2013 LLL Awards

Young Learners

Judges’ comment: Innovation and classic story-telling are mixed seamlessly in this story. The book includes a playlet for a class performance and wonderful illustrations.

Adolescent & Adult: Beginner

Judge’s comment: Who is the girl with the green eyes? Why is she so interested in Mark? And is the man in the hotel really her stepfather? Find out when you read this story. Boy meets girl — with a difference!

Adolescent & Adult: Elementary

Judge’s comment: This well-written retelling is an excellent way for beginner/elementary level learners to get to know this great story. We found ourselves involved in the story, caring about the characters. In particular, the “set-the-stage” sections help the reader quickly catch up on important events without creating an overly-complex narrative. The recent popularity of the film musical should increase students’ interest, and lead many to a rewarding reading experience.

Adolescent & Adult: Intermediate

Judge’s comment: This is story about adolescents’ conflicts and growing up process. What makes it special is the clever way in which the author interweaves the main plot with the plot of the play-within-the story. This is a well-constructed narrative with a cleverly written plot that develops exploring parallels with Shakespeare’s work.

Adolescent & Adult: Upper Intermediate & Advanced

Judge’s comment: This original murder mystery, set in a rural community, is a compelling read for crime story enthusiasts. Moving back and forth between the voices of the criminal and the police, MacAndrew draws the reader into the narrative. With clear, yet vivid language, the reader is able to participate in the problem-solving of the detectives as they unravel the mystery.

Young Learners

Judges’ comment: Beautifully illustrated, fast-moving story of the Otis family and Sir Simon, the ghost. Do they just see past each other?

Judges’ comment: Well-managed retelling of a classic story of love, respect, and loyalty between people and animals. We promise you’ll keep turning the pages quickly.

Adolescent & Adult: Beginner

Judges’ comment: This original story has a fast-moving plot with a number of surprising twists. The illustrations are helpful and the language is well-controlled. The story introduces a number of social issues that give the story relevance for young adult and adult readers.

Adolescent & Adult: Elementary

Judges’ comment: This is an excellent re-telling of the classic story, with good clarity and language control. Including several of Gulliver’s journeys, it goes much farther than some other “simple” versions in familiarizing readers with the scope of this important cultural point of reference, and with the thrust of Swift’s social commentary.

Judges’ comment: A simply-told, true story about a dog by his owner, Marley & Me brings the reader through years of shared experiences to gain a feeling for Marley, his family and the bond that develops between them. Dog lovers, especially, will love this story and lose track of time as they read page after page.

Adolescent & Adult: Intermediate

Judges’ comment: You may think, ‘Oh another Sherlock story!’… But this is a nice one indeed. It is very well-written with a master control of the language. It manages to be accessible without patronizing the reader. Sure there are clichés, but that is is part of Sherlock’s appeal. It has an interesting plot and good illustrations that help the reader.

Judges’ comment: This is a very well-constructed story with a quite elaborate plot that develops in a very intelligent way. It builds on the tension and adds a couple of good twists that keep you hooked to the end. A page-turner!

Adolescent & Adult: Upper Intermediate & Advanced

Judges’ comment: One Day is a wonderfully well-written adaptation of David Nichols 2009 novel (which was made into a 2011 movie starring Anne Hathaway) about the friendship and romance between its two main characters, Dexter and Emma over a 20 year period. The very well-illustrated story is written in clear and easy English and told in episodic style, with each chapter visiting their lives on a different July 15th over a 20 year period. • F.H. Cornish’s retelling of David Nichols novel “One Day” successfully draws the reader into the complicated 20 year romance of Dexter and Emma. With good illustrations and accessible language, Cornish propels the reader through a series of moments, each on July 15th, in which Dexter and Emma are revealed—sometimes together, sometimes not—sometimes struggling, sometimes at peace. This episodic narrative allows the reader to consider many aspects of relationships and modern life.

Judges’ comment: Although Sherlock: A Study In Pink is actually an adaptation of an adaptation, in other words, it is a graded reader version of a TV script from the BBC adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1887 novel, A Study in Scarlet, which introduces us to the famous character of Sherlock Holmes, Paul Shipton does an absolutely wonderful job of capturing the atmosphere of the original novel, using easy English to build a sense of mystery and excitement that truly pulls the reader into the story. The book is also well illustrated and contains several fascinating “fact file” essays that connect very well to the story and topic. • Steven Moffat’s adaptation of the screenplay “A Study in Pink,” has retained both the suspense and the complexity of the original mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The familiar character of Sherlock Holmes comes to life in this modernized crime story. The shifts between the perspectives of the main characters propels the reader through the chapters. The language is rich but not confusing and the pictures, front and end notes, provide sufficient support without distracting the reader from the story.