The 2008 Top Ten list has been posted! You can find it under “Jen’s Yearly Top Ten Lists” on the right hand sidebar, towards the bottom of the RR homepage. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Am I right on the money? Or have I missed/dissed some of your favorites? Please leave a comment and let me know what would have made YOUR top ten of 2008! (Even though I try to love all my Top Ten Books the same, if I had to pick my very favorite, it would have to be E. Lockhart’s tender, smart, funny history of the disreputable Frankie, shown at right.)
Hi Jen, the 2007 is the only one coming up for me! I love your choices, order by your suggestions, thanks for doing such a gret job reviewing, blogging about books. Seeing the Lockhart book as #1–I really liked it (couldn’t put it down!!!)but I didn’t like who Frankie became. I thought she became sneaky and I always wished she would be really honest with her friends and boyfriend before her “fun” blew up in her face.
Thank you for the list! It will help me decide which books to buy for myself this Christmas. 😀
Hello Jen,
I am unable to pull up your 2008 Top Ten List. The only one that comes up is the Lockhart book. Please let me know what I need to do differently to access the list.
Also, thank you for all of your work regarding young adult novels. I LOVE IT!!! It makes my job as an 8th grade language arts teacher so much easier.
Elizabeth
ditto on the inability to pull up the list, AND on the awesome job you do reviewing! thanks!
beth
P.S. the direct link works> http://www.readingrants.org/2008-top-ten/
🙂
I apologize for all the technical difficulties–I’ve contacted my webmaster, and he will look into it. I’m wondering if its possibly a PC vs. MAC problem. Every MAC I’ve pulled it up on the link works fine.
My favorite MG and YA books this year:
WAKE, Lisa McMann
THE WILLOUGHBYS, Lois Lowry
GYM CANDY, Carl Deuker
BOY TOY, Barry Lyga
THE KNIGHTS OF THE HILL COUNTRY, Tim Tharp
THE PENDERWICKS OF GARDAM STREET, Jeanne Birdsall
LOCK AND KEY, Sarah Dessen
SWEETHEARTS, Sara Zarr
TWELVE LONG MONTHS, Brian Malloy
There were other books I read this year that I starred but they came out in previous years.
Here are some of my 2008 favorites:
Paper Towns by John Green
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga
Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Kendra by Cor Booth
Snitch by Allison VanDiepen
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Lauren and BJ, thanks for leaving lists of your top tens–I wish more people would use this space for that purpose and start more discussions about their favorites of the year!
Oops, I have another one to add from 2008, because I just finished it and it’s great: CRACKBACK, by John Coy. And I hope it’s OK to give a shout-out to my husband Greg Logsted’s debut YA novel, SOMETHING HAPPENED – obviously I think that one’s terrific too. 🙂
I just loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and in my conversations with people as they read the book, they didn’t really see Claude as completely evil and not to be trusted (I hated him!!!). What did you think as you read the book of his character, and also Edgar’s mom (I ended up really being disappointed in her—she soooo did not know her son!) Amondine and Edgar were such great portraits of man and his best friend, but even Claude tested their bond of unconditional love. I just loved the way DW wrote the book, the dogs were so amazing and as I read it, I didn’t want it to end!
I too hated Claude and didn’t want it to end! Did you read my review?
http://www.readingrants.org/2008/08/10/the-story-of-edgar-sawtelle-by-david-wroblewski/
I don’t see the 2008 list in your links….help.
Of course I read your review & LOVED IT BTW–I live to read your reviews and then order the books for our library or run out and get them!!! It is being read by our faculty book club and so many teachers just don’t see Claude as evil right away (like I did). I have to prod them with some details about how the dog dies in the beginning, Edgar’s father’s reluctance, the white stuff in the lawn, etc. It was such a great read, so much tragedy and I so loved Edgar & Almondine and all the other Sawtelle dogs (can you tell I am a dog-lover?) and really wanted to see Edgar vindicated, back with Almondine, exposing his uncle and showing his mother she had so misjudged her own son – but books & life don’t always end that way, do they?
Cindy, try this:
http://www.readingrants.org/?page_id=517
For some reason, the link isn’t showing up for some people.
Jen,
I am an 8th Grade language arts teacher looking for a new title for my students. Is The Story of Edgar Sawtelles appropriate for 8th graders? Are there any inappropriate words/scenes/etc. that we should be aware of?
Thanks in advance!
Simone
i read “the disreputable history of frankie landeau banks” and i thought it was a bit predictable. it was ok for the first few chapters but the rest of the book was boring. im haveing a really hard time finding another book to read. ive just finished reading the harry potter series and i just cant seem to find another book or book series that is as interesting. itd be really nice if someone could help me! thanks anyways
Shannel, Hunger Games will be followed by Catching Fire in September and these books are awesome! I like the Ellen Hopkins books (Crank and Glass), they are in free verse and long! Twilight books are really good for a series, too.