Good morning, book lovers, and welcome to the apex of the seventh season of the Cybils--that is, announcement day for our latest list of favorite books of 2012. They're a perfect blend of kid appeal and literary awesomeness, as befits the criteria of the Cybils Awards. Librarians love 'em, kids can't get enough, and we're thrilled to announce the crop of winners.
If you're an author or an
illustrator and you spot your name on this list, don't forget we have shiny gold stickers now and a fancy logo for you.
For everyone else, get ready to update your "To Be Read" pile.
Elementary & Middle Grade
Book Apps
What would you paint if you had a magic paintbrush? Would you paint all the riches you might want? But what might happen if an evil lord tries to steal this away? Dragon Brush takes children into this scene. The story resonates with heart and kindness as Bing-Wen, the story’s young rabbit hero, discovers the true gift of artwork—creating for those you love. Dragon Brush will charm and entertain with its solid story balancing interactivity and narrative. High production values marked by smooth narration, excellent musical score and precise sound engineering enhance the ancient Chinese folktale setting. Clever and often funny interactions are discoverable on each page of the story, including hidden ink pots that lead to a surprise for the reader. The app works well for a wide age range and will inspire repeat readings. The end of the story includes a painting app where the ink pots add colors and textures with which to paint. Each painting can be erased, saved, or shared. Dragon Brush exemplifies the standards of the Cybil Awards with its perfect blend of story, technology, and entertainment.
Fiction Picture Books
Home for Bird, A
By Philip C. Stead
Roaring Brook
Nominated by: Amy @ Hope Is the Word
A Home for Bird is a character-driven story about a frog named Vernon who
sets off on a perilous journey to help his silent friend find home and
happiness. Vernon is a loyal protagonist with whom preschoolers will easily
relate. A Home for Bird offers an engaging read-aloud experience, with ample
opportunity for audience participation, and a narrative with both subtle
humor and charm. Stead's vibrant and fluid illustrations are a perfect match
to the story, and will have young listeners clamoring for parents, teachers,
and/or librarians to "read it again!"
Nonfiction Picture Books
Mrs. Harkness and the Panda
By Alicia Potter, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Cathy Potter
Who could forget the endearing face of a panda bear like the one on the cover of
Mrs. Harkness and the Panda?
It is more difficult to remember, however, who brought the first panda
bear to America. In 1934, when the story starts, only a few people even
knew pandas existed. Mrs. Harkness, a young New York dress designer,
seemed to be the least-likely person to go to far-off China to look for
one. Yet when her husband dies during an attempt to find a panda, off
she goes on the adventure of a lifetime to fulfill his quest.
Reading
this book is an adventure of its own. It delves into China with rich
colors, using actual Chinese writing on the paper in the background of
the illustrations, photographs of Chinese coins, and even including some
well-placed Chinese words. Each page and each reading reveals new
discoveries.
The
story of a young woman heading off into the unknown is one of bravery
and perseverance that is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers.
Mrs. Harkness would
be perfect to introduce a geography or history lesson about China.
Although it is a biography, this book is also likely to stimulate
conversations about animal conservation, particularly discussions about
endangered animals and how our views of how to care for rare animals
have changed. It is truly a memorable and inspiring book.
Easy Readers
A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse is a modern-day rendition of the “Are we there yet?” story. A mouse and a boy travel by boat to Antarctica, all the while seeing fun and interesting things. Alas, Mouse just wants to get there, and then, once there, wants to go back home. The story is told in graphic novel format through speech bubbles and gorgeous illustration. While a fun read for children of all ages, the writing works perfectly for children just beginning their adventure as readers. There are plenty of decodable words, many sight words and lots of opportunity for the pictures to help out when the words are unfamiliar. There is a limited amount of text on each page and the font chosen is big and clear. A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse is the perfect trip to take with a new reader. Enjoy!
Early Chapter Books
Sadie and Ratz
By Sonya Hartnett, illustrated by Ann James
Candlewick Press
Nominated by: Katherine Sokolowski
When
Hannah's 4-year-old brother sneaks into her room, changes the TV
channel, or uses all the colored markers, Hannah takes matters into her
own hands. Literally. Her hands, which she's dubbed Sadie and Ratz, seek
revenge by trying to rub Baby Boy's ears off. Hartnett's
subversive chapter book doesn't shy away from children's dark side,
which is one of its strengths. It isn't long before Baby Boy figures out
a way to retaliate--he accuses Sadie and Ratz of his misdeeds, like
spilling milk and scribbling on walls. Hannah, stumped by this turn of
events, sends Sadie and Ratz on vacation, but the pair continues to get
blamed.
