Saturday, January 11, 2020

"AND THE WINNER IS..."

It’s award season again. Not just at the movies, but in the world of children’s books, the big day is Monday, January 28th when the American Library Association announces the winners at its midwinter meeting in Philadelphia.

You probably remember some of the winners of the Newbery Medal (best childrens’ author) and the Caldecott Medal (best childrens’ illustrator) from your childhood, but in recent years awards have been added for beginning readers (the Seuss Geisel Award), African American authors (King Awards), Latin American authors (Belpre Awards), as well as the Schneider Family Award which honors books that express the disability experience of children.

If you enjoy award shows, you can watch live at http://www.ala.org

In the meantime, here are a couple of my favorites, and some links to the lists of past winners.



Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina. (2018 Newbery Medal winner)

A mostly humorous look at life in sixth grade, complicated by unexpected drama and bullying at school and worries at home about her beloved grandpa Lolo’s health.





Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly. (2017 Newbery Medal winner)

The lives of four misfits are intertwined when a bully’s prank lands shy Virgil at the bottom of a well and Valencia, Kaori, and Gen band together in an epic quest to find and rescue him.





They Call Me Guero by David Bowles. (2018 Belpre Honor book)


Twelve-year-old Guero, a red-headed, freckled Mexican American border kid, discovers the joy of putting his experiences into verse, thanks to the inspiration of his seventh grade English teacher.





The Infamous Ratsos by Kara LaReau. (2017 Seuss Geisel Honor book)

This is my favorite award because it can be challenging to find books with beginning reader vocabulary that are enjoyable for adults to read. Rat brothers Louie and Ralphie try to prove they can be as rough and tough as their dad in the big city, but every time they try to show how tough they are, they end up accidentally doing good deeds instead. Great illustrations and its part of a series.


As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds. (2016 Coretta Scott King Honor and Schneider Family Honor book)

Brooklyn brothers Genie and Ernie are prepared for a summer with their rural Virginia grandparents. No cell phone reception, chores, and lots of poop. The biggest change is getting to know their grandfather who is totally blind and at least a little bit crazy. When they try to prove how brave they are, everything backfires…..literally. Author Jason Reynolds will be in Portage this spring for the annual CommuniTeen Reading event.


The Collectors by Jacqueline West. (2018 Schneider Award winner)

Overlooked in class, a hearing-impaired boy who collects lost and discarded trinkets discovers a dangerous world of stolen wishes and the people who collect them.





Current and Previous Award Winners


Search the Portage District Library catalog for these books
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