Their characters develop believably and react well to their surroundings. There are great parallels between the boys. Salim wants to prove himself and is keen to be a Mamluk but can’t, whereas Adam is required to be a fighter once his heritage is revealed but doesn’t want to do this. Their quests also have parallels – Salim is going to the holy land because his family have sent him there and he doesn’t really want to go, whereas Adam is going out of a duty to his mother. These experiences help them to understand each other, but also show the contrasts between their characters. There is an even-handed approach to each side of the story, although I do feel that Adam was challenged more about his preconceptions of Salim’s culture than Salim was of Adam’s. This story has a lot of impact not only as a historical novel but also as something with a great deal of significance today and should challenge the views readers may have of Muslim culture in an intelligent and reasoned way. The atmosphere in the camps is very well described. I really felt I was a part of the landscape. The heat, frustration and anticipation is built up in a highly believable way, and I thought the mounting tension was captured well with the phrase ‘Salim felt it crackle in the quarrels’. The sense of an epic journey was captured really well. I would previously have thought that crusaders travelled straight to their destination, but in reality they spent years in camps in a stale-mate situation, which I would never have imagined. I felt the ending was very well written. I was anticipating a formulaic backlash from Robert or Jacques as Adam got on the boat to return to England, and it was refreshing to find this didn’t happen as I think it would have detracted from the significance of the departure. 07 June 2008 Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett Despite ‘Monkey’ being a toy, there is a great relationship between these two characters – and also a relationship between Monkey and the reader, through his despairing looks as the little girl drags him through all these different adventures. Monkey’s limbs reflect his mood well – there is a very fluid feel to the movements of the characters. The little girl’s character came through straight away from the endpapers, where she’s struggling to get her tights up. She’s obviously trying to do this very quickly to enable her to go out and play, so her impatience and excitement come across well. The movements of the characters and typography reflect the animals well. On the kangaroo page the words are bouncing; on the bats page they’re hanging, etc. The animals have very clear parent and child relationships that young children will identify well with. Monkey looks fed up right up to the page where they go to see monkeys, when he’s suddenly smiling. This adds to his character and charm, as it shows what he’s interested in. There is a very limited palate, which makes the pictures uncluttered and draws the reader’s attention directly to the characters. The use of white space encourages the reader to focus solely on the child and her imagination, bringing you straight into her imaginative world. There is a great energy to the drawings throughout the book, and this contrasts well to the slump at the end when the little girl has worn herself out. There is also great humour, such as the monkey who is confused that he finds a banana skin, and the other monkey who has taken the banana, then the continuation of this theme on the last page when he is trying to steal the banana from the sleeping girl. There is great charm to this story, as well as energy and warmth. It’s a fantastic book for sharing, especially with the repetition of the ‘monkey and me…’ phrase and guessing which animals they are going to see next from their actions. The animals and girl are drawn in a realistic way, but also with the charm of cartoons. The anthropomorphism of the animals make them appealing through their human characteristics (such as smiling and eye contact), but they still have a charm and likeability that makes them warm and engaging to the reader. 05 June 2008 Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve WARNING!!! May contain spoilers! This book is a great reflection on the power of the modern-day spin doctor in politics and how propaganda can emerge. The parallels between the characters in the story and those we know through folklore are explored in a highly believable way. I really enjoyed the ways good characters could be bad and bad characters good – it really turned everything we think we know about Arthur on its head. Another parallel with current life is the threat of the Saxons. This in many way s is similar to terrorism of today. The Saxons are never a direct threat as they are never seen or even seem to be directly attacking Arthur or any other rulers, and yet Arthur is put forward as somebody who can defeat them and their threat is constantly reminded to his people so that they will see Arthur as their saviour. The story also explores how people generally believe what they are told, and a lot of the time would rather believe in a story rather than the truth – even if that truth is right in front of their eyes (such as the lady in the lake). The setting for this story was incredibly well written. The language and actions of characters are very much of the period. There is a good sense of place through the setting and atmosphere portrayed through the language. There was great tragedy within the story – especially as much of the tragedy was as a consequence of the stories Myrddin was spinning, so were essentially preventable, such as the attack by the Irishman. The ‘love story’ between Gwyna and Myrddin was incredibly touching. It was only towards the end of the story that we realised that Gwyna was not just a tool for him, but somebody he really cared about. It makes the reader re-evaluate how we feel about him as a character. The language in this story is stunningly written. It is rich with details and metaphors. The narration is a good tool for getting to know the characters as a young girl would have seen them, especially as her early experiences with Myrddin and his ‘stories’ helps her to see Arthur as the tyrant he is at a time when everyone else is happy to believe in the stories. 02 June 2008 Banana! by Ed Vere This book is a great example of how a large amount of information can be conveyed through very simple illustrations. We’re led into the story from the start page, where the monkey sees the banana with the author’s name on the sticker. On the title page the banana is the largest item on the right, emphasising its importance. There isn’t a background to clutter the pictures, so we are always aware that the monkeys and the banana is what is important about the story. The monkey who has the banana is nearly always larger and on the right hand page, which not only encourages the reader to turn the page, but also emphasises the importance of that character. Perspective is portrayed fantastically, especially as there is nothing in the background to compare the characters to. There is a great vibrancy to this book, and it feels like the images are moving all the time. The background colours reflect the mood of the monkeys, making the colour a part of the story. Text is used well – using capitalisation and spiky characters to represent the feelings of the monkeys. Feelings are explored very well, and show how you don’t need words as much as facial expressions and gestures to convey a message. There is a great relationship between red and blue monkey, and they play off each other’s reactions and emotions in a highly realistic way. This is a story that even very young children can understand, but it is much more complex than might initially seem. It is a very original book, and manages to discuss issues of manners and friendship without ever being preachy.
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