How
Hannah and Baby Boy resolve this conflict of hand warfare will delight
readers, and quite possibly dismay parents hoping for a tidier ending.
James's expressive charcoal illustrations further dramatize the
children's swirling emotions. This powerful book about the murky
underbelly of sibling rivalry deserves a big hand!
Poetry
BookSpeak!: Poems About Books
By Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Josee Bisaillon
Clarion Books
Nominated by: Katie Fitzgerald
"If a book remains unopened
and no reader turns its page,
does it still embrace a story
or trap words inside a cage?"
BookSpeak! celebrates all things books. One of our judges stated that it shows kids "how to look at a common object with new eyes." Another said, "I love the many 'voices' she created within the book world." A third judge noted, "when read aloud, I feel these poems have heaps of personality--and utility, too."
Laura Purdie Salas explores reading, writing, stories, and book components in a wide variety of poetic forms, styles, and imaginative voices. From the lyrical "Skywriting" to the clever personification of “Index,” the poems flow from beginning to end, providing helpful models that young writers may enjoy exploring and imitating.
Josee' Bisaillon's use of collage, digital montage, and drawings completes the whole package. Complemented by a distinctive use of typeface and energetic and expressive illustrations, BookSpeak! is a book of book poems that readers of all ages will return to again and again.
Graphic Novels
Claudette
can't wait to be a hero, just like her dragon-slaying dad (who's now
stuck at the forge in a wheelchair after a vicious battle). When
she learns that a giant attacked her town--and the citizens just let
it get away!--she knows this is her chance. She persuades her friend
and her little brother to go out questing with her, and the result is a
story full of adventure, humor, and heart. Aguirre and Rosado have
refreshingly eschewed traditional gender roles, creating likeable but
realistically flawed characters in a quasi-medieval world. Told with
expressive, full-color art and nice repetition of language for
developing readers, this fun and funny story is sure to appeal to kids.
Fantasy & Science Fiction
The False Prince: Book 1 of the Ascendance Trilogy
By Jennifer A. Nielsen
Scholastic
Nominated by: Natalie Aguirre
Sage is taken from his orphanage along with three other boys and thrust
into an attempt to save the kingdom from impending war. If he loses,
it's certain death, but Sage is very reluctant to win, since the prize
at the end means becoming someone's pawn and living a lie for the rest
of his life. The detailed world Nielsen creates is full of life,
populated with mystery, twists and turns, and engaging and complex
characters. Readers don't know who to trust, while Sage knows he can
trust no one, especially not Connor, the man who stole them away and has
aspirations of his own. Sage's voice is perfection, reading like a
medieval Sherlock Holmes. Unreliable and snarky, Sage keeps his
observations, assets, and motivations to himself until he knows he can
benefit. Readers can't help but cheer for him, even as he struggles to
come to grips with the ups and downs of a fate he doesn't desire.
Middle Grade Fiction
Wonder
By R. J. Palacio
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Flowering Minds
Auggie has always been home-schooled to accommodate for
multiple surgeries and illnesses. Now that he is stronger, he must join the
world of his peers and learn to deal with their perceptions of his extreme
disfigurement. Wonder is his story, and
it is at turns funny, heartbreaking, and illuminating, and always, always
compelling. Palacio tells it from multiple points of view, a choice that allows
readers to consider the feelings and reactions of many characters.
Auggie is a character endearing, brave, and normal enough to challenge readers
to wonder about some really big questions: What would it be like to be Auggie?
Would I have the courage to be friends with him? How difficult is it to
"choose kind"? This remarkable and surprisingly humorous first novel grips
its middle-grade audience in such a profound and meaningful way, and it is a book we believe could make readers out of nonreaders--making
Wonder our runaway top choice for this year's Cybils Middle Grade Fiction
Award.
