Three Picture Books

I love Anthony Browne. In my box of literary treasures is a picture of a gorilla he sketched for me when I wrote him a thank you for participating in a card catalog auction some years ago. As a fan, I was eager to read his take on the Goldilocks tale. Me and You is narrated by Baby Bear on what begins as a normal morning. Baby Bear talks about his family and their stroll through the park on the right-hand pages in spare prose and colorful illustration. On the facing pages, Goldilocks' story plays out in a much bleaker fashion. Her pages are wordless and consist of several panels per page, drawn in bleak sepia tones and set in an unfriendly urban landscape. While out with her mother, she spies a balloon, which she chases until she is lost and finds herself in front of the welcoming yellow house of the Bear Family... I read this book to my 3-1/2 year old niece, Payton, and she loved it. We talked about how sad Goldilocks looked before she found the house and Payton clapped with joy when our heroine is reunited with her mother on the final page. This is a beautiful new version of a familiar story.

A second new picture book I shared with Payton was A Garden for Pig written by Kathryn K. Thurman and illustrated by Lindsay Ward. Pig lives on an apple farm with Mrs. Pippins. Every day she picks the apples and turns them into yummy treats for Pig to eat - roasted apples, baked apples, applesauce and apple pie. The only problem is, Pig is pretty sick of apples. He dreams of vegetables. One day, he happens upon a vegetable garden and manages to eat some squash before Mrs. Pippins catches him and ties him up at home. Frustrated, he declares "NO MORE APPLES!" and wallows in his muddy pen. The next morning, apples uneaten and wishing for seeds, something amazing happens. Pig poops and out come squash seeds! After a good rain and some patience, Pig has a beautiful squash garden and is happy once again. The bright mixed media images fill every page cheerfully. Payton was surprised and excited to see Pig's garden. I could see using this book in a storytime about apples, gardens, pigs, farms, or seeds. For an older child, more discussion about seeds and how they can sometimes be transported by animals in unexpected ways could ensue. "Pig's Tips For Growing Your Own Organic Garden" are included.

I really wanted to love Eight Days: A Story of Haiti written by Edwidge Danticat and illustrated by Alix Delinois. This is the story of Junior, a seven-year-old boy who is trapped beneath a collapsed house following the earthquake in Port-au-Prince. When the story begins, Junior is standing in front of a crowd of reporters: "When I was pulled from under my house, eight days after the earthquake, my family was there waiting. The following day, everyone asked me, Were you afraid? Were you sad? Did you cry?" Junior tells them that sometimes he was scared and sometimes he cried when he missed his family, but mostly, in his mind, he played. In the following pages, Junior recounts the games he played in his mind as he waited under the house. When the house fell, his friend Oscar was with him and Oscar joins in the earliest days of playing. On the fifth day, "Oscar felt really tired and went to sleep. He never woke up. That was the day I cried." The illustrations in this book are glorious in their vibrancy. Bright colors portray a child's joy at hearing stories in the barbershop with his Papa or flying a kite with his best friend. The text is straight forward and poetic all at once. While it is a powerful look at the power of imagination to aid survival, this book is defintely for the "older" picture book crowd - maybe grades 2 and up? It is a book for an adult to share with a child so they can answer questions that may arise. In my mind, it could be a tiny bit confusing for a child reading it on his own; since all the illustrations show the beauty of life in Haiti before the quake, it may not be clear that the child is really trapped and imagining happier times during the course of the book. Still, as a book about an important event in recent history, this is a book worth reading and sharing.

Extraordinary

When Phoebe first sees the strange new girl in seventh grade she finds herself strangely drawn to her, so much so that she finds the strength to desert the bitchy clique of popular girls she had been a part of to forge a close friendship with Mallory. Despite their bond, it isn't until 4 years later that Phoebe learns about the existemce of Mallory's older half-brother, Ryland and begins a dangerous relationship with him. Conversations between the Faerie Queen, Mallory and Ryland are interspresed throughout the book, hinting at dangerous plans the fey have in store for Phoebe. Should she be held responsible for a centuries-old debt? Is Mallory truly her friend or has she merely been playing a role to lure Phoebe to her doom? And why does Ryland tell Phoebe he loves her even as he encourages her to doubt herself and admit that she isn't anything special at all?

