It’s book buying time. Every January and February I spend a fair amount of time ordering books from the publisher’s summer 2010 catalogs. It’s always a little strange to be thinking about summer when we just got two feet of snow, but it’s also a great contrast to sub-zero temperatures.
I’m lucky that, with very few exceptions, I actually get to see sales reps in person. I find the face to face meeting to be more collegial (not that my telephone reps aren’t great, but it’s easier to build a relationship over coffee than on the phone) and probably more profitable for the publishers. Before I meet the rep, I usually get a sales kit in advance. This allows me time to actually look at the F&G’s (this means folded and gathered sheets, and it’s the galley equivalent of a picture book) without being rushed. I never have time to look at these kits at work, so I take them home. I learned a great trick from a fellow bookseller: I read through all the books in the kit and then two days later I go through the catalogs. Books that I remember get my attention, books I can’t remember, I don’t need to order. If I can’t remember it two days after reading it, then it doesn’t belong on my shelves.
Hardcover picture books have become increasingly difficult to sell, so I tend to buy only the books that I feel extremely confident I can handsell. I try to approach every buying session with several things in mind. Budgetary constraints do loom large these days, but I’ll never pass on anything I love. What budget issues do is make me really think about passing on books that I’m wavering on. Sadly, this usually means that the mid-list books, the books I might have gotten one or two of a few years ago, I’ll pass on now.
So, now I buy fewer titles, but more copies of books. This is risky, but there’s a comfort level customers see with multiple copies of a single title. It sends a message that we like this book enough to have five on hand. Multiple copies are also easier to display, thus making them easier to see and to buy.
In a perfect world I love every book I buy, but every buyer must keep their customers in mind. There needs to be consideration for the breadth of your collection. I don’t really care for tractors or trucks, but my customers do. So, it’s my job to make sure I have the best of the transportation books. The same thing goes for the princess and fairy books.
A picture book needs to work on many levels for me to buy it. I need to love the art, or at least see why a child would love it. The story has to be good, the rhyme needs to not be sing-songy. It can have a message, but not be preachy. There are lots of intangibles that go into me loving a book. Stunning art works for me: The Lion & the Mouse has rapidly become one of my all-time favorites. The level of detail is stunning. Funny books are a favorite of mine as well. Arnie the Donut is a favorite: full of fun art, great humor, this book pleases kids and parents alike. Skippyjon Jones is another treat because Skippy is such a great character and the story is great to read aloud.
Lastly, I listen to my rep. If I’m not in love with a book but she is, well, I’ll give it more consideration. Getting to know my reps and letting them get to know me and my store makes for a lovely relationship. After working together for years, I have reps who know exactly what will sell in my store and what I can pass on. They work for me and highlight local authors who might be available for store visits and whose books might be sleeper good sellers.
I love buying picture books. The only problem for me is, as I get older, I find ordering books six months before they come out means I won’t necessarily remember them until they come in. This makes for a lovely surprise when the boxes get unpacked, and that makes it fun all over again.

After months of promising you a proper post about Gareth’s and my summer camp wedding, today’s the day I deliver. What follows is a snapshot of our wedding day, with an emphasis on the more “bookish” elements. While books weren’t exactly the theme of the day, we couldn’t help but include them!

If after you read this you want still more info. about how the day went and (better still) more photos of what it looked like, visit the beautiful wedding blog Green Wedding Shoes, where our wedding is being featured today, and read the post about our wedding written by our amazing photographers, Heather Gilson and Jon Almeda of One Love Photo. (Unless otherwise indicated, all photos you see here are were taken by this beyond-talented duo!)

Gareth and I tied the knot on a VERY rainy Saturday, September 12, 2009 at Camp Wing in Duxbury, Massachusetts — a children’s summer camp we rented for the entire weekend (Friday afternoon through Monday morning).

Our goal in hatching this camp plan was to provide interested guests with an affordable opportunity to spend a bit more time with us than just one day, and join us for low-key, good-time activities like eating s’mores around a campfire (or, in the case of rain, the fireplace) or making lanyards and playing board games (which our guests happily did for several rainy hours on Saturday) or shooting arrows at targets, which we did on Sunday. That day it was warm and sunny enough for us to do things like swim in the pool or pile 12 people into the camp’s “war canoe” for a trip around Keene’s Pond. (Photo below by Steven Hinds.)

It felt great to spend the largest chunk of our wedding budget on such memorable experiences, and better still to know it was going to the cause of enabling disadvantaged kids to attend summer camp. Camp Wing’s parent program, Crossroads for Kids, is a private, non-profit organization that offers at-risk youth the chance to develop coping and leadership skills through educational and recreational experiences, like attending overnight camp at Camp Wing. And, as one of their goals is reducing summer learning loss, their programs also include a literacy component. (They’d welcome donations to their newly established camp library!)

The staff at Camp Wing were beyond fantastic to us, both in the months leading up to and during our wedding weekend. They bent over backwards to make all of our guests feel welcome and happy — which they did. Those who chose to stay at the camp with us slept either in the camp’s very tidy cabins, like this one, in front of which stands our wedding party: me, Gareth, Gareth’s Best Man Wes, and my Matron of Honor (isn’t that an awful term?) Elizabeth…

…or they slept in the Duxbury Stockade, a replica of a Revolutionary-era fort.


Folks staying in the Stockade had the added benefit of being able to borrow books from the temporary “Camp Library” that I assembled there for our guests, using titles from Gareth’s and my personal collections. It was great to see our books getting so much use! (Photo below by Samantha Pozzi.)

Our original plan had been to spend Saturday morning doing archery and having canoe races, but those plans had to be scrapped when we woke up to scenes like this… (Photo below by Samantha Pozzi.)

Instead, our guests hung out in the Stockade enjoying raucous conversations and becoming fast friends as they played board games and made lanyards, tissue-paper flowers, and other camp-style crafts.

Arts and crafts were, in fact, a big part of the planning and execution of our wedding, and Gareth’s talent for illustrating came in handy for several projects, beginning with the co-creation of our “Save the Date” postcards. When we made these we didn’t yet know if our wedding would have a particular theme beyond that of just “summer camp,” but we knew we wanted to incorporate birds into our wedding somehow, so began by doing that here. First we came up with a visual concept together, then Gareth created a watercolor painting that brought that concept to life and scanned said painting into the computer. I then played around with the overall design and handled the typography. The end results looked like this (click to view larger):

Soon after those postcards were in the mail I stumbled upon Robert Frost’s poem “The Master Speed,” while perusing books of poetry in search of ceremony readings. Frost wrote this epithalumium in honor of his daughter Irma’s wedding in 1926 and what’s etched beneath his wife’s name on the Frost family gravestone is the poem’s final line: “Together wing to wing and oar to oar.” When I read that line I watched the pieces of planning slide perfectly into place. Wings and oars. Click. Birds and camp. Click. Camp Wing. Click, click, click.

“The Master Speed” was the first poem read aloud during our ceremony, and “Together wing to wing and oar to oar” was the wording we used on our invitations, which we designed via the same basic process we used for our save the dates. I want to tell you that it was blissfully easy, this collaborative project, but I’d be lying. After several evenings of staring at the same design feeling wholly dissatisfied, we called on brilliant designer/illustrator/author Scott Magoon for help, asking “what the heck are we doing wrong here??” Scott, bless his brains, looked at our design-in-progress and said, basically, “What if you do this or this or maybe this?” We took one of his suggestions, ran with it, and the results (thank you, Scott!!) were poster-sized invitations that we had silk-screened (click to view larger):

Gareth, who never leaves home without his sketchbook, did actually manage to do one drawing on our wedding day, when he and Wes were fully attired and waiting for Elizabeth and me to finish the last of our wardrobe details. In the sketch you see me, standing beside our ironing board, holding my bouquet, taking one last look at myself, in the mirror, dressed for our wedding.

As for Gareth’s wedding attire, my favorite piece of his “wardrobe” might very well have been the boutonierre he was wearing that day. I had asked our fantastic florist, Erin Carpenter of White Gate Gardens, if she might able to incorporate a few paintbrushes into whatever she created for Gareth. What she delivered was a stunning combination of rose, clover, succulent, cockscomb, and paintbrushes. It was so beautiful! AND a delightful surprise, considering that I knew nothing about Erin’s talents.

When it came to flowers our main priority was wanting to give our business to a local, organic farm. Through the website of the Duxbury Farmers Market I found White Gate Gardens, and wrote to Erin, outlining our moderate (if not meager) floral budget and low expectations, saying that we basically just wanted fresh-cut, organic flowers – whatever was in season. I didn’t know she had a background in floral retail, and I had no idea she’d create the most beautiful arrangements any bride could ask for — from the bouquets all the way to the arrangements she made for our reception and ceremony site.

