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One of the reasons I love working with teens and kids is that their books are so awesome. There are so many amazing authors in YA right now, from John Green to Holly Black to Stephanie Perkins. I could spend all day, every day reading amazing YA lit and still not even make a dent in my to-read pile. That’s not even mentioning the great kidslit out there, including Rebecca Stead and Catherynn Valente.  Just thinking about all the books and authors I want to read makes me giddy.

So, in terms of reading, I’m a pretty busy lady. As you all know, librarians don’t really get to sit around reading every day, so I have to squeeze in what I can during lunches, after work, and on my commute (don’t worry, that’s an audiobook happening there). With all of the pressure to keep up with popular authors and series, I sometimes forget about all the books over in ol’ Dewey. I mean, I know they’re cool (probably. maybe? definitely.), but nonfiction just seems less appealing when I’m plucking my next book to read off my stack of library tomes. I know that connecting to all types of books – nonfiction included – is just as important as connecting to readers and community members when serving teens successfully.

Because of my aversion to the facts, I was pretty excited to take advantage of the YALSA Nonfiction Reading Challenge. The idea of gamifying my reading appealed to me, and the Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction committee already did the legwork of picking out some of the best books of the year. Thanks, guys!

I plunged right in and started reading the nonfiction titles, which range from a biography about Steve Jobs to a book about the Birmingham children’s marches. All of the topics wouldn’t have appealed to me without the challenge, but once I started reading each book, I was enthralled. Hearing the full story of Jobs’ rise, and fall, and rise again! at Apple gave me a better understanding of the tech news I like to read. Learning about shorebirds made me realize even more the impact of disappearing environments. The Titanic, which I’ve never really given one whit about, enthralled me as I read about people who spent hours in icy water.

Reading five books for the challenge was pretty much the easiest way I’ve diversified my reading this year. Just having an idea of some of the awesome nonfiction titles out there has made me more eager to go over to that side of the library, and I’ve already been able to recommend several of the titles to patrons!

If you haven’t joined the challenge yet, don’t worry! The Best of the Best Challenge from the Hub will be coming up soon, and it will include the Morris Award, the Nonfiction Award, and more. I would recommend that anyone who is looking to spice up reading their and connect to titles (and teens) they might not otherwise take a chance on – check it out!

In February we are posting interviews with each of the 2012 Candidates for YALSA Award Committees. This week we are focusing on the Excellence in Non-fiction Award Committee.  Each day this week we’ll post an interview with one of the candidates for that committee. We are posting alphabetically by candidate’s last names.  

The YALSA Nominating Committee for 2012 has been working hard to select candidates for this year’s election. The Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The Committee is made up of eight members, including the chair. You can read the Committee policies and procedures on the YALSA website.

This is your chance to get to know this year’s candidates nominated to serve on the Excellence in Nonfiction Committee. Don’t forget polls are open from March 19 to April 27.

Today we have an interview with Scott Robins.

What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
I have experience on award and selection committees: last year I had the joy of being a judge for the Joe Shuster Comics for Kids award and for the past three years I have been part of the selection committee for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens. The assigned material categories change from year to year but this year I’m reviewing graphic novels and non-fiction titles. I am also currently a Youth Services Specialist at Toronto Public Library and have a good understanding of the reading needs of teens. I also have experience evaluating books, writing reviews but also from my previous career in children’s publishing as a buyer for Scholastic Book Clubs.

Why do you want to be a member of this awards committee?
I’ve always admired the passionate work that YALSA has done for youth in libraries and want to be part of that community. Even since I became a librarian, I’ve felt strongly towards connecting teens to books they actually want to read. Non-fiction for teens is an area that I have some familiarity but I want to learn more. This is an amazing opportunity to increase my breadth of knowledge in this category.

What are you most looking forward to in being a part of this award decision process?
I think we’re always looking for excuses to discuss books with people and being on an award jury definitely fulfills that compulsion that librarians all seem to possess. I’m also looking forward to meeting like minded librarians, as well as having a good reason to attend ALA conferences. I used to attend ALA conference in a publisher capacity but I’ve yet to attend one as a librarian.

What do you feel are the key factors for decision-making for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?

I would say the big ones are accuracy, clarity and presentation. But also, it is important to try and live in the mind of a teen reader and think of questions like: is this book relevant to me?; or does the topic and the design/format/delivery of that topic speak to me?