Young Adult
Nonfiction Books
Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
By Steve Sheinkin
Flash Point
Nominated by: Monica Edinger
A taut, real-life spy thriller, Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin is the true story of how the United States, Hitler's Germany, and the Soviet Union each sought to build the world's first nuclear weapon by whatever means possible. A first-rate page turner that has impeccable research and is sure to interest both MG and YA readers, Bomb is the perfect example of how nonfiction can be everything fiction is--and more.
Graphic Novels
Friends with Boys
By Faith Erin Hicks
First Second Books
Nominated by: Adam Shaffer (@MrShafferTMCE)
When
homeschooler Maggie joins her older brothers at the public high school,
she isn't sure what to expect--and her mother isn't around anymore to
ease the transition. This contemporary coming-of-age story captures
realistic teen behavior, though a mysterious ghost adds fantasy to the
mix. Compelling illustrations in black and white play with the
intersections of light and dark, past and future. The richness of the
relationships, the resonance of Maggie's emotional life, and the
satisfying--though pleasantly ambiguous--conclusion make Maggie's
story one to remember.
[For a shorter version of this blurb, check out Graphic Novel judge Emily Mitchell's review haiku.]
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Seraphina
By Rachel Hartman
Random House Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Ana @ things mean a lot
Seraphina is a genre-blending fantasy that dazzled us all. Dragons, a
murder mystery, family secrets, and a love story--there is something
here for everyone, even those who aren't regular high fantasy readers.
We were hooked by the mystery and intrigue of dragons and conspiracies
as well as the fascinating and intricate world building. Seraphina is a
complex and appealing heroine. She's fiery and vulnerable and gifted and
brave. Her love of music is a refreshing thread throughout the story as
is a fairly surprising mystery. Seraphina's transformation throughout
the novel was inspiring and wonderful to follow. With beautiful writing
and tight pacing,
Seraphina kept us turning the pages, eager to follow
the heroine and learn more about the strong ensemble cast. We're sure
readers will find a lot to love in this highly original dragon story.
Young Adult Fiction
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
By Jesse Andrews
Amulet
Nominated by: Leila Roy
Greg
wants you to know that he's not writing some soppy cancer book. The
impending death of his sorta-friend, sorta-ex-girlfriend Rachel from
leukemia won't teach him any great lessons about the meaning of life.
He's gonna swear. He's gonna crack sick jokes. There will be
awkward silences. And he'll make stupendously bad films with his best
friend, Earl, while ignoring his own rules about staying under the radar
during senior year.
What
Greg doesn't tell you is that his story will break your heart anyway.
With sharply-drawn characters, dialogue so real you expect to hear it
in the school hallway, and a mix of formats that keep the story moving,
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a book that will make readers laugh
out loud even as they sympathize with Greg's bumpy journey into
adulthood.
So... LTSF #2 is due to my editor by close of business today (and yes, I'm still working on it. I've been awake for far longer than I want to think about.) So yeah, definitely no
MMGM today.
But I have last week's winner to announce:
Yay! If that's you, you won a copy of GEEKS, GIRLS, & SECRET IDENTITIES by Mike Jung. Email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your address and I will mail off your prize.
And I tried to throw together the links as quickly as I could--sorry if I missed someone or got something wrong. Blame deadline brain:
- Rebecca Behrens joins the MMGM fun with her first feature on SWAY. Click HERE to welcome her to the fun.
- 8-year-old Lucy also joins the MMGM fun with a feature on CASSIDY THE COSTUME FAIRY. Click HERE to welcome her to the group!
- Katie Fitzgerald is back with a feature on FOURTH STALL PART III. Click HERE to see her review.
- Danika Dinsmore has part two of her ive report from ALA Midwinter. Click HERE to see what that's all about!
- Laurisa White Reyes has an interview with author Paul R. Hewlett--with a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE for details.
- Rosi Hollinbeck has two different features--plus a GIVEAWAY of WINTER'S TIDE! Click HERE to see what she thought!
- Susan Olson is feeling wanderlove for THE VOYAGE (RETURN TO TITANIC) Click HERE to see why.
- Jennifer Rumberger is sharing TROUBLE ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY (and her young son is helping with the post) Click HERE for all the fun.
- Brennan and Meyrick Murphy are gushing about BIG NATE MAKES THE GRADE. Click HERE to see what these two middle grade readers thought of it.
- Flash, the Feline Extraordinaire, (and Professional Mews to Cindy Strandvold) recommends LIONS OF LITTLEROCK. Click HERE to see what that's all about.