Our original plan had been to have our wedding ceremony outside, beside the pond, but the rain made that an impossibility.We opted, instead, to use one of the camp’s prettiest buildings, Ziskind Hall. Between the soft glow of the lights and the sound of the rain on the roof, it was the loveliest space you could ever hope to be married in.

Our guests sat on rows of wooden benches, in true camp style.

There were three books we employed as props during our wedding ceremony. The first book was a small, red volume containing two of Shakespeare’s comedies: The Merry Wives of Windsor and Measure for Measure, out of which Gareth cut a space just large enough to hold our wedding rings and the ribbon with which they were looped together.

I glued ribbons under the front and back endpapers so that the book could be tied shut, thereby avoiding any risk of the book falling open and the rings falling out.

Our four-year-old ring bearer carried it nonchalantly up the aisle and placed it in his father’s (our officiant’s) hands.

The second book we used was Have Faith in Massachusetts, written by Calvin Coolidge. We pasted the full text of our ceremony (which we wrote ourselves) onto its pages, so that our officiant, Kelly, could read directly out of the book — or at least appear to. As for how Kelly, a native of Missouri who is neither judge nor minister, was able to officiate our ceremony? The great state of Mass. will grant a one-day license for anyone to officiate your wedding. How cool is that? It meant Kelly was actually able to say, “By the power vested in me by the State of Massachusetts…” before pronouncing us “wife and husband.” (You should have heard the laughter generated by that word reversal!)

In October I posted the poems that Gareth and I included in our wedding ceremony and/or glued to book promo signs we placed in various locations at our reception. What I failed to mention at the time was that we used NINE of those poems in our ceremony. Seriously. Nine of them, with each of them being read by a different friend. Of course, not all of the poems were lengthy, so that helped. We included three poems near the start of our ceremony, one poem at the end, and another five poems in the middle.

If this sounds crazy to you, consider the fact that the five poems in the middle were actually built in as “use only if needed” poems. Our ceremony began with a ring blessing. Kelly, our so-good-people-thought-he-was-a-professional officiant, explained that he’d pass our wedding rings through the ranks of our assembled guests, and asked them to bless the rings before passing them along to the next person. Because there were 115 people at our wedding, we knew it would take too long to pass the rings as a separate ritual, so the ring passing was designed to happen while the rest of the ceremony moved forward. The flaw in this simultaneous-passing-and-chatting plan was that we might reach the ring-exchanting part of the ceremony before our rings had made it completely through the assembled crowd, so we had to devise some way of “stalling for time.” Which is where the extra five poems came in.

We asked five friends if they would each read a poem we’d selected for them, when and if we needed to “stall for time” during the ceremony, which it turned out that we did. Through luck or really excellent guesswork, though, we wound up with exactly the right number of poems/readers to fill the necessary time. And out of what book were they reading? The answer is a very slim volume called Better Say: A Book of Helpful Suggestions for the Correct Use of English Words and Phrases compiled by James C. Fernald (Funk & Wagnalls Company, 2010). What cracked us up about this book was the idea that “Better Say” (which seems to make no sense whatsoever) was a good title for a book about, well, saying things in a more precise manner. The poems used by our “stall for time” readers were all glued into this book, their pages then nicely “tabulated” by our friends Tim and Sarah, to make it easier for each reader to find their designated poem.

Here’s one of our friends reading Robert Hershon’s poem “Perfectly Situated.” Note that we are all laughing, as he managed to strike exactly the right tone, just as Gareth and I expected. We basically let the poems themselves point us in the direction of readers. “WHO is the right reader for this poem?” we asked, and the distinct tone and voice of each poem gave us the answer.

I worried a bit that some guests might be bored if the readings went on too long, but the rapt attention of everyone present suggested that was not the case, as did the comments about the ceremony that we heard from our guests afterward, almost all of which were about how much they loved the ring blessing and/or poetry reading. (See Lorna below, holding my best friend’s youngest, and — as she recently pointed out — trying not to cry. Seated on the bench beside her is our read-everything bookseller Margaret.)

The whole ceremony was a joyful affair. Can you tell?




After the ceremony and a brief cocktail hour, guests made their way over to the dining hall to pluck their table assignments from clotheslines hung on the porch by our hard-working, decorations-savvy friends. I’d written each guest’s name and table on a heart-shaped card, and these were suspended on the lines from arrow-stamped clothespins — an homage to good old archery(and Cupid, of course). (The first photo below is by Samantha Pozzi.)


For centerpieces I grew wheatgrass in inexpensive metal trays that my best friend and I spraypainted to match the tablecloths.

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I attached floral wires to butterflies cut from colorful paper or punched from dictionary pages, so they could “float” over the grass and around the candles. The effect was even more magical than I’d been expecting!

I wanted to do something creative for placecards but was stymied until a $2 purchase at a library book sale saved the day. Using a single-volume edition of The Columbia Encyclopedia published in 1943, I made personalized placemats that added a bit of elegance to the tables and provided guests with some rather entertaining reading material too.

In addition to sporting a guest’s name, each placement featured a different wing-related word (types of birds or butterflies, mostly, then mentions of fairies or other winged-things when I started to run out of the former), called to guests’ attention by, again, a stamped arrow. Sometimes a particular bird suggested a particular person, but most of the time I paired words and guests at random.

When I started this placemat project, Gareth and I were both skeptical about 1.) how they would look on the tables, and 2.) whether or not it was worth the time I’d have to spend hunting for wing-related words in the encyclopedia.

But both after and during the reception guests commented again and again about how much they loved the placemats. At most of the tables guests read their words aloud to one another and shared the other entertaining entries their pages contained. In the end, I think this might have been the most worthwhile craft project I did for our wedding!

But there were others I was really pleased with too. Making use of book promotional signs again, I created two large displays of family photos — one for my family and one for Gareth’s. Each showed photos of our grandparents’ weddings, our parents’ weddings, and then us from early years to the present.

Much of the credit for the fact that everything went so smoothly and looked so good on our wedding day goes to our “day of wedding coordinators” Anna Alter and her husband Bruno Trindade. In what was a fantastic trade-off, we two couples agreed to play this role for one another so that none of us had to be “in charge” on our respective wedding days. Gareth and I had a great time doing behind-the-scenes work at their wedding in July, and it was an honor to have them do the same for ours. They were also kind enough to lend us their tiny photo printer, which meant our guests were able to paste small photos of themselves into our guest book, alongside whatever words they chose to write. Such a handy little piece of technology!

My own summer camp memorabilia was spread out along this table as well, including several letters I wrote to my parents from summer camps I attended as a child — letters I don’t think I’d ever seen, let alone read, until my mother surprised me with them on our wedding day. (They are SUCH a hoot!)

Finally (one more reading-related reference here), I assemebled goodie bags for all the kids at our wedding — each contained a tray of play money, glow-in-the-dark necklaces/bracelets, stickers, a party horn, flashcards featuring photos of safari animals or other “cool” things, and (of course) a book selected especially with each child in mind. At some point during the reception I realized that a couple of parents were taking turns reading the books aloud to the lively pack of four-year-olds in our crowd. Here’s one of them reading from A Birthday for Bear written by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (Candlewick Press, September 2009).

As for the more traditional stuff people have on their wedding days? Well, we had that too. The camp made us a tasty meal… (Can you tell this guest enjoyed it?)

…. and we followed it up with our favorite dessert — ICE CREAM! Nona’s Homemade drove an ice cream truck right up to the front of the dining room, with the music playing, and the hard-working Tom Donohue scooped huge servings to every one of our guests.

It tasted just as good in the rain…


and I think everyone agreed it was a fun departure from the usual wedding cake!

After dessert, there were toasts (yes, I cried)…

and we danced.

Joyfully.

For more than four hours.

It would be a lie to say that our wedding day was every bit as wonderful as we’d hoped it would be.

It was several times better than that.

Which is just how we believe our life together will be.

I find myself buried in summer 2010 catalogs and spreadsheets, so stumbling on this very funny retail-based website was a delight. The Customer Is Not Always Right is a hilarious site that allows readers to add their own retail interactions with customers.  I’ve included the bookstore link. Feel free to read the whole thing; there’s something reassuring about all retail stores having the same challenges we do.

We’ve all had customers who befuddle us. They ask questions with vague details and then repeat them, endlessly, hoping against all hope that the third or fourth question, asked pretty much the same way, will suddenly shake our brains free. Not always true. This causes frustration all around.

