Newbery anticipation

Tomorrow is the day on which the Newbery Award is announced. One of my close friends, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, has written a book that has been named among the contenders, so for the first time I am waiting with great anticipation.  Jefferson's Sons tells the story of Thomas Jefferson through the eyes of three of his children, two of whom are slaves.  Kim has written quite a bit of historical fiction as well as a few contemporary novels.  I'm not sure whether they count as late grade school or young adult - but I've enjoyed them all despite being a bit removed from those categories.

Jefferson's Sons - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Here is her website: http://www.kimberlybrubakerbradley.com/

I like that she has posted a list of her sources, which might prove useful to some of you who are particularly interested in this subject: http://www.kimberlybrubakerbradley.com/click_here_to_go_to_the_list_of_sources_for_jefferson_s_sons_40174.htm

Here is the Amazon page with her books: http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Brubaker-Bradley/e/B001ILFOVU

Ruthie's Gift
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Ruthie's Gift, her first novel, is still one of my favorites, along with Weaver's Daughter and ... well, never mind.  I keep coming up with more of her books I really like.  Where to stop?  I would certainly recommend them to you as well.

Here are some blurbs on Kim's books that I located while looking around for more on the Newbery contenders for this year:

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - Simon and Schuster website
Loving the quote at the top!

Authors and Artists for Young Adults on Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

The author of five well-received novels for juvenile readers, as well as several picture books, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has demonstrated a remarkable breadth of theme and subject matter, portraying protagonists from a lonely girl in rural Indiana in the early years of the twentieth century to a brave French teen who fights for her country in the World War II Resistance movement. With her first three titles, Ruthie's Gift, One-of-a-Kind Mallie, and Weaver's Daughter, Bradley has created tales for middle-grade readers, and with her novels Halfway to the Sky and For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy she writes for slightly older readers. All Bradley's books, however, are noted for their wealth of detail and warm human portrayals.
http://www.bookrags.com/biography/kimberly-brubaker-bradley-aya/

And here, finally, is a book of hers I haven't yet read, but which looks like fun:

Ballerino Nate
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

The most important thing about Kim, however, is who she is.  She is the kind of person you would want to know, the kind of person you would want for a friend.  And she is raising my goddaughter to be the kind of person I also feel blessed to know.  (She gets bonus points, of course, for her interest in Haiti.)

So, Kim, whether or not you win your Newbery, you're worth a cheer.