Youth Media Awards
ALEX AWARDS
THE BOY WHO COULDN’T SLEEP AND DIDN’T HAVE TO
BREAKING NIGHT
GIRL IN TRANSLATION
THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW
THE LOCK ARTIST
THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE
THE RADLEYS
THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS
ROOM
THE VANISHING OF KATHARINA LINDEN
SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARDS
Picture Book: THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN
Middle Grade: AFTER EVER AFTER
Young Adult: FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB
STONEWALL BOOK AWARD
Award: ALMOST PERFECT
Honor: WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON
Honor: LOVE DRUGGED
Honor: FREAKS AND REVELATIONS
Honor: THE BOY IN THE DRESS
CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARDS
Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement: DR. HENRIETTA MAYS SMITH
John Steptoe New Talent: VICTORIA BOND AND T.R. SMITH (ZORA AND ME), SONIA LYNN SADLER (SEEDS OF CHANGE)
Illustrator: DAVE THE POTTER
Honor: JIMI SOUNDS LIKE A RAINBOW
Author: ONE CRAZY SUMMER
Honor: LOCKDOWN
Honor: NINTH WARD
Honor: YUMMY
ODYSSEY AWARD
Award: THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY
Honor: ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN
Honor: THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO
Honor: REVOLUTION
Honor: WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON
EDWARDS AWARD
TERRY PRATCHETT
MORRIS AWARD
THE FREAK OBSERVER
YALSA NONFICTION AWARD
JANIS JOPLIN
PRINTZ AWARD
Award: SHIP BREAKER
Honor: STOLEN
Honor: PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ
Honor: REVOLVER
Honor: NOTHING
BELPRE AWARDS
Illustrator: GRANDMA’S GIFT
Honor: FIESTA BABIES
Honor: ME, FRIDA
Honor: DEAR PRIMO
Author: THE DREAMER
Honor: OLE FLAMENCO
Honor: THE FIREFLY LETTERS
Honor: 90 MILES TO HAVANA
ARBUTHNOT LECTURE
PETER SIS
BATCHELDER AWARD
Award: A TIME OF MIRACLES
Honor: DEPARTURE TIME
Honor: NOTHING
SIBERT MEDAL
Medal: KAKAPO RESCUE
Honor: BALLET FOR MARTHA
Honor: LAFAYETTE AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
WILDER AWARD
TOMIE DePAOLA
CARNEGIE MEDAL
THE CURIOUS GARDEN
GEISEL AWARD
Award: BINK & GOLLIE
Honor: LING & TING
Honor: WE ARE IN A BOOK!
CALDECOTT MEDAL
Medal: A SICK DAY FOR AMOS McGEE
Honor: DAVE THE POTTER
Honor: INTERRUPTING CHICKEN
NEWBERY MEDAL
Medal: MOON OVER MANIFEST
Honor: DARK EMPEROR
Honor: HEART OF A SAMURAI
Honor: ONE CRAZY SUMMER
Honor: TURTLE IN PARADISE
Filed under: Uncategorized
About Jonathan Hunt
Jonathan Hunt is the Coordinator of Library Media Services at the San Diego County Office of Education. He served on the 2006 Newbery committee, and has also judged the Caldecott Medal, the Printz Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. You can reach him at hunt_yellow@yahoo.com
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What? Whaaat? I can’t be the only one sitting here saying that. I guess you guys were right about an upset.
I was really hoping that “Sugar Changed the World” and “Conspiracy of Kings” would get Honors, at least.
Profanitiy is very unseemly in front of Elementary Children and Elemenary Principals.
Whew! I’ve been following the discussions here and have been disappointed in the books all y’all been tossing around as winners. So glad to see you were off the mark in many cases. And I say that in the most respectful way. Mock Newbery’s are fun but they do tend to lean towards personal favorites no matter how hard you try not to.
But sometimes profanity seems to be just the reight response.
Wow! Newbery upset. Or maybe I’m just one of the upset ones.
