I think I might have forgotten to do a 2005 summary — and after posting last week, I realized that I had gotten some posts out of order (starting 2007 before finishing 2006!)

Oops.

So, 2006 Michael L Printz honor and award winners. A very eclectic group of books — two novels, a short story collection, a biography, and poetry. I had already read Looking for Alaska, and while I loved it (again), I think that I Am the Messenger had a bigger impact on me out of all of the books. The style and message of the book were fantastic. There’s nothing like the feeling of getting run over by a book. That sounds weird, I know, but as awful as it sounds, there are an awful lot of us that keep looking for that feeling.

For some books, I still wonder at what made them honor-worthy. Why was the Lennon biography considered so special? I mean, yes, I enjoyed it, but what made the awards committee choose it over every other book that got published that year?

I think if nothing else, this experience has lead me to read so many books that I never would have considered picking up on my own, and I’m grateful for that. A Wreath for Emmett Till is an extremely powerful and thought-provoking read. It’s just a tiny little picture-book length poem, that packs a really big punch.