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Breaking News: ALA Announces 2009 Youth Media Awards Including Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz

Natasha Maw — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:00:43 +0000

I’ve haven’t been this excited for award season before! Since the inception of this blog, I’ve been reading a lot more books that were published this past year. Although, I haven’t read nearly all the books getting Newbery buzz, I was curious to see how some of my favorites would do. So without further ado . . .

The American Library Association (ALA) made it’s announcement of the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults -including the Caldecott, King, Newbery, and Printz Awards this morning. And the winners are:

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

Newbery Medal winner:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Newbery Medal honors:

After Tupac and D. Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

Savvy by Ingrid Law (Maw Books review)

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt (Maw Books review)

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle

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

Caldecott Medal winner:

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson illustrated by Beth Krommes

Caldecott Medal honors:

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever written and illustrated by Marla Frazee

How I Learned Geography written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant

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

Printz Award winner:

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Printz Award 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 (Maw Books review)

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Nation by Terry Pratchett

The 2009 Edwards Award which celebrates an author who makes a significant and lasting contribution to children’s literature:

Laurie Halse Anderson! (see my review of Chains and Speak)

These were the awards that I was most curious about. It was fun to watch the awards with all of my Twitter friends and send congrat messages to the authors and hear their reactions. Fun!

The remaining list of winners as found on the ALA website:

2010 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecturer

Kathleen T. Horning, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)

Batchelder Award

Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., publisher of “Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit” by Nahoko Uehashi, translated from the Japanese by Cathy Hirano

Batchelder Honor Books

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., publisher of “Garmann’s Summer” written and illustrated by Stian Hole, translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett

Amulet Books, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., publisher of “Tiger Moon” written by Antonia Michaelis, translated from the German by Anthea Bell

Belpré Author Award

“The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom” by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt

Belpré Author Honor Books

“Just in Case” by Yuyi Morales, a Neal Porter Book published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership

“Reaching Out” by Francisco Jiménez, Houghton Mifflin Co.

“The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos” by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre, Children’s Book Press

Belpré Illustrator Award

“Just in Case” by Yuyi Morales, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership Press

Belpré Illustrator Honor Books

“Papa and Me” illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, written by Arthur Dorros, Rayo, and imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

“The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos” illustrated by Lulu Delacre, written by Lucia Gonzalez, Children’s Book Press

“What Can You Do with a Rebozo” illustrated by Amy Cordova, written by Carmen Tafolla, Tricycle Press, an imprint of Ten Speed Press
Carnegie Medal
Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly, Weston Woods Studios, producers of “March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World”

Geisel Award

“Are You Ready to Play Outside?” written and illustrated by Mo Willems, Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group

Geisel Honor Books

“Chicken Said, ‘Cluck!’” written by Judyann Ackerman Grant, illustrated by Sue Truesdell, HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers

“One Boy” written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, a Neal Porter Book published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership

“Stinky” written and illustrated by Eleanor Davis, The Little Lit Library, a division of RAW Junior, LLC

“Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator” written by Sarah C. Campbell, photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell, Boyds Mills Press

Odyssey Award

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” written and narrated by Sherman Alexie, produced by Recorded Books, LLC

Odyssey Honor Audiobooks

“Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady,” written by L.A. Meyer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren, produced by Listen and Live Audio, Inc.

“Elijah of Buxton” written by Christopher Paul Curtis, narrated by Mirron Willis, produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

“I’m Dirty” written by Kate and Jim McMullan, narrated by Steve Buscemi, produced by Weston Woods Studios, Inc./Scholastic

“Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale” written and narrated by Carmen Agra Deedy, produced by Peachtree Publishers

“Nation” written by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Stephen Briggs, produced by Harper Children’s Audio/HarperCollins Publishers

Sibert Medal

“We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball” written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group

Sibert Honor Books

“Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and Rediscovery of the Past” written by James M. Deem, Houghton Mifflin Company

“What to Do about Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!” written by Barbara Kerley, illusrated by Edwin Fotheringham, Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Wilder Medal

Ashley Bryan, author and illustrator of numerous books, including “Dancing Granny,” “Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum” and “Beautiful Blackbird.”

So what do I think? I guessed The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks correctly. I haven’t read the other Printz, although I have Jellicoe Road checked out right now from the library. A few surprises about the Newbery. Not surprised at all for Savvy and The Underneath, both of which I reviewed. I have The Graveyard Book checked out right now from the library. I guess I better read it – my first Neil Gaiman book. I love Jacqueline Woodson, but haven’t read After Tupac and D. Foster. As far as Caldecott, I haven’t followed new picture books that much this year but I LOVe Marla Frazee. So happy for her.

Today, in honor of these great awards I’ll be posting reviews of all Newbery and Caldecott Award winners and honors. So enjoy these looks into the past.

So what do you think of the books chosen?!

Banned Books Week is Over! The Past Week in Review

Natasha Maw — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:23:47 +0000

I did it! I read a total of eight books in eight days for Banned Books Week! Granted they were short and some I barely got in my review before midnight but it was so much fun!

A quick recap of what I read and reviewed:

While I didn’t read them this week, other reviews I have of banned books are:

Unfinished Person at Just a (Reading) Fool also took the challenge (we had a lot of fun encouraging each other on Twitter) and read:

Jen at Devourer of Books highlighted eight of her favorite banned books:

Rebecca at The Book Lady’s Blog also hightlighted eight of her favorite banned books:

Michele at a Reader’s Respite also spotlighted banned books this past week:

Mo at Un-Mainstream Mom Reads read 13 banned books and has posted these reviews:

SmallWorld Reads also took advantage of Banned Books Week and read The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson.

Jeremy at Johnsenclan read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck in honor of Banned Books Week.

Mari from Mari Reads read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky

Nymeth at Things Mean a Lot read Lady Chatterly’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence, which she says is quite possible the king of banned books.

Amber Stults from Amber Stults – Book Reviewer and Author spotlights The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak.

Becky from Becky’s Book Reviews read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain this past week.

Heather from Age 30+ . . . A Lifetime of Books showcased a roundup of banned book reviews from bloggers, so make sure to visit for more reviews.

Abby from Abby (the) Librarian does a short roundup on posts about parents and selecting books for children.

Shannon from Books Worth Reading also does a roundup of banned book reviews.

Softdrink at Fizzy Thoughts gives us some great quotes about censorship and free speech.

There were a LOT of great posts about censorship in general and just about everybody has something to say about book banning. While I didn’t round-up these posts, I would like to acknowledge that there has been some great conversation going on this past week.

Did you read a banned book this past week?

It’s Banned Books Week – How will You Be Celebrating?!

Natasha Maw — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 06:12:35 +0000

(image from Banned Books Week website)

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read starts today through October 4th. This annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted.

From the ALA website:

BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

According to the ALA website, the following books are the 100 most frequently challenged books from 1990-2000:

1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
20. Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

And also from the ALA website, the following are the top ten from 2000-2005:

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
2. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
5. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
6. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
7. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwart
9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
10. Forever by Judy Blume

My thoughts about banned books:

I for one, don’t like everything that I read (I’ve always admitted my dislike for harsh language and graphic sex) but everybody has the right to choose for themselves what they want to read. I don’t want anybody to tell me what I can or can not read and I certainly couldn’t imagine making that decision for others. I wholeheartedly admit there is a lot of trash out there amongst a lot of great books, but one should never take away someones agency to choose what they can or can’t read.

As a parent, it’s my responsibility to know what my children are reading and help them choose books appropriate for their age and maturity level. And then when the time comes, trust that I have taught them well enough to make those decisions on their own.

For Banned Books Week I decided I’m going to read and review one challenged book a day.

Yes, so I’m totally crazy because I know I’m already doing this Blogging & Reading for Darfur thing and it’s not as if I don’t already have enough to do this month. So I’m taking the easy way out and choosing really, really short books.

They are:

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

So I apologize for the double posting that will be infiltrating your feed readers and inboxes. I really want to wrap this Darfur thing neatly into September and I have two more interviews scheduled before the end of the month and a tour beginning of October. And I really don’t want to skip out on Banned Books Week. So lots coming at ya!

Visit the ALA’s website and the Banned Books Week website for details on how to get involved. All of the titles mentioned above are available in the Maw Books Amazon store.

So how will you be celebrating Banned Books Week?

A Special Tribute in Honor of National Library Week

Natasha Maw — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:27:46 +0000

It’s National Library Week! First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.

I’d like to give a shout out to all the wonderful librarians at our library!

A special thank you to the staff at the West Jordan Branch of the Salt Lake County Library System! Especially to Mindy, whom we see once a week at story time (for two years now!) and who doesn’t mind the fact that my toddler can’t sit still. And also a thank you to the wonderful staff manning the desks and who always know without asking to check to see if I have holds under my husbands name as well.

I’d also love to give a wonderful thank you to the staff of the South Jordan Branch of the Salt Lake County Library System, especially Miss Alison whom we visit twice a week for story time. Yes, I know, this is three story times a week! We’ve been faithfully attending for a year and a half and Miss Alison is the greatest. I don’t know where she gets her energy or how she knows all the kids names, but it’s amazing! I appreciate that she calls my two children by name and makes them feel like they are the most important kids there. She even helps me hunt down my toddler when he escapes (which believe me for being in a enclosed room, he does a lot)! Our library has two pet hamsters – my son calls them “the mouse.” All it takes is one word uttered from my little boys mouth – “mouse” and Miss Allison makes his day be taking them out of their cage so he can pet them. Thank you , thank you.

And might I add, that you know you’re at the library far to much, when the librarians behind the reference desk tells you how cute your latest haircut is and that you’re kids ar changing right before their eyes.

To give you an idea of how often I use the library system, I thought I might list the current books I have checked out from the library:

Read and about to be returned:
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! : Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
Criss Cross by Lynn Rae Perkins

Why I think I can read all of these in three weeks is beyond me:
The Fortune Quilt by Lani Diane Rich
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Translator : A Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson

Books/Videos/CD’s for the kids:
Animal Antics by Hap Palmer (cd)
Bob the Builder. When Bob Became a Builder (dvd)
Hearts and Stars by Two-Can
Here Come the ABCs by They Might Be Giants (cd)
How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends? by Jane Yolen
My Toys by Caroline Davis
My Very First Look at Colors by Christiane Gunzi
Potty Time! by Parker K. Sawyer
Big Boys Use the Potty by Andrea Pinnington
The Potty Train by Hochman, David
A Train goes Clickety-Clack by Jonathan London
Quiet Loud by Leslie Patricelli
Baby Happy, Baby Sad by Leslie Patricelli
Yummy, Yucky by Leslie Patricelli
Sesame Street. The Great Numbers Game (dvd)
Thomas & Friends. Tales from the Tracks (dvd)
Thomas & Friends. Thomas, Percy & the Dragon & Other Stories (dvd)
Thomas & friends. Trust Thomas & Other Stories (dvd)

I check out Leslie Patricelli’s books so often that I’m slowly buying them all! The Potty Train is perhaps the cutest book I’ve ever seen about potty-training! I’m going to buy this one. I have a potty training post currently in draft mode, so watch for this one! And my little one can not leave the library without getting a Thomas the Train video, so by the end of the week, we have three. They all get returned the beginning of the week and then we start over.

Holds ready for me to pick up tomorrow:
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Books/Video’s/CD’s currently on hold (I have to use both my card and my husband’s card to get away with having this many holds):
All the Fishes Come Home to Roost : an American misfit in India by Rachel Manija Brown
Cellist Of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Three Cups of Tea : One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace– One School at a Time
by Greg Mortenson
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D Schmidt
Juno music from the motion picture (cd)
The Kite Runner (DVD)
24. Season 6 (3 holds for entire season) (DVD)

Sigh . . . in addition to checking out way to many books from the library, I have way to many books on my bookshelf that I haven’t read yet, and I have this urge to always buy new books as well, therefore adding to my collection faster than I can read them!

Celebrate National Library Week and give your library a shoutout!

Breaking News: ALA Announces 2008 Book Winners

Natasha Maw — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:08:29 +0000

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” written by Laura Amy Schlitz, is the 2008 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Candlewick.

Three Newbery Honor Books were named: “Elijah of Buxton,” by Christopher Paul Curtis, published by Scholastic; “The Wednesday Wars,” by Gary D. Schmidt, published by Clarion and “Feathers,” by Jacqueline Woodson, published by Putnam.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children. “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” illustrated by Brian Selznick, is the 2008 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Scholastic.

Four Caldecott Honor Books were named: “Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine, and published by Scholastic; “First the Egg,” illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” illustrated and written by Peter Sís, and published by Farrar/Frances Foster; and “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity,” illustrated and written by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults. “The White Darkness,” by Geraldine McCaughrean, is the 2008 Printz Award winner. The book is published by HarperTempest, an imprint of HarperCollins. Four Printz Honor Books were named: “Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet,” by Elizabeth Knox, published by Frances Foster Books, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux; “One Whole and Perfect Day,” by Judith Clarke, published by Front Street, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc.; “Repossessed,” by A. M. Jenkins, published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins; and “Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath,” by Stephanie Hemphill, published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books.

Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. “Elijah of Buxton,” written by Christopher Paul Curtis, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Scholastic. Two King Author Honor Books were selected: “November Blues,” by Sharon M. Draper, published by Atheneum Books for Young Adults and “Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali,” written by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, published by Candlewick Press.

