2012 Youth Media Awards Announced!

It's always and exciting time see the books, authors, and illustrators who have reached the high achievement of earning an award. At the American Library Association Mid-Winter conference the 2012 Youth Media Awards have been announced! This announcement is almost relatable to the Oscars or Screen Actors Guild Awards! Here are the list of winners and honors! Drum roll.....


JOHN NEWBERY MEDAL
Winner

• Dead End of Norvelt written by Jack Gantos. NY: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

Honors

• Inside Out and Back Again written by Thanhha Lai. NY: HarperCollins Children's Books.
• Breaking Stalin's Nose written by Eugne Yelchin. NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

RANDOLPH CALDECOTT MEDAL 
Winner

• A Ball for Daisy written and illus. by Chris Raschka. NY: Schwartz & Wade Books. 

Honors

• Blackout written and illus. by John Rocco. NY: Disney (Hyperion Books) Rocco's book is also on the 2012 Texas 2x2 Reading List!
• Grandpa Green written and illus. by Lane Smith. NY: Roaring Books Press.
• Me... Jane written and illus. by Patrick McDonnell. NY: Little Brown and Company. McDonnell's book is also on the 2012 Texas 2x2 Reading List!

MICHAEL L. PRINTZ
Winner

• Where Things Come Back written by John Corey Whaley. NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Honors

• Why We Broke Up written by Daniel Handler and art by Maira Kalman. NY: Little, Brown, and Company, LLC.
• The Returning written by Christine Hinwood. NY: Dial Books.
• Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey. NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
• The Scorpio Races writteny by Maggie Stiefvater. NY: Scholastic Press.

CORETTA SCOTT KING BOOK AWARD (AUTHOR)
Winner
Kadir Nelson for:

• Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans written and illus. by Kadir Nelson. NY: Blazer + Bray).

Honors
Eloise Greenfield for:

• The Great Migration: Journey to the North written by Eloise Greenfield and illus. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. NY: Schwartz & Wade Books.

Patricia C. McKissack for:

• Never Forgotten written by Patricia C. McKissack and illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon. NY: Schwartz & Wade Books

CORETTA SCOTT KING BOOK AWARD (ILLUSTRATOR)
Winner
Shane W. Evans for:

• Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom written and illus. by Shane W. Evans. NY: Roaring Book Press.

Honors
Kadir Nelson for:

• Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans written and illus. by Kadir Nelson. NY: Blazer + Bray).

CORETTA SCOTT KING - VIRGINIA HAMILTON AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Winner
Ashley Bryan, who is known for books such as

• Let It Shine, CSK winner
• Beautiful Blackbird, CSK winner

SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD
Middle School Winner(s)

• close to famous written by Joan Bauer. NY: Viking.
• Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Picture written and illus. by Brian Selznick. NY: Scholastics Press. Selznick's book is also on the 2012 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List!

High School Winner(s)

• The Running Dream written by Wendelin Van Draanen. NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Note: There is an Schneider Award for Children's Books; however, the jury decided to not vote on a winning book due to none of the submissions were deemed worthy of the award.


MILDRED L. BATCHELDER AWARD
Winner

• Soldier Bear written by Bib Dumon Tak and illus. by Philip Hopman. Translation by Laura Watkinson. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Original language: Dutch.

Honor

• The Lily Pond written by Annika Thor. Translated by Linda Schenck. NY: Delacorte Press. Original language: Swedish.

PURA BELPRE AWARD (AUTHOR)
Winner
Guadalupe Garcia McCall for:

• Under the Mesquite written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. NY: Lee and Low Books, Inc.

Honors

• Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck written by Margarita Engle. NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
• Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller written by Xavier Garz. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

PURA BELPRE AWARD (ILLUSTRATOR)
Winner
Duncan Tonatiuh for:

• Diego Rivera: His Words and Ours written and illus. by Duncan Tonatiuh. NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Honors

• The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred written by Samantha R. Vamos and illus. by Rafael Lopez. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.  Vamos' book is also on the 2012 Texas 2x2 Reading List!
• Mariso McDonald Doesn't Match / Mariso McDonald no combina written by Monica and illus. Sara Palacios. NY: Lee and Low Books, Inc.

THEODORE SEUSS GEISEL AWARD
Winner

• Tales for Very Picky Eaters written and illus. by Josh Schneider. NY: Clarion Books.

Honors

• I Broke My Trunk written and illus. by Mo Willems. NY: Hyperion Books for Children.
• I Want My Hat Back written and illus. by Jon Klassen. Somerville, Mass, Candlewick Press. Klassen's book is also on the 2012 Texas 2x2 Reading List!
• See Me Run written and illus. by Paul Meisel. NY: Holiday House.

There are more awards and winners to explore that I couldn't possibly be able to include here! Please follow the links below to continue the exploration!

• Alex Award
• Andrew Carnegie Medal
• Margaret A. Edwards Award
• The May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award
• The Odyssey Award
• Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
• Stonewall Book Awards
• William C. Morris YA Debut Award
• YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

The New Lunar New Year!

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Chúc Năm Mới! Happy Lunar New Year! 

In celebration of the Lunar New Year (the first new moon of the year), here are some books that I recommend for reading!
  
LUNAR NEW YEAR BOOKS

• Bouchard, David. 1999. The Dragon New Year: A Chinese Legend. Illus. by Zhong-Yang Huang. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree. ISBN: 1561452106.
• Chinn, Karen. 1995. Sam and the Lucky Money. Illus. by Carnelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. NY: Lee & Low Books, Inc. ISBN: 18800013x.
• Compestine, Ying Chang. 2006. D is for Dragon Dance. Illus. by Yongsheng Xuan. NY: Holiday House. ISBN: 0823418871. 
• Compestine, Ying Chang. 2001. The Runaway Rice Cake. Illus. by Tungwai Chau. NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0689829728.
• Compestine, Ying Chang. 2011. The Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale. Illus. by Sebastia Serra. NY: Dutton Juvenile (Penguin). ISBN: 9780525420682.
• Katz, Karen. 2004. My First Chinese New Year. Illus. by Karen Katz. NY: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 0805070761.
• Klein, Adria F. 2007. Max Celebrates Chinese New Year. Illus. by Mernie Gallagher-Cole. ISBN: 9781404831476.
• Lin, Grace. 2008. Bringing in the New Year. Illus. by Grace Lin. NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 9780375937453.
• Shea, Pegi Deitz. 2003. Ten Mice for Tet. Illus. by To Ngoc Tran and Embroidery by 
• Pham Viet Dinh. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN: 0811834964.
• Wong, Janet. 2000. This Next New Year. Illus. by Yangsook Choi. NY: Frances Foster Books (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). ISBN: 0374355037. 

DRAGON BOOKS
The year 2012 is the year of the Dragon! Try out these books!

• Kent, Jack. 1975. There's No Such Thing as a Dragon. Illus. by Jack Kent. NY: Golden Books Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN: 0307102149.
• Schaefer, Carole Lexa. 2007. Dragon Dancing. Illus. by Pierr Morgan. NY: Viking (Penguin Group). ISBN: 9780670060849.
• Steckman, Elizabeth. 1997. Silk Peony, Parade Dragon. Illus. by Carol Inouye. Honesdale, Penn.: Caroline House (Boyds Mills Press, Inc). ISBN: 1563972336.

MORE GOOD BOOKS 

• Thong, Roseanne. 2001. Red is a Dragon: A Book of Colors. Illus. by Grace Lin. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN: 0811831779.

I'm Not.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Smallcomb, Pam. 2011. I'm Not. Illus. by Robert Weinstock. NY: Schwartz & Wade. ISBN: 9780375861154.

BOOK REVIEW
"She's not one single big ordinary. And she's a little mysterious." A shy girl says at the beginning of this story. According to her, her best friend and fellow scaly crocodile (or are they little dinosaurs? I'm going with crocs!), Evelyn, can do anything. Evelyn is successful in quirky fashion, can tell amazing stories, is a decorator and artist extraordinaire, and so much more! All the while our nameless narrator says "I'm not.". However, one day she realizes that the things that Evelyn does not have the magic touch for, like spelling,  karate and baking, she does has the touch for! The book ends with a perfect match of two friends, especially when they realize that Evelyn needs "A friend who is always by her side. Though thick and thin. A true-blue friend." and our own new crocodile friend yells, "I am! I am! I am!". To match the charming story is Weinstock's adorable illustrations detailing the differences between the two girls. If readers do not like crocodiles, wait till see these images! This is a amazingly great book to share with young readers (and even the adult readers) who are starting to notice the difference between them and others their age (friends and siblings alike!). This book will tell us all it is OK to be different and that opposites can make the best pair of friends (siblings) ever!

CONNECTIONS

• Share the story with the readers then ask if they ever had felt the same the way before about a friend of a sibling.
• Have the children list out what they can do different than their friend, and why it makes them awesome too.
• Have the debate of whether the characters are crocodiles or dinosaurs! 
• Have the children share what they would name the story's narrator.

Staircase to the Moon - A Poetry Break

INTRODUCTION
I had the great misfortune to overhear a staff member tell a mother and daughter that if they cannot find a poem for a middle school project they could try downstairs in the adult nonfiction collection! :: Stop aching my heart! :: What made it worse was the shelver knew I (the Children's Librarian) was there and had never refer the transaction to me; but that is beside the point here. There are many, many, MANY children's poets out there and many of their poems can be perfect for a school project!

This poem, by the great Marilyn Singer, is from a collection of poems about the great orb in the night sky - the moon - as seen from around the world. Amazing work. This poem, and book, would be great for those in a Geography course or Multicultural course.


POEM

Staircase to the Moon 
Broome, Australia
by Marilyn Singer

Under the sea, divers find pearls,
though non as big and round
....as that jewel up high.
Its glow builds a magic staircase
....from the mudflats to the sky.
Can someone climb and pluck that gem?
Our silly little cousins
....dare themselves to try. 

EXTENSION

• In the back of the book there is an explanation for each poem. Share the story behind the poem above.
• For those learning about Australia share this poem and its story then explore more about the pearls that comes from this little town.
• Have the children find something that makes their town/city/community unique and have them write a poem about the characteristic they picked.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Singer, Marilyn. 2011. A Full Moon is Rising. Illus. by Julia Cairns. NY: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN: 9781600603648.

EXTRA TIDBIT
Here's an great extra tidbit for you folks! It's the story behind the poem. I thought it was so nifty cool that I had to share it! I really want to see this phenomenon now!

Broome, in the northwestern region of Australia, is a small town famous for its pearls and for a natural phenomenon called the Staircase to the Moon. Along Broome's coast are mudflats, lands that are left bare at low tides. When a full moon shines on the exposed mudflats, it creates the image of a staircase leading up to the moon through the sky. People from all over the world visit the town to view the "staircase," which can be seen for three nights each month from March to October.  ~ Marilyn Singer, A Full Moon is Rising.

2012 Texas 2x2 Reading List

It's finally here! Next to the Texas Bluebonnet Award, I :: HEART :: the Texas 2x2 Reading List. If you are already familiar with this list, skip the rest of this beginning paragraph and go straight to the list below! For those who don't know about the 2x2, let me share it with you! The 2x2 Reading List is created by Children's Round Table of the Texas Library Association, and provides 20 recommended books for children from age 2 up to 2nd Grade. 2x2, get it?

I am quite excited to say that the majority of the books on this 2012 list were already on my list of favorite new books that my library now owns! Enjoy, folks!

2012 Texas 2x2 Reading List

• Ashman, Linda. 2011.No Dogs Allowed! Illus. by Kristin Sorra. NY: Sterling Children's Books. ISBN: 9781402758379.
• Beaumont, Karen. 2011. No Sleep for Sheep! Illus. by Jackie Urbanovic. NY: Harcourt. ISBN: 9780152049690.
•  Chabon, Michael. 2011. The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man. Illus. by Jake Parker. NY: Balzer + Bray. ISBN: 9780061914621.
• Crosby, Jeff. 2011. Wiener Wolf. Illus. by Jeff Crosby. NY: Disney Hyperion. ISBN: 97814234139836.
• Crum, Shutta. 2011. Mine! Illus. by Patrice Barton. NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 9780375867118.
• Czekaj, Jef. 2011. Cat Secrets. Illus. by Jef Czekaj. NY: Balzer + Bray. ISBN: 978061920882.
• Ehlert, Lois. 2011. Rrralph. Illus. by Lois Ehlert. NY: Beach Lane. ISBN: 9781442413054.
• Gormley, Greg. 2011. Dog in Boots. Illus. Roberta Angaramo. NY: Holiday House. ISBN: 9780823423477.
• Hall, Michael. 2011.Perfect Square.Illus. by Michael Hall. NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 9780061915130.
• Hoppe, Paul. 2011.The Woods. Illus. by Paul Hoppe. NY: Chronicle Books. ISBN: 9780811875479.
• Judge, Lita. 2011. Red Sled. Illus. by Lita Judge. NY: Atheneum. ISBN: 9781442420076.
• Klassen, Jon. 2011. I Want My Hat Back. Illus. by Jon Klassen. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763655983.
• Kosteciki-Shaw, Jenny Sue. 2011. Same, Same But Different. Illus. by Jenny Sue Kosteciki-Shaw. NY: Henry Holt. ISBN: 9780805089462.
• McDonnell, Patrick. 2011. Me... Jane. Illus. by Patrick McDonnell. NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN: 9780316045469.
• Neimann, Christoph. 2011. That's How! Illus. by Christoph Neimann. NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 9780062019639.
• Ray, Mary Lyn. 2011. Stars. Illus. by Marla Frazee. NY: Beach Lane. ISBN: 9781442422490.
• Rinker, Sherri Duskey. 2011. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site. Illus. by Tom Lichtenheld. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN: 9780811877824.
• Ricco, John. 2011. Blackout. Illus. by John Rocco. NY: Disney Hyperion. ISBN: 9781423121909.
• Stevens, April. 2011. Edwin Speaks Up. Illus. by Sophie Blackall. NY: Schwartz & Wade. ISBN: 9780375853371.
• Vamos, Samantha R. 2011. The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred. Illus. by Rafael Lopez. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. ISBN: 9781580892421.

Thankful Feasting - A Thanksgiving Reading List

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! It's only just a few days left till Thanksgiving Day is here and when the month of November comes to a close. This is holiday has become completely under appreciated as the years come and go, which is quite unfortunate. Keep the spirit alive of being thankful for what you have and get a good laughs in with these great books to share!

•  1, 2, 3 Thanksgiving! Written by W. Nikola-Lisa and Illustrated by Robin Kramer. 1991. Morton Gove, IL. ISBN: 0807561096. T
• Alligator Arrived with Apples: A Potluck Alphabet Feast. Written by Crescent Dragonwagon and Illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. 1987. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN: 0027330907. P
•  Happy Thanksgiving, Emily!. Written by Claire Masurel and Illustrated by Susan Calitri. 2004. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN: 014240201X. T
•  I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie. Written by Alison Jackson and Illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner. 1997. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN: 0525456457. P
• One Is a Feast for Mouse. Written by Judy Cox and Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. 2008. New York: Holiday House. ISBN: 9780823419777. P, S
•  The Perfect Thanksgiving. Written by Eileen Spinelli and Illustrated by Joann Adinolfi. 2003. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 9780805065312. P, S
• Setting the Turkeys Free. Written by W. Nikola-Lisa and Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. 2004. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN: 0786819529. P, S
• Thanks for Thanksgiving. Written by Julie Markes and Illustrated by Doris Barrette. 2004. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 006051096X. T, P, S
• Thank You, Thanksgiving. Written and Illustrated by David Milgrim. 2003. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0618274669. T, P
• Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks. Written by Margaret Sutherland and Illustrated by Sonja Lamut. 2000. New York: Grosset & Dunlap (Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers). ISBN: 0613317963. T
• Thanksgiving at Our House. Written and Illustrated by P.K. Hallinan. 2006, Nashville, TN: Ideals Children's Books. ISBN: 9780824955342. T, P
• Thanksgiving Mice! Written by Bethany Roberts and Illustrated by Doug Cushman. 2001. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0618120408. T
•  Thelonius Turkey Lives (on Felicia Ferguson's Farm). Written and Illustrated by Lynn Rowe Reed. 2005. New York: Borzoi Book (Alfred Knopf). ISBN: 0375931260.
• A Turkey For Thanksgiving. Written by Eve Bunting and Illustrated by Diane de Groat. 1991. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0899197930. P, S
• Thanksgiving Is Here! Written and Illustrated by Diane Goode. 2003. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 0060515899. P, S
• Turkey Trouble. Written by Wendi Silvano and Illustrated by Lee Harper. 2009. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. ISBN: 9780761455295. P, S

I have to say that Turkey Trouble is my all-time favorite from this list. I always read it at my preschool storytime! Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Reading Level Key:

• T = Toddlers (ages 2-3)
• P = Preschool (ages 3-5)
• S = School Age (ages 6-8)

The Chicken Thief

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rodriguez, Béatrice. 2010. The Chicken Thief. New York: Enchanted Lion Books. ISBN: 9781592700929.

BOOK REVIEW
It all started out on a country morning cottage where Bear, rabbit, and the chickens just got up. Then, all of a sudden, during breakfast, a fox who was peaking from the bushes at the edge of the forest, swoops up a chicken into his arms and runs! Dedicated friends, Bear, Rabbit, and another chicken chase after them to save their captured friend from a digested-doom! The pursuit winds through thick forests, a mountain, and torrents waters before we all discover that Fox and Chicken eloped! All of this is craftily presented in a narrow wordless picture book. With fine ink lines and colorful watercolor, the simple yet detailed illustrations are reminiscent of author/illustrator Peter Spier. Rodriguez wonderfully captures the mood of all the characters and the world around them in full page spreads. Though some older readers may over analyze and wonder if the chicken developed Stockholm Syndrome. However, beyond that it's quite a fun and almost romantic story. Readers of all ages will be delighted in the happy ending. A fun, unexpected-ending, storybook to include to your wordless collection.

CONNECTIONS

• Ask the children what they thought was happening as they venture through the story.
• Have the children create their own wordless storybook that has an ending that can be viewed as unexpected.