I know I read fast, but I also had a 3 day weekend and new project momentum spurring me on, so I’ve already read and posted about the first 4 (of 77 books) in my challenge to read all of the Michael L Printz Award winners and honor books.

Luckily for me, all four were books that I enjoyed reading. Enjoy? But Suzanne — you were reading about a teenager on trial for murder and about a 13 year old who was raped! To me, enjoy doesn’t mean…happy and sunlight and rainbows….it means…I had that feeling of being outside myself, witnessing something fascinating and interesting….it means….I cared about someone’s journey….and I learned about something outside my own experience. It means I was moved by beautiful writing (WHY, oh WHY can’t I write like that??)

Not having read any of the other potential candidates for honors in the year 2000, I don’t know why these four were picked over any others, but I don’t disagree that at least three of these were important books for teenagers. I have a squabble with the fourth, but I’m willing and able to admit that I really don’t know what I’m talking about.

I think it’s a hard thing for people to understand and differentiate between: “this THING isn’t for me, but I can see where others might like it” and “this THING sucked and anyone who likes it is stupid.” Most of the time, if you don’t like something, it’s the former, but too many always default to the latter. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do when I bounce off of a book in the list. It will likely depend on my mood and why I’m bouncing. I have reached a point in my life where I don’t have a lot of patience for reading a book I really don’t like, so…I guess I’ll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

Some of you may be wondering why I’m doing this, what’s the point in a 42 year old high school secretary reading and writing about a bunch of award-winning books written for teenagers?? Well, I have several reasons, most of which I’m not ready to articulate and one which I will: because I want to. And I’m looking forward to continuing.