Book & Information 23 Feb 2009 08:32 am
Baby
I just finished Joe Monninger’s Baby.
Wow. It was such a great novel and it was worth it to force through the painful parts (which were only painful because they were painful for Baby, and beautifully written by Joe). But I will be honest, there were some parts I did not want to read. But I did, and yeah, worth it.
For some reason, I seem to be reading a lot of foster care/abuse stories. Not sure why this is my genre of the season, but Baby deals with these issues as well. There is a tiny blurb on the Random House website. And From Booklist,
“New Hampshire. Cow-freaking Hampshire.” It’s the last place 15-year-old Baby, abandoned by her alcoholic mother again, wants to be. But her social worker tells her that this stop, with an older couple that races sled dogs, is her last chance before she ends up in a juvie home. Baby, still feeling the pain of her new tatttoo (an Asian tiger on her right butt cheek), thinks she doesn’t really care what happens to her; but Mary and Fred are not average foster parents, and their life with big dogs brings balance to Baby’s own existence. Baby too easily becomes a dog-racing expert, and her descent into trouble when her boyfriend arrives is predictable. But the girl’s first-person voice, the backdrop, and the details (working the streets in a gargoyle costume for tourist change) work together well to set this story apart from the many in which troubled teens find solace in animals.
It was a beautiful novel, and while some things were painful and others silly (who calls us Cow-Hampshire? really? don’t do that. its ridiculous. There aren’t that many cows here), it is worth the read. Check it out, and all his other titles. There is a wide variety and ALL are worth it. A list of titles are here at Amazon.com. His other exciting title is Letters, that was written with Luanne Rice.
Plymouth State University shared this bit of interview/news
A prestigious library group has chosen PSU English Professor Joe Monninger’s novel Baby as one of 2009’s best young adult books. The Young Adult Library Services Association reviewed nearly 200 nominated books before choosing the ten best. The books are nominated by librarians as having literary value and appeal to teens. Monninger said making the list is a wonderful surprise.
“This came completely out of the blue,†Monninger said. “The novel appeared in 2007, so I imagined the possibility for awards and nominations had passed by. For it to be considered, and to be named as one of the top ten books of 2008, is enormously rewarding. When you read the names of the other authors on the list, it’s thrilling to be included.â€
Baby is the story of a troubled 15 year-old girl who is sent to a foster home in New Hampshire, where she is placed with an older couple that races sled dogs. The foster home experience brings balance to Baby’s life. Nancy Keane, a children’s literature librarian and author of the Children’s Literature Webpage, said Baby’s inclusion on the top ten list could mean thousands of new readers enjoying Monninger’s work.
“These are the books that librarians rely on when purchasing and recommending books for teens,†said Keane. “To make the top 10 list is huge.â€To view the Young Adult Library Services Association’s top ten list, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/09bbya.cfm
In addition to the latest accolade, Monninger received the 2008 Peace Corps Writers Award for Baby, winning the award in the Best Children’s Writing category. Monninger has taught at Plymouth State since 1990. He is the author of nine works of fiction but, most recently, has turned toward writing creative nonfiction. Two of these are memoirs that have been widely praised by reviewers: Home Waters: Fishing with an Old Friend (Broadway Books, 1999) and Barn in New England: Making a Home on Three Acres (Chronicle Books, 2001) His recent book, Two Ton: One Night, One Fight — Tony Galento v. Joe Louis (Steerforth Press, 2006) has drawn excellent reviews for its in-depth perspective on 1930s boxing.
Monninger’s awards include two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, a New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Fellowship in 2007. He has lectured at Dartmouth College, West Point and Harvard University.
Check out the novel. It is a 2007 release and not out in paperback yet, so if your local bookstore does not have it in, they CAN order it for you! Enjoy!
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