LibLaura5: Rooting for the Home Team

I am really looking forward to the award announcements from ALA on January 23rd.

I love to root for the home team, so here are a few books with Minnesota connections I am hoping will get some notice by awards committees.

Perfect Square
by Minnesotan Michael Hall

Blogged earlier this year here: http://liblaura5.blogspot.com/2011/06/perfect-square-by-michael-hall.html

Celebritrees
by Minnesotan Margi Preuss

What I love about this book:
The premise is fabulous, it's not just a book about types of trees, but specific trees that are celebrities among trees - 14 trees so beloved they have earned names for themselves, including:
Methuselah - the oldest tree (4,800 years old)
General Sherman - the biggest tree (the biggest living inhabitant of the earth by volume)
and my favorite... The Tree That Owns Itself!
Official Site for Celebritrees
Review from 100 Scope Notes

Sparrow Road
by Minnesotan Sheila O'Connor

What I love about this book:
I met Sheila O'Connor at Red Balloon Books last fall where she spoke about her 20 years of working with students as a poet in the schools through COMPAS. She explained that this book was her gift to the students, everything that she would want to say to them now that she was retiring.

There is so much more loveliness to to this book - wonderful characters, and rich setting...
The Lemme Library explains it wonderfully here in her spoiler free book talk.
Official Site for Sparrow Road

Luck of the Buttons
by Anne Ylvisaker, Raised in Minnesota

What I love about this book:
Luck of the Buttons reminded me a lot of one of my favorite musicals: The Music Man.
Also The town library and the fabulous librarian Miss Lucy play a wonderful part in Tugs' story.
Offical Site for Luck of the Buttons
Fuse #8 Review of the Day

Breadcrumbs
by Minnesotan Anne Ursu

Book trailer created by Julie hembree (@mrs_hembree), Librarian at AG Bell Elementary, Kirkland, WA

What I love about this book:
I love the enchanting magical realism, the allusions to so many other stories from Narnia to Star Wars, and the brave, beautiful character Hazel.
Listen to NPR's Backseat Book Club session on Breadcrumbs
Official Site for Breadcrumbs

I have high hopes for this year, due to Minnesota's strong showing last year.
Last year's ALA award winners with ties to Minnesota included:

Geisel Award Winner

Bink and Golly
by Alison McGhee and Kate DiCamillo