The reading load for awards committees is very high, how do you plan on managing the work load of award committee life?
Like I said, I’ve been on committees before that require a lot of reading and I’ve learned through trial and error the importance of staying on top of it. I think sticking to a weekly schedule, setting goals and adjusting that schedule and goals at the end of each week is crucial.

What have you learned from past experiences on awards, juries, or other YALSA committees that you will bring with you to this committee?
From my past experiences, I definitely bring a “plays well with oth

In February we are posting interviews with each of the 2012 Candidates for YALSA Award Committees. This week we are focusing on the Excellence in Non-fiction Award Committee.  Each day this week we’ll post an interview with one of the candidates for that committee. We are posting alphabetically by candidate’s last names.  

The YALSA Nominating Committee for 2012 has been working hard to select candidates for this year’s election. The Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The Committee is made up of eight members, including the chair. You can read the Committee policies and procedures on the YALSA website.

This is your chance to get to know this year’s candidates nominated to serve on the Excellence in Nonfiction Committee. Polls are open from March 19 to April 27.

Today we have an interview with Renee McGrath.

What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
I have served on Popular Paperbacks for YAs (2 years) and just finished my term on the 2012 Newbery Award Selection Committee. Both of these committees gave me the experience of working with a big group of people on how to come to a decision about a book and whether or not it should either be included on a list or was worthy of an award. I also learned a lot about critically evaluating titles for an award. It is a different kind of reading. You must set aside your personal beliefs and interests and only look at the book for what it offers the reader in regards to the criteria of the award.

Why do you want to be a member of this awards committee?
I have always had a special place in my heart for nonfiction geared for younger people. I think part of that is professional and most of it is personal. When my son was young, nonfiction books would make him come alive! As he got older, it was sometimes the only thing I could get him to read. So, I came to really appreciate having excellent nonfiction available at my public library. It was not something I could afford to purchase on my own. I know what a good nonfiction book can mean to a parent who is struggling to get a child to read. When I became a librarian serving youth, I also realized the value of an excellent nonfiction book. It was something I could rely on when doing readers’ advisory. I would also use them in class visits. Many times, it was the nonfiction titles that went out first.

What are you most looking forward to in being a part of this award decision process?
Everything! Getting the books, reading them, critically evaluating them, and ultimately working with the committee to select the winner.

What do you feel are the key factors for decision-making for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
I will have to study the policies and procedures a bit before being completely knowledgeable on how the committee comes to their decision. However, I do know that we will look at the writing, making sure it is written in an engaging manner. We will also make sure that the information presented is accurate and organized in such a way that it is clear to the young adult reader.

The reading load for awards committees is very high, how do you plan on managing the work load of award committee life?
I was able to manage the reading load for both Popular Paperbacks and Newbery, so I don’t think I will have a problem with this one. I have become very good at using my iPad to organize my notes and schedules.

What have you learned from past experiences on awards, juries, or other YALSA committees that you will bring with you to this committee?
To always keep

In February we are posting interviews with each of the 2012 Candidates for YALSA Award Committees. This week we are focusing on the Excellence in Non-fiction Award Committee.  Each day this week we’ll post an interview with one of the candidates for that committee. We are posting alphabetically by candidate’s last names.  

The YALSA Nominating Committee for 2012 has been working hard to select candidates for this year’s election. The Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The Committee is made up of eight members, including the chair. You can read the Committee policies and procedures on the YALSA website.

This is your chance to get to know this year’s candidates nominated to serve on the Excellence in Nonfiction Committee. Polls are open March 19 to April 27.

Today we have an interview with Karen Keys.

What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
I’m about to celebrate five years as a librarian, and I want to focus my time and energy on work that will allow me to give back to the division that supported me as a new librarian.

I’ve followed a typical trajectory for participation in YALSA. I started out on a process committee (Technology for Teens), and I’ve been serving on the Alex Awards committee for the last three years. Reading adult books for the committee has been incredibly worthwhile, but I’m really looking forward to getting back to YA. Being on an award committee has helped fine-tune my critical reading skills.

Why do you want to be a member of this awards committee?
I think some librarians and educators have the misconception that only a certain type of teen reader likes to read non-fiction or teens only like to read a certain type of non-fiction. Teens reading tastes are just as varied as adults, and it’s up to us to help them discover their next read.

