Book Review - Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World by Yee-Lum Mak

Other-Wordly:
Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World

by Yee Lum Mak

illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Book, Art, Gift Book
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Length: 64 pages
Published: October 11, 2016
Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

My Goodreads Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Official Book Summary:

"Discover words to surprise, delight, and enamor. Learn terms for the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees, for dancing awkwardly but with relish, and for the look shared by two people who each wish the other would speak first. Other-Wordly is an irresistible gift for lovers of words and those lost for words alike."

Quote:

"Komorebi (noun, Japanese) the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees"

Excerpt:

"Gökotta (noun, n, Swedish) lit. "dawn picnic to hear the first birdsong"; the act of rising in the early morning to watch the birds or to go outside to appreciate nature"

My Book Review:

This gift book is absolutely lovely.

 

Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World is a beautifully illustrated walk through seventy unique words from over a dozen languages. Written by Yee-Lum Mak and illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley, the gouache, collage, and ink pictures are so nice to look at and each word is so perfect to describe a feeling, experience, place, or person in a way that you never knew existed before. It was such a pleasure to slowly leaf through its pages and not only enjoy the images but the emotion of each foreign word or phrase.

 

This book would be a lovely present to a loved one and would also make for an enjoyable additional to a stack of gift books on coffee table, perfect for flipping through in its entirety or just picking up here and there to soak in a new page or two.

 

I received mine as a gift and it’s so cute. I loved soaking in its pages and I imagine I’ll turn to it again and again.

 

It’s both calming and thoughtful.

Bookstagram, BookTube, and BookTok: Reading Communities in the 21st Century

Bookstagram, BookTube, and BookTok:
Reading Communities in the 21st Century

As an active reader, book reviewer, blogger, but also a literature professor, I try to make sure I'm somewhat caught up on new reading trends and communities so I can share that information with my classes. The following article is adapted from one I recently wrote for my department. I hope it is of help to many of you and readers at-large everywhere.

Please note that by no means is this a complete list. I'm only quickly referencing Goodreads and I've included just a brief footnote at the end about BookCon. My quick lists are not comprehensive, so if you're a writer, reader, publisher, business, or influencer and you'd like to share your reading community platform, please feel free to add a comment and tell us more.

***

Many of our students have been active on social media most of their life, but usually not on the platforms used by older generations. If you’re a reader on social media, there’s an entire world and vocabulary to catch up on. I assume you’re all familiar with Goodreads, so I’m mentioning it here but skipping it. Use it. [Follow my reviews on Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/jactionary.]

I first became aware of the Bookstagram community in 2015 when I learned the most popular hashtags, influencers, and what the reading community was like on that platform. A couple of years later, I stumbled across BookTube and have been an avid fan of several book review vloggers ever since. Though I don’t anticipate falling down the BookTok rabbit hole, I’m aware that readers are uniting there as well. Some readers are actively involved in these communities; others are unaware but might benefit from learning that influencers are actively posting this type of content on social media. If you’re not already aware, I thought I’d share some basic details about these bookish communities. Let me know what I’m still missing.

Bookstagram: [noun] the book community on Instagram

Instagram has been around since 2010 and focuses on photo-based posts that users can caption, edit, and tag. That, you already knew. Bookstagram is how readers, writers, and publishers connect on Instagram. There are popular influencers who make their living off of their platforms (but it takes years to achieve anything notable), others who don’t make money but thrive on gaining followers by posting heavily staged #bookstagram photos, publishers hocking their wares, writers trying to gain a following, and those who are just in it for the show.

Big-time Bookstagram influencers make their living a variety of ways, but it’s almost always first and foremost bolstered by their YouTube channel (I’ll get to that later with BookTube). Bookstagrammers create content by posting edited photos of new book releases, book-related merchandise, what they’re currently reading, mail from publishers (#bookmail), etc. They’re paid through endorsements from publishers or other businesses looking to advertise which often results in a combination of food, clothing, or similar venues as they hobble together income from multiple sources. The more followers, likes, and comments, the better. This can also, obviously, become problematic as living for “likes” can lead to serious mental health struggles. Notwithstanding the professional downsides, it’s a fun community. Following your favorite influencers, authors, and publishers keeps you in the loop for new releases, cover reveals, author interviews, book reviews, reading challenges, and more. It's a fun group of like-minded souls.

