3EGBERTINA
202O
Asia/North America
Middle East
Syria/ Cinncinatti
Immigrant experience
17 DEC 2022:
a little dull. a little trite. this is the second book in which a teenage girl is kissed unromantically, by an adult male and she suggests something stupid about it being a future promise. VOMIT. nobody thinks stupid crap like that and it seems more suggestive of molestation than something beautiful. cuz females are all just sitting around waiting for men to impose themselves upon them. I'm tempted to knock off half a star just on this nauseating statement alone. it has ruined my whole day.
7EGBERTINA
2021
ASIA
THAILAND
NON-FICTION
29 JUN 2023:
This was interesting enough. I'm not sure what I think of this type of " historical time-line" type of book, yet. I knew nothing about this event, as in 2018, I was living-in with a client that required round the clock care, no breaks, and almost never additional relief caregivers. If any did show up, I had to spend my "free" time shopping for the client or remaining with the client, so that the additional caregiver could do the shopping. It felt weird to read that the whole world knew of this event. I appreciated the author's insights for the target audience. The final rescue was completely unexpected.
While reading, I thought back to the individuals that had fallen into the crevasse on Ranier in 2001. Wondering if any books were written on that event? That would be some heart-wrenching reading, though.
10EGBERTINA
2022:
does the work have merit? - in a modern sort of way.
am i transported? - yes, enough to read it
17 JUN 2023:
not a review: the book is written in that style being called free verse. It is not really my thing, but at least this work was not as obnoxious as I had anticipated. Her story is interesting, but also not deep. I feel it is another work that tells the reader what they are expected to feel, rather than allowing the reader to discover and experience those feelings. I remember feeling relief that I could read this in less than two hours.
11EGBERTINA
2022
North America
Texas
Modern remix of Apache creation tales
384
Jun 2023:
Overall, this was an engaging tale. As is often the case in modern works, either authors and their editors do not know the correct use of the past-participle, or are no longer permitted to suggest it be used, correctly. Could they at least construct such sentences into the past tense, rather than use the past-perfect incorrectly. It sounds so bizarre.
My other objection in the grammar department was the use of plural pronouns for singular pronouns. Now had this been an instance of a person claiming alternative pronouns - it would have at least been comprehensible. However, to randomly refer to a singular hawk as "them" - was distracting. Other singular animals were not "them". (except perhaps an occasional bird)
There was a brief mention that in Apache they used plural pronouns differently - but she did not speak to the reader in Apache nor did she include comprehensive lists of Apache words/grammar. The reader is informed that MC is translating Apache stories into English- which would suggest that the translation follows English rules not Apache. If my grandchildren ever read this book they will never notice, as they have not been taught English grammar, but for adults of a certain age- this will slow down the reading process and sound inelegant.
I didn't always understand the references, but it didn't detract in a huge way. For instance the Catfish- is there a tale that refers to catfish? and are they always antagonistic toward Cotton-mouths? This is not common knowledge for the average reader. The monster/s in the middle of the lake- did the reader need more information about this being? Whatever happened to his siblings?
True to my brain deficiency, however, ... I just went with the story. I was well transported into believing that beings from a mirror world found their way into our world and that a cotton-mouth was a super cute and cuddly character. Not saying that these elements could not have been strengthened for greater effect, however.
AUG 2023:
The story begins with a nine-year-old Nina Arroya in the hospital room of her great-great grandmother Rosita. Nina is attempting to write down/translate Rosita's stories and preserve a lost culture. Some of the phrases are in Lipan Apache and their translation is at times ambiguous and others completely shrouded in the past. Rosita's life and stories become a mystery that Nina hopes to resolve. Across the chapters, Nina writes her story across several years. Between these chapters is the unfolding story of Olie, an animal-person who is able to shift his form between human and cotton-mouth, and dwells in the reflecting world, home of spirits and monsters. Olie (and his mirror-world), presumably, is one of the ancient tales. At the end, the two worlds converge and create a believable circumstance for these origin stories.
This is a fun story that I enjoyed a great deal. I have been tempted at moments to give it four stars, a rating usually reserved for works that I hope to read multiple times. I have not quite decided whether this will make that cut or not.
All the chapters are titled, but not numbered and there is no table of contents
14EGBERTINA
North America
Puerto Rico
Transported? ABSOLUTELY NOT
29 DEC 2023:
This reads like a conversation between two teenagers - minus the second teenager. Those are just the parts that I can understand; then there are all the untranslated exclamations. (so- inclusivity?) Its very sarcastic and filled with a lot of teen groaning. "who cares about quatrains..." bleah.
Nobody cares about quatrains - but then, nobody cares about adolescent free verse either.
So, like basically... OMG... didn't like it; I mean 'didn't like' - like it. "literally" Can we bring back Valley Girl syndrome, now? Did anybody write a book in Valley Girl lingo in the 80's? Gag me with a spoon.
Its just a book about every modern immediately popular trend. Published, maybe. Literature? Hardly.
Award? Sure why not! Whatever happened to claims that the Newbery wasn't about popular literature.
18EGBERTINA
2024
APR 2024:
I did enjoy the book, though I hadn't expected it. Its weird to me to be writing about the pandemic experience- though- i dont know why. the kids grumbling didn't help. I had been certain that the dog and owl kid were going to be ridiculous, but they weren't.
22EGBERTINA
I have completed all the Newberys between 2020 - 2024.
I'm not going to rush to read the 2024's. I will eventually, but I think Im at the point that once I fill in previous decades, I no longer care about the future decades. The last two months have convinced me that the modern winners are A)...not that interesting...B)...fairly similar in prototype.
I'm not going to rush to read the 2024's. I will eventually, but I think Im at the point that once I fill in previous decades, I no longer care about the future decades. The last two months have convinced me that the modern winners are A)...not that interesting...B)...fairly similar in prototype.
23EGBERTINA
Making myself a note:
all honors appear in library 1922-2024. several have been re-entered
all honors appear in library 1922-2024. several have been re-entered
27EGBERTINA
2025
FEB 2025:
DNF - Truthfully, could not continue this. Read the epilogue/notes in their entirety. They were much more interesting than the story. The combination of free verse, bad grammar, and letter-writing format (sort-of) was just too overwhelming. I have read other free verse stories. While it is not my favorite format, some are barely noticeable. The structure was a column of writing, three-four words in width and then page length height. Nobody would write a letter/diary entry like that. My eyes could not adapt. I have to wonder what effect this type of writing might have on developing readers. A loss of ability to read well-structured sentences of length?
I think the subject would have been delightful. Another issue might have been the separation between the events and the current generation. The Little House books were at least partly first-hand tellings. In this work, too much time and too many generations had passed to give it an authentic feel. The author had to rely, solely, on imagining the events. Then switching to free verse just lessened the impact even more.
It is time that I face that books are no longer written for audiences such as I. Just as my reading style was nurtured to read the older works that are sometimes mistakenly labeled as Classics - a generation of readers are being nurtured to read free verse. I can find no benefit in re-training my brain at this juncture of life. My goals are entirely focussed upon retaining the sentence-structure skills that I have. When they are lost - that will be free verse enough for anyone to decipher.
29rebeccareid
>27 EGBERTINA: I agree. This was so hard to read. I did finish it, but it was just hard to READ. I am very surprised that it won an honor. I read it last year and was completely dismissive of it even being in the running. I agree, the subject was very good and it could have been a great book.
30EGBERTINA
>29 rebeccareid: I wonder if any of these authors might want to re- do their work into something more traditional, later. Now that my brain is in cognitive decline, perhaps I can write an incoherent and unedited diary and be published for my heartfelt authenticity.
32EGBERTINA
A Sea of Lemon Trees - Honor
2026
2026
33EGBERTINA
The Teacher of Nomad Land - Honor
2026
2026
34EGBERTINA
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest - Honor
2026
2026
35rebeccareid
>34 EGBERTINA: of DEADWOOD Forest
36EGBERTINA
>35 rebeccareid: That's par for the course. lol. ty
37EGBERTINA
All the Blues In The Sky - GOLD
FEB 2026
Not A Review:
Although, I did say a few years back that I didn't promise to keep up with all the Newberys. Somehow, I have managed to continue. However, it has been just as I predicted. The Newberys no longer reach me or my youthful impressions of books alleged to be exceptional.
