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I know. It's way past time to cover these ALA Awards, but I'm kind of doing it more for me than you. So... there. I've decided not to cover the Young Adult awards because I haven't read enough in YA this year to make any thoughtful opinions on the awards.

Let's start with - on a most appropriate day - Coretta Scott King Book Awards recognizing an African American author/illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. The author winner came as no surprise to anyone paying attention in children's literature for the last year. One Crazy Summer written by Rita Williams-Garcia is well-deserving of the award. Three King Author Honor Books were selected: Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers (haven't read it, but will), Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes (read it, liked it), and Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty written by G. Neri (haven't read it, probably won't).

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award went to Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, illustrated by Bryan Collier, apparently the best book you've never read. One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected: Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen this either. I wish Ruth and the Green Book had made one of these two lists. A missed opportunity to expose kids to a different topic in the Civil Rights period - that of the African-American motorist. (Read the book.)

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Author) Award went to Zora and Me written by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon and the Illustrator Award went to Seeds of Change, illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, written by Jen Cullerton Johnson. Haven't read the first, liked the second.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience. The winner was The Dreamer, written by Pam Muñoz Ryan. The three honor books were ¡Olé! Flamenco, written and illustrated by George Ancona, The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba written by Margarita Engle, and 90 Miles to Havana written by Enrique Flores-Galbis. I've read none of these. Sorry.

I had better luck with the Pura Belpré Illustrator Awards. While I have not seen the winner, Grandma’s Gift illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez, I have read all three of the honor books. They are Fiesta Babies, illustrated by Amy Córdova, written by Carmen Tafolla; Me, Frida, illustrated by David Diaz, written by Amy Novesky; and Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin, illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh. I didn't particularly like the illustrations of Fiesta Babies or Dear Primo, but Me, Frida is gorgeous.

The Schneider Family Book Award is given for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience. The Pirate of Kindergarten written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril wins the award for children ages 0 to 10. After Ever After written by Jordan Sonnenblick is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13), and the teen (ages 13-18) award winner is Five Flavors of Dumb, written by Antony John. I like how this category is divided by age group. I've read and like the first two, and plan to read the teen title.

So, that wraps it up for me for another year. I have a lot of catching up to do on the award reading, because I didn't get to many of the books selected this year. Better luck for 2011.

2009 Coretta Scott King Awards - Another Year of Mock Silence?
cover illustration by Cozbi A. Cabrera

There is so much about this book to like. With poetry by Ntozake Shange and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, this mini biography of Coretta Scott King is direct, simple, and inspirational.

Kadir Nelson's paintings are absolutely luminous. Full of light and emotion, the faces in particular tell a deep and moving story of the life journey of these characters. I was fortunate enough to hear Kadir speak about his work several years ago at a conference and learned that for much of his work, he paints life-size portraits. The figures in his books are always so impactful that there must be some magic in this method because his paintings are always so evocative.

Ntozake Shange's poetry does not disappoint. Deceptively, simple, there are layers of meaning in her carefully crafted words. The book's organization is in short vignettes that capture the various stages of Coretta's life. You can feel the pain and the hope of Coretta and her siblings as they walk the five miles to school each day with the dust of the white children's bus in their faces. Each verse is wonderful in its own way. This is one of my favorites:

over years
learning and freedom
took hold of Coretta's soul
til she knew in her being
that the Good Lord intended freedom
for the Negro.

At the end of the book there is a factual biography of Coretta's life that honors Coretta for the work that she did with her husband, Martin Luther King, and on her own after his death.

This book is a wonderful introduction to one of the great American stories of the 20th century.

The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award Winner for New Talent and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator of 2009. See Ms. Strickland's portfolio here. (And see Everybody Got Their Somethin’)

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon held by the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC. Established in 1945, the Children’s Book Guild (of which I am a member) is a professional organization of authors, illustrators, and specialists in children’s literature.

The luncheon was held in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. The speakers were author and editor Andrea Davis Pinkney, honorary co-chair of the 40th birthday celebration of the Coretta Scott King (CSK) Book Awards, and Guild member Deborah Taylor, the current chair of the award committee. Pinkney and Taylor talked about the history and winners of these prestigious awards, which recognize outstanding children’s books by African Americans.

As an added bonus, Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author and illustrator Kadir Nelson also attended the luncheon, as did Sharon Robinson, author and daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson.  Nelson and Robinson brought along copies of their gorgeous new book, Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson.  It was truly an inspiring event for all of us!

link: multimedia, online database

Earlier this morning at the ALA Midwinter Conference in Boston, the 2010 ALSC media award winners were announced.

The Lion and the Mouse illustrated (and written) by Jerry Pinkney won the Caldecott medal, which is given to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. This book was a stand-out favorite, but what is so special is that Pinkney is the first African-American to win this award so this is fantastic!

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead won the Newbery award, which is given to the to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. This book was the winner in many mock Newbery awards, so it was the stand-out favorite to win.

Goving Bovine by Libba Bray won the Printz award, which is given a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. This was a dark horse that surprised some people, but since its publication this book has always received Printz buzz.

The winners of the Coretta Scott King Awards were also announced this morning.

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson won the author award, which is which is given to African American author for an outstandingly inspirational and educational contribution.

My People by Charles R. Smith Jr. won the illustrator award, which is given to African American illustrator for an outstandingly inspirational and educational contribution.

The Rock and The River by Kekla Magoon won the the John Steptoe Award for New Talent, which is given to to affirm new talent and to offer visibility to excellence in writing and/or illustration.

There were also many other awards given out as well as honor books in each award category. Publisher Weekly has an award round-up as well as the ALSC website.