Advertisement

Newbery, Caldecott Awards announced

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The American Library Assn. presented its top honors for books for children and young adults at a ceremony in San Diego Monday morning. The highest award, the Newbery Medal, is awarded each year to the most distinguished book for children; it went to ‘Moon Over Manifest’ by Clare Vanderpool. The Caldecott Medal, the top award for illustration, went to the book ‘A Sick Day for Amos McGee,’ illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by Philip C. Stead.

The ALA award medallions, which can be found on the covers of later editions of the winning books, not only signify excellence, they also can mean a longer commercial life for the books, as well as assure they find a place in libraries. Finalists also receive the medallions.

Advertisement

The hour-long ceremony, which began at 7:45 a.m., included the announcement of dozens of awards and finalists before an audience attending the ALA’s midwinter conference. The roster of winners was too long to invite the authors, illustrators or publishers to the podium to accept their awards.

The Printz Award, presented to a young adult novel, went to Paolo Bacigalupi for ‘Ship Breaker.’ Bacigalupi is an author to watch; ‘Ship Breaker,’ his first young adult novel, was a National Book Award finalist. His adult fiction has won major science-fiction awards -- the Nebula and Hugo -- and his 2009 debut novel was named one of the year’s best by Time magazine.

Other notable awards included the Coretta Scott King Award to author Rita Williams-Garcia for her book ‘One Crazy Summer’; the YALSA Excellence in nonfiction award to Ann Angel for ‘Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing’; the Pura Belpre Award to ‘The Dreamer,’ written by Pam Muñoz Ryan and illustrated by Peter Sis; and the Theodor Suess Geisel award to ‘Bink and Gollie’ by Kate diCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile.

Finalists for the Caldecott Medal were ‘Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet Slave’ illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill and ‘Interrupting Chicken’ written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein.

Finalists for the Newbery Award were ‘Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night’ written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen; ‘Heart of a Samuri,’ by Margi Preus; ‘One Crazy Summer’ by Rita Williams-Garci and ‘Turtle in Paradise’ by Jennifer L. Holm.

A complete list of the awards, winners and those finalists receiving honors will soon be posted on the American Library Assn. website.

Advertisement

-- Carolyn Kellogg

Advertisement