Home/Newbery by Year/Newbery Title Index/Newbery Subject Index/Newbery Author Index

1988

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Houghton Mifflin, $14.40, fifth-grade level). ISBN: 0899193803.	The Medalist The author uses an excellent collection of photos and concise text to detail the life of Lincoln. This is a wonderful history book that kids and adults can gobble up. The story is told clearly and with a great deal of personal detail. The photos are excellent. Freedman touches upon the conflicts that swirled within and around Lincoln. He is not quite the saint that most history books make him out to be, but he remains one of our greatest presidents.
After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer (William Morrow, $13.56, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0688068677.	Honor Book A teen-age girl becomes close friends with her grumpy grandfather shortly before he dies. This is a wonderful book for kids who have to deal with cranky old folks or death in a family. Children are often left to their own devices when a family member dies and may feel especially conflicted when that person wasn't especially nice. Mazer deals thoughtfully with those issues as well as the crucial bonds that can develop across the generations
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (Econo-Clad, $11.70, fifth-grade level). ISBN: 0833508326.	Honor Book A boy who hops between his divorced parents survives an airplane crash in the Canadian arctic and learns to survive on his own until he is rescued two months later. Very exciting story with high level of detail. Kids who enjoy the outdoor experience will be enthralled, if not challenged. The content combined with Paulsen's sparse style and high action makes for an attractive novel to pitch at reluctant readers. Subtext of broken marriage's effect on a boy is well-conceived, too.

Copyright David Ross 2003