Boardman students get lesson from literary expert

Boardman students learn from the best

By DENISE DICK

denise_dick@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

Fifth-graders Andrew Hunter, Sarah Velichko, Maria Serra and Simon Pusateri have a bunch of books to add to their “to read” lists — at the recommendation of a panel of experts.

One of those experts, Lori Faust, a township resident and youth-services manager at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, spoke to the students Friday in June Baker’s classes at Center Middle School.

Faust was a member of the 2010 John Newbery Award Committee, the committee that selects the Newbery Medal winner, the author whose book makes the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Andrew, Simon and Maria, all 11, have read “Holes,” a previous Newbery winner, and both Sarah, also 11, and Simon read E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web,” a previous selection as a Newbery honor winner.

Simon plans to read this year’s winner that Faust helped pick, “When You Reach Me” by Rebecca Stead.

“It sounds interesting to me,” said Simon, who broke the Stadium Drive Elementary School record last year in the accelerated-reading program — reading 210 books.

Faust was selected for the committee in August 2008, pointing to her involvement in the Association for Library Service, a division of the American Library Association.

“I felt like I won an Academy Award,” Faust said.

She spent a year reading all the children’s literature eligible. An author must be a citizen or a resident of the United States to receive a Newbery.

“At least in part, I read 500 books — 230 cover to cover,” Faust said.

They arrived in boxes at her home — books of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and even some picture books. Committee members whittled their lists of favorites of books published for children newborn to age 14.

The plot, character development, language and setting are among the criteria considered. The panel met throughout the year, making final selections in January in Boston.

While there’s only one Newbery Medal winner each year, there’s no limit to the number of Newbery Honor Awards, or runners-up, a committee may pick each year.

Faust’s group selected four books for honor awards: “Twice Toward Justice” by Phillip Hoose, “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate” by Jacqueline Kelly, “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin and “The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg” by Rodman Philbrick.

Faust listed the winner and the Lin book as her favorites.

She also provided suggestions for other books the children might enjoy that weren’t picked as winners.

Both Sarah and Andrew look forward to reading Scott Westerfeld’s “Leviathan,” and Maria added two of this year’s Newbery honors winners to her reading list.