- Dorine White has an ARC Giveaway from her recent trip to ALA Midwinter. Click HERE to see what's up for grabs.
- Pam Torres always has an MMGM up on her blog. Click HERE to see what she's spotlighting this week.
- Michelle Isenhoff is always part of the MMGM fun. Click HERE to see what she's talking about today.
- Joanne Fritz always has an MMGM for you. Click HERE to see what she's talking about this week.
- The Mundie Moms are always part of the MMGM fun (YAY!). Click HERE to see their newest recommendations. And if you aren't also following their Mundie Kids site, get thee over THERE and check out all the awesome!
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Karen Yingling also always has some awesome MMGM recommendations for you. Click HERE to which ones she picked this time!
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so I see it)
NOTE: I used to not have a cut-off time for adding links to the post, but with how insane my schedule is right now, if you don't email me by Sunday evening (usually around 11pm PST is when I put the links together) I can't guarantee I'll have a chance to add you. BUT, you are welcome to add your link in the comments on this post so people can find you!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen posts ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me ahead of time
Oops--deadline brain Shannon TOTALLY forgot I had a winner to post today. And an extra important one too since uh, they're winning MY BOOK. #Shannonfail
ANYWAY um, without further ado, the winner of the shiny ARC of LET THE SKY FALL is....
Yay!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will have S&S ship off your prize.
For everyone else--thank you SO MUCH for your amazing enthusiasm for LET THE SKY FALL and for posting the widget on your blogs (which you can still get
HERE--and remember, it has WIND FX!!) and all around being super awesome. I promise I will have more ARC contests and swag contests in the new year.
In the meantime, S&S is currently giving away FIVE shiny ARCs over on Goodreads, so if you haven't entered over there--what are you waiting for???? Go
HERE.
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!!!
Whew--I have a LOT of winners to announce today.
First up, the winner of an ARC of SURRENDER, by Elana Johnson:
YAY!
The winner of WHEN YOU REACH ME, by Rebecca Stead is:
Double YAY!
The winner of their choice of book from Becca Fitzpatrick and Kiersten White is:
Triple YAY!!!!
(who picked CRESCENDO and ENDLESSLY--but please confirm that')
And the THREE winners of the ARCs of KEEPER OF THE LOST CITES are:
QUADRUPLE YAY!!!
(And also EEP--I hope they like it!!!!)
Phew--that is a LOT of winners. And if one of those is you, here's what you do:
Make sure you email me by Sunday, June 10th at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address--and please put something like "Winner of (insert prize here)" in the subject line. If I haven't heard from you by the 10th I'll be forced to choose a replacement winner. And if I have heard from you, your prize still won't be shipped out until after the 10th, because I will be out of town for BEA until then. (you also may not get a reply to your email until after that--but don't worry, I won't give anyone's prize away until I check my email and make sure I haven't heard from them).
And on a personal note, I just want to thank you all for the excitement and support for my KEEPER contest. I wish I could send ARCs to all of you, but alas, they are limited. HOWEVER, I can promise that this won't be the only KEEPER ARC contest I'll do. There will be at least a couple more. Pl
¡Felicidades! Congratulations!
* CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
Best Educational Children’s Book – English
FIRST PLACE The Dreamer, Pam Munóz Ryan & Peter Sis; Scholastic Books; USA
Best Educational Children’s Book – Spanish
FIRST PLACE Letra a Letra, Angels Navarro; Editorial Combel; Spain
Best Educational Children’s Book – Bilingual
FIRST PLACE The Oldest House in the USA/La casa mas antigua de los Estados Unidos, Kat Aragon; Lectura Books
SECOND PLACE 1,2,3 Si! A Numbers Book in English and Spanish, Madeleine Budnick; Trinity University Press
HONORABLE MENTION The Ghost of Jose Luis Muñoz and The Day of the Dead, Joyce Prince; Laredo Publishing Company; USA
Best Children’s Picture Book – English
FIRST PLACE Witches Handbook, Monica Carretero; Cuento de Luz; Spain
SECOND PLACE The Word Collector, Sonja Wimmer; Cuento de Luz; Spain
HONORABLE MENTION Goodbye, Havana! Hola, New York!, Edie Colon, Raul Colon illustrations; Paula Wiseman Books; Cuba, USA
HONORABLE MENTION The Pet Shop Revolution, Ana Juan; Arthur A. Levine Books; Spain
HONORABLE MENTION Waiting for the Biblioburro, Monica Brown; Random House Children’s Books; USA
HONORABLE MENTION Welcome to My Neighborhood! A Barrio ABC, Quiara Alegria Hudes & Shino Arihara; Arthur A. Levine Books; USA
Best Children’s Picture Book – Spanish
FIRST PLACE Compórtate, Pablo Picasso!, Jonah Winter
Yikes--I don't know WHERE this weekend went, but I totally forgot to announce the winner of last week's blog contest. SORRY.