A new thing I’ve noticed, perhaps because I never actually wear my glasses, is a customer standing twenty feet away holding a book asking me what I think of the book. What’s interesting is while they’re standing too far away for me to have a shot at reading the title, they’re shaking the book back and forth. So now all I can see is a waving blur.

Read the blog and have a good laugh and share your humorous stories, if you got some. After all, there’s nothing like laughter to help ease the tension of a slow winter day.

As winter really sets in, I find myself seeking out old favorites to read. Perhaps I’m odd, but I just love reading about people surviving harsh winters during the winter. I cozy up in my house in Vermont, dogs at my side, fleece blanket at the ready, and reach not for books about warmth, but for icy struggles of survival.

Nothing is a better read than The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The family struggles after a freak October snowstorm. Food stores are running low, it’s cold and it’s fraught. When Almanzo goes off in search of wheat (wow, not the food choice I’d go in seek of) it’s tense and we wonder what’s going to happen. I just love this book. It’s a great book for kids to get hooked on the adventure of the everyday, and to learn that winter wasn’t just something we had to wait through to get to spring.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is another classic. There is nothing like a person alone, struggling to survive in a situation where he is ill-equiped and the odds are against him, that makes me stay in one place and read. Brian, of course, survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness with only his windbreaker and a hatchet. when I first read this book and it sequel, Brian’s Winter, during the our first winter of having this store. It was a slow February day and I started reading and was hooked immediately. Somehow, I’ll never forget the scene when it was 50 below zero and Brian’s urine freezes solid, in an arc when it leaves his body. Truly a classic that makes you really appreciate hot toast, soup and a working heater.

Will Hobbs’ Far North provides a similar read. This time there are more people, but the conditions are just as brutal. Threats occur at every turn, be it from animals or weather. Gabe and his roommate, Raymond, have to work together to find a way to survive. The action never stops and, like Paulsen, Hobbs really makes the reader feel like she’s surviving along with the characters.

There is a more recent book that fits the bill for survival, though it’s not technically set in winter. Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It is just as thrilling for a stormy winter night. Can Miranda’s family survive after a meteor hits the moon, and causes what amounts to nuclear winter without the bomb? When it came out in 2006 it was one of my favorite books and I was recommending it hand over fist.  The third book in the series, The World We Live (due out in April) is just as good. I happily curled up on my couch last night wrapped in fleece and surrounded by warm dogs, and whipped through the galley. It is not technically a winter book, but it’s got all the element of survival books the I’ve come to need to read every winter.

The last book of survival is an adult book that is very well suited to teenagers is again from Gary Paulsen. Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, is the story of Paulsen’s obsessive attempt at running the hardest sled dog race in the world. Part travelogue, part survival story, and generally hilarious, this book is among my all-time favorites. Paulsen approaches the Iditarod in much the same way I would, basically thinking it’s easier than it looks. Oh, not so fast. Paulsen pulls no punches, from the first day of training with his dogs in the woods and a car body which had Paulsen horizontal in the air, hitting every tree in the forest, the book is full of detailed, often painful examples of his preparation.   This race is hard, very hard, and Paulsen pulls no punches about his lack of experience. There are scenes which can still make laugh until I have tears in my eyes. His moments observing nature are stunningly done and stay with you long after the book’s done.

So, stock up on some great reads and wait for a storm and read a book of other people surviving weather that have me weeping in a matter of moments. Grab a fleece blanket and read one of these books aloud. Nothing makes a survival story better than sharing it.

Y’all know how much I like a helpful round-up, so here are all the national awards given to 2009 books for children and teens, or at least as many as I could find. In addition to the exciting announcements of awards by the American Library Association on Monday, several other esteemed organizations have bestowed awards on outstanding books of 2009.
Indie booksellers, librarians, and teachers, please feel free to copy and paste this post to print out for your customers, patrons, fellow teachers and students, and share the link with anyone you think might find it useful.
2010 AWARD WINNERS
First, the ALA Youth Media Awards:

Alex Awards—The Alex Awards are given to 10 books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year’s published books.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (William Morrow/HarperCollins); The Bride’s Farewell by Meg Rosoff (Viking Penguin); Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr. (Viking Penguin);  The Good Soldiers by David Finkel (Sarah Crichton/FSG); The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir by Diana Welch and Liz Welch with Amanda Welch and Dan Welch (Harmony Books/Crown); The Magicians by Lev Grossman (Viking Penguin); My Abandonment by Peter Rock (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel, by Gail Carriger (Orbit/Hachette); Stitches: A Memoir by David Small (W.W. Norton); Tunneling to the Center of the Earth by Kevin Wilson (Harper Perennial)
2010 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults—Click here for the complete list of 21 titles chosen by this year’s committee.
May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture — This annual lecture is given by a person who has made a distinguished contribution to the field of children’s literature. The lecturer need not be a resident or citizen of the United States. Criteria in identifying a distinguished contribution: Impact of the candidate’s work on the world of children’s literature. Honoring a person who has played a significant role in the field of children’s literature. Through the Lectureship, the Lecturer has the opportunity to make an additional contribution to the field.
2011 Arbuthnot Lecturer: Lois Lowry (pictured, at right; image thanks to loislowry.com).
Mildred L. Batchelder Award—This award, established in Mildred L. Batchelder’s honor in 1966, is a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States.
2010 Batchelder Winner: A Faraway Island by Annika Thor, translated from the Swedish by Linda Schenck (Delacorte).
2010 Batchelder Honors: Big Wolf and Little Wolf by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, translated by Claudia Bedrick (Enchanted Lion); Eidi by Bodil Bredsdorff, translated by Kathryn Mahaffy (FSG); and Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness by Nahoko Uehashi, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, translated by Cathy Hirano (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine).
2010 Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA)—In addition to the 90 titles selected for the complete list of Best Books for Young Adults, the 2010 committee has selected the following as the Top Ten best books for young adults:
Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli (Random House/Knopf, 2009); Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (Simon & Schuster/McElderry, 2009); The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong (Penguin/Viking, 2008); Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2009); Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2009); The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin (Penguin/Dial, 2009); The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks (Harcourt, 2009); Stitches: A Memoir by David Small (W.W. Norton, 2009); When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Random House/Wendy Lamb, 2009); Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally Walker (Lerner/Carolrhoda, 2009).

Pura Belpré Award—The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
2010 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner: Rafael López, author of Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros, written by Pat Mora (HarperCollins/Rayo).
2010 Pura Belpré Honor Books for Illustration: Diego: Bigger Than Life, illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand (Marshall Cavendish); My Abuelita, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston (Harcourt); and Gracias Thanks, illustrated by John Parra, written by Pat Mora (Lee & Low).
2010 Pura Belpré Author Award: Julia Alvarez, author of Return to Sender (Knopf).
2010 Pura Belpré Author Honor books: Diego: Bigger Than Life, by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz (Marshall Cavendish); and Federico García Lorca by Georgina Lázaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro (Lectorum).


Randolph Caldecott Medal—The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the ALA, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
2010 Randolph Caldecott Winner: The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown).
2010 Caldecott Honor Books: All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon (S&S/Beach Lane); and Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman (Houghton).
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video—The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video honors outstanding video productions for children released during the previous year. The annual award is given to the video’s producer by ALSC, through a Carnegie endowment.
2010 Carnegie Winner: Paul R. Gagne and Mo Willems, producers of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” (Weston Woods). The video is based on Willems’s picture book of the same name, and was narrated by Willems and Jon Scieszka with animation by Pete List.

