My Favorite Books of 2014

It's New Year's Eve! We're only hours away from 2015. Did anybody else feel like this year went by pretty fast?

So, I thought I'd go ahead and give a totally biased favorites post about the best books published this year for each age group (teen, middlegrade, kids, early readers, and picture books). The choices aren't based on any awards they should win or professional critique, just pure and simple favoritism.

And if you trust my opinion, you may just like these, too.

The Race to the Moon: An Interactive History Adventure

The Race to the Moon: An Interactive History Adventure
(You Choose Books)
Allison Lassieur

My rating: ★★★

ISBN: 978-1476552163
Publisher: Capstone Press
Date of publication: February 1, 2014
Age: Grades 3 - 6
Genre: Nonfiction

Themes: space race, Cold War, Soviet Union, journalism, NASA, rocket science

WWII has ended, and the USA and USSR are the most powerful countries in the world—and they're fast becoming rivals. Imagine you are living in the '50s and '60s: part of these two country's rivalry is a race to explore space. You can either be a scientist working on early rocket technology, a reporter following the firsts for both countries, or a member of Mission Control in NASA. You choose!

First of all: You Choose Books are simply genius. It's not a book that has to be read front to back, page by page. It's interactive, meaning the reading is more engaged and invested. Basically, these types a books are a favorite of mine when trying to get a reluctant reader reading. And these nonfiction options are great! The Race to the Moon is about an actual historical event. Kids can learn from this! The reason it works for a "You Choose" is that there are many branches of that history. Lassieur let's you explore each branch. Or just one. It's up to you.

Personally, it was a little difficult to read, but I'm a person who reads front to back, looking for every tidbit. "You Choose" means you flip back and front through different pages. You might suddenly die or get promoted—and then you can be done, or start over. Thus, the story is choppy; there's a little bit of artistic license. But still, I'm a proponent for these books. I think they're great for the right reader.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

Blizzard

Blizzard
Written and illustrated by John Rocco

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-1423178651
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date of publication: October 30, 2014
Age: 3 - 7 years

Themes: winter, snowed in,

One winter, it started snowing. And snowing. It did not stop until four feet of snow blanketed the ground. At first, it was fun; but as the days passed with no snowplows, food started running low and cabin fever started running high. Will one heroic boy be able to brave the blizzard's dumping and get what his family and friends need?

Based on Rocco's real life experience with a massive blizzard, the story is certainly well done. The text is simple, and to the point; it's the illustrations that really express the emotions. With each passing day, people get a little more antsy. When the boy finally decides to go out to the store himself, his preparation, journey, and subsequent exhaustion take the reader on an adventure. Makes you chilly just looking at it! I really like Rocco's work and wonder if he'll get pegged for another Caldecott Honor. Blizzard certainly deserves it.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

Merry Christmas!

So I'll be taking a few days off for the holiday (in case you didn't notice the lack of post yesterday...), but I've got lots of books to read now!

Happy Holidays!