Because Instagram is focused on visual appeal, there are an endless number of users who go the route of spending hours staging a book, a cup of tea, and a candle in just the right sunlight. There are also numerous book subscription companies that advertise their wares, everything from what new releases are available for discounted delivery that month to others who’ll send you bookish merchandise, knick-knacks, and other gew-gaws if you fork over the right price. 

Bookstagram Quick List:

Bookstagrammers: @subwaybookreview [133k], @littlefreelibrary [106K], @wellreadblackgirl [412K], @nypl [461K], @jessethereader [156K], @bookriot [259K], and me @jactionary

Aesthetic appeal: @jamestrevino [243K], @eviebookish [70.9K], @hayaisreading [116K], @newleafwriter [46K], @foldedpagesdistillery [119K]

Book subscription companies: @owlcrate [227K], @thebookishbox [124K], @bookofthemonth [1M], @illumicrate [90.1K]

Notable authors: @authorkierstinwhite [20.2K], @neilhimself [678K], @lbardugo [242K], @veschwab [177K], @krakauernotwriting [102K], @elizabeth_gilbert_writer [1M]

Publishers: @randomhouse [517K], @scholasticinc [211K], @penguinteen [294K], @barnesandnoble [636K], @harpercollins [428K]

Popular hashtags: #bookstagram, #amreading, #currentlyreading, #booklover, #booknerdigans, #shelfie, #bookshelfie, #bookworm, #reader, #tbrpile

BookTube: [noun] the book community on YouTube

Users have been uploading video content on YouTube since its creation in 2005. Over time, the platform’s relationship to subscribers has changed, with many younger viewers spending as much time streaming YouTube as Netflix, Hulu, or Prime, and definitely much more than standard cable. BookTubers are users whose content is (mostly) dedicated to reading vlogs, book reviews, book recommendations, book clubs and livestreams, monthly TBR’s (to-be-read lists), reading goals, reading recaps, book hauls (monthly book acquisitions), opening monthly book box subscription deliveries, etc. Some BookTubers exist and upload content independently, while others will reference each other’s videos and collaborate.

Either way, like Bookstagram, the end goal is usually the same: talk about books and make money. BookTubers make an income off of ad revenue (only attainable after reaching YouTube milestones for hours streamed by viewers), paid sponsorships, affiliate links, or connecting to other social media platforms. Many are young enough they’re still living at home or going to college, while others are out on their own and use it as a side income. Occasionally, some BookTubers solely depend on the income from their platform, but I’ve found that my favorite creators are those who are slightly older and still work full-time jobs in the “real world” (whatever that even means any more). That being said, even they admit their part-time BookTube income requires full-time hours. Websites like socialblade.com provide ballpark estimates for how much YouTubers make from views but some question its reliability. Once again, it’s not a get-rich-quick-scheme.

There are many YouTube channels in this category, so really it’s about knowing what kind of books you like, matching that with a creator’s content, and deciding whose reviews you can really trust. In my experience, the younger the creator, the more likely they are to go easy on reviews (5-stars to everything followed by ten exclamation points) because they’re more focused on gaining followers and not upsetting authors and publishers. Even if I don’t always read the same genres as a BookTuber, I’m more apt to be curious about their reviews when it’s clear they give a wide range of scores and are willing to be open and honest about their opinions.

Much of the current conversation with BookTube aligns with concerns with other social media platforms: diversifying content, both from the creators and what they’re reading. 2020’s focus on social justice has encouraged many channels to include non-fiction titles or do some self-reflection on who they are (or are not) reading. I openly admit that I need to work on expanding the diversity of those I subscribe to and I've been really grateful for Kayla from BooksandLala for how many new BookTubers she supports and references. She is a valuable resource for finding more influencers in the community.

The look and feel of videos will greatly vary. While standing in front of white, Ikea bookshelves displaying many hardbacks (sometimes color-coded) is standard, some channels edit their videos to include quick cuts, special effects, or artistic shots, while others keep it simple or focus on the standard hand-held camera vlog format. Since format and content greatly vary, I’ll just feature a few of my current favorites. It’s easy to find more by searching, checking which channels BookTubers subscribe to, mention, or noting who they credit and link in the description box when they participate in a challenge or trend.

BookTube Quick List:

@BooksandLala [112K subscribers, 13M views]: Kayla (aka Lala) is a married mom who works full time, lives in Canada, and loves to read thrillers and horror. She’s in her early 30’s, reads a couple hundred books a year, and seems like someone I’d want to hang out with in real life. One of the “older” BookTubers, she also reads a fair amount of nonfiction, middle grade, YA, and is a fan of anthologies. She also does many book challenges.

@PeruseProject [314K subscribers, 41M views]: Regan is in her mid-20’s and lives in downtown NYC while working full-time in program analytics. She lives with her boyfriend, her pug, and does weekend reading vlogs from her apartment. Her edits are simple and she mostly reads YA fantasy, YA sci fi, middle grade, contemporary fiction, and the occasional non-fiction title. I respect that she’s a full-time working woman who fits in her reading on the nights and weekends like a more semi-normal grown-up. She’s a good example of a BookTuber who’s very successful with sponsorships.

@HaileyinBookland [294K subscribers, 32M views]: Hailey mostly reads YA and writes YA romance (she’s currently on submission with her first manuscript). She’s an example of a full-time BookTuber depending on it as her sole income.

@JessetheReader [403K subscribers, 49M views]: Jesse is one of the few male BookTubers I’ve encountered. He does fast edits, humorous cuts, and he’s a mindful reader who enjoys Manga, YA fiction, contemporary fiction, and is looking to read more works in translation.

@PolandBananasBooks [411K subscribers, 74M views]: Christine Riccio posted videos for years, gained a strong following, and is now an author (Again, but Better came out in 2019 and Better Together comes out this spring). She’s very quirky, frequently profane, and obsessed with Taylor Swift, The Shadowhunter Chronicles, and romance.

BookTok: [noun] the book community on TikTok

TikTok is the 2016 trending video blackhole that will try to entice you to watch hour after hour of short clips for as long as you’ll let it. You become TikTok famous when your short video goes viral. Once again, the more subscribers and the more views, the more money users stand to make from influencer marketing (working with brands for sponsored posts), creating merchandise, or even selling your now-famous account to another user. Like Instagram, you can search videos and creators with hashtags. Like Instagram’s infinite scroll, TikTok will keep playing videos as its algorithm learns to continuously stream content it thinks you’ll want to see. You can “heart” videos, swipe, tap, comment, etc. BookTok is then—you guessed it—how readers share their videos and bookish tags. I’ve only spent limited time watching TikTok videos, but as with Instagram and YouTube it can be helpful to know that there are specialty creators who feature reading content on this platform. Use the hashtag #booktok and fall down the rabbit hole from there.

BookTok Quick List:

Popular booktoks: @sashaalsbergg [36.7K], @abbysbooks [208K], @bookedj [36.7K], @lovebookstoo [31.9K], @moongirlreads_ [107.6K], @gvhslibrary [36.4K], @kellyygillann [65K], @the.ones.about.books [81.2K], @penguin_teen [225.1K], @ezeekat [169.5K]

BookCon: [noun] the annual fan convention for readers, a spin-off of other conventions like Comic-Con

BookCon began in NYC in 2014 as an annual fan convention for readers. Publishers, authors, BookTubers, book bloggers, and readers could all attend panels, talk books, and spend all their pocket money at this popular trade show.

The convention’s status, however, is currently not looking good. The 2020 and 2021 conventions were canceled due to COVID-19—no surprise—but the company that coordinates the event is going under. It’s possible another business might take over, but for now, stay tuned for more updates.

Share your favorite Bookstagram, BookTube, or BookCon influencers below!

 

Favorite Fiction & Poetry Books of 2020

 

 

To conclude my year in review, here are all of my favorite fiction and poetry books that I read during 2020. I had a chance to reread several longtime faves as well as encounter new books that I adored. Books were a welcome form of escape during so many months spent in isolation.

What were your favorite books from 2020?

Circe
by Madeline Miller

Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Brontë

Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley

The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1)
by Richard Osman

Troubled Blood (Cormoran Strike #5)
by Robert Galbraith

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot #4)
by Agatha Christie

Once Upon a River
by Diane Setterfield

The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig

Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems
by Billy Collins

Such a Fun Age
by Kiley Reid

Dearly: New Poems
by Margaret Atwood

Murder in the Mews (Hercule Poirot #18)
by Agatha Christie

The Invention of Wings
by Sue Monk Kidd

Mrs. McGinty's Dead (Hercule Poirot #30)
by Agatha Christie

The Grand Sophy
by Georgette Heyer

The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories
by Agatha Christie

Dear Edward
by Ann Napolitano

The Glass Hotel
by Emily St. John Mandel

Favorite Nonfiction of 2020

 

I didn't know how much I enjoyed nonfiction (memoir, CNF, biography, history, etc.) until I became aware of how diverse the genre could be. As an undergraduate student, if you would have asked what I thought of nonfiction, I likely would have flashed back to reading long nonfiction essays in my early American literature course and how much I struggled getting through it all. During my master's program, I was exposed to creative nonfiction in all of its forms and began to fall in love with memoir. Since then, I've really enjoyed bouncing back and forth between fiction and nonfiction in my reading. I've also found that nonfiction audiobooks really suit me and that I can fit in many extra hours of audiobook listening/reading when I'm driving, cooking, cleaning, etc. 