Margaret A. Edwards Award—The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, that have been popular over a period of time. It recognizes an author’s work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.
2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award Winner: Jim Murphy, author of “more than 30 books about American history. His work has received many awards including 2 ALA Newbery Honor Book Awards, ALA Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, ALA Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Award, National Book Award Finalist Medal, 3 NCTE Orbis Pictus Awards, 3 Jefferson Cup Awards, 2 SCBWI’s Golden Kite Award, The Washington Post/Children’s Book Guild Award for Distinguished Nonfiction, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.” (Awards list and photo by Arthur Cohen thanks to JimMurphyBooks.com)
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award—The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, established in 2004, is given annually (beginning in 2006) to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished contribution to the body of American children’s literature known as beginning reader books published in the United States during the preceding year.
2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winner: Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! by Geoffrey Hayes (RAW Junior/Toon).
2010 Geisel Honors: I Spy Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold (Scholastic); Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith (RAW Junior/Toon); Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends by Wong Herbert Yee (Houghton); and Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day by Kate McMullan, illustrated by R.W. Alley (Dial).
2010 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens: The Helm by Jim Hardison and Bart Sears (Dark Horse, 2009); Children of the Sea, vol 1 by Daisuke Igarashi (VIZ Media, 2009); Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer by Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins (SLG Publishing, 2009); I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Nimura (Image, 2009); Omega the Unknown by Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple (Marvel, 2008); Bayou, vol 1 by Jeremy Love (DC Comics/Zuda, 2009); A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon, 2009); Gunnerkrigg Court, vol 1: Orientation by Tom Siddell (Archaia Studios Press, 2009); Pluto by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media, 2009); Ooku: The Inner Chambers, vol 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga (VIZ Media, 2009).
Click here to see the complete list of 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.
Coretta Scott King Book Awards—Designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards annually recognize outstanding books for young adults and children by African-American authors and illustrators that reflect the African-American experience. Further, the Award encourages the artistic expression of the black experience via literature and the graphic arts in biographical, social, and historical treatments by African-American authors and illustrators.
2010 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner: Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (Lerner/ Carolrhoda).
2010 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book: Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis (Knopf).
2010 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner: My People, illustrated by Charles R. Smith, Jr., written by Langston Hughes (Atheneum/Ginee Seo).
2010 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book: The Negro Speaks of Rivers, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes (Disney-Jump at the Sun).
Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent—The award is established to affirm new talent and to offer visibility to excellence in writing and/or illustration which otherwise might be formally unacknowledged within a given year within the structure of the two awards given annually by the Coretta Scott King Task Force. These books affirm new talent and offer visibility to excellence in writing or illustration at the beginning of a career as a published book creator.
2010 John Steptoe Award for New Talent: Kekla Magoon, author of The Rock and the River (S&S/Aladdin).
The Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement This award was established to recognize an African American author, illustrator, or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution. The Award pays tribute to the late Virginia Hamilton and the quality and magnitude of her exemplary contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth, especially in her focus on African American life, history and consciousness. The first award will be given in 2010. (Thank you to VirginiaHamilton.com, the source of the beautiful photo at left, and to ChildrensLit.com, source of the handsome photo at right.)
2010 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement: Walter Dean Myers is the first-ever winner of this new award.
William C. Morris Debut YA Award—The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first given in 2009, honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrates impressive new voices in young adult literature.
2010 William C. Morris Debut YA Award Winner: Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).
2010 William C. Morris Debut YA Award Finalists: Ash by Malinda Lo (Little, Brown); Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Little, Brown); The Everafter by Amy Huntley (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray); hold still by Nina LaCour (Dutton).

John Newbery Medal—The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
2010 winner: Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me (Random/Wendy Lamb). 2010 Honor books: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (FSG/Melanie Kroupa); The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (Henry Holt); Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (Little, Brown); and The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick (Scholastic/Blue Sky).
ALA Notable Books: Each year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best of children’s books, recordings, videos, and interactive software on the Notable Children’s Books list. Click here to see all lists of the 2010 ALA Notable selections.

Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production This annual award will be given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.
2010 Winner: Live Oak Media, producer of Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.
2010 Odyssey Honor titles: In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber by L.A. Meyer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren (Listen & Live); Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Dion Graham (Brilliance Audio); and We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson, narrated by Dion Graham (Brilliance Audio).
Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults—Each year, the Popular Paperbacks committee creates lists of books to encourage young adults to read for pleasure. The lists of popular or topical titles are widely available in paperback and represent a broad variety of accessible themes and genres. See the complete list here.
Michael L. Printz Award—The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. The Printz Award has been honoring the best in young adult literature since 2000.
2010 Michael L. Printz Award Winner: Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Delacorte).
2010 Printz Honor Books: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman (Henry Holt); The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (S&S); Punkzilla by Adam Rapp (Candlewick); and Tales from the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes (Viking).

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers—The Quick Picks list, presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting suggests books that teens will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read. The 2010 list includes 101 titles, both nonfiction and fiction, from a variety of genres, including biography, pop culture, fantasy, street lit, and more.

ALA 2010 Top Ten Quick Picks—Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers (Amistad, 2009); High Voltage Tattoo by Kat Von D (HarperCollins, 2009); Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles (Candlewick, 2009); Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009); The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive by Marvelyn Brown (Amistad, 2008); Paranormal Caught on Film by Melvyn Willin (David and Charles, 2008); Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (Walker, 2008); Show Me How: 500 Things You Should Know Instructions for Life From the Everyday to the Exotic by Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith (Collins Design, 2008); Street Art Book: 60 Artists in Their Own Words by Ric Blackshaw and Liz Farrelly (HarperCollins, 2009); The Vampire Book by Sally Regan (DK, 2009).

Schneider Family Book Award—The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
2010 Schneider Family Book Award for Best Children’s Book: Django by Bonnie Christensen (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter).
2010 Schneider Family Book Award for Best Middle Grade Book: Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin (S&S).
2010 Schneider Family Book Award for Best Teen Book: Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine).

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal—The Sibert Award honors the most distinguished informational book published in English in the preceding year for its significant contribution to children’s literature.
2010 Robert F. Sibert Award Winner: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick).
2010 Sibert Honors: The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani (Charlesbridge); Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 written and illustrated by Brian Floca (Atheneum/Richard Jackson); and Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (FSG/Melanie Kroupa).

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award—This biennial award, a bronze medal, honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.
The Wilder Award was last given January 26, 2009, to author/illustrator Ashley Bryan. (Photo of Ashley Bryan by Sue Hill of Winters Work Gift Shop, Islesford, Maine, 2007. Source: Wikipedia.org.)
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. Newly established, 2010 is the first year of this award. The award will honor the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The award winner is announced annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. The award is presented at the ALA Annual Conference.
2010 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Winner: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman (Henry Holt).
2010 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalists: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick); Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (Melanie Kroupa Books/ FSG); The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Ray Fenwick (Schwartz & Wade/Random House); Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker (Carolrhoda/Lerner).
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The following awards are national children’s book awards not given by the ALA, but by other organizations. Again, award descriptions are the organizations’ own.
The Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards—The Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards are given annually to the children’s books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence. The Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards have been presented annually since 1953 by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and the Jane Addams Peace Association. Beginning in 1993, a Picture Book category was created. Honor books may be chosen in each category. Beginning in 2003, the award winners are announced on April 28, the anniversary of the founding of WILPF. An awards presentation, open to all, is held each year on the third Friday of October.