What are you most looking forward to in being a part of this award decision process?
The simple stuff: the reading, the discussion, and that feeling of excitement once the decision has been made.

What do you feel are the key factors for decision-making for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
Many of the award charges are written in a way that is deliberately vague, and each committee interprets it in a different way. It’s important to select books that are going to promote a wider readership of nonfiction, but also ones that are outstanding examples of what the genre can be. Strong writing, impeccable research, and teen appeal are all factors to judge a nonfiction book’s merit.

The reading load for awards committees is very high, how do you plan on managing the work load of award committee life?
It’s necessary to start with a realistic expectation of the workload, an estimate of the total number of titles to be read. As the Alex Awards committee chair, I outlined this for members by explicitly stating that they should expect to read at least 100 titles over 11 months. From there, you aim for nine books a month and monitor whether you’re hitting your targets. If a committee reads 300 books, you work back from there.

Also, you just accept that at certain points, your life belongs to the books. I spent a recent week in Vermont reading by the fire as my friends skied, ice skated, and stomped in the snow.

What have you learned from past experiences on awards, juries, or other YALSA committees that you will bring with you to this committee?
It’s important to select books that teens want to read and not just pick the books we want them to want them to

In February we are posting interviews with each of the 2012 Candidates for YALSA Award Committees. This week we are focusing on the Excellence in Non-fiction Award Committee.  Each day this week we’ll post an interview with one of the candidates for that committee. We are posting alphabetically by candidate’s last names.  

The YALSA Nominating Committee for 2012 has been working hard to select candidates for this year’s election. The Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The Committee is made up of eight members, including the chair. You can read the Committee policies and procedures on the YALSA website.

This is your chance to get to know this year’s candidates nominated to serve on the Excellence in Nonfiction Committee. The polls are open March 19 to April 27.

Today we have an interview with Jamison Hedin.

What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
I have been a high school library media specialist since 2008. I work extensively with subject area teachers to evaluate and select nonfiction materials for academic, personal interest, and recreational reading for students between the ages of 14 and 18. I have also served for two terms as a member of YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Why do you want to be a member of this awards committee?
Nonfiction for young adults is a growing genre, but it is still challenging to find truly engaging and well-written titles targeted specifically for the YA market. I would love to help promote the genre and help other librarians identify excellent books.

What are you most looking forward to in being a part of this award decision process?
I am eager to participate in the discussion of nominated titles with my colleagues. In my previous selection committee experience, the discussion and debate among committee members was really thought-provoking.

What do you feel are the key factors for decision-making for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
The quality of the writing, authority of information, and accessibility of the presentation are the three most important factors to me. A book on a fascinating topic can end up being useless if the writing and presentation are weak, while excellent writing and an engaging format can elevate a topic that might not be initially appealing.

The reading load for awards committees is very high, how do you plan on managing the work load of award committee life?
In my experience, the key is to integrate the work of the committee into your daily routine as much as possible. While I was on Quick Picks, I used many of the nominations in regularly scheduled book talks or found other ways to incorporate them into my daily work. When preparing for classes or programs is synonymous with your committee work, it makes the reading load more manageable.

What have you learned from past experiences on awards, juries, or other YALSA committees that you will bring with you to this committee?
The most important lesson I have taken from my selection committee experience is to remember that your library and your patrons are not the only potential settings and readers for a title. It’s so important to take other populations into consideration – just because something doesn’t work in your setting doesn’t mean it won’t work elsewhere.

In your experience how has the YALSA Awards and Selected Lists helped you as a librarian, or made your work better or easier or different than expected?
Like many librarians, I use the YALSA award and hon

In February we are posting interviews with each of the 2012 Candidates for YALSA Award Committees. This week we are focusing on the Excellence in Non-fiction Award Committee.  Each day this week we’ll post an interview with one of the candidates for that committee. We are posting alphabetically by candidate’s last names.  

The YALSA Nominating Committee for 2012 has been working hard to select candidates for this year’s election. The Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The Committee is made up of eight members, including the chair. You can read the Committee policies and procedures on the YALSA website.

This is your chance to get to know this year’s candidates nominated to serve on the Excellence in Nonfiction Committee. Polls are open from March 19 to April 27.

Today we have an interview with Dorcas Hand.

