MotherReader

I did plan to get back to the ALA Youth Media Awards before today, but I’ve been fighting an altogether annoying cold. It’s hard to focus on writing anything more than a sentence or two, but I’m going to try to get through a few more awards and reactions and hope that kicks my brain back into gear. So let’s go back to...

The Geisel Award, which goes to Bink and Gollie — written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile — with two honor books named: Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! by Grace Lin, and We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems. These were the only titles I heard tossed around for this award, so that all three should get distinction is no big surprise. What does seem odd to me, though, is giving the “Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book” to a title that isn’t a beginning reader book. I kinda thought that there were very specific criteria for what makes a beginning reader book, and I didn’t think this winner was it. But whatever.

The Andrew Carnegie Medal is given for excellence in children’s video, and is often jokingly called the Weston Woods Award, as this seems to be the only group making videos of children’s books, thus narrowing the field significantly. (In fact, I think I may have just discovered a new career.) In any case, the honor went to Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods, for The Curious Garden. I liked the book quite well, and it was a Cybils finalist last year. As for the video, what up with the British narrator? Like an American isn’t good enough for you? And wasn’t the garden inspired by the elevated New York City gardens? If you needed a distinct accent, perhaps you should have headed to Brooklyn instead of across the pond.

I have the personal distinction of having read none of the winners of the Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children. (Thank you — thank you very much.) Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot, written by Sy Montgomery, featuring photographs by Nic Bishop, is the 2011 Sibert Award winner. Two Sibert Honor Books were named: Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring, written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca, and Lafayette and the American Revolution, written by Russell Freedman. I’ve heard wonderful things about the first two books, and I have been loving Nic Bishop’s photography and Brian Floca’s artwork for years, so I’m happy for the acknowledgment for them both. Can’t say much about the third title, but I’m sure it is among the most interesting books written about the American Revolution.

I generally don’t have interest in the Odyssey Award, because I’m personally unable to listen to audio books without mentally drifting off. But I was excited by the surprise winner — and I mean a surprise to the winner himself, who had no idea his book was even being considered — The True Meaning of Smekday. The book is written by Adam Rex and narrated by Bahni Turpin. One of my favorite books, and I’m glad to see it get some notice in any format.

There is a lot going on in the kidlitosphere to write about, but for now I’m going back to the ALA Youth Media Awards. There are complete lists everywhere, most notably in that there link, so my post is more about my reactions than any official summary.

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

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Sorry, I don’t know it.

CSK Author Honor Book:

Mare’s War
by Tanita S. Davis
Holy crap! The winner is a longtime KidLitosphere author and Blogging Friend Forever! This win is right on the money as the book is wonderful. When you hear complaints about African American books only focused on slavery or civil rights, look to Mare’s War as a model for another way to portray the experience of people of color in current and historical times. The positive and strong characters also earned the author an nomination for a NAACP image award. Yeah, Tanita!

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

My People
illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr., written by Langston Hughes
I saw this as a Cybils Fiction Picture Book nominee, and it didn’t impress me nearly as much as the next book.

CSK Illustrator Honor Book:

The Negro Speaks of Rivers
illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes
I didn’t make any CSK predictions here, but at Fuse#8’s prediction post I suggested this book for an illustrator award. It is stunning. I’ve liked the artwork of E.B. Lewis in other books, but with the evocative poem as his guideline he came up with some amazing interpretations.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:

The Rock and the River
by Kekla Magoon
I put this book on hold at the library after I realized it was never going to just be there when I went. I’ve heard wonderful things about it, and met the author in New York City this year. We talked about blogs and the Liar cover.

Coretta Scott King/Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Walter Dean Myers
This is the first time the award was given out, and they couldn’t have chosen a better person to honor.

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Schneider Family Book Award
Honoring books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience
Django
written and illustrated by Bonnie Christensen
The picture book winner and I haven’t seen it. D’oh!

Anything but Typical
by Nora Raleigh Baskin
The winner for middle grade, a Cybils finalists — and I nominated it for that category. I really liked this book, and seemingly forgot about it when making my Newbery predictions. Now that I think about it, I would have loved to see this on that list too.

Marcelo in the Real World
by Francisco X. Stork
The winner for young adult literature is an amazing book that will stay with you long after you’ve read it. The biggest surprise here is not its win in this category, but its exclusion from the Printz awards. I’m not the only one saying that either.

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

Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros
illustrated by Rafael López, written by Pat Mora
Well, I wish I had seen this, but I didn’t.

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Books:

Diego: Bigger Than Life, illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand; Gracias Thanks, illustrated by John Parra, written by Pat Mora; My Abuelita, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston;
Liked Diego. Liked Gracias Thanks. But the illustrations of My Abuelita creeped me out. There, I said it.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award:

Return to Sender
written by Julia Alvarez
Vaguely remember hearing of it, but it feels like a long time ago. Oh, released January 2009, that would explain it. Putting it on hold now. Be right back...

Pura Belpré Author Honor Books:

Diego: Bigger Than Life, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz; and Federico García Lorca, written by Georgina Lázaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro
This is an interesting aspect to this award. The book can win for both author and illustrator, but in separate categories. With all respect to Dora the Explorer — Go, Diego, go!

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Andrew Carnegie Medal
Given for excellence in children’s video
Paul R. Gagne and Mo Willems of Weston Woods, producers of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!”
Narrated by Willems and Jon Scieszka with animation by Pete List
There wasn’t a video of this, like seven years ago? Huh.

Of course, it’s well known that more important than the Newbery, the Caldecott, the Pulitzer is the Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video. Or at least it is now, because...

Author/illustrator Mo Willems and Weston Woods Studios, producers of “Knuffle Bunny,” are the 2007 Carnegie Medal winners. The DVD is based on Willems’ book “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale” and is performed by Willems, his wife Cheryl and their daughter Trixie. It is directed and animated by MaGiK Studio, with music by Scotty Huff and Robert Reynolds.

And now I can condense my Mo-related news in one blog post (whew) by also announcing that he has created a new set of beginning-reader books. They feature new characters — not the Pigeon — and are due out in the spring. I’m sure Mo will send my copies along sooner, though he didn’t really respond to that inquiry of mine...

Check out the new books here, and his post on the video (the winner of the Carnegie Medal) here.

Somewhat related — in that this is another author I am crushing on, and with whom I have shared at least limited dialogue — John Green’s book An Abundance of Katherines won a Printz honor award. Ever wonder what the reaction is when you’ve won a Printz honor award? Well, here it is. Total bonus: He is wearing the T-shirt that I showed on my blog. Total total bonus: He says it’s his new favorite shirt. Guess what? It’s my new favorite shirt too! We are so meant to be friends. The link is to his video blog with his brother. I’ve been enjoying the videos immensely — very funny stuff.