2010 Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards Winners—to be announced on April 28, 2010.
American Indian Youth Literature Awards: The American Indian Library Association (AILA), an affiliate of the American Library Association, announced the recipients of its third annual award. Winners of the AILA Youth Literature Award receive a cash award and a beaded medallion featuring the AILA awards logo.Winners will receive their award and medallion at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., on Monday, June 28.
2010 AILA Award for Best Picture Book: A Coyote Solstice Tale by Thomas King, illustrated by Gary Clement (Groundwood, 2009).
2010 AILA Award for Best Middle School Book: Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma by Genevieve Simermeyer, with photographs by Katherine Fogden (National Museum of the American Indian, in association with Council Oak Books, 2008). It is the fourth book in the “My World: Young Native Americans Today” series, in which each book is written and photographed by Native contributors.
2010 AILA Award for Best Young Adult Book: Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me: A Novel by Lurline Wailana McGregor (Kamehameha Publishing, 2008).
Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature—The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. By combining both and linking the Americas, the award reaches beyond geographic borders, as well as multicultural-international boundaries, focusing instead upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere. The award is sponsored by the national Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP).
The 2010 Americas Award Winners—The award/commended list will be announced in the spring of 2010, recognizing works published in 2009; tentatively the formal award presentation will be held during Hispanic Heritage Month 2010 at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy—The Andre Norton Award for an outstanding young adult science fiction or fantasy book is an annual honor first given in 2006 by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., to recognize outstanding science fiction and fantasy novels that are written for the young adult market. The award was named in honor of the late Andre Norton, a SFWA Grand Master and author of more than 100 novels. Ms. Norton’s work has influenced generations of young people, creating new fans of the fantasy and science fiction genres and setting the standard for excellence in fantasy writing. Any English-language book published as a young adult science fiction/fantasy novel is eligible, including graphic novels with no limit on word length or country of origin.
2010 Andre Norton Award Winner—The time and place for the 2010 Nebula Awards are currently being finalized and will be announced as soon as everything’s arranged.
The Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) E.B. White Read-Aloud Award—The E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, established in 2004, honor books that reflect the universal read aloud standards that were created by the work of the author E.B. White in his classic books for children: Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan. In the first two years of the award, a single book was selected. In 2006, in recognition of the fact that reading aloud is a pleasure at any age, the award was expanded into two categories: Picture Books, and Older Readers.
The 2010 E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners will be announced at the June 2010 BookExpo America ABC Children’s Not-a-Dinner Celebration and Silent Auction.
BANK STREET CHILDREN’S BOOK COMMITTEE AWARDS (three categories–fiction, nonfiction, poetry) The Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education will honor these five books at its annual breakfast and ceremony on March 18th.
The Josette Frank Award—This award is given each year to honor a book or books of outstanding literary merit in which children or young people deal in a positive and realistic way with difficulties in their world and grow emotionally and morally. In addition to being a well-known author of articles about children’s books, Josette Frank was the editor of many anthologies for children and served for many years as the Executive Director of the Child Study Association of America of which this committee was a part. The Josette Frank Award has been given annually since 1943. From 1943 to 1997 it was called the “Children’s Book Award.”  The prize to the author of the award book has been generously provided by the Florence L. Miller Memorial Fund.
2010 Josette Frank Award Winner: This year, the award is shared by two books, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (Henry Holt) and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin (Little, Brown).
The Flora Stieglitz Straus Award—The Flora Stieglitz Straus Award was established in 1994. It honors Flora Straus who led the committee for many years, and is presented annually for a distinguished work of nonfiction which fulfills her humanitarian ideals and serves as an inspiration to young people. Flora Straus stood for the values of courage, hard work, truth and beauty, while adapting to a changing world. She believed that books about varying cultures enrich and help all children in their growth. She championed diverse opinions and points of view. She was a person of high principles, unfailing courtesy and deep understanding, and was an inspiration to all who had the privilege of knowing her.
2010 Flora Stieglitz Straus Award Winners: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick) and a young person’s award to Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca (Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books)
The Claudia Lewis Award—The Claudia Lewis Award, given for the first time in 1998, honors the late Claudia Lewis, distinguished children’s book expert and longtime member of the Bank Street College faculty and Children’s Book Committee. She conveyed her love and understanding of poetry with humor and grace. The award is given for the best poetry book of the year.
2010 Claudie Lewis Award Winner: Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski (Houghton Mifflin).
The Boston Globe – Horn Book Awards—First presented in 1967 and customarily announced in June, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards are among the most prestigious honors in the field of children’s and young adult literature. Winners are selected in three categories: Picture Book, Fiction and Poetry, and Nonfiction. Two Honor Books may be named in each category. On occasion, a book will receive a special citation for its high quality and overall creative excellence. The winning titles must be published in the United States but they may be written or illustrated by citizens of any country. The awards are chosen by an independent panel of three judges who are annually appointed by the Editor of the Horn Book.
The 2010 Boston Globe – Horn Book Awards will be announced in June.
Carter G. Woodson Book Award—National Council for the Social Studies established the Carter G. Woodson Book Awards for the most distinguished social science books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the United States. First presented in 1974, this award is intended to “encourage the writing, publishing, and dissemination of outstanding social studies books for young readers that treat topics related to ethnic minorities and race relations sensitively and accurately.” Books relating to ethnic minorities and the authors of such books rarely receive the recognition they merit from professional organizations. By sponsoring the Carter G. Woodson Awards, the National Council for the Social Studies gives wide recognition to and directly stimulates authors and publishers.
The 2010 Carter G. Woodson Award Winner will be announced in November at the annual NCSS conference.
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) Charlotte Zolotow Award—The Charlotte Zolotow Award is given annually to the author of the best picture book text published in the United States in the preceding year. Established in 1998, the award is named to honor the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children’s book editor for 38 years with Harper Junior Books, and author of more than 70 picture books, including such classic works as Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present (Harper, 1962) and William’s Doll (Harper, 1972). Ms. Zolotow attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison on a writing scholarship from 1933-36 where she studied with Professor Helen C. White.
The award is administered by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a children’s literature library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Each year a committee of children’s literature experts selects the winner from the books published in the preceding year. The winner is announced in January each year. A bronze medallion is formally presented to the winning author in the spring during an annual public event that honors the career of Charlotte Zolotow.
2010 Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner: What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla (Tricycle).
The Cybils Awards—The Cybils Award is a readers’ choice award organized by children’s literature bloggers. “Our purpose is two-fold: * Reward the children’s and young adult authors (and illustrators, let’s not forget them) whose books combine the highest literary merit and “kid appeal.” What’s that mean? If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussel sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, we’re thinking more like organic chicken nuggets. We’re yummy and nutritious. * Foster a sense of community among bloggers who write about children’s and YA literature, highlight our best reviewers (and shamelessly promote their blogs) and provide a forum for the similarly obsessed.”
Finalists and winners are announced in each of the following categories: Easy Readers/Short Chapter Books; Fantasy & Science Fiction; Fiction Picture Books; Graphic Novels; Middle Grade Fiction; Non-Fiction Picture Books; Non-Fiction: Middle Grade & Young Adult; Poetry; Young Adult Fiction.
The 2010 Cybils Award Winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day. In the meantime, here’s a link to the finalists.
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards—”Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce on the 201st anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, its Nominees for the 2010 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2009. The Edgar Awards will be presented to the winners at our 64th Gala Banquet, April 29, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.”
2010 Edgar Award Nominees for Best Juvenile:
THE CASE OF THE CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY by Mac Barnett (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
THE RED BLAZER GIRLS: The Ring of Rocamadour by Michael D. Beil (Random House Children’s Books – Alfred A. Knopf)
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON by Mary Downing Hahn (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Books)
CREEPY CRAWLY CRIME by Aaron Reynolds (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
THE CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE by Nancy Springer (Penguin Young Readers Group – Philomel)
2010 Edgar Award Nominees for Best Young Adult
REALITY CHECK by Peter Abrahams (HarperCollins Children’s Books – HarperTeen)
IF THE WITNESS LIED by Caroline B. Cooney (Random House Children’s Books – HarperTeen)
THE MORGUE AND ME by JOhn C. Ford (Penguin Young Readers Group – Viking Children’s Books)
PETRONELLA SAVES NEARLY EVERYONE by Dene Low (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Books)
SHADOWED SUMMER by Saundra Mitchell (Random House Children’s Books – Delacorte)
The Hans Christian Andersen Award—The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are presented every two years by IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important and lasting contribution to children’s literature. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children’s books. Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is the Patron of the Andersen Awards. The nominations are made by the National Sections of IBBY and the recipients are selected by a distinguished international jury of children’s literature specialists.
The 2010 Hans Christan Andersen Awards—IBBY National Sections from 32 countries have made their selections, submitting 28 authors and 27 illustrators as candidates for the 2010. Walter Dean Myers and Eric Carle are the nominees from the United States. The winners will be announced at the IBBY Press Conference at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair on Tuesday, 23 March 2010.
The Ezra Jack Keats and New York Public Library New Writer and New Illustrator Award for Children’s Books—The Ezra Jack Keats Book Award was established in 1985 to recognize and encourage authors and illustrators new to the field of children’s books. Many past winners of the EJK Book Award have gone on to distinguished careers creating many books beloved by parents, children, librarians and teachers across the country.
The Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Awards are given annually to an outstanding new writer of picture books for children (age 9 and under) and are presented jointly by the New York Public Library and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. A distinguished selection committee consisting of early childhood education specialists, librarians, illustrators and experts in children’s literature review entries, seek books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. As of 1999, the Award is being given annually rather than with the previous biennial cycle.
To be eligible, writers must have published no more than three books, and candidates for the writer’s award need not have done the illustrations. As of 2001, an Illustrator’s award, with similar criteria, is being inaugurated. A silver medal and an honorarium of $1,000 are awarded to each of the winners.
The 2010 Ezra Jack Keats and New York Public Library New Writer and New Illustrator Awards have not yet been announced. Check back for list of winners!
IRA Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Awards—Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Awards are given for an author’s first or second published book written for children or young adults (ages birth to 17 years). Awards are given for fiction and nonfiction in each of three categories: primary, intermediate, and young adult. Books from any country and in any language published for the first time during the 2008 calendar year will be considered. Each award carries a monetary stipend. (Note: the 2010 awards have not yet been awarded.)
The National Book Award for Young People’s Literature—Judges consider only books written by American citizens and published in the United States between December 1 of the previous year and November 30 of the current year. Only publishers can nominate books for the National Book Award, although panel chairs can request books publishers have not nominated.
2009 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Winner: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
2009 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists: Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith (Henry Holt); David Small, Stitches (W. W. Norton & Co.); Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic); Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped (HarperTeen/HarperCollins)
The Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction—In 1982, Scott O’Dell established The Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. The annual award of $5,000 goes to a meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults. Scott O’Dell established this award to encourage other writers–particularly new authors–to focus on historical fiction. He hoped in this way to increase the interest of young readers in the historical background that has helped to shape their country and their world.
2010 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction Winner: The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan (Candlewick).

