Month: August 2021

As of this month, I’ve been writing Sonderbooks for 20 years!

To celebrate, I’m going through my Sonderbooks Stand-outs posts from each year and highlighting my favorite books.

Today we’ll cover 2017 Sonderbooks Stand-outs. A quick glance tells me this is going to take a while! Is this because I still remember them or simply because I read many great books that year? I’m not sure, but here are some I can’t resist mentioning:

For Grown-Ups

While Beauty Slept, by Elizabeth Blackwell

A retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, told by a servant in the castle, who saw all the events take place.

Angels in My Hair: The True Story of a Modern-Day Irish Mystic, by Lorna Byrne

All her life, Lorna Byrne has been able to see angels and talk with them. She tells her story, and what angels would like to say to us. A lovely message.

Flames of Love, by Heath Bradley

A strong scriptural defense of Universalism, the teaching that all will (eventually) be saved.

A More Christlike God: A More Beautiful Gospel, by Bradley Jersak

Here’s a beautiful book on theology, going deeper into why Christ came and what he told us about God with his life, death, and resurrection. He blasts the notion that God can’t look on sin, because Jesus looked at sinners, saw them, and loved them.

Accidental Saints, by Nadia Bolz-Weber

I’ve come to love Nadia Bolz-Weber’s writing. She helps you see the image of God in even the most fallible human folks, and she helps you see how much God loves and cares for all of his messy people.

A Beautiful, Terrible Thing: A Memoir of Marriage and Betrayal, by Jen Waite

A gripping account of the author’s own marriage — which ended up being to a psychopath.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, by Trevor Noah

Hilarious and challenging at the same time, Trevor Noah tells about growing up mixed-race in South Africa under Apartheid. The audiobook is extra good with the author telling the stories.

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, by Margot Shetterly

The true story of black women excelling in mathematics that I wish I’d known about back in my college days when I knew few other female math students.

For Teens

Landscape with Invisible Hand, by M. T. Anderson

Brilliant, pointed social commentary (again!) by M. T. Anderson. This book takes place after aliens have come to earth and offered us their advanced technology. The trouble is — only those who afford it can use it. The humans who can’t afford it are basically left to starve. Teenage Adam has found an innovative way around the problem, but he’s running into problems.

Thick As Thieves, by Megan Whalen Turner

The much-awaited fifth book in the Queen’s Thief series. This one follows the adventures of Kamet, Nahuseresh’s most important slave, as he tries to escape the Mede empire with the help of an Attolian.

Scythe, by Neal Shusterman

The beginning of an amazing trilogy. Mankind has defeated death. We’re overseen by a wise and powerful artificial intelligence that’s so much beyond the Cloud, it’s called the Thunderhead. But the earth will become overpopulated if people live forever, and we didn’t want to entrust that to a machine. So a brotherhood of Scythes was chosen to select and Reap people periodically. Two teens are chosen to join this brotherhood, at the same time that a new, disturbing faction is developing.

Strange the Dreamer, by Laini Taylor

The first half of a mesmerizing duology about a lost city and magical children and meeting someone in a lucid dream.

For Children

The Empty Grave, by Jonathan Stroud

The culmination of the Lockwood & Co. series — fighting ghosts in London and those who caused the problem in the first place.

Princess Cora and the Crocodile, by Laura Amy Schlitz

A sweet beginning reader about a princess who lets a crocodile take her place while she runs out and plays.

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, by Stephanie Burgis

A dragon gets discovers chocolate and gets tricked and turned into a human. But she still has her love of chocolate!

Real Friends: A True Story About Cool Kids and Crybabies, by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

A graphic novel memoir about growing up, going to school, and all the intricacies of making friends.

March, Book Three, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

This multiple-award-winning graphic novel is the culmination of the story of the Civil Rights Movement, as witnessed by John Lewis.

Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team, by Daniel O’Brien, illustrations by Winston Rowntree

This very silly book teaches lots of interesting facts about the presidents by taking the approach of preparing for an alien invasion. If aliens attacked, and you got to pick a team of past presidents to help you defeat them, who would you pick? A silly approach to their strengths and weaknesses. Only dead presidents were included, though, so there was no modern-day commentary.

