The Floor of the Sky

It has been quite some time since I have posted about lunchtime reading. Not because of a lack of books, far from it, but I have really been looking for something that would hold my interest after I finished reading. Last week I perused the 2007 Alex Award winners in our collection, these books are generally shelved with the recreational books due to their content and the fact that we do not have a specific YA collection.

"The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing" (ALA, Alex Awards).

This afternoon I finished reading 2007 Alex Award Winner The Floor of the Sky, by Pamela Carter Joern. Toby Jenkins is a sister, mother, and grandmother Nebraska farmer facing the all too familiar reality of many family farmers; she's on the verge of either losing her family farm to the bank for back taxes or being sold to an outside conglomerate. Toby's pregnant 16 year old granddaughter Lila arrives to spend the summer and during the course of her stay uncovers long buried family secrets that show both women have more in common than either thought. This thoughtful novel, told in short, poignant chapters, from different character points of view, allows readers to experience their lives and understand how families are woven together through good times and bad.


Tags: The Floor of the Sky, Pamela Carter Joern, Alex Awards, YA literature