New Year's Resolution

As I wrote about in the post here, I have decided to recapture my love of reading in 2009. Because I love structure and organization, I'm chosing to read books from a list I am familiar with. The Newbery Medal and Honor Books are for young readers (typically 4th-7th grade) and I did read a good number of them while I was in grade school. I thought going back to this list of books would remind me of my youth, be light and easy reading, and it would give me an opportunity to set goals and check off the books as I read them. I'm probably going to use this blog as a way to track what I've read also, just to keep me accountable.

You can find the list of Newbery Medal and Honor Books here. I've been looking for a better formatted list, something in an excel spreadsheet perhaps so I could keep better track. If you know of one, please let me know.

I did find a few of these books at a second hand bookstore earlier this month, so I was able to get a head start over the holiday break.

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan was a 2003 Newbery Honor Winner. I had not previously read this book, but I found it to be fun and it kept my interest. In my review, I would say this book is about a young man, struggling to find his place in life, who has found himself living with a artsy homeschooling family where creativity is their passion. Through a series of humorous events, both the family and the young man are able to grow and learn from their experiences of working together.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell was the 1961 Newbery Medal Winner. I remember reading this book, probably in 6th grade, and struggling to get through it. This time around, I was able to read the book in about 2 hours and I was able to empathize with the main charachter. She, a young native american girl, finds herself alone on a small island near California and recounts the many years she survives the hardships and adventures of primative living.

I'll post more of the books as I read them.

Happy New Year!