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet, by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

This picture book gives us a modern fable about refusing to bow when powerful forces try to silence us.

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, by Drew Daywalt, pictures by Adam Rex

A very silly picture book telling us how the popular game got started. This one begs to be read aloud in your best announcer voice. Too much fun!

And be sure to check the 2017 Sonderbooks Stand-outs page for more wonderful books to catch if you haven’t seen them yet.

20 years ago this month, I began writing Sonderbooks!

To celebrate, I’m looking back at each wonderful year of reading and reminiscing about some extra-special favorites.

Today I’m looking at the 2016 Sonderbooks Stand-outs.

For Grown-Ups

Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword, and Ancillary Mercy, by Anne Leckie

This amazing award-winning science fiction series follows a person who was once a sentient ship. As a ship, they had been able to experience the world through many ancillary bodies, and the ship was destroyed when one ancillary was away from the ship. Now they live on, with all the knowledge and experience of the ship.

Den of Wolves, by Juliet Marillier

The third and final book in Juliet Marillier’s wonderful Blackthorn & Grim trilogy.

Champagne for the Soul: Rediscovering God’s Gift of Joy, by Mike Mason

This is my favorite book ever for going through in a church small group. He’s got ninety short meditations on joy and helps you look for joy in your daily life, a wonderful habit to start.

Soar Above: How to Use the Most Profound Part of Your Brain Under Any Kind of Stress, by Steven Stosny

Steven Stosny’s books are great at helping you rise above difficulties. This one doesn’t talk about a specific situation such as marital difficulties, so can apply to anyone who wants a happier and more meaningful life.

Camino Divina: Walking the Divine Way, A Book of Moving Meditations with Likely & Unlikely Saints, by Gina Mammano

Gina was my good friend from college, and she passed away a few years ago from colon cancer. Before she did, she wrote this beautiful book of walking meditations. Each chapter highlights a different poet or author and gives you lines to mull over as you walk with the words.

How To Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics, by Eugenia Cheng

Here’s a general interest book about the mathematics of Category Theory, using recipes as examples.

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science – and the World, by Rachel Swaby

This book has short, readable biographies of 52 important women in science who are not household names but should be.

For Teens

The Passion of Dolssa, by Julie Berry

A beautiful novel about a medieval mystic and miracle-worker being hunted by Inquisitors.

23 Minutes, by Vivian Vande Velde

A girl has the ability to rewind time precisely 23 minutes. When she’s witness to a bank robbery and someone dies, she keeps trying to do something to change those 23 minutes and make everyone survive. This turns out to be more difficult that she thinks at first.

My Lady Jane, by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

A playful novelization of the life of Lady Jane Grey — with magic. Instead of Protestants and Catholics, we’ve got shapeshifters and non-magic users. Things also don’t end up as tragically for the people involved, so it’s a nice feel-good tale.

For Children

The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

An incredibly moving tale about an abused girl with a clubfoot who gets evacuated during World War II and finds a surprising new family.

The Creeping Shadow, by Jonathan Stroud

Book Four of Lockwood & Co., the series where ghosts roam an alternate-reality London, and the agency run by kids starts tracking down why this happened.

Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, by John David Anderson

A heartwarming story about three sixth-grade boys who devise a plan to ditch school and do something special for their teacher in the hospital. Then every part of their plan begins to go wrong.

Pax, by Sara Pennypacker

The story of a fox and his boy, separated by circumstance, trying to find one another again, in a landscape scarred by war.

A Hungry Lion, Or: A Dwindling Assortment of Animals, by Lucy Ruth Cummins

The title of this picture book makes me laugh every time I see it. There is some eating in this book. There are also some surprises. Delightfully silly.

Grumpy Pants, by Clare Messer

A wonderful solution to toddler grumpiness — blame it on your underpants and wash your grumpiness away.

Nanette’s Baguette, by Mo Willems

One of my favorite books to read aloud! A Mo Willems tongue twister about a little frog who — accidentally — eats the baguette she was entrusted to buy.