While not all free verse works are entirely without merit, I fail to see how they can be considered exceptional. It's a newer and trendy genre, but that is hardly synonymous with exceptional. My greatest enthusiasm for this was the fact that I could read it in only one hour.
The main theme is grief; not unheard of in the books for young adult readers. As such, I am certain this book will meet certain readers in a meaningful way. I question that it is the type of book that you can just off-handedly recommend to every student as a necessary read. Because it is the personal grief of a particular individual, it includes other topics of typical teenage angst. These tend to be things not overtly harmful, but neither fully representative of all teen experience. I wonder at times if this had not been passed down from the movies aimed toward adolescents. Such movies always include outrageous expectations of the teens as though they were universal. Gratefully, Renee Watson does not over-hype the intimate thoughts of her protagonist. It seems to be included more as a juxtaposition of grief while meeting renewed life and complicated emotions.
Watson does a good job of representing the differing perspectives and challenges of grief. Though, as I continue to grow more curmudgeonly, I miss the ability of writers to portray such depths in a genuine literary form that permits the reader to discover nuance while in the act of being lost inside the story. Free-verse seldom seems to be a truly developed story, with deep and poignant characters. Instead it continues in the fashion that I bemoan of "telling" the reader what to think, how to feel. "Telling" the action rather than unfolding the action.
The Newbery continues to feel as an award that has lost its way, if a way was ever represented. There has been a definite decline since the 80's; with a stark decline in the last 20 years. The chosen works feel less about exceptional literature and more about anti-exceptionalism. As a former teacher, I cannot in good conscience suggest that such books will create a generation of strong readers capable of grasping the literature of the past. Instead, such works keep the reader dulled to a very limited reading capacity that requires little effort and little opportunity to grow into deeper complexity. The purpose of such books seems very rooted in the cultural present with no cognizance of a greater literary or cultural heritage. It is as though there has been a determination to censor all past recognition of literary possibility.
FEB 2026
Not A Review:
Although, I did say a few years back that I didn't promise to keep up with all the Newberys. Somehow, I have managed to continue. However, it has been just as I predicted. The Newberys no longer reach me or my youthful impressions of books alleged to be exceptional.
While not all free verse works are entirely without merit, I fail to see how they can be considered exceptional. It's a newer and trendy genre, but that is hardly synonymous with exceptional. My greatest enthusiasm for this was the fact that I could read it in only one hour.
The main theme is grief; not unheard of in the books for young adult readers. As such, I am certain this book will meet certain readers in a meaningful way. I question that it is the type of book that you can just off-handedly recommend to every student as a necessary read. Because it is the personal grief of a particular individual, it includes other topics of typical teenage angst. These tend to be things not overtly harmful, but neither fully representative of all teen experience. I wonder at times if this had not been passed down from the movies aimed toward adolescents. Such movies always include outrageous expectations of the teens as though they were universal. Gratefully, Renee Watson does not over-hype the intimate thoughts of her protagonist. It seems to be included more as a juxtaposition of grief while meeting renewed life and complicated emotions.
Watson does a good job of representing the differing perspectives and challenges of grief. Though, as I continue to grow more curmudgeonly, I miss the ability of writers to portray such depths in a genuine literary form that permits the reader to discover nuance while in the act of being lost inside the story. Free-verse seldom seems to be a truly developed story, with deep and poignant characters. Instead it continues in the fashion that I bemoan of "telling" the reader what to think, how to feel. "Telling" the action rather than unfolding the action.
The Newbery continues to feel as an award that has lost its way, if a way was ever represented. There has been a definite decline since the 80's; with a stark decline in the last 20 years. The chosen works feel less about exceptional literature and more about anti-exceptionalism. As a former teacher, I cannot in good conscience suggest that such books will create a generation of strong readers capable of grasping the literature of the past. Instead, such works keep the reader dulled to a very limited reading capacity that requires little effort and little opportunity to grow into deeper complexity. The purpose of such books seems very rooted in the cultural present with no cognizance of a greater literary or cultural heritage. It is as though there has been a determination to censor all past recognition of literary possibility.
38rebeccareid
>27 EGBERTINA: I did not like One Big Open Sky either. I couldnt stand the format. I read an ebook and I'm sure it felt worse than the physical copy.
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