Youth Media Awards Update

Boo yah! The following Youth Media Awards winners and honor books are now on order:

The Great Migration: Journey to the North (Honor book for the Coretta Scott King author division)

Never Forgotten (Honor book for the Coretta Scott King author division)

Girl of Fire and Thorns (Printz Honor book)

Where Things Come Back (Printz winner and Morris winner)

Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) (YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction finalist)

Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein (YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction finalist)

The Returning (Printz Honor book)

Jasper Jones (Printz Honor book)

Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller (Pura Belpre Honor book-Author division)

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald no combina (Pura Belpre Honor book-Illustrator Division)

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours (Pura Belpre Illustrator Winner)

The Lily Pond (Batchelder Honor book)

Soldier Bear (Batchelder winner)

Black and White: The Confrontation Between Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor (Sibert Honor book)

See Me Run (Geisel Honor book)

Tales For Very Picky Eaters (Geisel winner)





Yaaaaaaaay!

Wowbrary Wednesday

My TBR (to be read) list keeps growing and growing with each new Wowbrary. Here's what's caught my eye recently:

Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time


I can't wait to get my (jazz) hands on this monster (it's a taaaaallll book). I collect books about Broadway musicals, so I have a copy of the original publication. (It's fabulous. Gorgeous pictures and lots of behind-the-scenes stuff).  I didn't have plans to purchase the updated one, so I'm happy that we're getting the updated version for our collection.  A must read for any Broadway fan.

The Orphan Master's Son


Entertainment Weekly (one of my weekly must reads) gave The Orphan Master's Son an awesome review, calling it "vivid and chilling."   They're not the only ones giving this novel set in North Korea stellar reviews; there are few novels dealing with the situation in North Korea, so it's no surprise that this is getting a ton of attention.

May the Road Rise Up to Meet You


Immigrant sagas and epic American historical fiction novels immediately intrigue me; this story about the first wave of Irish immigration to the United States in the 19th century is a must read for me.

The Detour


During Hitler's rise to power, the Third Reich created the Sonderprojekte, which plundered the European continent for its greatest and most iconic works of art for Hitler's benefit.  A young German art collector travels to Rome in order to capture The Discobulus (The Discus Thrower) marble statue.  After he meets up with Italian twin brothers, hired to escort him to the border, he discovers that their side agendas and constant detours threaten his assignment and his life.  Set in the Italian countryside on the eve of World War II, this historical thriller is already generating quite a bit of buzz.

Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?





Normally, job-seeking books wouldn't interest me, but I'm curious about Google's unique interviewing skills and work environment. Not only does William Poundstone feature the bizarre interview questions posed by Google (and the answers!), but he also discusses the need for creative thinking.

Juliette Gordon Low: The Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts


Oooh, this book can't come fast enough (it will be published in February).  2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, and with any monumental anniversary (2012 has quite a few big ones--100th anniversary of the Titanic, the bicentennial anniversary of the War of 1812, Louisiana's bicentennial statehood anniversary and the bicentennial anniversary of Charles Dickens's birthday are the ones that I remember off the top of my head) comes new books and renewed interest.  Juliette Gordon Low has never, to my knowledge, been the subject of a serious adult biography; only a handful of unmemorable children's biographies have been published. Luckily, 2012 is changing all that, with this biography and several children's biographies (one, which will be published in a month or two, is already receiving excellent reviews and has a remarkable cover and graphic design....can't wait to show it to you), Low is finally receiving the attention that she deserves.  I was a Girl Scout for many years (reached the Cadette level), so I'm super excited about the new books coming out to celebrate this terrific anniversary.  In the meantime, check out The Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum.  Warning: it's a timesuck if you're a former Girl Scout.  Looking at the badges will remind you that the organization was quite nontraditional for its day; in the 1920s and 30s, girls could earn badges such as the "Economist," "Electrician," "Motorist," and "Handywoman."


(Check out the vintage ads, vintage camping equipment, the special Girl Scout emblems for the US's bicentennial anniversary, Dairy Queen's Tagalog ice cream cake...for real.... and even vintage pictures from the international movement. I told you it's a timesucking site!)

A Good American


Another sweeping immigrant saga to add to my list; New Orleans figures into the story, so that's an added bonus!

King Peggy


It's too bad that Oprah doesn't have her syndicated show anymore, because this is the kind of book that she would have been all over.  (This is meant as a compliment--I'm a fan of Oprah for what she did to introduce people to books and authors.)  Peggielene Bartels was just your everyday secretary at the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC when she received news that her uncle had died....and that she was his heir to his chiefdom of a small Ghanaian fishing village. When she arrived in Ghana, she discovered that she would have to deal with corruption (among her relatives) and the fact that the village had no high school for its teenagers.  King Peggy tells her incredible story. Please tell me someone is making this into a movie. Oprah hasn't bought the rights yet?


This can't be. It's not even the end of January, and my TBR list is unbelievable (because I also have a ton of children's/YA books to read!).  If you want to be among the first to know about the latest and greatest coming to the library, you should subscribe to Wowbrary. It comes once a week and it's free!

Youth Media Awards

So. The Youth Media Awards have been announced. And what a relief! Only a few books that we need to order, but I'm pleased with the outcome.  First of all, major thanks to ALA for a smoothly running webcast. I had no problems tuning in, and it started on time. Kudos. It's much more fun to watch it live (and to hear the reaction from the audience) than it is to follow on Twitter or Facebook. 