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Award: The National Council of Teachers of English, through the Committee on the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, has established an annual award for promoting and recognizing excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children. The name Orbis Pictus, commemorates the work of Johannes Amos Comenius, Orbis Pictus—The World in Pictures (1657), considered to be the first book actually planned for children.
The award is presented by the Orbis Pictus Committee Chair during the Books for Children Luncheon at the NCTE Annual Convention each year. Although only one title is singled out for the award, up to five Honor Books are also recognized.
2010 Orbis Pictus Award Winner: The Secret World of Walter Anderson by Hester Bass, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Candlewick Press).
2010 Orbis Pictus Honor Books: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick); Darwin: With Glimpses into His Private Journal and Letters by Alice B. McGinty (Houghton); The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turner (Houghton); How Many Baby Pandas? by Sandra Markle (Walker); Noah Webster: Weaver of Words by Pegi Deitz Shea (Calkins Creek).
2010 Orbis Pictus Recommended Books:
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth by Kathleen Krull (Knopf); Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (FSG/Melanie Kroupa); Eleanor, Quiet No More by Doreen Rappaport (Hyperion); The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Rescued Jews During the Holocaust by Karen Gray Ruelle (Holiday House); Life in the Boreal Forest by Brenda Z. Guiberson (Henry Holt); One Giant Leap by Robert Burleigh (Philomel); Truce by Jim Murphy (Scholastic); Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker (Carolrhoda).
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Golden Kite Awards:
Presented by the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators the Golden Kite Awards, given annually to recognize excellence in children’s literature, grant cash prizes of $2,500 to author and illustrator winners in four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Picture Book Text, and Picture Book Illustration. Authors and illustrators will also receive an expense-paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the award ceremony at the Golden Kite Luncheon at SCBWI’s Summer Conference in August.In addition to the four Golden Kite Award winners, four honor book recipients will also be named by the panel of judges which consists of children’s book writers and illustrators.
Instituted in 1973, the Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. More than 1,000 books are entered each year. Eligible books must be written or illustrated by SCBWI members, and submitted either by publishers or individuals.
2010 Fiction Award Winner—Sea of the Dead by Julia Durango (Simon & Schuster). Honor book:  Neil Armstrong is My Uncle by Nan Marino
(Roaring Book Press).
2010 Nonfiction Award Winner—Ashley Bryan: Words to My Life’s Song by Ashley Bryan (Atheneum / Simon & Schuster). Honor book:
Ernest Hemingway: A Writer’s Life by Catherine Reef (Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
2010 Picture Book Text Award Winner—The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ted Lewin (Holiday House). Honor book: Bella & Bean by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Aileen Leijten (Atheneum / Simon & Schuster).
2010 Picture Book Illustration—Gracias / Thanks Illustrated by John Parra, written by Pat Mora (Lee & Low). Honor book: Bad News for Outlaws Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Carolrhoda Books)
The Stonewall Book Awards The Gay – Lesbian – Bisexual – Transgendered Round Table of the American Library Association honors books for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experience.
2010 Stonewall Book Award Winner for Children’s and Young Adult Literature: The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd (Dial).
2010 Stonewall Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Honor Books: 10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert (Seven Stories); Daddy, Papa and Me / Mommy, Mama and Me by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson (Tricycle); Gay America: Struggle for Equality by Linas Alsenas (Amulet Books); Sprout by Dale Peck (Bloomsbury).
The Sydney Taylor Book Award honors new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience. The award memorializes Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series. The winners will receive their awards at the Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle this July.
2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Younger Readers: New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story by April Halprin Wayland, illustrated by Stéphane Jorish (Dial).
2010 Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers: Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story by Deborah Bodin Cohen, illustrated by Jago (Lerner/Kar-Ben); Benjamin and the Silver Goblet by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Natascia Ugliano (Lerner/Kar-Ben); Yankee at the Seder by Elka Weber, illustrated by Adam Gustavson (Tricycle); You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax? by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Andre Carrilho (Random/Schwartz & Wade).
2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers: The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman (Charlesbridge).
2010 Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Older Readers: Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures from the Archives of the Anne Frank House by Menno Metselaar and Ruud van der Rol, translated by Arnold J. Pomerans (Roaring Brook/Flash Point); A Faraway Island by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck (Delacorte Books).
2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Teen Readers: Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt).
2010 Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Teen Readers: Lost by Jacqueline Davies (Marshall Cavendish); Naomi’s Song by Selma Kritzer Silverberg (Jewish Publication Society).
2010 Sydney Taylor Notable Books for Younger Readers: Where Is Grandpa Dennis? by Michelle Shapiro Abraham, illustrated by Janice Fried (URJ Press); Around the Shabbos Table by Seryl Berman, illustrated by Ari Binus (Hachai); The Secret Shofar of Barcelona by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, illustrated by Douglas Chyka (Lerner/Kar-Ben); Menorah Under the Sea by Esther Susan Heller (Lerner/Kar-Ben); Today Is the Birthday of the World by Linda Heller, illustrated by Allison Jay (Dutton); The Waiting Wall by Leah Braunstein Levy, illustrated by Avi Katz (Hachai); Sukkot Treasure Hunt by Allison Ofanansky, illustrated by Eliyahu Alpern (Kar-Ben); Fox Walked Alone by Barbara Reid (Albert Whitman).
2010 Sydney Taylor Notable Books for Older Readers: The Champion of Children: The Story of Janusz Korczak written and illustrated by Tomek Bogacki (FSG/Frances Foster); Guardian Angel House (A Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers) by Kathy Clark (Second Story Press); Rebecca series (American Girl Collection) by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, illustrated by Robert Hunt (American Girl); Strawberry Hill by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin (Little, Brown); The Mysteries of Beethoven’s Hair by Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley (Charlesbridge); The Man Who Flies with Birds by Carol Garbuny Vogel and Yossi Leshem (Lerner/Kar-Ben); Clay Man: The Golem of Prague by Irene N. Watts, illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker (Tundra); Elvina’s Mirror by Sylvie Weil (Jewish Publication Society).
2010 Sydney Taylor Notable Books for Teens: The Disappearing Dowry: An Ezra Melamed Mystery by Libi Astaire (Targum/Zahav Press); A Family Secret/The Search by Eric Heuvel (FSG); So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow, with art by David Ostow (Flux); Cursing Columbus by Eve Goldberg Tal (Cinco Puntos); Puppet by Eva Wiseman (Tundra); The Other Half of Life: Based on the True Story of the MS St. Louis by Kim Ablon Whitney (Knopf).
2010 Sydney Taylor Notable Books for Readers of All Ages: JPS Illustrated Children’s Bible by Ellen Frankel, illustrated by Avi Katz (Jewish Publication Society).
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These additions to be made soon:
ALA RAINBOW PROJECT (gay and lesbian list)
LAMBDA LITERARY AWARDS
LEE BENNETT HOPKINS POETRY AWARD
LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE
MYTHOPOEIC (fantasy)
REGINA MEDAL (Catholic Library Association)
RITAS (romance
SUBARU, ET AL SCIENCE AWARD
TOMAS RIVERA (Mexican American)
AMELIA WALDEN (ALAN/NCTE ya award
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It’s always a good idea to wait a day or two before copying and pasting round-up posts, because inevitably, I tinker around, add things I missed, and clean up typos when the post goes live.

What were the highlights of ALA Midwinter for this children’s bookseller? And what were the show’s most hotly anticipated ARCs? (At right, Maggie Stiefvater’s Linger (Scholastic), sequel to Shiver and one of the conference’s most coveted galleys.)

ALA Midwinter is like a small BookExpo—with a lot more information technology and furnishings booths and seemingly hundreds of committee meetings. The scale was smaller, the attendees calmer and less grabby of giveaways than people can be at BEA. I was only there on Sunday and Monday, so I can’t fill in all the blanks, but I had a great time! Here were some highlights:

Hot ARCs and Recent Releases: Librarians were eager to get their hands on Francisco X. Stork’s The Last Summer of the Death Warriors, Susan Beth Pfeffer’s This World We Live In, Rachel Ward’s Numbers, Frank Cottrell Boyce’s Cosmic, Bree DeSpain’s The Dark Divine, Pam Muñoz Ryan’s The Dreamer, Philip Reeve’s Fever Crumb, M.T. Anderson’s The Suburb Beyond the Stars, Carrie Jones’s Captivate (which just debuted on the New York Times bestseller list along with Need). These and several other ARCs were mostly gone long before I arrived on Sunday. I’d love to hear from attending librarians and authors about other ARCs flying off the tables! My favorite future sneak-peeks: Tad Hills’ criminally adorable How Rocket Learned to Read (Schwartz & Wade, July) and Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee’s gonna-be-huge young chapter book, Bink and Gollie, charmingly illustrated by animator Tony Fucile (Candlewick, September), as well as Gareth Hinds’ stunner of an Odyssey retelling in graphic novel form (Candlewick, October).

