Mock Printz 2010 - pt. 2

On January 16th, I attended my second Mock Printz workshop. Sponsored by the Oregon Young Adult Network (OYAN) and hosted at the Central branch of Multnomah County Library, this workshop was the inspiration and model for the FVRL Mock Printz I started with Jen Studebaker two years ago in Washington.

This year's book list included the following titles:

Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Crazy Beautiful - Lauren Baratz-Logsted
tales of the MADMAN Underground: (An Historical Romance 1973) - John Barnes
All the Broken Pieces - Ann Burg
if I stay - Gayle Forman
North of Beautiful - Justina Chen Headley
The Miles Between - Mary E. Pearson
Marcelo in the Real World - Francisco X. Stork
Heroes of the Valley - Jonathan Stroud
The Eternal Smile: Three Stories - Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim

I managed to read all but two of the books on this list. Back in October, I started Crazy Beautiful but got distracted by preparing a presentation for the WLMA Fall Conference and then just never got back to finishing this YA romance. With Heroes of the Valley, distraction was not the problem. Whenever I flip past the title page of a book and see a list of characters, my mental umpire (who resembles John McSherry) yells, "Strike One." If the list of characters is followed by a map of the literary world the reader is about to enter, McSherry lets loose with a "Strike Two." With an 0-2 count, I flipped past the map and started in on a "tale of yore" only to find myself walking back to the dugout with no desire to have another turn at bat.

So, as the workshop began and I faced the group I had been chosen to lead, I confessed to my literary sins of omission. My group members (two teens, one public librarian, and one library school student) were quick to offer their absolution. Newly pardoned, I launched into our small group discussion of the book list. What I found amazing about the group I was with this year was that, for the most part, we all had the same three titles as our Top 3. All five of us chose tales of the MADMAN Underground: (An Historical Romance 1973) as our winner.



We loved that the novel had such a strong story, setting, and voice, as well as, extremely developed characters that resonated with the reader. Wintergirls was our second place finisher. This novel of the horror caused and experienced by two teenage girls suffering from anorexia and bulimia generated a lot of debate over whether the novel provided too much detail on the symptoms of the eating disorders and would be viewed by some as a guidebook on ways to become thin. Ultimately, we felt the book would serve as a reminder for the incredible pressure teenage girls face and the lengths some girls will go to find a way to cope with the despair they feel.

After the final voting took place, Marcelo in the Real World was chosen as the winner with Wintergirls and tales of the MADMAN Underground as 2nd/3rd runners-up/honor books. I was really hoping that the Barnes' book would come out on top (as Karl had replaced Marcelo in my literary heart), but I was fine with Marcelo taking the prize.

Mock Printz 2010 - pt. 1

On January 9th, Jennifer Studebaker, the fabulous Coordinator for Fort Vancouver Regional Library’s Youth Adult Services, and I hosted our Second Annual Mock Printz Workshop. Clark County-area librarians, teachers and teens spent the afternoon discussing and, ultimately, recognizing a book that they felt was the best young adult title for the previous year.

The following YA novels were the titles selected for discussion at our workshop:

Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
if I stay - Gayle Forman
Liar - Justine Larbalestier
Andromeda Klein - Frank Portman
Punkzilla - Adam Rapp
When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead
Marcelo in the Real World - Francisco X. Stork
Tales from Outer Suburbia - Shaun Tan
Distant Waves: a Novel of the Titanic - Suzanne Weyn
The Monstrumologist - Rick Yancey

This year's workshop saw a dramatic 400% increase in the number of teens that participated! My math skills aren't the greatest (click here to see my favorite t-shirt slogan regarding my attitude toward all things mathematical); but with ten more teens added to last year's three returning participants, I am pretty sure that percentage is correct. I have to give partial credit for this happy upsurge to my Union High School colleague who designed an entire thematic unit for her Honors English students that provided them with the opportunity to select Mock Printz participation as an end-of-semester final assignment.

So, what were the conclusions that the librarians, teachers and teens came to regarding some of the most outstanding YA literature published in 2009?

And the award goes to . . .



I was quite shocked that this title won. So much buzz had been humming around Marcelo in the Real World that I was sure that would win. On reflection, though, I could see the appeal of this gothic historical fiction title. Paper-ephemera geek that I am, I was initially drawn to this book for the 19th century scientific engravings that cover the endpapers and are sprinkled throughout the opening pages of the novel. Also, I am always a sucker for novels that title each chapter as I feel this sets a tone for the reading that will follow. Finally, I find the device of an author claiming to be merely the editor of a found manuscript quite charming. Taking all these things into consideration, I am pleased that a fellow Floridian was chosen as our winner (even if he does plan for the book to be the first in a series when I would have loved to just have the story end with the monstrumologist laughing at the possibilities the arawakus Infestation might bring).

Honor Books:



The Honor Book winners seemed predictable as these were the titles whose characters stayed with me throughout most of last year and who I kept returning to when thinking of my "Top 10". Both informative in their own ways of enlightening the reader to the reality of functioning with an "excessive attempt at cognitive order," in Marcelo's case; and battling an eating disorder in Lia's, these novels should be required high school reading.

My personal top 3 for the workshop were 1) Marcelo in the Real World 2) Tales from Outer Suburbia and 3) Andromeda Klein (which left a few participants calling for my blood as I was the one who chose this title for the short list of 10 - I will save my proselytizing on Portman's prose for a post on a different day, though.)

Plans are already afoot for Mock Printz 2011. Happy reading!

Channeling Sally Bowles

Every January 1st, I pull out my Moleskine journal and write down resolutions I would like to accomplish in the coming year. The number one spot for the past 14 years (!) has always been occupied by the resolution to tame the paper tiger that has resided in my house since eloping with my favorite redhead to the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas and moving across the country to Portland, Oregon. Time will tell if I am finally able to accomplish this feat and have my long awaited “Summer of George”.

Coming in a close second on this year’s list was to follow through on posting to this blog. I have a tendency to start a mental post (this usually takes place on my work commute between Oregon and Washington) then fail to put keyboard strokes to computer screen.

After giving a lot of thought as to why I have such trouble posting, I came to the conclusion that being an anal-retentive wordsmith definitely has its disadvantages. I am searching for a way to let go of the angst I feel when electronically capturing and sharing my reflections on life and literature with the cyberverse. Having said that, I am sure that, even if I become more proficient at posting, I will still have the tendency to obsessively edit and rewrite; but here’s to kicking the fine-tuning fixation while still providing the goods.