Schneider Family Award:

This award honors books that depict the disability experience.  There are three categories.

Children: Uh oh, the committee didn't find a children's book that they decided was worthy of the award.  Surprised murmurs from the crowd. Too bad, but admirable that the committee stuck to their guns if they felt that there weren't any that were deserving of the award.

Middle School: Close to Famous and Wonderstruck.  Hot dog. Very nice. I had a few quibbles with how soon Foster learned to read, but it's very, very minor. I'm a big Joan Bauer fan.  Haven't been able to read Wonderstruck yet (I know, I know), but that's on the agenda.

Teen: The Running Dream. Wow! This book is tremendous.



Coretta Scott King Awards honor African-American artists and illustrators.

Lifetime Achievement: Ashley Bryan. A very well deserved honor for Mr. Bryan.

Illustrator Honor: Kadir Nelson for Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans.   Well, naturally.

Illustrator Winner: Shane W. Evans for Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom.

Author Honor: Eloise Greenfield for The Great Migration: Journey to the North and Patricia McKissack for Never Forgotten.

Author Winner: Kadir Nelson for Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. 


Margaret Edwards Award honors the work of a young adult author, focusing on specific titles. This year's award goes to Susan Cooper, whose fantasy works straddle the children's/YA divide (her books are in both our children's and YA collection). The committee singled out Over Sea, Under Stone, The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree.


William C. Morris Award honors a (YA) debut book. 

Finalists: Girl of Fire and Thorns, Paper Covers Rock, Under the Mesquite, Between Shades of Gray, and Where Things Come Back.

Winner: Where Things Come Back


YALSA Excellence In Nonfiction. Pretty self-explanatory.

Finalists: Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, And Science, Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, And the Lawless Years of Prohibition, Wheels of Change, Music Was It, and The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, And Treachery

Winner: The Notorious Benedict Arnold


(Huh. No Amelia Lost.)



Printz honors the best in young adult literature.

Honor Books: Why We Broke Up, The Returning, Jasper Jones, and The Scorpio Races

Winner: Where Things Come Back


You know, if I had just gone ahead and ordered the finalists for the Morris Awards, I'd be feeling pretty smug right now. Oh, well. We'll get Where Things Come Back (and the others not currently in the collection) soon enough.


Pura Belpre Awards honors Latino/Latina illustrators and authors.

Author Honors: Xavier Garza for Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller and Margarita Engle for Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck.

Author Winner: Guadalupe Garcia McCall for Under the Mesquite.  Oooh, I just returned this today. Fabulous book.

Illustrator Honor: Rafael Lopez for The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred  (like this very much!) and Sara Palacios for Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match.


Illustrator Winner: Duncan Tonatiuh for Diego Rivera: His World and Ours.


Batchelder Award honors books translated into English and previously published in another country. Well, I've heard *of* the books this year, so there's an improvement!

Honor: The Lily Pond (the sequel to A Faraway Island)

Winner: Soldier Bear



Sibert Medal honors children's informational (nonfiction) books.

Honor: Black and White: The Confrontation Between Rev. Fred L. Shuttelsworth and Eugene 'Bull' Connor, Drawing From Memory, The Elephant Scientist, and Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem (I reviewed and starred this for School Library Journal!)

Winner: Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade


(Hey! This is great! What a great selection of books.  Boy, I'd like to read that Black and White book when it comes in. Wait a second....where's Amelia Lost? Well, we still have the Newbery, right?)


Geisel Award honors early readers.

Honor: I Broke My Trunk, I Want My Hat Back, and See Me Run

Winner: Tales For Very Picky Eaters. This is interesting; this seems like an early chapter book.


Caldecott Award: Honoring the best in children's picture books. Now in its 75th year!

Honor: Blackout, Grandpa Green, and Me...Jane.

Winner: A Ball For Daisy


Fist pump! We have all the honors and the medal! A Ball For Daisy wasn't a surprise; I saw it mentioned numerous times on Mock Caldecott lists and predictions.



Newbery Medal honors the best in children's literature. Can be fiction, nonfiction, poetry, picture book, easy reader...as long as it's published for children.  Usually, it's fiction....

Honor Books: Inside Out and Back Again and Breaking Stalin's Nose

Winner: Dead End in Norvelt


....and like last year, historical fiction.  Look, I'm a fan of historical fiction. I really am.  But when every single honor and winner for this year's Newbery is historical fiction, and when all but one (out of four) Newbery Honor books and the Newbery Medal winner from last year were historical fiction....I'd just like to see more variety among the choices. I'd like to see some fantasy, or a mystery, or realistic fiction. Or a poetry title win.


Or a nonfiction win, because Amelia Lost won nothing. Nada. Zip.


Or a nonfiction book that isn't history or biography. I'm happy that we have the titles, and I see that folks have already placed holds on the books. That makes me very happy, because these are good books, and the two honor books deal with a young Vietnamese refugee living in Alabama and the experience of a young Soviet boy during Stalin's Russia. Important stories to read, and brilliantly told. And Jack Gantos is a superb writer!  If the committee truly felt that the most distinguished books published in 2011 were all historical fiction, then I'll respect that.




I would just like to see some variety.


That being said--go read! I have not one specific complaint about any of these books. Congratulations to all the winners.