Extraordinary is the compelling new novel by Nancy Werlin. I am not generally a huge fan of books about the faerie, but this book drew me in with masterful storytelling and beautiful language. The suspense of this tale kept me up far too late. Happily, the endng was satisying and strong. Recommended even for those readers who aren't usually drawn to fantasy of this ilk.

21 Weeks

How Far Along?

21 weeks today.

Appts coming up?
The Level II ultrasound/anatomy scan is this coming Thursday. Can't wait to see Tex again!

Thoughts about where you're at in your pregnancy?
We're at a weird place - I still haven't fully "popped" and am not sure I've really felt the Baby, but my belly is definitely growing harder and everything seems good.


What are you working on?
Trying to gather a list of names and addresses to give those hosting showers for the Baby.


Complaints or worries?
Not much Baby-related. I have to pee All. The. Time. (I actually had to go three times during our brief grocery shopping trip the other day and was somewhat frustrated by how inconvenient this is.) Get a little stressed about other stuff from time to time, but just take a few deep breaths and move forward.

Cravings?
(Do I even need to answer this still?) Pizza! And love crunch cones from DQ, though I have only had about 3 the entire pregnancy.

Happy moments/blessings?
The registries are finished (except for diaper bag, which I still have to figure out) - huzzah! I have an amazing and thoughtful husband. Axl and I visited Gram yesterday. Got our first gift from one of our registries. (Well, we didn't actually get it yet, but Gram told me to order the changing pad we wanted. It arrived and I took it to her house so she can bring it to one of the showers. Yay.) Babysat my nieces and nephew Thursday night and enjoyed reading a stack of books to Payton Raine and telling her (again) that she will get to see the Baby soon (she always says hi to my tummy now).

Any fun things coming up?
We've got a busy week ahead. One of my Sweetheart's best friends is coming for dinner on Wednesday. Thursday is the anatomy scan (yay!) and then dinner at Flossmoor Station with the friend who married us. Hoping to get plaster in living room repaired Friday or Saturday so we can get it painted. Going out in search of maternity tights today. (Yeah, that last one doesn't sound "fun," but I love wearing skirts/dresses and really need to get some tights that fit!)

Another Reason I Love Philip Pullman

As if it wasn't enough that he wrote the brilliant trilogy, His Dark Materials, Philip is also a passionate defender of public libraries. In a recent speech, he presented a brilliant and engaging defense of public libraries as a neccessary part of society. While he is speaking to the position of public libraries in his native England, his points are just as valid here, where libraries are facing amazing challenges of funding (and, more accurately, underfunding) at a time when the economic situation has caused use of public libraries to skyrocket.

I especially love his defense of librarians (of course I do!):

Nor do I think we should respond to the fatuous idea that libraries can stay open if they’re staffed by volunteers. What patronising nonsense. Does he think the job of a librarian is so simple, so empty of content, that anyone can step up and do it for a thank-you and a cup of tea? Does he think that all a librarian does is to tidy the shelves?

You can read the speech in it's inspiring entirety here.

Word After Word After Word

Word After Word After Word is the gentle new novel by Patricia MacLachlan. Lucy, Henry, Evie, Russell and May are fourth-graders who are ready for something new when their classroom is visited by Ms. Mirabel, a famous writer who encourages them to find their stories and to write it, "word after word after word."  The friends gather under the lilac tree in Henry's yard to muse over this advice and to contemplate what Ms. Mirabel might have meant when she told them that real and unreal were pretty much the same. 

Over the next six weeks, as Ms. Mirabel continues her visits to the classroom, the children all use poetry to express what is close to them. Henry writes to hold on to the loving happiness in his family. Russell remembers his beloved dog, Everett. Evie tries to understand how her mother could have left them while simultaneously trying to find a new woman for her father. May struggles to accept that her parents are adopting a baby. And Lucy, who narrates the tale, uses poetry to admit the sadness that infuses her home as her mother battles cancer.

This book felt like a Patricia MacLachlan novel to me. By that, I mean that despite the spareness of the text, the characters felt real and their story was told simply and poetically. This would be a lovely read-aloud for children who are beginning to understand the power of the written word - or thos who are just getting ready to discover the magic in words and words and words.

Tell Us We're Home and Hush

I have a stack of library books sitting in my kitchen, waiting to be returned. I'll try to catch up on writing some brief reviews today so I can take those back.