If you’ve missed any of these books, I recommend making up for lost time! And there are more on the 2016 Sonderbooks Stand-out page!

This month I’m celebrating 20 years of writing Sonderbooks!

I decided to borrow from another blog celebrating ten years and do 20 posts, each highlighting stand-outs from a year of reading. Today, I’ll look at books I read in 2015 and still remember fondly. And as I look at the page, I see some really good ones.

For Grown-Ups

Dreamer’s Pool and Tower of Thorns, by Juliet Marillier

The beginning of a wonderful new fantasy series by Juliet Marillier, with some in-depth looks at healing from abuse.

The Martian, by Andy Weir

An amazingly realistic book about an astronaut left behind on Mars and how he survives.

The Coincidence of Chocolate Cake, by Amy E. Reichert

A delightful romance where the couple truly knows and values one another.

The Thrilling Adventures of Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer, by Sydney Padua

A graphic novel about Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage actually building the Analytical Engine and programming it.

The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins

A psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns. It’s all about what a girl sees from the train.

Hope and Other Luxuries: A Mother’s Life with a Daughter’s Anorexia, by Clare B. Dunkle

An author tells what it’s like to try to help her daughter in a struggle with anorexia.

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, by Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess, has the gift of making you laugh uproariously at indeed horrible things, such as mental illness and medical insurance fiascos.

Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church, by Rachel Held Evans

A lovely book about why people are disillusioned with church, but especially about what the church should look like to truly represent Christ to the world.

Deeper Dating: How to Drop the Games of Seduction and Discover the Power of Intimacy, by Ken Page

A lovely book about dating that takes the approach of finding and appreciating your own core strengths and the things that give you joy rather than trying to change yourself. I’m going to enjoy rereading this now that I’m finally dating someone.

Did God Kill Jesus? Searching for Love in History’s Most Famous Execution, by Tony Jones

This is the book that showed me that the way I’ve been taught since childhood to look at Jesus’ death isn’t even the majority view in the church. The book lays out different historical views along with scriptural support for each one.

For Teens

Rook, by Sharon Cameron

Another science fiction retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel! As far as I’m concerned, there can never be enough.

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim and Prairie Fire, by E. K. Johnston

Dragons, dragon slayers, and bards in modern day Canada. Plus a beautiful portrayal of friendship.

For Children

The Hollow Boy, by Jonathan Stroud

The adventures of Lockwood & Co, an ghost-hunting agency run by children, continue in alternate-reality England — with ghosts.

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer, by Kelly Jones

A girl’s family inherits a farm and they’re learning to run it — when she discovers they own chickens with magical powers. Good silly fun.

Really Big Numbers, by Richard Evan Schwartz

Mind-bending ideas about the biggest numbers you can possibly imagine — and how to go even bigger.

Madame Martine, by Sarah S. Brannen

A picture book about a woman who lives in Paris and never visits the Eiffel Tower — until a little dog intervenes. This book made me decide to go out and visit tourist sites in Washington, DC, close to where I live. (This was a good plan until the pandemic hit.)

Troll and the Oliver, by Adam Stower

This is one of my favorite books to read for storytime. I try to make them jump when Troll comes out. Don’t worry — it’s got a happy ending.

Meet the Dullards, by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

The parents in the Dullard family try to protect their kids from excitement, but there’s a rebel in their midst. Good silly fun.

Be sure to check out the other 2015 Sonderbooks Stand-outs! If you missed any of these, better late than never!

As of this month, I’ve been writing Sonderbooks for 20 years!

To celebrate, I’ve been writing posts highlighting some favorites from each year of reading.

This has taken longer than I anticipated. I thought I’d be able to focus on just a few outstanding books from each year — but there are just too many good ones. It’s also making me a little crazy that I can’t get away with spending the next couple years rereading! These are some outstanding books! If you missed them, let me encourage you to take another look.

Today I’m going to look at outstanding books from 2013. I thought I’d whip off a post, and then I looked at what wonderful books I read that year, and this may take a little extra time.