One thing I loved about ALA was that all the publishers had bookmarks representing starred reviews and awards sticking out of titles in their booths. I can’t recall seeing those at BEA, but it was a very nice touch. In this photo, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (Henry Holt) and Charles & Emma:The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman (Henry Holt) are absolutely stuffed with acclaim! Ditto for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (FSG), along with Django by Bonnie Christensen (Flash Point), and Eidi by Bodil Bredsdorff (FSG), sequel to the wonderful The Crow-Girl from a few years back.

The ALA Youth Media Awards Announcements! For more than 20 years, I’ve followed these awards from afar, with as much excitement as my family and I follow the Oscars, and with a lot more emotional investment. This was my first opportunity to walk into the huge auditorium at 7:30 am along with throngs of librarians, editors, publishers, authors, agents, and other book folk. If it’s dorky to be this utterly thrilled by children’s book awards, then I’m in terrific company. Hundreds of us listened and held our breath and whooped with joy when our favorites were announced (and had private sad moments when other favorites weren’t chosen). One of the highlights of the awards was a clip from the award-winning video of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! As the crowd dispersed after the last of the awards was announced, people seemed very satisfied with the choices. The Printz selections elicited the most gasps of surprise, not because of what made the list, but because of what didn’t. (Most often mentioned and lamented: Francisco X. Stork’s Marcelo in the Real World—which did, happily, win the Schneider Family Teen Book Award.) The photo at left shows the William C. Morris Committee before they announced their winning book, Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan.

I also had a chance on Sunday to hear teens from all over the country address the BBYA committee with their responses to books on the list of finalists. That was really fun! There was a LOT of love for Don Calame’s Swim the Fly (Candlewick), which got raves from boys and girls alike; they loved the story and appreciated the humor. One girl said, about another book under discussion, "Sometimes I think that all adult authors think all teenagers have issues." The room erupted in laughs and applause. So, YA writers out there, take note: make ’em laugh

The GLBTRT (that’s Gay – Lesbian – Bisexual – Transgender Round Table) Social and Award Presentation. When the group’s original venue flooded shortly before this event, Harvard’s Countway Library kindly came forward as a substitute host. I hopped into a cab with YA author and prior Printz Honoree Ellen Wittlinger and her friend, award-winning author (and one of the evening’s guests of honor) Leslea Newman. Our taxi driver eventually found this medical library tucked onto a small side street amid a complex of medical buildings, and we ascended to the fifth floor, where tasty hors d’hoeuvres and wine awaited. The highlight here was a conversation with authors Leslea Newman and Michael Willhoite, whose books (Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate, respectively), had been the subject of a landmark Wichita Falls library censorship lawsuit 20 years ago. The attorney who had successfully defended the books, John Horany, led the discussion. All three speakers were exceptionally lively, charming, and dynamic. It was a terrific evening, ending with the Stonewall Book Awards, which can be found in Thursday’s Expanded Awards blog post.

Fascinating, too, were the oddly cheerful medical specimens in cases behind the authors as they sat autographing books after the program: tiny skeletons of conjoined twins, an "acephalous" infant, archaic instruments and ether sponges, even the actual metal tamping rod that flew through Phineas Gage‘s head but left him miraculously alive. Oh, heck, I think I need to post photos for you. Avert your eyes if needed.

The library also had a handy-dandy (and book-saving) little device at its entrance: a rack offering free umbrella bags in two sizes. That beats the clear plastic tub I set out on rainy days. Google "umbrella bags" for a surprising number of options.

And now for something completely different, and with no specimens or skeletons whatsoever: the Simon & Schuster / FableVision party at Paul and Peter Reynolds’ FableVision Studios at the Boston Children’s Museum! This was one of the most fun publishing parties I’ve ever been to, in part because of the Reynolds brothers’ infectious enthusiasm, creativity, and optimism—they gave a wonderful introductory welcome that had the whole room feeling great about children’s books and even the publishing industry, no small feat these days. The party was also delightful because of the band Yellowcake, there to kick off a teen Battle of the Bands-type national contest FableVision is sponsoring with S&S in celebration of the new title, Zebrafish, and in part because of the enchanting miniature desserts: tiny creme brulees in little porcelain pots, chocolate-espresso mousse in tea-party-sized cups, and happy little cookies and tarts of all varieties. I am all about teensy desserts. Finally, Fablevision’s "creative hub" was an oval workspace so bright and appealing that we all wanted to switch jobs immediately.

The FableVision Studio was so full of revelers that getting any kind of decent picture with my phone camera was out of the question, but here’s one of Alison Morris and me pretending to be diligent PW ShelfTalker bloggers.

Now, if someone will only send me to the ALA annual show in June!!

Midwinter attendees, what were your highlights??

Back in October I asked folks to predict the winners of yesterday’s ALA Youth Awards. Admittedly, I only asked about the Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz awards, and I can happily say I went two for three, nailing the Caldecott and Newbery winners; I was off the mark on the Printz.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead was the odds-on favorite to win, and Newbery fans were not disappointed. The honors were an eclectic bunch: history, historical fiction and a Chinese folktale, all with a broad range of reader appeal. I was thrilled for Grace Lin (click here to read about the event we had with her in November) for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, a small gem of a book.

Interestingly, not one person from our Mock Awards picked the Printz winner, Going Bovine by Libba Bray, which I really enjoyed. I must say, while I’m happy with the honors and the winner, I’m a little stunned that Laurie Halse Anderson’s stunning novel Wintergirls didn’t even get an honor. That book just blew me away and will continue to be one of my all-time favorites. As with the Newbery, I think the Printz list is broad and appealing and offers a lot to most teen readers.

The Caldecott was thrilling for me. At BEA in May, I had the distinct pleasure of being seated next to Jerry Pinkney at a dinner. I wrote about it, and predicted his book as the winner way back in June. He was a delightful dinner companion, and then at dessert when Little, Brown brought out F&Gs of The Lion & the Mouse, I was awed. Since the book came out, I have been handselling it happily to the masses. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon was also a favorite with a great message that speaks to all ages with Marla Frazee’s fantastic art. Red Sings from Rooftops illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman, was a Flying Pig favorite this fall.

One last thing I must comment is how many Vermont authors and illustrators won awards, and how proud was I? First Bonnie Christensen wins the Schneider Family Award for picture books for her stunning book Django: World’s Greatest Jazz Guitarist. Then Julia Alvarez wins the Pura Belpré Author Award for Return to Sender. And if that weren’t enough awards for the smallest state in the union, well, we got to add one more winner: Tanya Lee Stone (who lives one town north of the store, how cool is that?) won the Sibert Award for her Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream.

While my ALA webcast never did work, lots of folks were tweeting, so I felt like I was there live. The excitement surrounding the awards is always fantastic fun. This year I had more relationship with potential winners than ever before, so it was very exciting. Colleagues won and lost, and I spent the entire awards on the edge of my couch, whooping it up in my living room, while quietly eyeing my growing stack of galleys for 2010, wondering which one of these I would be rooting for next year.

Sure, you’re accustomed to promoting books in tune with Presidents’ Day (Feb. 15th this year), and National Poetry Month in April. But when was the last time you tied titles to National Bird-Feeding Month (January) or brought out your manners-themed stock for International Civility Month (May)? 

With the help of Chase’s Calendar of Events and the McGraw-Hill website, I’ve included a few "Special Month" designations below that seemed like they might lend themselves to some unique and/or entertaining in-store displays, library events, and/or publisher/author marketing opportunities. You should read over the complete list of 2010 Special Months yourselves, though, to see if others strike your fancy. National Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month (February), perhaps?

If you want ideas for week-long celebrations and noteworthy days, take a look at the listings on BrownieLocks. 

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January is National Hot Tea Month

January is Oatmeal Month (Promote your Goldilocks books here.)

January is National Bird-Feeding Month

January is International Creativity Month

January is Get Organized Month

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February is Black History Month

February is Library Lovers’ Month

February is Spunky Old Broads Month (I think a great event series could be tied to this one!)

February is National Weddings Month

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March is Women’s History Month

March is National Craft Month

March is Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month

March is National March into Literacy Month

March is Music in Our Schools Month

March is National Peanut Month

March is National Umbrella Month

March is Youth Art Month

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April is National Poetry Month

April is National Card and Letter Writing Month (No, this one wasn’t coined by Hallmark. It was the U.S.P.S. who started this written correspondance initiative.)

