Bloggin' 'bout Books: Printz Project

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama

- ~~Alaska~~ (1)

- Arizona

- ~~Arkansas~~ (1)

- ~~California~~ (7)

- ~~Colorado~~ (1)

- ~~Connecticut~~ (1)

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- ~~Georgia~~ (1)

- ~~Hawaii~~ (1)

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- ~~Maine~~ (4)

- ~~Maryland~~ (1)

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- ~~Mississippi~~ (1)

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- ~~Montana~~ (1)

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- Nevada

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- ~~New Jersey~~ (1)

- New Mexico

- ~~New York~~ (4)

- ~~North Carolina~~ (2)

- North Dakota

- ~~Ohio~~ (3)

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- ~~Oregon~~ (2)

- ~~Pennsylvania~~ (1)

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- ~~South Dakota~~ (1)

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- ~~Texas~~ (3)

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- ~~Vermont~~ (1)

- ~~Virginia~~ (1)

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- West Virginia

- ~~Wisconsin~~ (2)

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- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- Australia (6)

- Austria (1)

- Canada (2)

- England (21)

- Fiji (1)

- France (1)

- Ireland (2)

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- Vatican City (1)

Jellicoe Road: Yeah, It's That Good

5:28 AM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

There is a road in the Australian wilderness. Prettiest road you ever saw. Trees drape over its path, forming what's surely a tunnel to Shangri-la. Ordinary things happen here - travelers coast along, headed for the ocean; cars break down; children guide their bikes through the paths on its shoulders; and would-be cadets spill out of a school bus, anxious to play war games in the bush. Sometimes, though, the not-so-ordinary happens near the road: troubled children battle each other in a fierce territory war; unlikely friendships form; a lost girl finds a home; a

n alleged murderer looks for peace. It might look like any other country lane, but Jellicoe Road holds secrets. And pain. And, maybe, redemption.

Winner of the Printz Award for 2009, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta tells the story of 17-year-old Taylor Markham, one of the misfit students at the Jellicoe School. Considering some of the juvenile delinquents she goes to school with every day, Taylor's story may not be all that remarkable. Still, being abandoned at a 7-11 at the age of 6 is nothing to scoff at. Neither is watching a man commit suicide in front of you. It's no wonder, really, that Taylor ran away from boarding school at age 14. She would have made it all the way to Sydney, too, if it wasn't for a certain cadet-in-training. Through every bump in her particular pathway, Taylor's found only one person she can trust - her 30-something-year-old guardian, Hannah. As loyal as the older woman is, though, even Hannah keeps a little distance from Taylor. Maybe she's afraid of the teenager's anger. Maybe it's her own mysterious sadness. Whatever the reason, Taylor's glad to be boarding in Lachlan House instead of bunking in Hannah's unfinished house by the river.

As much as Taylor's tried to keep herself apart from everyone else, this year she's been elected as House leader. The position mostly involves mothering the younger students, something Taylor wants no part of. It's only the annual territory wars that interest her. The ongoing feud between Jellicoe students, the Townies, and the Cadets who practice maneuvers nearby requires careful navigation, skillful negotiation, and the kind of toughness that Taylor has in spades. This year's war is especially heated as the Cadet's leader is none other than Jonah Griggs, the same young soldier that ratted on runaway Taylor. The Jellicoe kids have a score to settle with their opponents - and this time, it's personal.

Overwhelmed by her new responsibilities - and the disarming Jonah - Taylor heads to Hannah's house for solace. Only to find her guardian gone. With a serial killer hunting the area, some people fear the worst. Taylor's more angry than worried - adults, it seems, are always abandoning her - until an intruder tries to abscond with the pages of a manuscript Hannah's been working on for years. The story's always intrigued Taylor, but why would anyone else want it? Could it be more than just a novel? Do the pages hold clues to not only Hannah's current whereabouts, but to the despair that always seems to hover over her like a rain cloud?

As the past and present collide, Taylor grapples with secrets, half-remembered dreams, and startling revelations. Unraveling the mysteries of Jellicoe Road means discovering truths Taylor's always wanted to know - things about Hannah, about Jonah, and most of all, about herself.

It's hard to do justice to the brilliance of Jellicoe Road in a four paragraph summary. The story's so heavily nuanced that the plot points become almost irrelevant. It's the characters who really drive the story. It's impossible not to care about the tough, but hurting, Taylor and her funny, oddball friends. The mystery of her past is not all that mysterious - I had it figured out long before she did. As much as predictability usually bugs me, it didn't in this book. Maybe it's because it all felt pre-destined, utterly inevitable, or maybe it's because there are so many other things to love about this book. Whatever the reason, Jellicoe Road charmed me, moved me, and propelled me to stick every novel Marchetta has written on my reserve list at the library. Yeah, it's that good.

(Readlikes: I really can't think of any. Can you?)

Grade: A-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Jellicoe Road from the generous folks at HarperTeen. Thank you!

The Michael L. Printz Project

10:05 AM

Who: Suey and Jessica, hosts

What: A challenge to read all of the Printz Award-winning books

Where: All the info is here

When: Ongoing

Why: To find more great books, of course!