But, figuring its better late than never, the winner of ALL THESE LIVES by the fabulous Sarah Wylie is...
Yay!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will send you your prize!
To everyone else, luckily, ALL THESE LIVES is available in stores and libraries RIGHT AT THIS VERY SECOND. I highly recommend picking up a copy. :)
HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT WEEKEND!
Ugh--sorry guys. Once again I forgot to post the winner (I swear I'm going to stop doing this someday).
Okay, the winner of REAL MERMAIDS DON'T HOLD THEIR BREATH is...
Yay!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will ship off your prize.
The first of the adult jaguar shifter books,
Savage Hunger, is being given away by Sourcebooks at Goodreads!
Just saw the Google alert!
Enter for a chance to win!
Terry
www.terryspear.com
I'm still in LA after SCBWI (soooo much fun--though alas, I didn't take ANY pics to show you guys, #Shannonfail) So it's probably no surprise that I do NOT have an MMGM this week. SORRY. It'll be a miracle if I manage just to get the links right!
But first, I have the winner of last week's MMGM to announce. The winner of THE ROCK OF IVANORE is...
If that's you, email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will ship off your prize!
Okay, that's done. Now on to the awesome list of all the other amazing
MMGM's floating around the blogosphere today*:
- Michelle Mason is feeling THREE TIMES LUCKY. Click HERE to see why.
- Alex Baugh joins the MMGM fun with a feature on A SHIRTFUL OF FROGS. Click HERE to welcome her to the fun!
- Michelle Isenhoff is cheering for THE HIGH KING. Click HERE to see why.
- Gabrielle Prendergast bites into THE MERITS OF MISCHIEF: THE BAD APPLE. Click HERE to see why she thinks it's a treat.
- Heidi Grange is raving about THE MAGIC WARBLE--with a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE for details.
- Melanie Conklin is announcing last week's contest winner, and spreading the love for BREADCRUMBS! Click HERE for all the fun.
- Andrea Mack is swept up in SEAGLASS SUMMER. Click HERE to learn why she thinks its worth a read.
- Michael Gettel Gilmarten is raving about ISLAND DANGER. Click HERE for his review.
- Laurisa Reyes has an interview with author Braden Bell--plus a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE for details
- Deb Marshall has shivers for Anthony Williams' books. Click HERE to see why.
- Danica Dinsmore is cheering for LIESL & PO. Click HERE to see what she thought.
- Pam Torres always has an MMGM up on her blog. Click HERE to see what she's spotlighting this week.
- The Mundie Moms are always part of the MMGM fun (YAY!). Click HERE to see their newest recommendations. And if you aren't also following their Mundie Kids site, get thee over THERE and check out all the awesome!
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Karen Yingling also always has some awesome MMGM recommendations for you. Click HERE to which ones she picked this time!
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so I see it)
NOTE: I used to not have a cut-off time for adding links to the post, but with how insane my schedule is right now, if you don't email me by Sunday evening (usually around 11pm PST is when I put the links together) I can't guarantee I'll have a chance to add you. BUT, you are welcome to add your link in the comments on this post so people can find you!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen posts ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me ahead of time.
Okay--don't go into shock, but I actually remembered to draw a winner at a reasonable time!!!!!! (also, don't get used to this. I will likely go back to my forgetful ways immediately.)
Anyway, the lucky winner of the hardcover copy of UNWANTEDS: ISLAND OF SILENCE by the amazing Lisa McMann is...
Yay!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will send off your prize. For everyone else, mark those calendars for September 4th, when you can pick up your own copy of this seriously awesome book. You DO NOT want to miss out.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Okay, I know it's late. BUT I DID REMEMBER! (I really need to set some sort of reminder for this stuff...)