For Grown-ups

The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker

As it happens, I was recently thinking about this book because a sequel finally came out, The Hidden Palace. The books feel like rich historical novels, but they are about magical creatures living among humans and making lives for themselves in New York City of the past.

Living and Loving After Betrayal: How to Heal from Emotional Abuse, Deceit, Infidelity, and Chronic Resentment, by Steven Stosny

I wish this book had been written when I was in the thick of it, but I still found this book so helpful for healing and restoring my heart.

Runaway Husbands: The Abandoned Wife’s Guide to Recovery and Renewal, by Vikki Stark

And I wish I’d known about this one sooner, but again, even reading it years after my husband left helped me make sense of that time.

For Teens

Across a Star-Swept Sea, by Diana Peterfreund

Another amazing science-fiction retelling by Diana Peterfreund, this time a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy, an old favorite of mine, with genders swapped.

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

A love story between two teens with very different backgrounds, paralleling Romeo & Juliet, but not ending as tragically.

Dark Triumph, by Robin LaFevers

The second amazing novel set in medieval Brittany about assassin nuns, daughters of the god of death.

Every Day, by David Levithan

This is the story of a kid named “A.” Every day, A wakes up in the body of a different kid. They will be somewhere near the last body they inhabited and they will be roughly the same age. A borrows other people’s lives for a day at a time. So what happens when A falls in love?

For Children

The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud

This is the first of the amazing and wonderful Lockwood & Co. series. The series is set in alternate-reality London, where for years ghosts have become a problem. These ghosts kill you if they touch you — but only children can see them. Lucy Carlyle joins the only agency run by children themselves, headed by Anthony Lockwood. After accidentally burning down a building, they take on an especially dangerous case to try to keep their agency from ruin.

Jinx, by Sage Blackwood

The magical story of a kid living in the Urwald who’s good at listening — even to trees. He can see the shape and color of other people’s thoughts, and doesn’t realize that’s not something everyone can do.

That’s a Possibility! A Book About What Might Happen, by Bruce Goldstone

This photo-illustrated book explaining probability to children makes my heart happy. Everything is colorfully and clearly explained.

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdös, by Deborah Heiligman, pictures by LeUyen Pham

A picture book about an eccentric mathematician! What could be better?

Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late, by Laura Overdeck, illustrated by Jim Paillot

This was the year I discovered bedtimemath.org — a wonderful organization that promotes doing math problems with your kids at bedtime. I was delighted someone is promoting this, because I have many happy memories doing this with my own kid at bedtime — he discovered he could prolong bedtime indefinitely with the words, “Just one more math problem, Mommy, please.” Later, they also began promoting Crazy 8s Math Club — they send supplies and program plans to libraries and schools for after-school math clubs. The organization is all about showing kids how much fun is found in math.

Sophie’s Squash, by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf

This picture book caught my heart. Sophie adopts a new best friend, a squash. Unfortunately, her friend isn’t going to stay fresh forever.

Tiny Little Fly, by Michael Rosen, pictures by Kevin Waldron

This has become a story time staple for me. You’ve got a tiny little fly buzzing around big African animals, but they don’t manage to stop him. My, oh my! Tiny little fly!

And there are more! Take a look at all my 2013 Sonderbooks Stand-outs and read about anything that catches your eye — they’re all heartily recommended.

This month, I’m celebrating 20 years of writing Sonderbooks!

My main way of celebrating is more posts! I’m posting about outstanding books I read for the first time each year of Sonderbooks. Today let’s look at Sonderbooks Stand-outs from 2012.

For Grown-Ups

Midnight in Austenland, by Shannon Hale

I love this book so much! It’s a tribute to Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, but as if that weren’t enough, it features a divorced heroine whose husband cheated on her. This heroine has a scene where she tells off her ex — or at least a man who treated her like her ex did — in a thoroughly satisfying and wonderful way.

The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared, by Alice Ozma

Alice’s father read to her every night from a day when she was in third grade until the day she left for college. This book tells that wonderful story.

Victory Over Verbal Abuse: A Healing Guide to Renewing Your Spirit and Reclaiming Your Life, by Patricia Evans

All Patricia Evans’ books are good for learning to recognize verbal abuse. This book is especially good for healing your spirit after you’re out of the situation and feeling much better about yourself.

