A Book Give Away from Random House - A signed copy of When you reach me

I have a treat for you today. The folks at Random House will give one of my lucky readers a SIGNED copy of When you reach me by Rebbeca Stead. This book won the 2008 Newbery Medal and the Horn Book Award. It  is also a New York Times Notable Book, and a New York Times bestseller. Please email me to be entered in the drawing for this giveaway.  Good Luck!

2011 ALA Youth Media Awards are announced

American Library Association announces youth media award winners

SAN DIEGO - The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in San Diego.

A list of all the 2011 award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature

“Moon over Manifest,” written by Clare Vanderpool, is the 2011 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Turtle in Paradise,” by Jennifer L. Holm and published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; “Heart of a Samurai,” written by Margi Preus and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS; “Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night,” written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; and “One Crazy Summer,” by Rita Williams-Garcia and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children

“A Sick Day for Amos McGee,” illustrated by Erin E. Stead, is the 2011 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Philip C. Stead, and is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.

Two Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “Interrupting Chicken,” written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein and published by Candlewick Press.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults

“Ship Breaker,” written by Paolo Bacigalupi, is the 2011 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Stolen,” by Lucy Christopher and published by Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; “Please Ignore Vera Dietz,” by A.S. King and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; “Revolver,” by Marcus Sedgwick and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; and “Nothing,” by Janne Teller and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults

“One Crazy Summer,” written by Rita Williams-Garcia is the 2011 King Author Book winner. The book is published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Three King Author Honor Books were selected: “Lockdown,” by Walter Dean Myers and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Ninth Ward,” by Jewell Parker Rhodes and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty,” written by G. Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults

“Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the 2011 King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected: “Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix,” illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, written by Gary Golio and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Author) Award

“Zora and Me,” written by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon, is the 2011 Steptoe author winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Illustrator) Award
“Seeds of Change,” illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, is the 2011 Steptoe illustrator winner. The book is written by Jen Cullerton Johnson and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement

Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith is the winner of the 2011 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton’s contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.

“The Pirate of Kindergarten,” written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10. “After Ever After,” written by Jordan Sonnenblick and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13).

The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Five Flavors of Dumb,” written by Antony John and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences.

“The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel,” by Alden Bell, published by Holt Paperbacks, a division of Henry Holt and Company, LLC “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: A Novel,” by Aimee Bender, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.“The House of Tomorrow,” by Peter Bognanni, published by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint of G.P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of the Penguin Group “Room: A Novel,” by Emma Donoghue, published by Little, Brown and Company a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. “The Vanishing of Katharina Linden: A Novel,” by Helen Grant, published by Delacorte, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. “The Radleys,” by Matt Haig, published by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. “The Lock Artist,” by Steve Hamilton, published by Thomas Dunne Books for Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press “Girl in Translation,” by Jean Kwok, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of the Penguin Group “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard,” by Liz Murray, published by Hyperion “The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To,” by DC Pierson, published by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video

Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods, producers of “The Curious Garden,” are the Carnegie Medal winners. The video is based on the book of the same name, written and illustrated by Peter Brown, and is narrated by Katherine Kellgren, with music by David Mansfield. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The 2011 winner is Tomie dePaola, author and illustrator of over 200 books, including: “26 Fairmont Avenue” (Putnam, 1999), “The Legend of the Poinsettia” (Putnam, 1994), “Oliver Button Is a Sissy” (Harcourt, 1979) and “Strega Nona” (Prentice-Hall, 1975).

Margaret A. Edwards Award honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. 

Sir Terry Pratchett is the 2011 Edwards Award winner. His books include: “The amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents,” “The Wee Free Men,” and “A Hat Full of Sky” published by HarperCollins Children’s Books; and “The Color of Magic,” “Guards! Guards!,” “Equal Rites,” “Going Postal,” “Small Gods,” and “Mort” all published by HarperCollins Publishers.