Anyway, the winner of my release day celebration is...
Yay!
*tosses sparkles*
And she chose DEFINANCE, by C.J. Redwine. So if that's you, email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your address and I will ship out your prize.
Hope everyone's enjoying their long weekend!
YAY I'M ACTUALLY KINDA SORTA ON TIME THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(what? One must celebrate the small victories!) :)
Okay, the winner of WONDER by R.J. Palacio is...
YAY!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address so I can ship off your prize!
Okay, I'll admit it, I forgot the winner again. But in my defense it's been a CRAZY weekend with TWO back to back events, so I am pretty much falling-on-my-face-exhausted at this moment. BUT, I have drawn a winner so without further ado...
The winner of THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, by Claire Legrand is...
Yay!
*tosses sparkles*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will send off your prize!
And now... SLEEP!
Annnnnnnnnnnnd... I forgot the winner again. I'm betting you're not surprised by this. *sigh* *shakes head at self*
Anyway, the slightly belated but still official winner of DARKBEAST by Morgan Keyes is...
YAY!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will send off your prize.
And the rest of you, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this amazing book. You won't regret it!
Yay--I didn't forget the winner this week!!! (I know it's still a bit late, but in my defense I've been at the West Hollywood Book Fair all day).
Okay, so the winner of ROYAL PRINCESS ACADEMY: DRAGON DREAMS by Laura Joy Rennert is....
Yay!
*tosses sparkles*
If that's you, email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will send you your prize.
Happy Sunday!
Two books with exclamation points in the title!
So now we have two winners whom I hope will have exclamation points burst over their heads!
The winner of ROBOT ZOMBIE FRANKENSTEIN! is:
Melissa K.!
The winner of OH NUTS! is:
Maria Johnson!
Ladies, look out for an email from me.
And tomorrow everyone’s a winner because I’m announcing the guest-blogging line up for November’s PiBoIdMo! Exclamation point palooza!!!!
Thank you to all the awesome people who entered to win this book! The winner of
THE FAERIE RING by Kiki Hamilton (Tor Teen, September 27, 2011)
is...
LAUREN GOFF!
Sparkly flowers and all sorts of congratulations!
p.s. look for more giveaways coming soon!
You’ve been patiently waiting…so here is the winner of the BOY + BOT AFFIRMATIVELY AWESOME PRIZE PACK which includes the BOT clip, stickers, bookmarks, and a copy of the book!
ConBOTulations, KIRSTEN LARSON!
And these folks win a copy of BOY + BOT:
PENNY MORRISON
JEN MASCHARI
Now, onto our PUZZLED BY PINK winner!
ConPINKulatiolns, MARIA GIANFERRARI!
(Maria, your email bounced so please get in touch with me at tarawrites (at) yahoo (dot) com.)
I’ll be emailing everyone shortly to collect your postal addresses.
Stay tuned because I’ll be picking our PUGS IN A BUG winner tomorrow! (You’ve still got until the end of today to enter.)
The winning titles and translators of this year’s Best Translated Book Award were announced earlier this evening at McNally Jackson Books as part of the PEN World Voices Festival. In poetry, Kiwao Nomura’s Spectacle & Pigsty, translated from the Japanese by Kyoko Yoshida and Forrest Gander, took the top honor, and Wiesław Myśliwski’s Stone Upon Stone, translated from the Polish by Bill Johnston, won for fiction. Organized by Three Percent at the University of Rochester, the Best Transalted Book Award is the only prize of its kind to honor the best original works of international literature and poetry published in the U.S. over the previous year.
Tom Roberge of New Directions and Chad W. Post of Open Letter (who are also co-hosts of the weekly Three Percent Podcast) hosted the celebration, which took place at one of the premiere independent bookstores in the country. Thanks to the support of Amazon.com, $20,000 will be distributed among the winning authors and translators. This is the second consecutive year that Amazon.com has underwritten the BTBA.
“It’s extremely satisfying to be able to give these authors and translators such a significant cash prize,” said BTBA co-founder Chad W. Post, “and it’s especially pleasing to do so in this environment—at such a great bookstore, during such a great festival.”
