Shooting the Moon

Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell
When her brother is sent to fight in Vietnam, twelve-year-old Jamie begins to reconsider the army world that she has grown up in. First sentence: "The day after my brother left for Vietnam, me and Private Hollister played thirty-seven hands of gin rummy, and I won twenty-one. They were speedball games, the cards slapped down on the table fast and furious. My brother, TJ, was going to war, and I was fired up hotter than a volcano. TJ and I had grown up in the Army, we were the Colonel's children, but that was not the same as being a soldier in the very heart of combat...."

The Tallest Tree

The Tallest Tree by Sandra Belton

When a group of young African-American children learn about Paul Robeson from one of the neighborhood elders they decide to reclaim the town in order to celebrate Robeson's life.

The Facttracker

The Facttracker by Jason Carter Eaton
I picked it up this morning and read page after page because I wanted to know what would happen next. I read some parts twice because I knew they were important, and even laughed outloud! Here are a few quotes to give you an idea about this book:
"It's extremely easy to be mean to people you don't really know."

"...a good lie can be very convincing, even to a facttracker...sometimes factchecking is more important than facttracking..."

"When you've tracked facts as long as I have, you don't need a veriscope. My eyes are my veriscope."

"If you could weigh the United States, its center of gravity would be Friend, Nebraska..."

But, you might be wondering, what is this book about?

Here's just one more quote for you that might help with that question:

"There will always be lies, and there will always be liars...the true test of a society isn't how many lies it has; it's how many it believes..."

Some examples of books of distinction published before this year...

If you have browsed around the list at the bottom of the blog you have discovered that many of these books are not yet published and unavailable to us. In the meantime, here are some suggestions that are examples of some of the finest ANOKABERRY-type titles that have been written and are available for your enjoyment. Remember - these books are NOT eligible for this year's award but they will keep you reading until the others start to be more available. Make a list and read all the time.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt
In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town wants to change into a tourist spot.
The New Policeman by Kate Thompson
Irish teenager JJ Liddy discovers that time is leaking from his world into Tir na nOg, the land of the fairies, and when he attempts to stop the leak he finds out a lot about his family history, the music that he loves, and a crime his great-grandfather may or may not have committed.
Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White
When Woodrow's mother suddenly disappears, he moves to his grandparents' home in a small Virginia town where he befriends his cousin and together they find the strength to face the terrible losses and fears in their lives.
Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney
Eben McAllister's pa challenges him to find seven wonders in boring and predictable Sassafras Springs that rival the real Seven Wonders of the World. Little does Eben know that what he'll discover will give him the adventure of a lifetime.
Freddy the Politician by Walter Brooks
Political unrest descends upon Bean Farm. Amid cries for the establishment of the First Animal Republic, a crafty woodpecker erects his own dictatorship. Freddy the "Renaissance Pig" is forced to fight for democracy.
Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
Fearing that her legal guardian plans to abandon her to return to France, ten-year-old aspiring scientist Lucky Trimble determines to run away while also continuing to seek the Higher Power that will bring stability to her life.
Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.
Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
Two orphaned peasant children discover a mysterious pouch, the contents of which lead them to the majestic Castle Corona, where their lives may be transformed forever.
Sang Spell by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
When his mother is killed in an automobile accident, high-schooler Josh decides to hitchhike across the country. He finds himself trapped in a mysterious village somewhere in the Appalachian Mountain, among the Melungeons.
Book of One Hundred Truths
While visiting her grandparents in Port Harbor, New Jersey, thirteen-year-old Theodora lists one hundred truths that she discovers while babysitting her younger cousins.
Mysterious Benedict Society
After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

Anokaberry begins...

I've been thinking about this really great idea for a long time and the time has come to tell you about it and GET STARTED! This is going to be a wonderful reading adventure. I will be reading and posting comments about these books and the Anokaberry process here in this blog. We will be discussing these books together here on the web. You are, of course, welcome to come to the library where I work, Anoka County Library, Northtown, and talk to me there as well. I would love to meet you in person.