For Teens

Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein

This book is astonishingly good. It tells a tale of women spying during World War II — told by one who is being held by the Nazis. And it’s a story of friendship. And it’s the kind of story that you will want to read over and over again to catch the details right in front of you that you didn’t realize were significant.

For Darkness Shows the Stars, by Diana Peterfreund

A science fiction retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. So good!

Grave Mercy, by Robin LaFevers

This is the first book of Robin LaFevers’ amazing historical fantasy novels about assassin nuns, the daughters of the god of death.

For Children

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling, by Maryrose Wood

This is the beginning of a delightfully silly historical fiction series about a proper and earnest governess taking care of children raised by wolves.

Summer of the Gypsy Moths, by Sara Pennypacker

This book begins with two 12-year-old girls deciding to hide a dead body. It continues with the consequences of that choice. So good!

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate

Recalling Charlotte’s Web, this Newbery-winning book tells the story of a captive gorilla who decides he must act to save a baby elephant.

How Many Jelly Beans? A Giant Book of Giant Numbers, by Andrea Menotti, illustrated by Yancey Labat

It goes to one million!

Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar, by Masaichiro and Mitsumasa Anno

A picture book that explains factorials!

Penny and Her Song, by Kevin Henkes

The first beginning reader about Penny, and I just love the way she makes up a song and wants to find someone who will listen.

Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!, by Hyewon Yum

This picture book is fun, because it’s the kid who has to reassure his mom that everything’s going to be okay.

So many good books! The trouble with doing these posts is they make me want to spend the next year rereading books. If you missed these, check them out!

This month, I’m celebrating 20 years of writing Sonderbooks!

Today I’m revisiting favorites that I first read in 2011, the year that was memorable because I had a stroke.

For Grown-Ups

Daughter of the Forest, Son of the Shadows, and Child of the Prophecy, by Juliet Marillier

This was a fantastic year for reading fantasy. Juliet Marillier’s amazing Sevenwaters series begins with a retelling of the fairy tale where the princess must be silent for seven years and knit shirts out of nettles to save her brothers who have been turned into swans. The further books show further generations and more dealings with the otherworldly. They are unfailingly wonderful. And they all have romance, but the details are never the same.

The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss

Another truly amazing fantasy series. This one is not finished even yet, and I hope Patrick Rothfuss will remedy that soon! But the beginning pulls you in from the first sentence. The idea is that a mysterious figure, the King-Killer, is telling his story over three days. We hear the story he tells on the first two days, but we the readers have been kept waiting for the culmination of the tale — but we’re already enchanted.

The Pericles Commission, by Gary Corby

A mystery series set in ancient Greece! Very fun.

Sex, Mom, & God: How the Bible’s Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politics — and How I Learned to Love Women (and Jesus) Anyway, by Frank Schaeffer

It was beginning to dawn on me that the attitudes I grew up with regarding sex — the same ones Frank Schaeffer grew up with — might not be the healthiest. This book gave me lots of food for thought.

Faith and Will: Weathering the Storms of Our Spiritual Lives, by Julia Cameron

Julia Cameron writes wonderful books musing about writing, and it turns out she also writes wonderful books musing about faith.

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are: Your Guide to a Wholehearted Life, by Brené Brown

The first Brené Brown book I read, and probably my favorite. Because I am a perfectionist who has always struggled with perfectionism. This book helps me relax and live wholeheartedly, even with my imperfections.

Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, by Rob Bell

This isn’t even close to being my favorite book about universalism. But it is the book that most of my Christian friends have heard of and the book that opened up the conversation. And I appreciate that so much.

For Teens

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater

This book is like The Black Stallion combined with Misty of Chincoteague, but featuring killer water horses who like to eat people. Add in a girl competing in a race against men, including a guy she’s attracted to — and both of them desperately need the prize money.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor

Another amazing trilogy by Laini Taylor. This time about angels and demons. Or what looks like angels and demons. And it starts out with a student in modern-day Prague who stays with a guardian who grants wishes and trades in human teeth.