April is International Customer Loyalty Month

April is National Humor Month

April is Jazz Appreciation Month

April is National Kite Month

April is Physical Wellness Month

April is School Library Media Month

April is Straw Hat Month (I love picturing the covers of the books on this display…)

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May is National Barbecue Month

May is International Civility Month

May is National Egg Month (Hold onto some of those books from your Easter display in April!)

May is Get Caught Reading Month

May is Gifts from the Garden Month

May is National Moving Month

May is National Salad Month

May is Teen Self-Esteem Month (Think of all the YA novels that would be a good fit here…)

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June is National Candy Month

June is National GLBT Book Month

June is Great Outdoors Month

June is Dairy Month

June is National Rivers Month

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July is National Blueberries Month (Blueberries for Sal goes here.)

July is Family Reunion Month

July is National Hot Dog Month (I see lots of dachshund books…)

July is National Ice Cream Month

July is International Zine Month

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August is Audio Appreciation Month

August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month

August is National Inventors’ Month

August is National What Will Be Your Legacy? Month (put Miss Rumphius on display)

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September is Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month

September is National Chicken Month

September is National Coupon Month

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month

September is National Piano Month

September is Shameless Promotion Month (I can already see the mailings I’ll be receiving: "In honor of Shameless Promotion Month I am writing to shamelessly promote X…")

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October is National Bake and Decorate Month

October is Children’s Magazine Month

October is Eat Better, Eat Together Month

October is National Go on a Field Trip Month

October is Photographer Appreciation Month

October is National Reading Group Month

October is National Squirrel Awareness Month (We have done squirrel-specific displays in the past but were’t aware we could be increasing people’s "Squirrel Awareness" in the process… Must make a new sign for that display.)

October is National Vegetarian Month

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November is National Adoption Month

November is Family Stories Month

November is National Inspirational Role Models Month

November is National Lifewriting Month

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December is National Tie Month

December is National Spiritual Literacy Month

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Do you have a favorite odd or lesser-known occasion you like to celebrate or promote in your store/library/home/office? If so, please share it with the rest of us so that we can celebrate too!

As the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards announcements zoom ever closer — Monday, January 18! — we in the children’s literature field are speculating, buzzing, debating the relative merits of our own favorites, and predicting those we think might carry away the gold and silver. (Scroll down to see all the ALA medals and descriptions of what types of literary excellence they reward.)

Does it matter which books win? You bet.  An informative article by Elizabeth Cosgriff in Open Spaces Quarterly Magazine lays out some of the information about how the big awards, especially the Newbery, do not offer monetary prizes as such but reap rich rewards for their authors, whose award book sales increase exponentially and whose award-winning books’ shelf lives improve considerably. (She mentions the grim statistic that the average in-print life of a children’s book is 18 months.) A Newbery or Caldecott award can take a quiet book and catapult its sales into the tens, even hundreds +, of thousands of copies. (I’d be interested to know what effect the Honor medal has on sales.) Authors who win the major awards are also hot tickets on the paid speaking circuit—often a writer’s bread and butter.

In December and January, libraries and schools all across the country hold Mock Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz discussions in anticipation of announcement Monday, declaring their own winners. It’s fascinating to see which books rise again and again to the top of the lists, and which dark horses emerge as surprise contenders.

We’d love to hear from groups who have held mock award discussions. Which books won? Which books did you lobby hard for that didn’t make it? What are you hoping to hear on Monday?

Although most people are aware of three or four of the major awards, the ALA actually offers 16 different youth media awards (15 if you don’t count the Alex Awards, which are given to adult books with crossover teen appeal). Since some awards have higher profiles than others, I thought I’d list the ALA Youth Media Awards that will be announced on Monday morning, along with the ALA’s description of each award. Click on any award name to visit the ALA’s web pages for each award’s history and a complete listing of past winners.

Complete List of ALA Youth Media Awards:

Alex Awards—The Alex Awards are given to 10 books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year’s published books.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award—This award, established in Mildred L. Batchelder’s honor in 1966, is a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States.

Pura Belpré Award—The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

Randolph Caldecott Medal—The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the ALA, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video—The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video honors outstanding video productions for children released during the previous year. The annual award is given to the video’s producer by ALSC, through a Carnegie endowment.

Margaret A. Edwards Award—The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, that have been popular over a period of time. It recognizes an author’s work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award—The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, established in 2004, is given annually (beginning in 2006) to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished contribution to the body of American children’s literature known as beginning reader books published in the United States during the preceding year.

Coretta Scott King Book Awards—Designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards annually recognize outstanding books for young adults and children by African-American authors and illustrators that reflect the African-American experience. Further, the Award encourages the artistic expression of the black experience via literature and the graphic arts in biographical, social, and historical treatments by African-American authors and illustrators.

Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent—The award is established to affirm new talent and to offer visibility to excellence in writing and/or illustration which otherwise might be formally unacknowledged within a given year within the structure of the two awards given annually by the Coretta Scott King Task Force. These books affirm new talent and offer visibility to excellence in writing or illustration at the beginning of a career as a published book creator.

William C. Morris Debut YA Award—The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first given in 2009, honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrates impressive new voices in young adult literature.

John Newbery Medal—The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production This annual award will be given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.

Michael L. Printz Award—The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. The Printz Award has been honoring the best in young adult literature since 2000.

Schneider Family Book Award—The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal—The Sibert Award honors the most distinguished informational book published in English in the preceding year for its significant contribution to children’s literature.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award—This biennial award, a bronze medal, honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. Newly established, 2010 is the first year of this award. The award will honor the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The award winner will be announced annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. The award will be presented at ALA Annual Conference. (Thanks to Jeanette Larson for alerting me to this new award! It hadn’t yet made the ALA’s main youth awards page. SO glad to see fine nonfiction getting more recognition!)

The Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement This award was established to recognize an African American author, illustrator, or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution. The Award pays tribute to the late Virginia Hamilton and the qualit
y and magnitude of her exemplary contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth, especially in her focus on African American life, history and consciousness. The first award will be given in 2010. (Thank you to VirginiaHamilton.com, the source of the beautiful photo at right.)

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Aren’t the medals beautiful? It’s lovely to see them all in one place.

To reiterate: we’d love to hear from groups who have held mock award discussions. Which books won? Which books did you lobby hard for that didn’t make it? What are you hoping to hear on Monday?

Credit or debit? How many times a day do we ask and answer this question? If you’re a bookstore employee and you’re not asking this question, you should be.

I think most of us know, it’s cheaper to ring up sales as debit cards, but do we know why? Well, yes and no. Yes, because you can see the savings when you look at your bank’s monthly merchant service statement.  And, no, because sometimes those statements are very hard (deliberately, I feel) to decipher. If you want to understand more how complicated the Visa and Mastercard fee structure works, read the following article from the New York Times. 

Businesses don’t necessarily need a separate keypad for an additional monthly fee, they can just turn the machine around and have the customer punch in their PIN on that. Ours is actually fun to use because the cord isn’t long enough so folks have to get right next to it, but nobody minds. For most customers it’s cheaper to use their card as a debit, too. So it’s a win-win for everyone.

By having customers input their PIN number at the register, I save a lot of money. Here’s the breakdown with Visa and Mastercard: rung as credit cards. my discount is 2.04%; with those same cards rung up as debit cards, the discount falls to 1.690%. It may not sound like much, but for every $100 I ring up as debit I save .35 cents. That’s a savings of $3.50 per thousand. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but do the math at your store, and you’ll be shocked how much you can save. This is just the discount savings. Every card comes with its own special fee structure, and again, any card used as a debit saves more, every time. At mininum it’s ten cents per debit saved, sometimes the savings is as high as fifty cents, per transaction. The saving potential is truly staggering.

Not sure what to do? Have a review with your credit card processor, and go over your statement, line by line, with someone from the bank so you really understand it. Ask what the savings would be if you added the PIN input option. They give you a real estimate, based on your past history, what savings you might reap by using debit cards all the time. Update your equipment. Talk to your bank about lowering your fees. If you don’t already have your credit cards processed through the ABA, I urge you to check out this service. It’s amazingly low cost, and in 13 years, I haven’t paid for one roll of paper or shipping on that paper. 

Every once in a while, I’m going to present small things a bookstore owner or manager can do to save money this year. Together, by cutting costs here and there, I hope we’ll all make a little, maybe a lot, extra money at the end of the year.

Is your store doing anything different this year to save money? Please share!