 

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site

Peter Sís will deliver the 2012 lecture. Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1949, Sís attended the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. He has lived in the United States since 1982. Sís was awarded the 2008 Robert F. Sibert Medal and has illustrated three Caldecott Honor books. Sís’ work is admired throughout the world, and in 2003 he was named MacArthur Fellow, an honor bestowed by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a language other than English and subsequently published in the United States.

“A Time of Miracles” is the 2011 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in French in 2009 as “Le Temps des Miracles,” the book was written by Anne-Laure Bondoux, translated by Y. Maudet, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “Departure Time,” published by Namelos, written by Truus Matti and translated by Nancy Forest-Flier; and “Nothing,” published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, written by Janne Teller and translated by Martin Aitken.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States

“The True Meaning of Smekday,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, is the 2011 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Adam Rex and narrated by Bahni Turpin.

Four Odyssey Honor Recordings also were selected: “Alchemy and Meggy Swann,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Karen Cushman and narrated by Katherine Kellgren; “The Knife of Never Letting Go,” produced by Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, an imprint of Brilliance Audio, written by Patrick Ness and narrated by Nick Podehl; “Revolution,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Jennifer Donnelly and narrated by Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering; and “will grayson, will grayson,” produced by Brilliance Audio, written by John Green and David Levithan, and narrated by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

“The Dreamer,” written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, is the 2011 Belpré Author Award winner. The book is illustrated by Peter Sís and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Three BelpréAuthor Honor Books were named: “¡Olé! Flamenco,” written and illustrated by George Ancona and published by Lee &Low Books Inc.; “The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba,” written by Margarita Engle and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC; and “90 Miles to Havana,” written by Enrique Flores-Galbis and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

“Grandma’s Gift,” illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez, is the 2011 Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book is published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.

            Three BelpréIllustrator Honor Books for illustration were selected: “Fiesta Babies,” illustrated by Amy Córdova, written by Carmen Tafolla and published by Tricycle Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.; “Me, Frida,” illustrated by David Diaz, written by Amy Novesky and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; “Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS. 

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children.

“Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot,” written by Sy Montgomery, is the 2011 Sibert Award winner. The book features photographs by Nic Bishop and is published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Two Sibert Honor Books were named: “Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring,” written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca, a Neal Porter Book, published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing; “Lafayette and the American Revolution,” written by Russell Freedman and published by Holiday House.

Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award

“Almost Perfect,” written by Brian Katcher, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. is the winner of the 2011 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award. The award is given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.

Four honor books were selected: “will grayson, will grayson,” written by John Green and David Levithan and published by Dutton Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; “Love Drugged,” written by James Klise and published by Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.; “Freaks and Revelations,” written by Davida Willis Hurwin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “The Boy in the Dress,” written by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake and published by Penguin Young Readers Group. 

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book.

“Bink and Gollie,” written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and illustrated by Tony Fucile is the 2011 Seuss Award winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Two Geisel Honor Books were named: “Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!” written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “We Are in a Book!” written and illustrated by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.

“The Freak Observer,” written by Blythe Woolston is the 2011 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Hush,” by Eishes Chayil and published by Walker Publishing Company, a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.; “Guardian of the Dead,” by Karen Healey and published by Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group; “Hold Me Closer, Necromancer,” by Lish McBride and published by Henry Holt; and “Crossing the Tracks,” by Barbara Stuber and published by Margaret McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year.

“Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing,” written by Ann Angel, is the 2011 Excellence winner. The book is published by Amulet/Abrams. 

Four other books were finalists for the award:“They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group,” by Susan Campbell Bartoletti and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; “Spies of Mississippi:  The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement,” by Rick Bowers and published by National Geographic Society; “The Dark Game: True Spy Stories,” by Paul Janeczko and published by Candlewick Press; and “Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates,” by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw and published by Charlesbridge.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth.  Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s and young adult experts, the awards encourage original and creative work.  For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALAwebsite at www.ala.org.

The Cybils finalists are announced.