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos tells the stories of three young girls from different parts of the world who are brought together by their immigrant status and form a close friendship. Jaya, Maria and Lola are all immigrants whose mother's work as maids and nannies as they strive to create a better life for their families in an upscale suburb of New York. These eighth-grade girls from the West Indies, Mexico and Slovakia forge a relationship based on friendship and similarity of circumstance. They are loyal to each other and to their families, even while they sometimes struggle knowing that some of their classmates look down on them for being the children of "the help." Each of the girl's faces a dilemma related to their status as a part of the "servant class" - Jaya's mother is accused of stealing valuable jewelry from an elderly client; Maria's cousin is harrassed by entitled white athletes; Lola's father struggles with a crippling depression and unemployment. Each girl - and each family - tries to find their piece of the American Dream, despite the challenges:

"Lola began to weep. This was it, the steely truth of her life. What she had been fighting ever since they'd come to America. This was a lonely land of firsts, where no one, not even your parents, could help you cross over. And she had no choice but to do it by herself . . . You pushed ahead, in the chilling rain, hoping you didn't die from being first."

Tell Us We're Home is a touching, enlightening book, appropriate for middle-schoolers through adult readers.

Eishes Chayil, which translates to "woman of valor," is the pseudonym used by the author of the stunning debut novel, Hush. As a member of an ultra-orthodox Chassidic community, Gittel is used to following certain guidelines and to having much of her life planned for her. As she approaches her eighteenth birthday, Gittel knows her family will find her an appropriate mate, someone she will meet alone with for 20 minutes and not see again until her wedding day months later. Within the confines of her community, there are some things that have no place. One of those things is sexual abuse. Even as she prepares for her new life as a wife, Gittel is haunted by the suicide of her childhood best friend, Devory. Gittel remembers that Devory's brother forced her under the covers and made her do something, but she doesn't understand what that might be. The first half of the book alternates between Gittel's preparations to begin her adult life and childhood encounters with Devory. As Gittel begins to realize what happened and how it was covered up, she struggles to cope with the memories and her decision to tell others what happened. based on actual events, this novel portrays a world that few of us know in a compassionate manner, even while revealing that this closed, close community is susceptible to some of the same horrors regretably faced by children the world over. HIghly recommended for high school students and adults.

Shout out!

To one of my new favorite sites: STFU, Parents.

I have taken time over the past 5 or so days to read the whole site. I laughed out loud, sometimes to the point of tears. (One of my favorite status updates is the mom who told her child to quit smearing peanut butter all over himself and just eat it before realizing it was poop!)

My Sweetheart has solemnly promised to never let me post pictures of our child's bodily functions on fb and to warn me of obnoxious status updates.

Halfway there!

Hard to believe that I'm 20 weeks along. That means that tomorrow, I will be *more* than halfway through this pregnancy. This amazes me. And makes me think we'd better get moving as far as painting, etc. So, the update...

1. How Far Along?
20 weeks today.

2. Boy/Girl/Names?
Perhaps I will delete this question next week since the answer remains the same: Still calling the Baby "Tex." We're discussing "real" names, but will likely not share until we introduce the Baby to everyone.

3. Appts coming up?
The Level II ultrasound/anatomy can is a little less than 2 weeks away, on 3 February.

4. Thoughts about where you're at in your pregnancy?
Halfway! That seems crazy to me!

5. What are you working on?
Spent hours making a list of things we want to add to the registry and deciding what version of each item. God bless the Baby Bargains book!

6. Complaints or worries?
Nothing new. Hips still hurt when sleeping. Worried I may be gaining too much weight. The usual relying on faith to know all is well with Tex...

7. Cravings?
I am sure no one is suprised to hear: pizza. And blueberries. And grapefruit juice.

8. Happy moments/blessings?
Fantastic news that a friend's health scare was just a scare. Spent last Friday with Gram, which is always a blessing. She told me to order the changing pad we wanted and she will give it to us for a shower. Yay! Finally got a haircut. Bought a supercute guitar patterned onesie on cleaance that made my Sweetheart smile. Breakfast with R this morning at Medici and then browsing at 57th Street Books with her for a few hours. Except for the Bears' loss tonight, it's been a really good week.

9. Any fun things coming up?
My Sweetheart will be home for four days starting Tuesday, which is always a treat. Still haven't made it to the Belly Factory, so may try to do that. I would love a "pajama day," but don't see that in the immediate future.