Chime, by Franny Billingsley

A haunting novel with witchcraft and guilt and mystery. It begins with the narrator saying she deserves to be hanged. But does she?

The Trouble with Kings, by Sherwood Smith

I think Sherwood Smith’s books are so much fun. There’s the usual princess, plus romance, danger, magic, and political intrigue.

The Order of Odd-Fish, by James Kennedy

This is it! My review of this book tells me that 2011 was the year I began posting Sonderling Sunday. The Order of Odd-fish is a bizarre fantasy novel with things like riding on ostriches and prophecies of impending doom. I met the author at ALA Annual Conference, and when he announced that his book had been translated into German, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, I asked if there was any way I could get a copy — and he sent me one. Since then, I’ve used the English edition and the German edition as a sort of Very Silly Phrasebook, writing posts on Sundays showing phrases in children’s books (I’ve added more) and how they’re translated into German in the German edition. I get a big kick out of doing it, though I haven’t done as frequent posts lately. Looks like I’ve been doing it ten years! And I haven’t even finished going through The Order of Odd-fish, though I’m getting really close.

Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly

A powerful novel with resonances and strange connections between a modern girl in Paris and a girl living during the French Revolution.

For Children

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George

A fantasy tale where the castle itself has a personality and grows rooms on a whim. The young princess knows the castle best, so she’s important when her parents are gone and the country is in trouble.

Okay for Now, by Gary D. Schmidt

Wow. Now Gary Schmidt tells the story of the troublemaker in town and completely wins this reader’s heart.

Kat, Incorrigible, by Stephanie Burgis

My first Stephanie Burgis book! This series has a Jane-Austen-with-magic vibe, with an incorrigible twelve-year-old girl as the viewpoint character.

Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run, by Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger

I have to mention this one, because it may have saved my life! It’s the story of a kid whose parents named him Stonewall Trigger Hinkleman and who drag him to Civil War Reenactments over and over. He hates them and thinks they’re stupid. But a magic bugle sends him back to the actual Battle of Bull Run, and he gains an entirely new perspective. How did this save my life? I had gotten tickets from a friend to go to the 150th reenactment of the Battle of Bull Run on a Sunday in July. But I’d had a headache for weeks, and the temperature was forecast to be 104 degrees. And I read Stonewall Hinkleman’s words that reenactments are stupid, and I decided to stay at home and read the book in honor of the 150th anniversary. And the next day I had a stroke! I was very glad I didn’t have it the day before outdoors in a crowded field in the heat.

Stuck, by Oliver Jeffers

This silly, silly picture book still makes me giggle. A kid gets his kite stuck in a tree. He throws bigger and bigger things into the tree, trying to dislodge it. The items get more and more ridiculous, and it’s done in a deadpan, completely silly way.

I Want My Hat Back, Jon Klassen

This picture book is a classic in the Someone-Gets-Eaten genre that I love so much.

Chalk, by Bill Thomson

A wordless picture book that shows kids playing with chalk that makes whatever you draw come to life. That’s a lot of fun until a kid draws a t-rex.

A Ball for Daisy, by Chris Raschka

Another charming picture book, this time about a dog whose ball gets popped. I got to hear Chris Raschka give his Caldecott Medal speech about this book, which made me appreciate it all the more.

You Can Count on Monsters, by Richard Evan Schwartz

This is one of my very favorite mathy books for kids, doing with monsters what I did with colors on my Prime Factorization Sweater.

Something I’m finding out by doing these posts revisiting past years — I really do read a lot of wonderful books every year!

As of this month, I’ve been writing Sonderbooks for 20 years!

To celebrate, I’m reminiscing about my favorite books over my last 20 years of reading. Today, let’s look at Sonderbooks Stand-outs 2010.

2010 was the year my job got cut from the library and I had to work in the Office for Children for six months before I got back to the library. At the same time, I finally filed for divorce and in November 2010, that divorce became final. So it was something of an awful year. But I did some good reading!