For the last couple of months children's book bloggers have spent hours reading books published in 2010 that were nominated by readers for the Cybils awards. The lists of the finalists are now in. Just in case you don't know, the Cybils are "are given each year by bloggers for the year's best children's and young adult titles. Nominations open to the public on October 1st." The books that were chosen as finalists are all excellent titles. Take a look:

Easy Readers & Early Chapter Books

Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)

Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)

Fiction Picture Books

Graphic Novels (Middle Grade)

Graphic Novels (Young Adult)

Middle Grade Novels

Nonfiction Books (Middle Grade & Young Adult)

Nonfiction Picture Books

Poetry

Young Adult Novels

The 2009 Newbery and Caldecott award winners

This week I was lucky enough to be able to read and review two new award winning books. One is the 2009 Caldecott winner, The lion and the mouse by Jerry Pinkney. The other is the 2009 Newbery winner, When you reach me by Rebecca Stead. Pinkey's artwork delighted me so much that I looked through the book four times before I wrote my review. As for When you reach me, well it just blew me away. I usually find books that talk about time travel confusing. This one was so magical that I starting telling everyone I know that they should read it as soon as possible.

When you reach me

Rebecca Stead

Fiction

Ages 12 and up

Scholastic, 2009, 0385737424

Miranda’s problems seem to begin after one of the neighborhood boys punches her best friend Sal in the stomach. Sal retreats from Miranda’s company, and suddenly she finds that she is all alone. She has to walk past the “crazy guy” on the corner by herself, and she has no one to spend her time with. Quite by chance, soon after she loses Sal, Annemarie’s friendship with Julia goes south, so Miranda and Annemarie start spending time together. Then Colin joins their little duo, and the three children begin to spend their school lunch break working at a local sandwich shop.

   After her first day of “work” Miranda comes home to discover that her apartment door is not locked. Nothing has been stolen, but Miranda finds out that something was left behind – a note. The writer of the note tells Miranda that he or she is “coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.” He or she also asks Miranda to write a letter and to “mention the location of your house key.” The writer talks about a trip and how he or she “will not be myself when I reach you.” What on earth is going on?

    This is only the first of several letters that Miranda finds. They all appear under the most mysterious of circumstances, and what they say makes no sense at all. What does become apparent is that the writer seems to know what is going to happen before it happens. How is this even possible?

   In this extraordinary book, Rebecca Stead takes her readers on an incredible journey into the fantastic. She explores time travel and friendships, and she gives her readers a mystery that is tantalizing, intriguing, thought-provoking, and even magical. Without a superfluity of words, Rebecca Stead’s novel is a powerful tour de force that will leave readers spellbound and perhaps slightly dazed.

   The title won the 2009 Newbery Award.   

The lion and the mouse

Jerry Pinkney

Picture Book

For all ages

Little Brown, 2009, 9780316-01356-7

One morning a mouse, who is very distracted, accidentally runs up the back of a sleeping lion. Needless to say, the lion is not pleased. He could easily eat the little mouse that sits quivering in his paw. Instead, the lion, in an act of compassion, lets the little mouse go.

   Then one day, some hunters set out a trap, which the lion walks right into. Though he is the king of the savannah, the lion cannot free himself from the hunter’s rope net. He is well and truly caught. The little mouse hears the lion’s roar, and she quickly runs to where the lion hangs from a tree, trussed up in the rope net. Though she is just a very little mouse, there is something that she can do to help the great lion, and she gets to work.

   This beautiful retelling of one of Aesop’s most beloved tales will delight readers of all ages. The only words in the book are sound words; squeaks and roars, the hoots of an owl, and the “Putt-Putt-Putt,” of a car engine. Jerry Pinkney perfectly captures the essence of the fable with his gorgeous paintings, which are rich with the golden colors of an African grassland. Readers will have no trouble seeing that this story not only looks at the gift of compassion, but it also highlights the fact that even the smallest and weakest individuals have something valuable to give. The “meek” can truly have something to offer the “mighty.”

Snowflake Bentley Books

As promised I am posting two reviews about Wilson Bentley, the man who first photographed snowflakes. These titles are, of course, for children, but adults will also greatly enjoy them.