“Let it Shine,” illustrated and written by Ashley Bryan, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Two King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “The Secret Olivia Told Me,” by N. Joy, illustrated by Nancy Devard, published by Just Us Books, and “Jazz On A Saturday Night,” by Leo and Diane Dillon, published by Scholastic Blue Sky Press.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award; “Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It,” written by Sundee T. Frazier is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. “Kami and the Yaks,” written by Andrea Stenn Stryer, illustrated by Bert Dodson and published by Bay Otter Press of Palo Alto, Calif. wins the award for young children (age 0 to 10).

“Reaching for Sun,” by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, published by Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, New York is the winner in the middle grades category (age 11-13).

“Hurt Go Happy,” written by Ginny Rorby, a Starscape Book, published by Tom Doherty Associates, is the winner in the teen category (age 13-18).

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers. “There Is a Bird on Your Head!,” written and illustrated by Mo Willems is the 2008 Geisel Award winner. The book is published by Hyperion.

Four Geisel Honor Books were named: “First the Egg,” written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; “Hello, Bumblebee Bat,” written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne and published by Charlesbridge; “Jazz Baby,” written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie and published by Harcourt; and “Vulture View,” written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins and published by Holt.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. Orson Scott Card is the recipient of the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens for his novels “Ender’s Game” and “Ender’s Shadow.”

The Pura Belpré Award honoring Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children’s books. Yuyi Morales, illustrator of “Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes and published by Holt is the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award. Margarita Engle, author of “The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano,” illustrated by Sean Qualls and published by Holt, is the 2008 Pura Belpré Author Award recipient.

Two Honor Books for illustration: “My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo gabito: La vida de Gabriel García Márquez,” illustrated by Raúl Colón, written by Monica Brown and published by Luna Rising and “My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo,” written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez and published by Children’s Book Press.

Three Author Honor Books were named: “Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life!” by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and published by Marshall Cavendish; “Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale,” retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin and published by Peachtree; and “Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales and published by Holt.

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children. “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” written and illustrated by Peter Sís, is the 2008 Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Farrar/Frances Foster.

Two Sibert Honor Books were named: “Lightship,” written and illustrated by Brian Floca, published by Simon & Schuster/ Richard Jackson and “Nic Bishop Spiders,” written and illustrated by Nic Bishop, published by Scholastic/Scholastic Nonfiction.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video. Producer Kevin Lafferty along with executive producer John Davis, and co-producers, Amy Palmer Robertson and Danielle Sterling, are the 2008 recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video – for the production of “Jump In! Freestyle Edition.”

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for the most outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States.

VIZ Media is the winner of the 2008 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for “Brave Story.” Originally published in Japanese in 2003 as “Bureibu Sutori,” the book was written by Miyuki Miyabe and translated by Alexander O. Smith.

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “The Cat: Or, How I Lost Eternity,” published by Milkweed Editions, originally published in German as “Die Katze,” and “Nicholas and the Gang,” published by Phaidon Press, originally published in French as “Le petit Nicolas et les copains.”

The first-ever Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production is Live Oak Media for “Jazz.”

Five honor titles were named: “Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary ‘Jacky’ Faber, Ship’s Boy,” produced by Listen & Live Audio; “Dooby Dooby Moo,” produced by Scholastic/Weston Woods; “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” produced by Listening Library; “Skulduggery Pleasant,” produced by HarperChildren’s Audio; and “Treasure Island,” produced by Listening Library.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences “American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China,” by Matthew Polly, published by Penguin/Gotham Books; “Bad Monkeys,” by Matt Ruff, published by HarperCollins; “Essex County Volume 1: Tales from the Farm,” by Jeff Lemire, published by Top Shelf Publications; “Genghis: Birth of an Empire,” by Conn Iggulden, published by Delacorte; “The God of Animals,” by Aryn Kyle, published by Scribner; “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier,” by Ishmael Beah, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Sarah Crichton Books; “Mister Pip,” by Lloyd Jones, published by Random/Dial Press; “The Name of the Wind,” by Patrick Rothfuss, published by DAW; “The Night Birds,” by Thomas Maltman, published by Soho; and “The Spellman Files,” by Lisa Lutz, published by Simon & Schuster.

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture recognizing an individual of distinction in the field of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site. Walter Dean Myers, widely acclaimed author of picture books, novels, poetry and non-fiction for children and young adults, will deliver the 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture.

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 literature experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALA Web site at www.ala.org.

Sigh . . . now I have to make a trip to the library (again!) and put some of these on hold. My to be read list is getting longer and longer!