Just a few weeks ago, book experts from around the country—including NCS Lower School Librarian Laura Amos—gathered in Texas to decide the winner of this year’s Newbery Medal. The winner for 2012 is Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, and the 2012 Newbery Honor Books are Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai, and Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin. And Norfolk Collegiate also can claim a prize: our own Laura Amos, the only Virginia librarian on the Newbery selection committee.
Norfolk Collegiate’s Director of Communication Arts and Library Services Charlene Loope puts Amos’s committee services in perspective. “Service on the Newbery Award Committee is a great honor. It is an appointment that librarians, not to mention book publishers and book enthusiasts everywhere, hold in very high esteem.” Collegiate students were with Amos—literally and figuratively—for the year-long Newbery Award selections process. This past year, Amos said, “as I was reading the eligible books, I thought about how the books would be received by our students, and what purpose various books would serve for the kids. I also listened in to catch comments the students were making about some of the eligible books, and was able to bring that student perspective to my own thoughts of the books.”
Amos also said, “it’s been so exciting to be able to talk to students at school about my experiences on the committee. The students know that the medal stickers on the books mean that those titles won an award, but it's been great to be able to tell them from a first-hand perspective how those medals are decided, and what it's like to be on the committee that makes that decision.” In addition, Amos’s work on the committee has some publishers sending her complimentary copies of newly published work, which she has donated to our school’s library collections.
In fact, just talking to kids about books is one of Amos’s favorite things about being an elementary school librarian. “I've gotten some really good recommendations from the NCS students,” Amos says, “and I love hearing their comments and perspective on books that I love, and books that are new to me.” As it should be, a love of books brought Amos to her library career in the first place. While she was in college, she said, “I decided that I wanted to be able to introduce new authors and the authors I loved to kids, and hopefully nurture a love of reading in them since it was so important to me growing up.”
Her favorite book when she was growing up? When Amos was in elementary school, she loved the Little House on the Prairie series. At one point, she said, “I was sure that my parents named me after Laura Ingalls Wilder, but that turned out not to be true.” Amos also loved books about horses, like the Black Beauty and Black Stallion books. “I can still remember exactly where they were in my local public library,” Amos says.
Amos’s favorite authors for children of all time are Maurice Sendak for picture books, and Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary for chapter books. {See sidebar for Amos’s book recommendations for all levels.}
Amos’s love of books has lasted from childhood to adulthood and into her professional life, and has made her an asset to Norfolk Collegiate School. “Ms. Amos is passionate about literature written for children,” says Charlene Loope. “In particular, after this year of service on the Newbery Award Committee, she is perhaps the most well-read children’s librarian in all of Virginia! She is truly an accomplished professional.”
Laura Amos’s Picks
“The One Book All Kids Should Read:”
Picture books
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes.
“Sendak's book is a classic story of a child traveling through his imagination, and Henkes's book is a simple yet beautiful story of discovery.”
Grades 2-3
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
“…because Clementine is so feisty and funny!”
Grades 4-5
Books by Jack Gantos (this year’s Newbery Medal winner) “because he is hilarious.”
Books by Rick Riordan, “because he infuses history and mythology into his amazing action stories.”
Great books for middle school
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins “for their nonstop action and adventure.”
For high school readers
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Books by author John Green |