Snowflake Bentley

Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Illustrated by Mary Azarian

Non-Fiction Picture Book

Ages 6 to 8

Houghton Mifflin, 1998, 0-395-86162-4

   Little Willie Bentley loved the snow. He loved to play in it and he loved to look at it, comparing the snow to “apple blossoms.” Unlike apple blossoms however, snowflakes could not be looked at for long because they quickly melted. It was hard to enjoy and study the snow when it disappeared so fast. Then, using a microscope that his mother gave him, Willie began to look at snowflakes up close and he would quickly draw the ice crystals that he saw through the eyepiece. Even working as quickly as he could Willie was never able to finish his drawings before the beautiful crystal formations melted.

   Then, at last, Willie’s parents bought him a microscope that had a camera attached to it. Now Willie could photograph the snowflakes before they had a chance to melt, and he would have their images on glass plates to study at his leisure. After many months of failure Willie finally figured out how to take the photographs. He learned how snowflakes form, and that each and every snowflake is unique.

   In time people began to recognize how beautiful and useful Willie’s photographs were, and he sold many copies of his pictures to people all over the country. When he was sixty-six Willie’s book “Snow Crystals” was published, and it is still read and enjoyed by scientists, artists and others who live all over the world.

   With Mary Azarian’s superb woodcuts to illustrate it, this fascinating book captures the essence of a man who did what he loved even though he was made fun of, and even though he did not make any money from his passion. Bentley took his photographs because the beauty of snow fascinated him and because he wanted to share the beauty that he saw with others. We are able to see that though he was a scientist who studied the weather and snow formation, he was also an artist at heart who was happiest when he was capturing the images of snowflakes on plates of glass.

   This book was the 1999 Caldecott Medal winner.

You can purchase this book through this blog here.

My brother Loved snowflakes: The Story of Wilson A. Bentley, the Snowflake Man
Mary Bahr
Illustrated by Laura Jacobsen
Non-Fiction and fiction Picture book
Ages 5 to 7
Boyds Mills Press, 2002, 1-56397-689-7
  Charlie and Willie Bentley live with their parents on a farm in Vermont. The boys are educated at home and their mother, who is delighted by Willie’s abilities, gets her son a microscope. Willie loves the microscope, spending a good part of his spare time looking at all kinds of things under the lens. More than anything Willie looks at drops of water, marveling at what he sees. When it begins to snow in the winter time, Willie looks at a snowflake under the lens and what he sees changes Willie’s life.
  Willie is entranced by the beautiful snowflakes, and he was to capture their likeness on paper. Unfortunately, his subjects refuse to accommodate him; they keep melting. Eventually Willie finds a solution to the problem. He buys a microscope that works with a camera, and after many hours of trying, Willie finds a way to get the images that he is looking for.
  Many people wonder why Willie persists in taking pictures of snowflakes, writing a book about them, and showing his photographs to people, but Charlie just delights in his brother’s creativity, his determination, his appreciation of the natural world, and his kindness.
  Told from the point of view of Willie’s brother, this is an excellent account of Wilson A. Bentley’s extraordinary life. Richly colored artwork in vivid reds, oranges and other warm colors perfectly compliment the text.
  At the back of the book the author provides her readers with further information about Snowflake Bentley.

You can purchase this book through this blog here.

You might also like to read a copy of Bentley's own book. Copies of this title are available here.

The 2010 Charlotte Zolotow Award

I know I just put up a post about the Cybil Awards, but I just have to mention the winner of the 2010 Charlotte Zolotow Award. Here are excerpts from a press release that I found online on the CCBC website about the award.