Here's a list of some of my favorite nonfiction reads from 2020, many of which I enjoyed in audiobook format. Once again, note that while I read these last year, that doesn't necessarily always mean they were published last year. I'll try to do more in-depth reviews of my top picks later on.

What were your favorite nonfiction reads from last year? Do you have any on your TBR for 2021?

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
by Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu

Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World
by Yee-Lum Mak, illus. by Kelsey Garrity-Riley

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
by Hallie Rubenhold

House of Dreams: The Life of L. M. Montgomery
by Liz Rosenberg, illus. by Julie Morstad

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
by Erik Larson

Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of World War II
by Sventlana Alexievich

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know
by Malcolm Gladwell

On the Horizon
by Lois Lowry, illus. by Kenard Pak

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
by David Grann

So You Want to Talk About Race
by Ijeoma Oluo

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
by Michelle McNamara

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family
by Robert Kolker

The Liar's Club by Mary Karr

The Standard of Truth: 1815-1846 (Saints #1)
by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World
by Melinda Gates

Favorite 2020 Children's & Middle Grade Books

 

Continuing on with my series, here are my favorite children's and middle grade books that I read during 2020. It was fun to reread some old favorites as well as reading some more recent and just-released titles.

What were your favorite children's books that you read last year?

Peter Pan
by J. M. Barrie

Farmer Boy (Little House #2)
by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Paper Wishes
by Lois Sepahban

Guts
by Raina Telgemeier

Hatchet (Brian's Saga #1)
by Gary Paulsen

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (The Herdmans #1)
by Barbara Robinson

Just Jaime
by Terri Libenson

Favorite Young Adult Literature of 2020

 

Young adult literature is not just for young adults. There are so many amazing writers publishing fantastic stories within this genre. If you're at all intimidated about reading YA lit if you're not in the typical age group, don't be. You might notice that some of these books are later installments in series, which likely means I read the earlier installments the year prior. If you want to see what I thought about those books, you can follow me on Goodreads.

Here are some of my favorite books I read during 2020. What young adult books have you loved reading lately?

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0)
by Suzanne Collins

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)
by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)
by Leigh Bardugo

Stepsister
by Jennifer Donnelly

Tweet Cute
by Emma Lord

Dancing at the Pity Party
by Tyler Feder

10 Blind Dates
by Ashley Elston

The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Sepetys 

The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1)
by Kierstin White

Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1)
by Neal Shusterman

Spinning Silver
by Naomi Novik

Dear Justyce (Dear Martin #2)
by Nic Stone

New Kid (New Kid #1)
by Jerry Craft

Favorite Picture Books of 2020

 

Few things are as innocent and lovely as a good children's picture book. I was lucky enough to read many wonderful ones during 2020 and thought I would share my top picks. I might do more detailed reviews of some of these later, but I wanted to share a quick list featuring all of them. Please note, these are picture books I read during 2020, not necessarily always ones that were published that year.

Have you read any of these titles? What were your favorite picture books last year?

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
by Charlie Mackesy

Home in the Woods
by Eliza Wheeler

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read
by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illus. by Oge Mora

Sea Prayer
by Khaled Hosseini, illus. by Dan Williams

I Am Every Good Thing
by Derrick Barnes, illus. by Gordon C. James

Bedtime Bonnet
by Nancy Amanda Redd, illus. by Nneka Myers

Just Like Me
by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

The Seed of Compassion
by Dalai Lama XIV, illus. by Bao Luu

The Tiny Chef: And Da Mishing Weshipee Blook
by Rachel Larsen, Adam Reid, and Ozi Akturk

The Undeafeated
by Kwame Alexander, illus. by Kadir Nelson

Sulwe
by Lupita Nyong'o, illus. by Vashti Harrison

We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Penelope #1)
by Ryan T. Higgins

2021 ALA Book Awards

The American Library Association recently announced their annual youth media awards (for authors, illustrators, and audiobooks). This includes the highly anticipated announcements of the Newbery, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King Awards, among many others. I enjoy looking over these lists each year and seeing which books I've read and which ones I need to add to my to-read list. It's fun to see familiar names and titles but also to widen my awareness of key creators and books in the field. All credit to ALA for this content and language.

