Recommended Books

 

» Wish List books for Golden area schools 

 

Best Books of 2009 from…

  

Clear Creek Books Pics

Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. The amazing story of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico. Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science and most of all, pure inspiration. One of the best books of 2009.

Smaldone: The Untold Story of an American Crime Family by Dick Kreck
The story of Clyde Smaldone, head of Denver’s most notorious crime family. Kreck had 1st time access to documents and tapes and dozens of interviews with family members.

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor.
Taylor has a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain and observes the changes as she depends more and more on her right brain.

Plus, new books by Richard Russo,
That Old Cape Magic

True Compass: A Memoir by Edward M. Kennedy.
The Senator’s personal story- of his legendary family, politics and 50 years at the center of national events.

Exile in the Garden by Ward Just
A low key, beautifully written book, that blends the personal and political. The story of the life choices of a Washington photographer.

The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled by Vincent Bzdek.
Painstakingly researched, Bzdek’s book is an exploration of the enduring legacy of the Kennedy family.

Whiskey Rebels by David Liss

America in the years after the revolution, an unstable nation, where desperate schemers vie for wealth and power. Along with his two previous historical thrillers, The Conspiracy of Paper and The Coffee Trader, this is a very good mystery.

 

Kids Books (ages 4 to 8)

Billy Twitter and his Blue Whale Problem by Mac Barnett and Adan Rex.

Blue WhaleWhen Billy doesn’t clean his room yet again, his mom finally makes good on her threat and buys him a pet whale.


Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.

DuckA great book about looking at things from different perspectives.


Art Fraud Detective by Anna Nilson and Andrea Bassil

BassilA spot-the-difference game, mystery story and art book, challenges readers to try to tell which paintings are genuine and which are forgeries.

Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess

BlueberryThree wise woman watch as an infant becomes a girl who transforms into a woman of strength and character. Warm and wonderful illustrations by Charles Vess.


My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life by Kate Feiffer and Diane Goode.

My MomThis mother seems perfect to everyone, but to her daughter she’s too helpful and involved. She ‘s trying to ruin her life.

Award-Winning Books:

  • Booker Prize  "The Man Booker Prize for Fiction promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year."  See the list.
  • National Book Awards "...are given to recognize achievements in four genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People's Literature. ."  See the lists.
  • National Book Critics Circle Award  "Every year the NBCC presents awards for the finest books and reviews published in English."  See the lists.
  • Nobel Prize for Literature  "The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to 104 persons since 1901."  See the list of laureates.
  • PEN/Faulkner Award  "The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is a national prize which honors the best published works of fiction by American citizens in a calendar year. "  See the lists.
  • Pulitzer Prize:   Fiction, History, Biography or Autobiography, Poetry, General Non-Fiction
  • Bellwether Prize:  Since 1999, writer Barbara Kingsolver has sponsored a prize "in support of a literature for social change."  See the winners.

Children's Literature

Caldecott Medal  "The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children."  See the list.

Coretta Scott King Award  "Given to African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions, the Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream."  See the list.

Mark Twain Award  "The Mark Twain Award is to provide the children of Missouri with a recommended reading list of literature that will enrich their lives through reading. The Mark Twain Award is selected by students in grades four through six and presented annually."  See the list.

Michael L. Printz Award   "The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association."  See the list.

Newbery Medal   The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.  See the list.

Pura Belpre Award  "The Pura Belpre Award was established to honor Latino writers and illustrators whose work best embodies the Latino cultural experience in a work of children's literature."  See the list.

Costa Book Awards (formerly the Whitbread Book Award)  The Costa Book Awards is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in the UK and recognises some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland.  See the list.

Young Reader's Choice Award  The Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award is the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada. The award was established in 1940 by a Seattle bookseller, the late Harry Hartman, who believed every student should have an opportunity to select a book that gives him or her pleasure.  See the list.