Quoth the Raven...

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the very first authors I knew well and claimed as a favorite. My father had a beat-up paperback of some of the best-known poems and stories lying about the house and I devoured it at a tender age. I fell in love and remain in love with his poetry and prose lo these many years later. I have often thought that "Annabel Lee" would be a perfectly charming name for a little girl... (And, no, that isn't on the short list. For now.)

Today would have been Poe's 202nd birthday. After 60 years of acknowledgement, it appears that the "Poe Toaster" (what a silly nickname!) has ceased his or her visits.

Celebrate this unparalleled genius of American letters by reading a poem or story today, then listen to this reading of his best-known work.

Quote o' the Day

I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. 

I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.


I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace.  I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.  I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind.     (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

19 Week Update

So, today marks 19 weeks. In theory, only 147 days to go (although Tex will come in his/her own sweet time). So, let's update the little form I found...

1. How Far Along?
19 weeks today.

2. Boy/Girl/Names?
Still calling the Baby "Tex." We're discussing "real" names, but will likely not share until we introduce the Baby to everyone.

3. Appts coming up?
Need to talk to dr's office tomorrow to schedule anatomy scan. Really hoping we can do that this week.

4. Thoughts about where you're at in your pregnancy?
Okay, I am definitely looking pregnant now, which is a relief since I was feeling like I only looked fat! Almost none of my dresses are fitting me now; need to get one or two maternity skirts and a pair of tights.

5. What are you working on?
Lots of research on having a natural childbirth in a hospital setting. I may start listening to the hypnobirthing cd tonight. I am determined to do this drug-free. Yes, I know it will hurt, but the pain will be finite and I'ma tough cookie and pretty stubborn!

6. Complaints or worries?
It's a little nerve-making to be responsible for growing this little person. I have not yet felt movement (which the dr assures me is normal with a first pregnancy), so I really have to take it on faith that everything is going well in there. A few nights before my last appointment, I was reading a pregnancy forum I participate in and someone said she had gone for a 17 week checkup and found that the baby no longer had a heartbeat. I offered her my most heartfelt sympathies, but also found myself very spooked. I was beyond relieved when Tex's heartbeat was loud and clear and strong at the next appointment.

7. Cravings?
The desire for pizza hasn't waned. Still eating sweet potatoes often. Thrilled that I got more cherries. And, strangely, gummi bears. I have to stop that. I haven't had those in a really long time but suddenly started oinking them down this week. Not buying any more! (Thank goodness most of my cravings are relatively healthy.)

8. Happy moments/blessings?
Hearing the heartbeat on Friday was a comfort and a joy. It was fantastic to see real Muppets and more at the Jim Henson exhibit and awe-inspiring to see a fetus that was one day older than our baby - it is just amazing that a perfect little person is growing inside me!  I also love how my 3-year-old niece, Payton, likes to wave at my tummy and say "Hi, Baby!" now. Today she asked me if she could see the baby; I explained that as soon as the Baby comes out, she can come visit.

9. Any fun things coming up?
Hmm... Besides just chilling with my Sweetheart? I may try to visit The Belly Factory; not for an electrive ultrasound but to check out some of the fancy diaper bags. Also looking forward to seeing Tex at the anatomy scan, whenever that may be.

2011 Sydney Taylor Awards

The Sydney Taylor Book Award "honors new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience." This  award is named for Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series.


The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Younger Readers:
Gathering Sparks by Howard Schwartz, illustrated by Kristina Swarner


The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers:
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch


The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Teen Readers:
The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt


All the honor books and notable titles are available online.

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters

My friend Belle is sleeping over tonight. She is eight years old and quite enthusiastic about books. We're watching Coraline, pausing frequently to talk about this and that. I told her I was writing some book reviews again and she asked what kids' book I was going to read next. I looked at the huge stack I just brought home from the library and pulled out the slimmest volume, one I had actually already read earlier today.

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama is a lovely book. I opened it to show her and read the first page aloud:

Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?
How the sound of your feet
running from afar
brings dancing rhythms to my day?
How you laugh
and sunshine spills into the room?

"Ooh!" Belle interrupted me. "The whole book is like poetry?"