Wiesław Myśliwski is a two-time winner of Poland’s Nike Award, and was awarded the 2011 Golden Sceptre award for lifetime achievement in the arts. A grand, rural epic, Stone Upon Stone—his first work to be translated into English—is narrated by Syzmek, a Polish farmer determined to build a tomb for himself after a life of boozing, brawling, fighting in the resistance, serving as a marriage officer, and exaggerating his way through the twentieth century and the modernization of his small town. According to the Times Literary Supplement, it’s “a marvel of narrative seduction, a rare double masterpiece of storytelling and translation.” This is the second book published by Archipelago, the Brooklyn-based nonprofit press, to win the award. (Attila Bartis’s Tranquility won in 2009.)
Bill Johnson is Director of the Polish Studies Center at Indiana University, and has translated two dozen works, including Tadeusz Rózewicz’s new poems, for which he won the inaugural Found in Translation award presented to the translator of the finest Polish-English literary translation of the year.
Spectacle & Pigsty is the first full collection of Kiwao Nomura’s poetry to be published in English translation. These strange and wild poems deal with sex and loss and memory by making unpredictable leaps of association. In the words of his publisher, Omnidawn, if you “imagine Fugazi singing philosophy” you can get a sense of what his poetry was like.
Kiwao Nomura is one of Japan’s leading contemporary poets, and is also a prolific critic, translator, and essayist on contemporary poetry. In 2007, he organized the Festival of International Poetry: Toward the Pacific Rim, and was a fellow in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in 2005.
Kyolo Yoshida also participated in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in 2005. Her work has appeared in several journals, including the Massachusetts Review and the Beloit Fiction Journal. Forrest Gander is the author of several books of poems, translations, and prose, and has edited several anthologies. Two of his translations have been PEN Translation Award Finalists, and he has received fellowships from the NEA, Guggenheim, Whiting, and Howard foundation
Sorry guys, been so caught up in my ALL-DAY-REVISE-TILL-I-DROP (or reach "the end") marathon that I totally forgot I had winners to post.
So... sorry these are late, but...
The winner of the signed James Riley books (HALF UPON A TIME and TWICE UPON A TIME) is...
YAY!
*tosses confetti*
AND--the three winners who get exclusive KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES swag packs are...
YAY!
*tosses sparkles*
*blows noisemaker*
(and on a personal note, gotta say, reading all those awesome comments on that post with all the KEEPER love seriously got me misty eyed. I wish I could give swag to all of you--but I PROMISE I have lots more awesome giveaways to come over the next few months!)
Okay, so if that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address so I can send off your prize. And it would be a HUGE help if you could put WINNER in the subject line and tell me what prize you won in the email. I will try to get everything shipped off next week--as soon as I get book 2 turned into my editor (and maybe recover from these marathon hours)
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Been another crazy weekend (seriously, can someone slow down life) so once again I'm posting these a bit later than I meant to. But at least I remembered!
I have two winners to announce. Fist, the winner of SEEING CINDERELLA, by Jenny Lundquist is:
YAY!
*tosses confetti*
And the winner of HERE THERE BE DRAGONS, by James A Owen is...
YAY!
*flings sparkles*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will make sure I get you your prize.
For everyone else, thanks for entering. And if you're a fan of contests, check back next week. I *might* be giving away some KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES ARCs :)
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are they on their way??
Congrats to Andrea! Good luck getting your manuscript out today. You can do it!
Wow! Thanks, Shannon! I've been wanting to read this one!
I forgot to mention that my post had a special focus on books for boys. And the post was up a bit late because I am not as hard core as you and can't stay up all night...
Shannon! I hope you get some sleeeeeeep!
Shannon, it's a miracle and a testament to your commitment to great books that you post this list every week. Kudos to you :)
Hi, Shannon, I thought I saw a familiar name from WriteOnCon as the host of this MMGM thing. My blog partner, author Paul R Hewlett, is guest posting over at Laurisa's blog about his Lionel's Grand Adventure series. I'm glad you're doing this because I've also noticed YA gets most of the love. I started writing for middle grade because I wanted to write for the kids who did like I did at age 9, hiding under my bed with a book to avoid piano lessons or something else awful like doing dishes. For me, all those rewrites turned into editing, just as fun as the actual story telling because I'm helping other people's stories get better. I'm glad to see you've already got sequels in the works.