Which of these books have you read? Are there ones that you'll be adding to your TBR pile?

John Newbery Medal

Most outstanding contribution to children's literature

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Honor Books

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

Randolph Caldecott Medal

Most distinguished American picture book for children

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illus. by Michaela Goade

Honor Books

A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta Elliott, illus. by Noa Denmon

The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham & Karim Shamsi-Basha, illus. by Yuko Shimizu

Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera

Outside In by Deborah Underwood, illus. by Cindy Derby

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

African American creator of outstanding books for children and young adults

Author Book Award

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

Author Honor Books

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne

Illustrator Book Award

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford, illus. by Frank Morrison

Illustrator Honor Books

Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration by Samara Cole Doyon, illus. by Kaylani Juanita

Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade, illus. by Cozbi A. Cabrera

Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera

New Talent Author Award

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Schneider Family Book Award

Books embodying artistic expression of the disability experience

Young Children (ages 0-10)

I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott, illus. by Sydney Smith

Honor Books for Young Children

All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel, illus. by Nabi H. Ali

Itzhak: A Boy who Loved the Violin by Tracy Newman, illus. by Abigail Halpin

Middle Grades (ages 11-13)

Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

Honor Books for Middle Grades

Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, illus. by Victoria Jamieson, color by Iman Geddy

Young Adult (ages 13-18)

This Is My Brain in Love by I.W. Gregorio

Margaret A. Edwards Award 

Lifetime achievement in writing for young adults

Kekla Magoon

Children’s Literature Legacy Award

Creator of substantial, lasting contribution to children’s literature through demonstrating integrity and respect for all children’s experiences

Mildred D. Taylor

Michael L. Printz Award

Excellence in literature for young adults

Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri

Honor Books

Apple (Skin to the Core) by Eric Gansworth

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang, color by Lark Pien

Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

Alex Awards

10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The Impossible First: From Fire to Ice—Crossing Antarctica Alone by Colin O’Brady

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf

The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Plain Bad Heroines by emily m. danforth

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

We Ride Upon Sticks: A Novel by Quan Barry

Pura Belpré Awards

Latinx creators whose children's books best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience

Illustrator Award

¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat by Raúl Gonzalez

Honor Book

Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello by Monica Brown, illus. by Elisa Chavarri

Children’s Author Award

Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

Honor Books

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas

Lupe Wong Won’t Dance by Donna Barba Higuera

Young Adult Author Award

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

Honor Books

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

We Are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature

Picture Book

Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung, illus. by Chris Sasaki

Honor

Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim

Children’s Literature

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Honor

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

Youth Literature

This Light Between Us by Andrew Fukuda

Honor

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

Most distinguished beginning reader book

See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog by David LaRochelle, illus. by Mike Wohnoutka

Honor Books

The Bear in My Family by Maya Tatsukawa

Ty’s Travels: Zip, Zoom! by Kelly Starling Lyons, illus. by Nina Mata

What About Worms!? by Ryan T. Higgins

Where’s Baby? by Anne Hunter

Mildred L. Batchelder Award

Outstanding children’s book originally published in a foreign language outside the U.S. and subsequently translated for publication in the U.S.

Telephone Tales by Gianni Rodari, illus. by Valerio Vidali, trans. from Italian by Antony Shugaar

Honor Book

Catherine’s War by Julia Billet, illus. by Claire Fauvel, and trans. from French by Ivanka Hahnenberger

Odyssey Award

Best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults available in English in the U.S.

Kent State by Deborah Wiles, narrated by Christopher Gebauer, Lauren Ezzo, Christina Delaine, Johnny Heller, Roger Wayne, Korey Jackson, and David de Vries

Honor Audiobooks

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, narrated by Bahni Turpin

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, narrated by Jason Reynolds

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, narrated by Faysal Ahmed, Barkhad Abdi and a full cast

Sydney Taylor Book Award

Outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience

Picture Book Gold Medalist

Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail by Lesléa Newman, illus. by Susan Gal

Picture Book Silver Medalists

I Am the Tree of Life: My Jewish Yoga Book by Mychal Copeland, illus. by André Ceolin