I guess it’s not totally surprising, considering the Newbery often goes to realistic fiction, especially historical fiction, and a standalone most of the time. Moon Over Manifest fits the profile (like Criss-Cross, Kira-Kira, The Higher Power of Lucky, etc.). At least One Crazy Summer got an honor award PLUS the Coretta Scott King Award! And Dark Emperor got a Newbery Honor, too–a book much discussed here at Heavy Medal, of course.
I normally only lurk around here but I just wanted to say that my city library system (which is not at all small) does not have any copies of three of those Newbery winners (including the medal winner).
I for one, would not consider this an upset. Not that I expected MOON OVER MANIFEST to win anything, just that I expected to be surprised. I did NOT find ONE CRAZY SUMMER to be as distinguished as the masses did. I did not find any of the nonfiction tossed out on this site to be as distinguished as the masses did.
I was totally expecting this “type” of announcement and just because the favorites from this site were snubbed in a way, I wouldn’t be so quick to cry “upset”.
Yay for TURTLE IN PARADISE!!! I am a happy camper this morning.
That was fun! Of course, I didn’t have strong feelings about a book that got left out, so that makes it easier. 🙂 I haven’t read Moon, but it had a few supporters, and I look forward to it. I did love Dark Emperor, and I’m delighted to see it get an Honor. One Crazy Summer certainly got recognized, along with Dreamer and Kakapo. What about this Interrupted Chicken? I hadn’t even heard of it, which surprised me ‘cuz I follow picture books very closely. I hope next year to be able to read more of the books ahead of time, and join in the discussions. But for now I’ll go back to lurking. It’s been great — now let the Dissection Begin!!
That was fun! I didn’t have my heart set on a particular book this year, so I was closely invested this year. I am thrilled that we have all but one of the Newbery/Caldecott books (I had Dark Emperor in an order for National Poetry Month, which is a big deal in our local schools, but will include that in our upcoming order). I haven’t commented on the speculations, but I’ve read them all, and I’ve enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to the wrap up posts. I will be sorry to see this blog go. Until we meet again, sometime in the fall! Onward and upward to the 2011 books.
Wow – Moon over Manifest has been in my pile to read for a few weeks. I guess I better move it up to the top of the pile now. I’m surprised that Keeper didn’t even place as an honor – I guess it goes to show you that nothing is a shoo-in!
Woot! We own all of the Newbery books. Although I haven’t read Moon, Turtle, or Heart, so it’s time to get reading!
And can I just say that I cheered over The True Meaning of Smekday winning the Odyssey? Loved the book, LOVED the audiobook. And Bink and Gollie was my favorite for the Geisel, and Amos McGee is pretty splendid.
Well, I got a small satisfaction. When I was trying to read the books on your shortlist, I asked our children’s book selector to order DARK EMPEROR. She hadn’t done so yet. So that was the one Newbery or Caldecott Honor that the library didn’t have ordered yet. I sent her a told you so with a *grin*. You folks made me the savvy one!
MOON OVER MANIFEST is on order, but not here yet.
Too fun! A few surprises, but I was super happy to see Smekday win the Odyssey. I loved that book!
Beth, I’m not sure I understand your sense of relief. The devil you don’t know beats the devil you do? Hmmm.
Mr. H, you say that you did not find any of the nonfiction tossed out at this site to be distinguished. Which nonfiction titles did you read this year?
I’m kind of surprised at the number of people calling this an “upset”–I thought it close to the opposite of that. All of the Newbery books have been mentioned repeatedly in discussions, which isn’t always the case.
I read most of the non-fiction talked up here, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to say I didn’t think it was distinguished, I didn’t find any of it as outstanding as Nina and Jonathan did. I was surprised that there was a Sibert Honor I hadn’t heard of, though (Lafayette). I’m pleased to see a non-historical book win that award, which has been mostly history-related in its short life.
I’m pleased that the committee recognized Heart of a Samurai, which is, I think, a better and more complex book than it might appear at first glance.
I enjoyed Moon over Manifest, but did not see it in the same distinguished category as Summer and Kings.
Would have been interesting to listen in on the committee’s discussions.
Any suggestions on what upcoming releases we should pay attention to for this year?
Samuel, two that I highly recommend are AMELIA LOST by Candace Fleming and OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt. I haven’t read SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS by Ellen Booream, but it already has three starred reviews.
Jonathan will you be doing a list like you did last year? I am salavating to get my hands on the Schmidt book. I had the opportunity to hear Fleming speak when she first began research on the Amelia book. At that point she was having a hard time finding something to respect about the woman. I will be interested to see how it turned out.
I was able to get my hands on the last copy of MOON in the county. I’m a few chapters in but won’t have much of a chance to read for a couple days. Being a slow reader I will lag far behind most of you. Everyone speak up as you finish. So far I’m enjoying the voice, characters, and setting.
I’m still bitterly disapointed I didn’t have the winner in the library. I felt like I let my kids down. I kept looking at it on Kathy’s spreadsheet with its three stars, and I kept dissmissing it because no one was talking about it.
Actually, this is the kind of upset I like. The winner has come from way out in left field, but it’s a book with several starred reviews, so it may not have had much buzz, but it shows some signs of being worth reading. And the honor books are all ones that have been talked about here, even Heart of a Samurai. Maybe it wasn’t on a short list, but there were positive comments. No one talked about hating it and most people had good things to say about Dark Emperor and Crazy Summer and Turtle in Paradise. The fact that the committee picked books I know and like for Honors reassures me that the Medal book probably won’t be an embarrassing disappointment. Frankly, I am excited to read Moon Over Manifest.
Read SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS on the flight home — very fresh and fun. The voice and sort of zany, family mess with magic made me think of Diana Wynne Jones. Now off to school to track down my copy of MOON which I’d read before (very fast) and now need to look at again properly, of course.
I use the same criteria for purchasing award winners as I do anything else. If the students aren’t going to be interested, I don’t buy them. I have even *gasp* deaccessioned older Newbery winners that the students never picked up. Gay Neck or Waterless Mountain, anyone? It is too bad that the panel doesn’t pay more attention to what children would like to read.
Thanks Jonathan, I can’t wait to begin thinking about 2012 Newbery!
To say the committee should pay more attention to “what children would like to read” implies that they’re falling down on the job, when that just isn’t the point. But even so, you point out two very old Newbery winners (and actually, Gay-Neck is a really good, exciting book that I bet some of your kids would enjoy, IF you could get them to read it, ha ha); I think the majority of Newbery winners really are books with strong kid appeal.
Jonathan, I got halfway through SIR CHARLIE before I realized I was wasting my time. I got halfway through THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK before I realized that it wasn’t my cup of tea. I couldn’t finish it. It was taking me too long. I previewed as many pages of SUGAR CHANGED THE WORLD as I could on Amazon and actually liked what I read, although I don’t know that the whole book (based on what I read) would have risen above my feelings toward other books, like THE DREAMER and TURTLE IN PARADISE.
I think I’ve told you before, this is where personal preference comes into play. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction. It sounds like you do. To be quite honest with you, I have a hard time putting nonfiction books up against the Newbery criteria. You’ve shown me how it can be argued on this site plenty of times, I just still don’t think its very convincing. Looking at the Newbery winners over time, it would appear that history agrees with me! In 90 years now of Newbery winners, how many informational texts like KKK and SUGAR have ever won the gold? 2 or 3?
It doesn’t look to me like the criteria were written with nonfiction necessarily in mind. Half of the criteria quite often don’t even apply to nonfiction work. I realize the criteria says that a book only needs to apply to the criteria it can, (In fact it sounds like that was only included to open the Newbery up to a wider discussion) but that makes arguing for nonfiction titles very difficult, especially when you’re stacking them up against fiction titles with convincing arguments.
