ALA Awards

People, it was worth getting up on a holiday at 6:30 in the morning, driving in rush hour traffic to downtown Boston, and braving the snow that pouring down to hear the ALA awards made in person. I am feeling on top of the world today.

Anyway, for those of you who asked, here are the winners:

CALDECOTT
Winner: The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (I have been telling all my students that this was a favorite to win and they all loved this book, so I think they’ll be excited; also it’s about time, Pinkney won the actual gold medal here).
Honor: All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee (haven’t even heard of it!)
Honor: Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman and Pamela Zagarenski (haven’t heard of this one either).

NEWBERY
Winner: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (I read this over the summer and loved it, but couldn’t quite figure out what to say about it. It’s quirky, to be sure, but fun and extremely readable. This book was universally a winner in the mock Newberys around the country).
Honor: Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice by Phillip Hoose (this might be the single most awarded book this year)
Honor: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (this was a big favorite to win too)
Honor: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (time to read this one, I guess. Also very popular in the mock Newberys)
Honor: The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick. (Probably should read this one. Same guy who wrote Freak the Mighty, I think, though, which I hated with a fiery passion).

PRINTZ
Winner: Going Bovine by Libba Brey (I think this was a pretty surprise win. I’ve heard good things about it, but not read it).
Honor: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman (The only Printz recepient this year I’ve actually read. Not at all surprised this was on the list; it was a big favorite to win).
Honor: The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (Haven’t even heard of this one)
Honor: Punkzilla by Adam Rapp (got this at TLA, but it was just seemed too weird for me and I didn’t read it; I haven’t heard a word about it).
Honor: tales from the MADMAN underground (An Historical Romance 1973) by John Barnes. (I own a copy of this one, but haven’t read it. The talk of the pervasive swearing is in it has put me off).

So there they are. Plus, the six gazilion other awards ALA gives out, which you can find here (scroll down a bit on the page).

The Newbery books were not really a surprise at all, but the Printz, wow, except for Charles and Emma, those were all shockers, I thought.

I have so much more to say about ALA, the exhibits, the lovely people I’ve met, the books I am so excited about I can hardly breathe, and, perhaps most of all, the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt dinner last night that I (miraculously) scored an invite to, where Lois Lowry, Russell Freedman, Beth Fantaskey, Linda Urban, Loree Griffin Burns, Jeannie Birdsall, and Susan Campbell Bartoletti all spoke about their upcoming books and they handed out advance copies of most of them (not one of Russell Freedman’s new book about WWI, though, which was the one I was perhaps most anxious to get ahold of).

Oh, the whole weekend has been a delight. But now the exhibits are open for the last day and I’m off to take a final turn through before going to sit in on the Best Books for Young Adults panel discussion again. What a glorious Monday.