2023 Newbery Books

Posted on April 21, 2023 by vanbraman

This week I finished reading the Newbery Award winners for this year.

I will start with the Newbery Medal book.

newbery 2023, newbery medal, newbery honor book, libraries, booksThe Newbery Medal winner this year was Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson.

The book was about a group of former enslaved people who hid out in a swamp.

It was an interesting story, but it lacked something. Not my favorite of the Newbery awards this year.

newbery 2023, newbery medal, newbery honor book, libraries, booksThe Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat is one of the Newbery Honor books for this year.

The story takes takes place in a fantasy world with limited technology. Basically, think back several hundred years. The young mapmaker helps on a sailing mission into uncharted places in their world and helps solve a mystery. She also overcomes disadvantages she has because of here social standing.

I really enjoyed this book.

Soontornvat was also a Newbery Honor winner for two books in 2021.

newbery 2023, newbery medal, newbery honor book, libraries, books

Iveliz Explains it all by Andrea Beatriz Arango is another Newbery Honor book for this year.

The book is about a young girl who is in Middle School and has some mental health issues. This is further complicated by having lost her father to an accident and also a grandmother who has moved from Puerto Rico so her mother can take care of her. The grandmother suffers from Alzheimers.

The book is illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez. The book is set up as a journal and has some great illustrations on some of the journal pages.

I believe that this was a great book to be honored by the Newbery awards.

newbery 2023, newbery medal, newbery honor book, libraries, booksMaizey Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee is the other Newbery Honor book.

The book was set in a small town in Minnesota where Maizey and her mother had gone to help her grandparents run a Chinese restaurant. The book covers the history of the family from when they left China in the mid 1800’s to come to the US by some story telling by the grandfather as Maizey helps keep an eye on him as he deals with an illness. The book also covers the challenges of being the only Asian-Americans in a small town.

I really enjoyed this book. If I had the choice of which of these four books to give the medal to, this would be the one. I really liked the telling of family history in the book as well as the great representation of being in a small town.

I really enjoyed the Newbery books for this year, and look forward to the ones for next year.

Steven

 

 

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New Hamburg Minister

Posted on April 20, 2023 by vanbraman

While looking through one of my Grandna’s scrapbooks a little article caught my eye.

Hamburg Iowa, Hamburg church of christ, minister, Edwin DeVries, OttumwaThe small article announced that the Hamburg Church of Christ had a new minister. The new minister was Edwin DeVries. He had moved to Hamburg from Etterville, Missouri.

The article also mentions that he received his ministerial education in Ottumwa.

Each of these three places all have significance to me.

Hamburg Church of Christ, National Day of Prayer, Hamburg, IowaMy Father graduated from Hamburg High School the year before. I know the approximate time of the article as it was in a scrapbook that included an article about John Glenn and his orbital flight. There were also other articles that I was able to date to 1962.

Midwestern School of Evangelism, 908 North Court, Ottumwa, Iowa - Harper MansionMy Father had left Hamburg to go to school in Ottumwa at Midwestern School of Evangelism which is where the new Minister had gone to school.

Hamburg Iowa Church of Christ Stained Glass WindowI remember many trips to Hamburg as my Grandparents lived near there the rest of their lives. I especially remember the stained glass windows of the Hamburg church building. I also know from my Grandmother that my Braman family was involved in the early congregation and helped build the building. My 2nd Great Grandfather also preached in several area churches in Missouri and Iowa.

Etterville Missouri, Bible Camp, Sho me mo, olympics When I was growing up I went to Sho – Me – Mo Bible camp in Etterville, Missouri, so have many memories of Etterville. I still have some of the camp programs which I may share in the future.

At some point I need to find or put together a list of Hamburg preachers through the years. I am sure that one probably exists.

Steven

 

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