The Oscars of children’s publishing

For some of us, early this morning was as exciting as watching the Academy Awards. Thousands of us were glued to our laptops, trying to get into the American Library Association’s webcast of Youth Media Awards (and maybe there were some, like me, who missed the bus because of this obsession). Thousands more followed on Twitter, and others tried to get the news via websites, all of which were maddeningly s-l-o-w. But we’ve got the winners here, and we’ll add links to the Library catalog so you can get on those hold lists!

John Newbery Medal: This award is given for a “contribution to American literature for children.” I mistakenly have thought of this award as being for books for approximately 8 to 12 year olds, but the official criteria is for children up to (and including) age 14.

The 2009 Newbery Medal Award Winner:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean
A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose. A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.

Newbery honor books:
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
Savvy by Ingrid Law
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

Caldecott Award Winner:
The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson
Richly detailed black-and-white scratchboard illustrations expand this timeless bedtime verse, offering reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. Krommes’ elegant line, illuminated with touches of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home and family, as well as the joys of exploring the wider world.

Caldecott Honor books:
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 Teen Literature:
2009 Printz Award winner:
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Haunted by the past, Taylor Markham reluctantly leads the students of the Jellicoe School in their secret territory wars against the Townies and the Cadets. Marchetta’s lyrical writing evokes the Australian landscape in a suspenseful tale of raw emotion, romance, humor and tragedy.

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
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Coretta Scott King Author Award:
Kadir Nelson for We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball (this also won the Sibert award, see below).

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award:
Floyd Cooper for The Blacker the Berry. (See the list of honorees and previous award winners at the Coretta Scott King award site.)

Sibert Award for Nonfiction:
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson. (See more about this award at the Sibert site.)

Geisel Award: This award, named for Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) is given annually to the author and illustrator of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers.
The 2009 Geisel Award Winner:
There Is a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems (Hyperion)
In this humorous account of Elephant Gerald and Piggie’s ongoing friendship, Gerald learns that there is something worse than having a bird on your head – having two birds on your head! Trying to help her friend, the always-playful Piggie ends up with a problem of her own.

Honor books:
First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Hello, Bumblebee Bat, written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne
Jazz Baby written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Vulture View written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins