Check it out

Hope, family and the need to belong inspire an irrepressible orphan who

finds a home in “Bud, Not Buddy,” the 2000 winner of the John Newbery

Medal, awarded annually for the most distinguished contribution to

children’s literature.

In the Oliver Twist-type tale, Christopher Paul Curtis paints an

insightful portrait of 10-year-old Bud, who copes with the world in

Depression-era Michigan with his “Rules and Things for Having a Funner

Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.”

Guided only by flyers left by his mother before she died, Bud takes off

from his latest foster home in what turns out to be a riotous search for

the father who abandoned him.

Equally endearing is 12-year-old Willa Jo, heroine of Newbery Honor Book

“Getting Near to Baby” by Audrey Couloumbis. Set in North Carolina, the

story, which takes place all in one day, depicts a family dealing with

grief after a toddler’s sudden death. When bossy Aunt Patty takes Willa

Jo and mute “Little Sister” under her wing, two generations of sisters

struggle with what being an older sibling really means.

For young readers ready for their first chapter book, Newbery Honor Book

“26 Fairmount Avenue” is Tomie dePaola’s nostalgic memoir about watching

his father build a new family home in the face of disasters ranging from

brush fires to hurricanes. The popular author-illustrator introduces

family, friends and neighbors in this first installment of what promises

to be an engaging series.

Also honored by the Newbery committee was Jennifer Holm for “Our Only May

Amelia,” set in the untamed West at the turn of the century. On center

stage is 12-year-old May Amelia, who is too busy chasing sheep, fishing

for salmon and keeping up with her seven brothers to bother wearing a

dress or scrubbing behind her ears.

For outstanding illustration, Simms Taback took top honors with a

Caldecott Medal for “Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.” Rich colors, playful

details and creative die-cuts bring this Yiddish folk tale to life in a

vivid portrait of a tailor who transforms a worn-out overcoat into

smaller and smaller garments.

In Caldecott Honor Book “Sector 7,” David Wiesner’s dazzling

illustrations depict a class visit to the Empire State Building on a day

with no visibility. When one boy makes friends with a cloud, he is

whisked away to a fanciful floating factory in the sky.

Three other picture books complete the Caldecott Honor Book lineup. In

“When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry,” Molly Bang’s broadly

brushed forms and colors capture the intensity of a young girl’s

emotions.

Jerry Pinkney’s watercolors provide a lush backdrop for a new adaptation

of “The Ugly Duckling.” And multiple prize-winning illustrator Trina

Hyman serves up eye candy for each month of the year in “A Child’s

Calendar,” a dazzling celebration of everyday life.

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library.

This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with Judy

Kelley.