Yes, exactly. The whole book is like poetry. After that lyrical introduction, each two page spread begins with a question: "Have I told you that you are... smart? creative? a healer?" The facing page describes an American who embodies the previously mentioned virtue. For example, Jackie Robinson portrays brave, he

... showed us all

how to turn fear to respect
and respect to love...
...and gave brave dreams to others.

The book concludes with Obama reminding his daughters how much he loves them. Using a wide variety of Americans to illustrate the virtues he sees in his daughters, this beautiful book also becomes a love song to the American people.

Loren Long's acrylic paintings make ample use of white space and complement the poetic text perfectly. I definitely plan to buy a copy for my child.

Counting down...

Because of Mr. Terupt

The kids starting fifth grade at Snow Hill School are a lot like kids everywhere in Rob Buyea's debut novel, Because of Mr. Terupt. There's Jessica, the new girl; Peter is the class clown; Luke's the brain; Danielle is the nice girl who never stands up for herself; Jeffrey who hates school and keeps to himself; Anna, the outcast; and Lexie, the mean girl.

What makes this class special is their teacher. Mr. Terupt is young and energetic and seems to know just how to deal with each child. Slowly, the class begins to relate to one another and to come together - until a snowy day and the accident that threatens to tear them all apart.

Divided into a section for each month of the school year, the story is told in alternating chapters, each narrated by a different student. Their distinctive voices develop depth of the characters until their personalities - and the circumstances that form them - come clear.

Brief chapters make this an easy read for reluctant readers; most kids will recognize a part of themselves in one or another of the characters, giving this definite kid appeal. While some events unwrap a bit ideally, overall this is a compelling novel that will have readers rooting for the characters.

Matched

In Matched, the first book in a new young adult trilogy by Ally Condie, Cassia lives in a wonderful world. Most illnesses - including heart disease and cancer - have been eradicated. The cultural clutter that was so overwhelming has been distilled to the One Hundred best of everything: poems, songs, etc. Citizens are guaranteed long, full lives working in their perfect job with all their needs provided. If they want to marry, they will even be matched with their ideal mate.

In exchange for this utopian existence, citizens of the Society trust the Officials to make all the major decisions. It seems a small price for a world where all are treated equally and every effort is made to ensure appropriate matches.

Cassia has never doubted the Society and eagerly looks forward to the night of her 17th birthday and her Match Banquet; this is the night she will learn whom she is fated to share her life with and when she will receive the microcard with more information about that boy.

When it is announced that her match is her best friend, Xander, she is pleased and sure that this will be a good match. Yet when she looks at the microcard later, a face announced as her match appears briefly before being replaced - a face that is not Xander.

Having believed her whole life that the officials of the Society do not make mistakes, Cassia is faced with some tough questions. Further spurred on by a long lost poem entrusted to her by her grandfather just before his death, Cassia vows to "not go gentle into that dark night" as she tries to figure out why Ky's face appeared as a match and she learns some rather unsettling truths about the Officials who run her world.

This YA novel was fast paced and exciting. While I have heard some comparisons to The Hunger Games, I was reminded more of the first Kurt Vonnegut story I ever read, "Harrison Bergeron." As in that tale, those in charge in Ally Condie's novel seek to maintain equality and fairness for all citizens. In Condie's dystopia, the measures taken are more subtle but no less vigilant.

The open ending of this novel certainly lends itself to potentially interesting discussions about love, freedom, free will and whether Cassia will succeed at the task she is attempting at the novel's end. The sequel, Crossed, will be released in November 2011. I can't wait!

The Cruisers

The Cruisers by Walter Dean Myers is the first in a new series by this master of fiction for young adults. The premise is promising: Eighth-graders Zander, Kambui, LaShonda, and Bobbi are a group of friends who call themselves "The Cruisers" because they think they've figured out the way to cruise through school. After publishing an article in their self-published newspaper espousing their laid-back philosophy, they are called in to see the assistant principal. Although he would like to encourage them to find other schools, the principal wants to give them another chance. To that end, the friends have been assigned as Peacekeepers in the upcoming eighth-grade project: a reinactment of the Civil War. Some of the "Confederate" students seem to be taking their role a little too seriously (even pretending to sell an African-American student at lunchtime) and the Cruisers learn that words have the power to build up as well as tear down.

One thing I really liked about this slim novel is that every time someone suggests a fight is in order, Zander insists that he has to "see the win" in a situation to make it worth his fighting; he does not look to his fists to solve his problems. Overall, though, this novel seems to trade in Myers' usual depth for concision. The action happens too swiftly and is resolved too easily for this book to achieve the realistic view of a difficult situation that Myers is so beloved for.

Having said that, I definitely think this book has kid appeal and the potential to pass on some valuable lessons without being overly didactic. Book 2 (Checkmate) is due next August; I'll be checking it out to see what Zander and his friends are up to next.

That'll Do.

In sadder children's literature news this morning, I have just learned that Dick King-Smith died last week at the age of 88. He is probably best known here for having written The Sheep Pig, which was later published in America as Babe: The Gallant Pig and was made into the hit film Babe. In all, he wrote over one hundred books which have been translated into twelve languages and continue to delight children (and adults) the world over.

corrections

As always, I blogged quickly and probably a bit sloppily as the awards were being announced. I'll ge through and clean up all the entries, provide links, etc. throughout the day.

update: As of 5:30 this evening, I am pretty sure all the links, spellings, etc. are correct. (As always, my goal was to get the info up as quickly as possible!)

John Newbery Medal

winner:
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

honors:
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Rick Allen
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

Randolph Caldecott Medal

winner:
A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by Philip Christian Stead


honors:
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Laban Carrick Hill
Interrupting Chicken illustrated and written by David Ezra Stein

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

winner:
Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Allison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile

honors:
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! by Grace Lin
We Are in a Book by Mo Willems

Andrew Carnegie Medal

winner:
producers Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods for The Curious Garden 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

Tomie DePaola

Robert F. Sibert Medal

winner:
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Bird written by Sy Montgomery with photographs by Nic Bishop

honors:
Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca
Lafayette and the American Revolution by Russell Freedman

Mildred L. Batchelder Award

winner:
Delacorte Books for Young Readers for A Time of Miracles by Anne-Laure Bondoux, translated by Y. Maudet

honors:
namelos for Departure Time by Truus Matti, translated by Nancy Forest-Flier
Atheneum for Nothing by Janne Teller, translated by Martin Aitken

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture

The lecture will be delivered by...
Peter Sis

Pure Belpre Award for Text

winner:
The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan

honors:
Ole! Flamenco! by George Ancona
The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle
90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis

Pura Belpre Award for Illustration

winner:
Grandma's Gift illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez

honors:
Fiesta Babies illustrated by Amy Cordoza and written by Carmen Tafolla
Me, Frida illustrated by David Diaz and written by Amy Novesky
Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh

Michael L. Printz Award

winner:
Ship Breaker Paolo Bacigalupi

honors:
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
Nothing by Janne Teller, translated by Martin Aitken

YALSA Excellence in Non-Fiction for Young Adults

winner:
Janis Joplin; Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel

William C. Morris Award

The winner is...
The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston

Margaret A. Edwards Award

The winner of the Edwards Award is...

Sir Terry Pratchett (hooray!)

Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production

winner:
Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing for The True Meaning of Smekday written by Adam Rex and narrated by Bahni Turpin

 

honors:

• Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group for Alchemy and Meggy Swann written by Karen Cushman, narrated by Katherine Kellgren
• Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, an imprint of Brilliance Audio for The Knife of Never Letting Go written by Patrick Ness, narrated by Nick Podehl
• Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group for Revolution written by Jennifer Donnelly, narrated by Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering
• Brilliance Audio for Will Grayson, Will Grayson written by John Green and David Levithan, narrated by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl

Coretta Scott King Author Award

winner:
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia

honors:
Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards

winner:
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier (yay!) and written by Laban Carrick Hill

honor:
Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix illustrated by Javaka Steptoe and written by Gary Golio

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

The Committee chose two (actually, three) winners this year:

authors Victoria Bond and TR Simon for Zora and Me

illustrator Sonya Lynn Sadler for Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World by Jen Cullerton Johnson

Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Practicioner Award for Lifetime Achievement

The winner is...

Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith

Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award

winner:

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher


honor:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Greene and David Levithan
Love Drugged by James Klise
Freaks and Revelations by Davida Willis Hurwin
The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams

Schnieder Family Book Awards

Best Children's Book:
The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Lynne Avril

Best Middle School Book:
After Ever After by by Jordan Sonnenblick

Best Teen Book:
Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Alex Awards

The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson
Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard by Liz Murray
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni
Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
The Particular Sadess of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
The Radleys by Matt Haig
The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant