This morning I got up at 5 a.m. to see (via webcast) the 2012 winners of the biggest awards in children's publishing--the American Library Association (ALA) awards. The film industry has their Golden Globes® and their Oscars®, and we have the Caldecott and Newbery Medals, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the Michael J. Printz Award. Unlike most other book awards, the major children's book awards given by the ALA have no lists of finalists or nominees. It's a surprise every single year (with plenty of speculation beforehand) and I kind of love the secrecy. This year's announcement had both the unexpected and the "ah, of course" books on the lists (including some 2011 Best of the Month titles)--you just never know who is going to win what. Congratulations to this year's winning and honored authors and illustrators:
2012 Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
- Winner!: A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
- Honor: Blackout by John Rocco
- Honor: Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
- Honor: Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell
2012 Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:
- Winner!: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
- Honor: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
- Honor: Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin
2012 Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
- Winner!: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
- Honor: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman
- Honor: The Returning by Christine Hinwo Add a Comment