Miriam at the River by Jane Yolen, illus. by Khoa Le

Middle Grade Gold Medalist

Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein

Middle Grade Silver Medalists

No Vacancy by Tziporah Cohen

Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

Young Adult Gold Medalist

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

Young Adult Silver Medalist

They Went Left by Monica Hesse

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming

Finalists

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan

How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity's Greatest Adventure by John Rocco

You Call This Democracy?: How to Fix Our Democracy and Deliver Power to the People by Elizabeth Rusch

William C. Morris Award

Debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens

If These Wings Could Fly written by Kyrie McCauley

Finalists

Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

Stonewall Book Award

Children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the LGBT experience

We Are Little Feminists: Families by Archaa Shrivastav, designed by Lindsey Blakely

Honor Books

Beetle & The Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

Most distinguished informational book for children

Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illus. by Eric Rohmann

Honor Books

How We Got to the Moon by John Rocco

Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade, illus. by Cozbi A. Cabrera

All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat

Book Spotlight: Beneath the Falls by Mark D. Bennion

Beneath the Falls: Poems

by Mark D. Bennion 

Genre: Poetry

Length: 102 pages

Published: December 16, 2020

Purchase Links: Amazon, Wipf and Stock Publishers

 

Official Description:

"In its own modest way, Beneath the Falls celebrates the archetypal journey of birth, death, and change. These poems grapple with upheaval and peace, tragedy and renewal, estrangement and conversion. This collection explores how belief is born in simplicity, mundaneness, struggle, and seeming irrelevancies. The complexities of faith then arise in the face of death, specifically the passing of situations, others, old selves, and our loved ones. Birth becomes death, which in turn creates birth again. Change happens both incrementally and immediately in this fascicle of poems, showing us God's ample mercies, vital nudgings, and watershed moments along life's way."

About the Author:

"Mark D. Bennion teaches writing and literature courses in the English Department at Brigham Young University-Idaho. His poems have been published in Aethlon, The Lyric, RHINO, Windhover, and other journals. In addition to this book, he has authored two previous collections of poetry: Psalm & Selah: A Poetic Journey through the Book of Mormon and Forsythia. He and his wife, Kristine, are raising their children in the Upper Snake River Valley."

Early Reviews:

“There is quality in this collection. It comes to the reader from the ‘magician’s fiery pot.’ Whether pecking at some ‘horseradish heavy breather’ he worries about finding his daughter on the internet to the pure translation of faith, his steadfast gaze gives us a complex world. Bennion handles the grit as well as the sacred. His work is full of wonder as he decides ‘what to gather, what to leave in the sun.’”

—Diane Glancy, author of Island of the Innocent: A Consideration of the Book of Job

“In the opening poem of Mark Bennion’s new book he imagines his mother the first morning after his birth, ‘you cradle me in the yellow haze / after a fitful night.’ . . . And the poem ends with a powerful recognition that he was not the ‘real star’ of the day, but only part of something much bigger, ‘a constellation I am just now beginning to see.’ This wonderful recognition becomes a guiding principle the reader can see and feel at work throughout the book, although in order to understand the full force of the recognition it is necessary to experience the backstory and the growing pains, to relearn and re-earn such insight. That is what these poems do, they give us the authentic lived details that lead to a true and affirmative vision.”

—Greg Pape, Montana Poet Laureate (2007–2009) and author of Four Swans

“Beneath the Falls showcases Mark Bennion both as a keen observer of all the world around him and as a composer skilled with language’s sounds. For all their biographical content and specificity, these poems speak clearly to the range of human experience, welcoming readers rather than alienating them."

—Nathaniel Lee Hansen, editor of The Windhover

 

Click here to hear a recent radio interview of the author speaking about his book.

Anticipated 2021 Book Releases

January

Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Nick by Michael Farris Smith

The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Andrea Pitzner

 

February

Muse (Muse #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

 

March

Shame by Jameela Jamil

Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

 

April

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

 

May

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He

 

June

The Hidden Palace (The Golem and the Jinni #2) by Helene Wecker

1984: The Graphic Novel by George Orwell and Fido Nesti

The Box in the Woods (Truly Devious #4) by Maureen Johnson

My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

August

Only If You Dare: 13 Stories of Darkness and Doom by Josh Allen

All’s Well by Mona Awad

 

September

When Can We Go Back to America?: Voices of Japanese American Incarceration During World War II by Barry Denenberg

The Thursday Murder Club 2 by Richard Osman

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

 

December

You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus