Youth Media Awards Response Post Time!

[rockinlibrarian]

So, hey, non-librarians, were you aware that this morning was THE biggest awards show of the entire awards show season? Who needs the Oscars when you have the ALA YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS!!!!

We have a bit of a stomach bug thing going 'round in this house this morning, and I kind of feel like lying down, but THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT. I must respond immediately!

My overarching response to the whole of this year's award announcement is: I LOVE THAT I'M IN CHARGE OF ALL THE CHILDREN'S/YA LIBRARY BOOK PURCHASING WITH ALL MY SOUL. I love that I can look at this list and say, "With very few exceptions, I have either ALREADY purchased or HAVE ON MY WISHLIST nearly every one of these books for the library!" It's truly a gloriously smug feeling.

But as for WHAT won, specifically, I have much less feeling about. I honestly, I realized a couple weeks ago, did not read a single new middle-grade book last year, and I only read about 3 YAs. Most of my book reading last year was self-help books for grownups, and that was about 5 or 6 books. SORT of pathetic, I admit. Decent for your average American, but sad among book people. This would be why I didn't write a Best Books of the Year post at the end of the year.

BUT I can still be happy as a librarian, that my collection is SO up on things this year. Here's the official press release on the ALA website, which is prone to crashing since so many people are clicking, so here's the whole list so you don't have to click:

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

“Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures,” written by Kate DiCamillo, is the 2014 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Doll Bones,” written by Holly Black and published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “The Year of Billy Miller,” written by Kevin Henkes and published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “One Came Home,” written by Amy Timberlake and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; and “Paperboy,” written by Vince Vawter and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

We have every one of these books except Paperboy, which isn't even on my wishlist. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT. This is a mere fluke in the overall dead-on-ness of my collection development, though!

Now, let's talk about the one award we not only have ALL the books in, but I've READ all the books in:

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

“Locomotive,” illustrated by Brian Floca, is the 2014 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Brian Floca and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Journey,” written and illustrated by Aaron Becker and published by Candlewick Press; “Flora and the Flamingo,” written and illustrated by Molly Idle and published by Chronicle Books LLC; and “Mr. Wuffles!” written and illustrated by David Wiesner and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

I hosted a Mock Caldecott at Family Night last week, and Locomotive, Journey, and Mr. Wuffles! were our three Honor books, all tying with Lucky Ducklings by Eva Moore and Nancy Carpenter, which ended up taking our Medal when we had a tiebreaker vote. I sadly was the only one of us who'd been pushing for Flora and the Flamingo, which was my second-favorite picture book of the year. My favorite, which may be earning its place as one of my favorite books EVER, was Journey--I would have been thrilled had it taken the (real) Medal, but I'm satisfied with an Honor, and would have been seriously disappointed had it not gotten anything. But Journey: it's like Barbara Lehman "wrote" Harold and the Purple Crayon. It is EVERYTHING I LOVE. Betsy Bird's review is perfect, and you can see my further thoughts on the subject down in the comments section.

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

“P.S. Be Eleven,” written by Rita Williams-Garcia, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Three King Author Honor Books were selected: “March: Book One,” written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell, and published by Top Shelf Productions; “Darius & Twig,” written by Walter Dean Myers and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and “Words with Wings,” written by Nikki Grimes and published by WordSong, an imprint of Highlights.

** Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

“Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Daniel Beaty and published by Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group.

One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected: “Nelson Mandela,” illustrated and written by Kadir Nelson and published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

** Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award:

“When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop,” illustrated by Theodore Taylor III, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

** Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Authors Patricia and Researcher Fredrick McKissack are the winners of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award is presented in even years to an African American author, illustrator or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults, and who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution.

Patricia McKissack and her late husband Fredrick McKissack, both natives of Tennessee, began their writing and research partnership in the 1980’s.Their subject matter from family-based folklore to nonfiction titles, are scholarly researched and written with accurate, authentic text, creating a cultural transmission of history. Their immense range of topics are informative, readable and enjoyable, covering accounts from slavery days to biographical studies of noted men and women in African American history past and present.

Not much to say here besides that I have all the books on the wishlist except PS Be Eleven which we already have on Playaway, and I'm surprised the McKissacks didn't have the Hamilton* ALREADY.

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

“Midwinterblood,” written by Marcus Sedgwick, is the 2014 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Eleanor & Park,” written by Rainbow Rowell and published by St. Martin’s Griffin (Macmillan); “Kingdom of Little Wounds,” written by Susann Cokal and published by Candlewick Press; “Maggot Moon,” written by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Julian Crouch and published by Candlewick Press; and “Navigating Early,” written by Clare Vanderpool and published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, Penguin Random House Company.

I know very little about Kingdom of Little Wounds, anyone read it yet? Navigating Early was a bit of a surprise, because usually the Printz skews older-YA rather than younger, and that had been buzzed for Newbery. If anything I could admit a little disappointment that Rose Under Fire (one of the few new novels I DID read-- and LOVE-- last year) didn't get a Printz, but that's eased by it getting a nod below:

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

“A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin,” written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.

“Handbook for Dragon Slayers,” written by Merrie Haskell and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13) award.

The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Rose under Fire,” written by Elizabeth Wein and published by Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Which is kind of cool (and maybe kind of the point?)-- absolutely none of these books is one where your immediate reaction is "Oh, that's a book about DISABILITY"-- it's all woven in to BIGGER THINGS; and granted, the disabilities in Rose Under Fire are the results of horrific "medical experiments" and PTSD, which are hardly the first examples you think of when someone says "the disability experience."

By the way, hope that doesn't scare you off from reading it. IT'S A FANTASTIC BOOK.

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

“Brewster,” written by Mark Slouka and published by W. W. Norton & Company
“The Death of Bees,” written by Lisa O’Donnell and published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
“Golden Boy: A Novel,” written by Abigail Tarttelin and published by ATRIA Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
“Help for the Haunted,” written by John Searles and published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
“Lexicon: A Novel,” written by Max Barry and published by The Penguin Group, Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
“Lives of Tao,” written by Wesley Chu and published by Angry Robot, a member of the Osprey Group
“Mother, Mother: A Novel,” written by Koren Zailckas and published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.
“Relish,” written by Lucy Knisley and published by First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership
“The Sea of Tranquility: A Novel,” written by Katja Millay and published by ATRIA Paperback, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
“The Universe Versus Alex Woods,” written by Gavin Extence and published by Redhook Books, an imprint of Orbit, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Okay, this category is definitely the exception to my "on top of things" reaction. But I work in a PUBLIC library! If I was a high school librarian I'd have to pay attention to these sorts of things, but OTHER people order the adult books here! That said, Relish has been on the wish list, anyway.

** Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video:
Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Bink & Gollie: Two for One,” are the Carnegie Medal winners. The video’s cast is anchored by Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome, with music by David Mansfield. Tony Fucile’s artwork is brilliantly brought to life by Chuck Gammage Animation.

I don't know if you can see this anywhere, but they showed a clip during the awards stream and it was pretty hilarious.

** Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:

Markus Zusak is the 2014 Edwards Award winner. His books include: “The Book Thief” and “I Am the Messenger,” published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, and “Getting the Girl” and “Fighting Ruben Wolfe,” published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Scholastic.

** 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:

Brian Selznick will deliver the 2015 lecture.

Author and illustrator Brian Selznick graduated from Rhode Island School of Design intending to be a set designer for the theater, but a stint at Eeyore’s children’s bookstore in New York City changed his mind and his first book was published while working there. He left to pursue a full-time career in children's book illustration, but he still designs theater sets and is a professional puppeteer. Among his award-winning works are illustrations for two Sibert Honor Books and a Caldecott Honor Book. His groundbreaking “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” was awarded the 2008 Caldecott Medal.

*mumbles* I still haven't read Zuzak yet I know shut up* Knowing how fascinating Selznick's Caldecott speech was, I bet a lot of people are excited to see that lecture, though.

** Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States:

“Mister Orange” is the 2014 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Dutch in 2011 as “Mister Orange,” the book was written by Truus Matti, translated by Laura Watkinson, and published by Enchanted Lion Books.

Three Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “The Bathing Costume or the Worst Vacation of My Life,” written by Charlotte Moundlic, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick, and published by Enchanted Lion Books; “My Father’s Arms Are a Boat,” written by Stein Erik Lunde, illustrated by Øyvind Torseter, translated by Kari Dickson, and published by Enchanted Lion Books; and “The War Within These Walls,” written by Aline Sax, illustrated by Caryl Strzelecki, translated by Laura Watkinson, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

Another weak spot on my with-it-ness meter, but I HAVE got Mister Orange on my wishlist at least.

