LibraryNotes By ErikaKosin April 24, 2009

Juvenile and Young Adult Crossover Fiction
Since most juvenile fiction collections in public libraries are meant for children under the age of twelve, many books written for kids 10 years and older might seem to be a little mature for the children’s room. These titles are what children’s librarians lovingly call the crossover books; titles that can appear in either the children’s or Young Adult collections of the library and sometimes even both. These books usually contain subject matter that appeals to the late elementary age set as well as those children in middle school. For those watchful parents of strong readers who want to make their selections form the Young Adult collection, books found in both the YA and Children’s sections might help serve as a guide, and since many of these crossover books have won and award or appear on the Middle School Battle of the Books List, there are many places to start looking.

So which Newbery medal, a literary award given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and Honor book winners can be found in both the Juvenile and Young Adult Sections of the library? Some of them include:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman – winner of the 2009 Newbery medal it tells the story of a boy named Nobody who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard. Many librarians across the country applauded this years winner because not only is it a well written piece of literature, but it contains an exciting story that appeals to both boys and girls. This book, however, is not for the easily frightened child as it does contain some scary scenes.

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins – A coming of age story, this 2006 Newbery winner follows the lives of three adolescents, Debbie, Hector and Lenny, as their paths cross each other throughout the spring and summer as each looks for love and meaning in their lives,
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldneko – Imagine you are twelve years old and have an autistic older sister who needs special attention, only it is 1935 and people don’t understand the disability. Now imagine all this while living on Alcatraz because your father was hired as a guard, and yes, Al Capone, the most notorious criminal of the time, lives there too. This is the premise of this 2005 Newbery honor book that looks at the dynamics of a family as it struggles with the challenges involved with having a disabled child in a time when people were less than understanding.
Holes by Louis Sachlar – Have you ever felt like your family was cursed? Well for Stanley Yelnats it is a fact of life. He even has to do time at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility, as penance for a crime he didn’t commit, and his task, to dig five feet wide by five feet deep holes in the harsh Texas Heat. But everything is not as it seems at Camp Green Lake, and Stanley may just be the one to break his families curse. This 1999 Newbery winner is another enjoyable read that will appeal to both boys and girls.

Library Notes
April 17th, 2009
Susan Triplett

Eastertime Invitation

The season which embraces the most important Christian celebration of the year has fully arrived. What better time to become acquainted with current books on the subject of Christian faith and practice? Whether you come to the library seeking inspiration, challenge, or simply more general knowledge on the topic, RPL offers a number of recent acquisitions which may well leave you with a thirst for more!

Mark Galli’s Beyond Smells & Bells the Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy may seem an unlikely starting point in its obvious specificity. In fact, the author himself notes that he expects his larger audience to be those who already have some experience of liturgical worship. Yet it seems that his thorough and thoughtful treatment is as much designed for those, no matter their backgrounds, who would like to learn about the Christian liturgy – the body of prayers and services that make up the public Sunday worship service in many mainline churches. He provides an able introduction to what these traditions are, where they come from, and what they signify. In the face of a large world trend to dressed down, spontaneous, socially relevant worship, Mr Galli’s book provides a rich counter-cultural response.

Divided into fourteen chapters, complete with three appendixes, this slim volume is packed. Sub-titles to pique the reader’s interest include: “How the Liturgy Draws Us into Community”, “The Liturgy as a Mystery Full of Meaning”, “How the Liturgy Is More Relevant Than We Can imagine”, and “How the Liturgy Changes Us at the Very Core of Our Being.” In a culture which so often seems driven by the lust for information, efficiency, and ready comprehension, one of the most persuasive sections may be the chapter in which Galli considers the dilemma of human desire for an understandable god, a god we can master. Here the reader may find that the awesome wonder and truth of God’s Mystery are, paradoxically, beautifully articulated. In fact, the book is laden with paradox, much like Christian faith itself.
This book is occasionally reminiscent of the writings of C.S. Lewis, whom the author, indeed, references. It’s a book which won’t benefit from a quick perusal. It is Christ-centered, Biblically based, and written compellingly in the belief that we are in this world, but not of it.
Care to learn more? See you at the library.