I guess what I was trying to say, which you must have taken some offense to (I apologize), was that rarely do I expect nonfiction titles to fare well in the Newbery awards. I don’t like reading nonfiction on a personal level, so that’s why I focus more on fiction titles. I appreciate that you and Nina push nonfiction on this site because it opens me up as a reader but this particular year, I tried and I just didn’t see it. I didn’t mean to offend you or the titles you chose for your shortlist. I just didn’t find them as good of reads as you did.
BTW, I know you told me yesterday that you think TURTLE IN PARADISE will be a “popular” choice, but I think that’s kind of underselling it. Did you finish the book? Will you ever reread it now, looking for areas of distinguished writing? If you do, look for the way Holm uses similes and metaphors and the way they relate to the subject matter of the book. Sometimes authors write with a lot of figurative language and the similes and metaphors seem to be pulled out of left field. But Holm’s figurative language always fit the context of the book. I can’t quite explain it, but I really liked it. My students noticed it too.
Mr. H, I *did* finish TURTLE IN PARADISE and although it never got its own separate post, I did mention here on the blog that I had finished it. Nina tried to bring it up again late in the year, but it never generated any discussion. We have our hands full arguing for our own favorite books without the burden of also explaining why yours, too, should win.
My point with the nonfiction is simply this: you said that you didn’t find any of the nonfiction distinguished, but you implied that you had read widely rather than briefly sampling three titles. It would have been less misleading to simply say that you are happy that none of the nonfiction titles made it, leaving more room for the fiction which you prefer.
We have the luxury as casual readers to stop reading books that we don’t like, a luxury not always afforded to Newbery committee members.
“It would have been less misleading to simply say that you are happy that none of the nonfiction titles made it, leaving more room for the fiction which you prefer.”
I’d like to steal these words! This is exactly what I meant. Thanks!
And I must have missed the post or comment where you talked about finishing TURTLE. I remember the post about your reading ADD and you mentioned that you were “liking” the book. Which implied you weren’t all the way through it yet and you were balancing it with a lot of other books you were reading.
I wonder if like Chucky Cheese, Holm could trade in her three silvers for a gold . . . not that she’d want to! Just that man, the Newbery committee must really like her!
I’ll second Schmidt’s OKAY FOR NOW as one of this year’s front runners. I loved WEDNESDAY WARS but I enjoyed this one even more. Can’t wait to read Jonathan’s justification for giving something from team nonfiction the medal over this one next fall.
I have to say, AMELIA LOST looks pretty darn intriguing . . . it sounds like DaNae’s interest is the basic idea behind the book . . .
My students were disappointed that their pick didn’t win and have decided to read Moon over Manifest next. I used to think that Newberys weren’t appealing to students until I started doing a Mock Newbery club. 20 kids enrolled, at least 14 at every meeting! They were psyched!
But, looking forward to Battle of the Kids Books!!!! Bring it, Johnathan!!
Eric, you like OKAY FOR NOW even more than WEDNESDAY WARS? Wow! WEDNESDAY WARS was one of my favorite books (adult or kid) of the last few years, so I’m very excited for this one. I see it has Doug Swieteck as the main character.
While I thought OKAY FOR NOW was terrific it did not usurp THE WEDNESDAY WARS in my heart. Admittedly I’m prejudiced as I was on the Committee that gave the latter its Newbery Honor. But I’m guessing it is similar to DiCamillo — there are those who go more for WINN-DIXIE and others who are more in the DESPEREAUX camp. (And, yeah, I’m one of the latter there too.)
I thought OKAY FOR NOW was as good as THE WEDNESDAY WARS. Could be slightly better, could be slightly worse. It’s longer with more strands in the plot, and I initially thought it was perhaps too long, but then MOON OVER MANIFEST is just as long.
The most interesting parts of AMELIA LOST are the chapters, inserted between the biographical ones, that discuss the search and rescue efforts. They just imbue the entire book with a sense of mystery, drama, and foreboding. And this one feels more juvenile than KKK, SUGAR, WWI so I think it’s a strong Newbery possibility.
I like fiction as much as the next person, Eric. I read mostly fiction (but not exclusively so) and my all-time favorite fiction books easily outweigh my all-time favorite nonfiction books. Some years the nonfiction just isn’t good enough, but that hasn’t been the case the past couple of years.
A good mock Newbery group can dispel just about every myth you might have encountered about what children will or will not read. I think Monica will be releasing BoB information shortly.
When does AMELIA LOST come out? You have already read (or at least seen) it?
AMELIA LOST pubs on Feb 8. I read an advance reading copy a couple of months ago. Good stuff.
Mr. H, it’s maybe a little disingenuous to suggest that the Newbery wasn’t intended for non-fiction books when the first winner was The Story of Mankind…
First, I never said, nor meant, that the Newbery wasn’t intended for nonfiction. What I said was that the criteria is written in such a way that seems to make it easier to argue for fiction over nonfiction.
When the criteria draws attention to things such as plot, setting, character, and theme, and when other components of the book (illustrations, design) are not to be considered, it does leave one to wonder then, how do you really argue for nonfiction books. The “writing” has to be so superb in one criteria area (more than likely “presentation of information”). The problem then is, you have to start comparing apples to oranges. And when arguments can be made from fiction titles that point to their distinguished writing in so many different criteria, the arguments seem a little stronger. There’s more to go off of. Which might make it easier to argue and apple over an orange, even though they’re both great.
And I think it’s equally as disingenuous to point out the first winner to me and ignore the next 89 (all save 2 or 3) . . . and I’m talking about informational texts. I can only find about 3 in the list of 90 winners . . . Do you (Wendy) seriously think it’s easier to argue the Newbery for a distinguished work of nonfiction than it is a distinguished work of fiction?
I noticed that the criteria were adopted in 1978, and revised in 1987 and again in 2008. Anyone know if the earlier criteria looked much different than what there is now?
The other thing I can’t help but notice, is that of the ALA awards, the Newbery Medal is the only one that is able to recognize middle grade fiction . . . the Sibert is for nonfiction, the Geisel is for younger readers, the Printz is for older readers . . . sure middle grade work can win in areas like the Coretta Scott King and Belpre, but it must fall under certain standards to be eligible. The Newbery Medal is middle grade fiction’s only shot at an award! Does that ever come into play at the table? Should it?
Are you serious!?!?! Poor middle grade fiction–it’s only chance at an award is the Newbery? Those other awards were all created in the past dozen years or so, in large part, to compensate for the fact that the Newbery failed to recognize those kinds of books. But I have an easy solution for you, Mr. H. Let’s make the middle grade fiction eligibile for all of those other awards, but not the Newbery. Thus, middle grade fiction can win the Sibert and the Geisel, but only easy readers and nonfiction can win the Newbery. Then middle grade fiction can win two awards because it’s so neglected.
First of all, chill out.
Second, please name for me an ALA award other than the Newbery Medal that a middle grade fiction book can win. I’m being serious, maybe I missed one. For instance, what other ALA award was MOON OVER MANIFEST even eligible for? TURTLE IN PARADISE? As far as I can see, if they aren’t recognized by the Newbery, they aren’t going to be recognized. Whereas a book like SUGAR CHANGED THE WORLD and THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK were probably widely considered for the Newbery as they were the Sibert, possibly even the Printz (I don’t know the criteria there though) . . .
I’m not making excuses. There was no need for your “Poor middle grade fiction” reaction, I’m just stating it as it is.
I understand that the awards I mentioned are all newer awards, created for the very reason you say. But that’s beside my point . . .
The question is WHY was nonfiction neglected by the Newbery committee in the first place? If these other awards came along to compensate for the Newbery’s lack of acknowledgment, why wasn’t the Newbery awarding nonfiction and such medals more regularly? Could it be that the criteria made it difficult to do so? Thus, the need for the genre’s own awards . . . that’s the question I’m seriously asking.
Sure, the Newbery Medal is the oldest and most prestigious of the ALA awards given out, and it’d be nice to see nonfiction, easy readers, poetry, etc. acknowledged more (when credit is due of course) but as it is right now, in the year 2011, there are ALA awards given out to nonfiction titles and easy readers in the Sibert and the Geisel. Does that now affect the Newbery committee and how they award books?
Middle grade fiction titles can win the following ALSC awards–
Newbery
Belpre
Coretta Scott King
Stonewall
Schneider Family
Batchelder
And some middle grade fiction titles can win the following YALSA awards–
Printz
Morris
There are many prestigious non-ALA awards that middle grade fiction titles can win–
National Book Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
Scott O’Dell Award
MOON OVER MANIFEST would have been eligible for the NBA, the BG-HB, the Scott O’Dell, the Printz, and the Morris, to name just a few. It has plenty of chances to win awards and recognition. It’s not Newbery or bust.
I was wondering if the same book could win both the Newbery and the Batchelder? Would it work if a non-english title was published by a US resident? I think I’m remembering that the Newbery needs to be published in English. I will let someone else look it up.
All those awards you mentioned have some stipulations though.
Coretta Scott King: Literature about African American experience
Belpre: Literature portraying Latino cultural experience
Stonewall: Literature about the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience
Schneider: Literature depicting a disability experience for children
Batchelder: isn’t this award given for translation?
Printz: Young adult?
Morris: first time author for teens?
I’m not necessarily speaking about exposure and recognition. And I obviously have mis-used “middle grade fiction.” My initial comments were made about the ALA awards given out on Monday. There is a HUGE canon of middle grade fiction that were it not for the Newbery Medal, would be totally ignored by the ALA. From what I can tell, of those awards you mentioned, MOON OVER MANIFEST was only eligible for the Newbery. Same with DARK EMPORER, same with TURTLE IN PARADISE. Same with your favorite A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS (although it was probably in the space between Newbery and Printz).
That’s why I always hope good middle grade fiction is represented heavily. Books like WHEN YOU REACH ME, THE UNDERNEATH, SAVVY, THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, A DROWNED MAIDEN’S HAIR, TURTLE IN PARADISE . . . some of my favorites from the last few years would not be considered for any of those awards you mentioned. Not necessarily books like ONE CRAZY SUMMER, BUD NOT BUDDY, or even THE DREAMER (although in this year’s case, THE DREAMER was my favorite book). Books that have strong chances in other award areas.
That’s what I meant when I implied that for some books I feel like it’s Newbery or bust. What I should have said was: “The Newbery Medal is *much of* middle grade fiction’s only shot at an *ALA* award!”
Mr. H, I intended only to point out that the original creators/committee for the Newbery clearly must have meant for non-fiction to be equally considered, or it wouldn’t have won the first award. I certainly never said, or suggested, anything close to that I “seriously think it’s easier to argue the Newbery for a distinguished work of nonfiction than it is a distinguished work of fiction”. (I’m kind of indifferent on that point, though.)
I think (and this is only going to make you mad, but I really do think) you’re coming dangerously close to implying that the Newbery ought to honor more white-oriented mainstream-kid middle-grade fiction, because that kind of book hasn’t got many awards available to it.
I tend to agree with you on some points–I didn’t think the non-fiction discussed in depth here (and I read a fair amount of non-fiction; I love it) was quite as spectacular as Jonathan did. And I think the question of WHY the committees don’t honor certain kinds of books very often is always an interesting one. (I don’t even know which three books you’re including as also being “informational” besides The Story of Mankind. There isn’t another winner like it; the closest thing is probably Good Masters, Sweet Ladies. There are five winners that were published as non-fiction biographies. But that’s beside the point.) I’ve read plenty of debate about this, and as far as non-fiction goes, my current feeling is that non-fiction is less likely to grab the heart and soul of a reader and make that reader fight for the book. Then, too, there are few non-fiction subjects that appeal to a wide range of readers. Many people seemed pretty disinterested in, and unable to connect with, Sir Charlie–just as an example. On the other hand, middle-grade fiction tends to be full of Universal Themes that most people can relate to.
(By the way, I in no way meant to suggest that I actually think you want more “white-oriented mainstream” books to win, or that you said that; just to point out that I think it could be read that way.)