The List

2011

~~Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi~~ - my review

Stolen by Lucy Christopher - my review

Please Ignore Vera Deitz by A.S. King

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Nothing by Janne Teller

2010

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp

Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes

2009

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - my review

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart - my review

Nation by Terry Pratchett

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

2008

The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean

Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox

One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke

Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins

Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill

2007

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; Volume I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - my review

2006

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Black Juice by Margo Lanagan

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography by Elizabeth Partridge

A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson

2005

how i live now by Meg Rosoff - my review

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

2004

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson - my review

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly - my review

Keesha’s House by Helen Frost

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler - my review

2003

Postcards from No Man’s Land by Aidan Chambers

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer - my review

My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos

2002

A Step From Heaven by An Na

The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson

Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art by Jan Greenberg Abrams

Freewill by Chris Lynch

True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff

2001

Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond

Many Stones by Carolyn Coman

The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

2000

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Skellig by David Almond

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - my review

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

Books Read in 2026 (asterisks denote favorites)

1. Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane (Jan)
2. When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore (Jan)
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear* [re-read] (Jan)
4. Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells (Jan)
5. Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell (Jan)
6. Not Dead Yet: The Memoir by Phil Collins* [audio] (Feb))
7. The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (Feb)
8. The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers (Feb)
9. One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (Feb)
10. A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard (Feb)
11. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron* [re-read] (Feb)
12. The Lake Escape by Jamie Day (Feb)
13. Treacherous is the Night by Anna Lee Huber [audio] (Feb)
14. The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly (Feb)
15. The Missing by Kristen Landon (Feb)
16. Dark and Bright by Catherine Lyon (Feb)
17. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown* [audio] (Feb)
18. Boiled Over by Barbara Ross (Feb)
19. Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O'Connor (Feb)
20. Coach by Jason Reynolds* [audio] (Feb)
21. The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (Feb)
22. The Claiming by Jasmine Warga (Feb)
23. Dark and Deep by Catherine Lyon (Feb)
24. Ours is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy (Feb)
25. Zoom With a View by Jess Cannon (Feb)
26. The Nowhere Child by Christian White (Feb)
27. An Ordinary Kind of Evil by Kelley Armstrong* (Feb)
28. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater (Feb)
29. Murder at 30,000 Feet by Susan Walter (Feb)
30. Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (Feb)
31. You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart [audio] (Feb)
32. In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann (Mar)
33. A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano (Mar)
34. Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton [audio] (Mar)
35. Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns [audio] (Mar)
36. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon (Mar)
37. Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Mar)
38. The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott (Mar)
39. A Holiday Homicide by Elile Alexander [audio] (Mar)
40. Summer's Never Over by Darby Bozeman (Mar)
41. The Body in the Woods by April Henry [audio] (Mar)
42. Every Borrowed Beat by Erin Stewart (Mar)
43. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (Mar)
44. Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen (Mar)
45. This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack (Mar)
46. A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Mar)
47. Rock-Solid Relationships: Strengthening Personal Relationships With Wisdom from the Scriptures by Wendy Watson (Apr)
48. A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Apr)
49. Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman (Apr)
50. A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee (Apr)
51. Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce [re-read] [audio] (Apr)
52. Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker (Apr)
53. Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton (Apr)
54. The Rush by Beth Lewis* (Apr)
55. Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter [audio] (Apr)
56. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown [re-read] (Apr)
57. The Cry by Helen Fitzgerald (Apr)
58. Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee (Apr)
59. The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery (Apr)
60. Weightless: A Doctor's Guide to GLP-1 Medications, Sustainable Weight Loss, and the Health You Deserve by Rocio Salas-Whalen (Apr)
61. Dust by Alison Stine (Apr)
62. What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic by Annie Kotowicz (Apr)
63. The Cartographer's Secret by Tea Cooper [audio] (Apr)
64. A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper (Apr)
65. Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (May)
66. Stabbed in the Baklava by Tina Kashian (May)
67. The Chambermaid's Key by Genevieve Graham* (May)
68. The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian (May)
69. This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum (May)
70. Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray (May)
71. The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth* [re-read] (May)
72. Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander [re-read] (May)
73. Last One Out by Jane Harper (May)
74. Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli (May)
75. Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn (Jun)
76. A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard (Jun)
77. How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz* (Jun)
78. What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally (Jun)
79. Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert (Jun)
80. The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien (Jun)
81. My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney (Jun)
82. The Secret Thread by Eve Chase (Jun)
83. Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz [audio] (Jun)
84. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown [re-read] (Jun)
85. The Hike by Lucy Clarke (Jun)
86. The Foundling by Ann Leary (Jun)
87. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen* (Jun)
88. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth* [re-read] (Jun)
89. 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke (Jun)
90. You Let Me In by Lucy Clarke (Jun)
91. Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston (Jun)

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Jellicoe Road: Yeah, It's That Good

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2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge

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2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

Books Read in 2026 (asterisks denote favorites)