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

“Scowler,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, is the 2014 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Daniel Kraus and narrated by Kirby Heyborne.

Four Odyssey Honor Recordings also were selected: “Better Nate Than Ever,” produced by Simon and Schuster Audio, written and narrated by Tim Federle; “Creepy Carrots!” produced by Weston Woods Studios, Inc., and written by Aaron Reynolds; “Eleanor & Park,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Rainbow Rowell, and narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra; and “Matilda,” produced by Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., written by Roald Dahl, and narrated by Kate Winslet.

This just makes me want to push this list on all the people I know who listen to a lot of audiobooks.

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

“Niño Wrestles the World,” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Yuyi Morales and published by Roaring Brook Press.
Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “Maria Had a Little Llama / María Tenía una Llamita,” illustrated and written by Angela Dominguez and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC; “Tito Puente: Mambo King / Rey del Mambo,” illustrated by Rafael López, written by Monica Brown and published by Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and “Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

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

“Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass,” written by Meg Medina, is the Belpré Author Award winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Three Belpré Author Honor Books were named: “The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist,” written by Margarita Engle and published by Harcourt, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; “The Living,” written by Matt de la Peña and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company; and “Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

One kid at our Mock Caldecott was REALLY PUSHING for Nino Wrestles the World, but he was the only one. This may please him, though.

I don't really have much commentary for the rest, but here they all are for the record:

** Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:

“Parrots over Puerto Rico,” written by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore, and illustrated by Susan L. Roth, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by LEE & LOW BOOKS, Inc.

Four Sibert Honor Books were named: “A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin,” written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; “Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard,” written and illustrated by Annette LeBlanc Cate and published by Candlewick Press; “Locomotive,” written and illustrated by Brian Floca and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; and “The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius,” written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

** Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

“Beautiful Music for Ugly Children,” written by Kirstin Cronn-Mills and published by Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd; and “Fat Angie,” written by e. E. Charlton-Trujillo and published by Candlewick Press, are the winners of the 2014 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award.

Three Honor Books were selected: “Better Nate Than Ever,” written by Tim Federle and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “Branded by the Pink Triangle,” written by Ken Setterington and published by Second Story Press; and “Two Boys Kissing,” written by David Levithan and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

** Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers:

“The Watermelon Seed,” written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli, is the Geisel Award winner. The book is published by Disney Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Three Geisel Honor Books were named: “Ball,” written and illustrated by Mary Sullivan and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; “A Big Guy Took My Ball!” written and illustrated by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group; and “Penny and Her Marble,” written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes and published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Okay, I'll butt in here again. a) I LOVE THE GEISELS. They may be my favorite award just because it takes a bit of genius to write an easy reader that's actually also a good book. And, b) I don't think it's possible for a year to go by WITHOUT Mo Willems getting at least one Geisel honor.

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

“Charm & Strange,” written by Stephanie Kuehn, is the 2014 Morris Award winner. The book is published by St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, a division of Macmillan.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Sex & Violence,” written by Carrie Mesrobian and published by Carolrhoda LAB, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group; “Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets,” written by Evan Roskos and published by Houghton Mifflin, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; “Belle Epoque,” written by Elizabeth Ross and published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books; and “In the Shadow of Blackbirds,” written by Cat Winters and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS.

** YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:

“The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi,” written by Neal Bascomb, is the 2014 Excellence winner. The book is published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design,” written by Chip Kidd and published by Workman Publishing Company; “Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War II,” written by Martin W. Sandler and published by Walker Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.; “Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers,” written by Tanya Lee Stone and published by Candlewick Press; and “The President Has Been Shot! The Assassination of John F. Kennedy,” written by James L. Swanson and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

And that's it! If my stomach calms down in the next few hours, my Library Explorers tonight will be making posters announcing the winners and watching the stream if I can get it to work. Meanwhile, I'll try to figure out what to eat for lunch.

PS: Today's my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday to my mom, everyone!
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*So did I ever mention how this one time Virginia Hamilton was two people in line behind me for the restroom? That's a rhetorical question, because I mention it EVERY time Virginia Hamilton comes up in conversation.