For Grown-ups

This Is Not the Story You Think It Is. . . A Season of Unlikely Happiness, by Laura Munson

This is the story of a marriage that fell apart — and came back together. I wonder sometimes if I had handled things as well as Laura Munson did, if my story might have been more like that — and then I remember that everybody’s story is different, and my husband was determined to go. But this story still charmed me.

Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness, and Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder

Tracy Kidder does stories of real people exceptionally well. Strength in What Remains tells the story of Deogratias, a survivor of genocide in Burundi, who went back and brought health care to Burundi, working through Paul Farmer’s agency, Partners in Health. Then Mountains Beyond Mountains tells about Paul Farmer and the founding of Partners in Health. A special note at this time is that Partners in Health has a special focus on healthcare in Haiti, and I can’t think of a better organization to donate to if you want to help Haiti after their recent earthquake.

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, by Jill Bolte Taylor

A neuroscientist tells about her own stroke and what it taught her. Little did I know when I read this that I’d have my own stroke (though in a different part of the brain) the following year.

Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant, by Daniel Tammet

The story of a man with synesthesia, seeing distinct colors and shapes with different numbers and letters.

The Ten Things To Do When Your Life Falls Apart, by Daphne Rose Kingma

Let’s just say I’m glad I read this book the year that I lost my library job and my divorce was final.

Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Fairy tales that shine light on women’s lives. Another one I’m so glad I read during that tough year.

Feel: The Power of Listening to Your Heart, by Matthew Elliott

This is one of the best books I’ve ever studied with a small group. It talks about how much we can learn from our emotions, and showed the fallacy in the teaching I’d grown up with that you shouldn’t trust your feelings. It’s a Christian book and teaches that God gave us emotions to drive us to our best.

This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All, by Marilyn Johnson

It was affirming to read this book and be proud to be a librarian — as we were being devalued and library jobs were being cut. This book is a lovely look at the vocation of librarianship.

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

This book covers new research about child development, covering many different topics. Many of the ideas are surprising, and have stuck with me all this time. Some fascinating things about the way humans grow up.

Coronets and Steel, by Sherwood Smith

A swashbuckling modern-day European adventure and romance — with a touch of the paranormal thrown in.

The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey

I heard about this classic mystery somewhere and was not disappointed, about the solving of a historical mystery.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley

The first Flavia deLuce mystery about a precocious girl with a penchant for poisons and an unhealthy interest in death.

Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

This gut-wrenching story of refugees in the United Kingdom tore me apart — but I won’t ever forget it.

For Teens

A Conspiracy of Kings, by Megan Whalen Turner

Another installment in the Queen’s Thief series. We find out what happened to Sophos and the country of Sounis. More developments and intrigue.

Ice and Enchanted Ivy, by Sarah Beth Durst

Both of these magical books involve a big, furry, wild creature. In Ice it’s the enchanted bear of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” retold in a modern setting. In Enchanted Ivy, there’s magic afoot at Princeton University, and a were-tiger is involved.

White Cat, by Holly Black

This is the book that starts the trilogy in a world where many people can curse others by touching them. Cursing is illegal, so everyone wears gloves. Cassel is part of a powerful crime family and learns about his own power and people who want to use it.

Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

The start of a fun contemporary romantic series about a girl who plays football on the boys’ team in Red Bend, Wisconsin.

The Cardturner, by Louis Sachar

A novel about a kid playing bridge! So good! It includes puzzles and intergenerational relationships and competition.

Suspect, by Kristin Wolden Nitz

My writing buddy got published again! This one’s a mystery for teens.

For Children

Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee

This begins a series of illustrated chapter books about an irrepressible, unforgettable third grader. I love these books so much.

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia

This begins a wonderful series as well. In this multiple-award-winning novel, three sisters go to visit their neglectful mother in California in the sixties and get involved with the Black Panthers distributing food and helping the neighborhood.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger

The start of yet another memorable series. This one is more light-hearted, about an origami yoda puppet that seems to give wise advice to kids at a middle school.

Katie Loves the Kittens, by John Himmelman

Here’s a wonderful picture book for kids with a new sibling, as Katie the dog tries to be gentle with the new kittens, but doesn’t know her own strength and size.