What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla is the thirteenth annual winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. The award is given by the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC), a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

~~~~~~~~

A delectable story of a young Mexican-American child’s delight with an ice pop on a hot summer day is at once culturally specific and universal. Author Carmen Tafolla playfully appeals to all of our senses with rich imagery and crisp language. She invites us to think of all the creative things that can be done with a paleta, from painting your tongue purple or giving yourself a blue mustache to making a new friend or learning to make tough decisions. A sprinkling of Spanish words and Magaly Morales’ sun-warmed acrylic illustrations add details of
life in a vibrant barrio where the daily arrival of the paleta wagon is met with anticipation and celebration. What Can You Do with a Paleta? was edited by Abigail Samoun and published in the United States in 2009 by Tricycle Press.


The 2010 Zolotow Award committee named three Honor Books: 

• Birds, written by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek, edited by Virginia Duncan, and published by Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
• Pouch! written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, edited by Nancy Paulsen, and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons / Penguin Group
• Princess Hyacinth: (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated), written by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith, edited Anne Schwartz, and published by Schwartz & Wade Books / Random House Children’s Books.

The 2010 Zolotow Award committee also cited four titles as Highly Commended: 

• Hello Baby! written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Beach Lane / Simon & Schuster)
•  Ready for Anything! written and illustrated by Keiko Kasza (G.P. Putnam’s Sons / Penguin Group)
•  Under the Snow, written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Constance R. Bergum (Peachtree)
• Who Will I Be, Lord? written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Sean Qualls (Random House Children’s Books).

Established in 1998, the Charlotte Zolotow Award honors the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children's book editor for 38 years with Harper Junior Books, and author of more than 70 picture books, including such classic works as Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present (Harper, 1962) and William's Doll (Harper, 1972). Ms. Zolotow attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison on a writing scholarship from 1933 to 1936, where she studied with Professor Helen C. White. The award is given annually for outstanding writing in a picture book
for children in the birth through seven age range published in the United States in the preceding
year.

~~~~~~~~

I found an interesting article about awards chatter on the blogosphere yesterday. You can view it here on the Publisher's Weekly website, and I am beginning to wonder if I too should jump on this mock award bandwagon. It might be fun!

The 2009 National Book Award Finalist is...

This week the 2009 National Book Award Finalist for Children's Literature was announced. The title is Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice. The book was written by Phillip Hoose and published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

From the publisher:

This book reveals the true story of Ms. Colvin, who, as a fifteen-year old in 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a white woman, nine months before Rosa Parks took a similar stand. Ms. Colvin then went on to challenge segregation a second time, as a key plaintiff in the landmark case ofBrowder v. Gayle, which struck down the bus segregation laws in Montgomery.

Here is an except from the book:

Rebellion was on my mind that day. All during February we’d been talking about people who had taken stands. We had been studying the Constitution in Miss Nesbitt’s class. I knew I had rights. I had paid my fare the same as white passengers. I knew the rule—that you didn’t have to get up for a white person if there were no were no empty seats left on the bus—and there weren’t. But it wasn’t about that. I was thinking, Why should I have to get up just because a driver tells me to, or just because I’m black? Right then, I decided I wasn’t gonna take it anymore. I hadn’t planned it out, but my decision was built on a lifetime of nasty experiences.

After the other students got up, there were three empty seats in my row, but that white woman still wouldn’t sit down—not even across the aisle from me. That was the whole point of segregation rules—it was all symbolic—blacks had to be behind whites. If she sat down in the same row as me, it meant I was as good as her. So she had to keep standing until I moved back. The motorman yelled again, louder: “Why are you still sittin’ there?” I didn’t get up, and I didn’t answer him. It got real quiet on the bus. A white rider yelled from the front, “You got to get up!” A girl named Margaret Johnson answered from the back, “She ain’t got to do nothin’ but stay black and die.”

The white woman kept standing over my seat. The driver shouted, “Gimme that seat!” then “Get up, gal!” I stayed in my seat, and I didn’t say a word.

Interviews with the National Book Award Finalists

On November 18th, judges will be choosing the winner of the Young People's Literature National Book Award for 2009. Here are the finalists for the award and interviews with the authors. This information was provided by the National Book Foundation.

Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith (Henry Holt) - Interview Phillip Hoose, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) - Interview David Small, Stitches (W. W. Norton & Co.) - Interview Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic) - Interview Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped (HarperTeen/HarperCollins) YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE JUDGES: Kathi Appelt, Coe Booth, Carolyn Coman, Nancy Werlin, Gene Luen Yang