Children's Book Award Winners are Announced

This week the winners of several children's book awards were announced at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting. I was surprised to hear about some of the titles that were chosen and delighted by others. Here are some of the award announcements:

The John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children's literature: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean

Newbery Honors: The Underneath by Kathi Appelt and illustrated by David Small; The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle; Savvy by Ingrid Law; and After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children: The House in the night by Susan Marie Swanson and illustrated by Beth Krommes

Caldecott Honors: A couple of boys have the best week ever by Marla Frazee; How I learn Geography by Uri Shulevitz; A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams" by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

Michael L. Prinz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Michael L. Printz Honors: 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; Nation by Terry Pratchett; and Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan.

Coretta Scott King Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults (Author): We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Coretta Scott King Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults(Illustrator): The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thoma and illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Coretta Scott King Honors (Authors): The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas amd illustrated by Floyd Cooper; Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith and illustrated by E.B. Lewis; and Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

Coretta Scott King Honors (Illustrators): We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson; Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Sean Qualls, ; and The Moon Over Star by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers: Are You Ready to Play Outside? written and illustrated by Mo Willems

Geisel Honor Books: Chicken said, 'Cluck!' by Judyann Ackerman Grant and illustrated by Sue Truesdell; One Boy written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger; Stinky written and illustrated by Eleanor Davis ; and Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator by Sarah C. Campbell, with photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell

The Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: Laurie Halse Anderson is the recipient of the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens for Catalyst, Fever, and Speak.

The Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children: We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by author and illustrator Kadir Nelson,

Sibert Honor Books: Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and Rediscovery of The Past written by James M. Deem; and What to Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! written by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham.

The First William C. Morris Award: A Curse Dark as Gold.