What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
I read reviews and many, many books each year – realizing I don’t always agree with those reviews and read the book myself whenever possible. I have worked every year for 20+ on the HAISLN Recommended Reading List to update one level or another of this K-12 list, a process which has me reading and discussing the relative merits of a variety of books for our purpose. Many years ago, I chaired SLJs “Adult Books for Young Adults”, an experience that taught me much about book evaluation. I have reviewed for The Horn Book (1982, when I lived in Boston) and SLJ for many years. This combination of experiences leaves me well trained for this committee.

Why do you want to be a member of this awards committee?
I especially love nonfiction as it is published these days, and recognize the wealth of good writing that is included in the genre. I organize an annual program at AOS to bring in a nonfiction author for four days of master classes with students in 4-8th grades who have research projects in process. I have been able to work with Susan Bartoletti Campbell, Jennifer Armstrong and Marc Aronson among others in the 8 years of the project; Tanya Stone will be coming in 2012. I look forward to reading high quality nonfiction to find the most exceptional this year.

What are you most looking forward to in being a part of this award decision process?
I look forward to meeting new people in my colleagues on the committee, to learning more about book evaluation in the course of the discussions, and to reading many wonderful books to share with my students and faculty colleagues. Of course, at the end of the process, I look forward to meeting the authors!

What do you feel are the key factors for decision-making for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
Interesting content and a unique perspective on content would be at the top of the list. There are many adequate nonfiction titles available; excellence implies a more insightful treatment and an approach that welcomes readers to the discovery process and the excitement of the new knowledge.

The reading load for awards committees is very high, how do you plan on managing the work load of award committee life?
The good news is that several other commitments are ending as I head off the AASL Board, the TLA Conference Planning Committee and the local dance group board. I look forward to lots of reading!

What have you learned from past experiences on awards, juries, or other YALSA committees that you will bring with you to this committee?
I have been very active in ALA/AASL/ISS for 30 years, as well as in the local library community. This consistency of involvement has provid

In February we are posting interviews with each of the 2012 Candidates for YALSA Award Committees. This week we are focusing on the Excellence in Non-fiction Award Committee.  Each day this week we’ll post an interview with one of the candidates for that committee. We are posting alphabetically by candidate’s last names.  

The YALSA Nominating Committee for 2012 has been working hard to select candidates for this year’s election. The Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The Committee is made up of eight members, including the chair. You can read the Committee policies and procedures on the YALSA website.

This is your chance to get to know this year’s candidates nominated to serve on the Excellence in Nonfiction Committee. Don’t forget the polls are open March 19 through April 27.

Today we have an interview with Maria Gentle.

What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
I was very fortunate to be part of the first Printz Award committee (2000) and the Newbery Award committee of 2010 among others. Being part of these committees taught me much about cooperation, time management, and sound literary judgment among other things.

Why do you want to be a member of this awards committee?
I love reading nonfiction. The above mentioned award committees emphasize fiction over non-fiction, so I would love to be part of a group that would select outstanding nonfiction. I think a good part of our youth population enjoys reading nonfiction and to be able to recommend well-written nonfiction books is important for librarians.

What are you most looking forward to in being a part of this award decision process?
I look forward to working with like-minded librarians who believe nonfiction is as important as fiction for young people. There is a lot of fabulous nonfiction materials out there that needs to be brought forward, noticed, recognized.

What do you feel are the key factors for decision-making for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award?
Key factors for decision-making for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award for me are: accuracy, timeliness, and appropriateness of treatment among others.

The reading load for awards committees is very high, how do you plan on managing the work load of award committee life?
For Printz and Newbery I managed to keep up with the reading load by waking up at 5:00 am every morning and reading for two hours every day of the week. I also read during the day, but my first two hours of the day were sacred, devoted to reading in order to keep up. I knew I would have to give up other things such as going to movies, etc. but I knew it was only for one year which kept everything in perspective.

What have you learned from past experiences on awards, juries, or other YALSA committees that you will bring with you to this committee?
I learned from both Printz and Newbery that we do not work in a vacuum but as part of the committee. We each are important but it is a committee decision, which means that in the end your number one choice may not be everyone’s choice. It is great to see how each person defends his/her choice but in the end there is compromising to be done in order to reach the ultimate objective.

In your experience how has the YALSA Awards and Selected Lists helped you as a librarian, or made your work better or easier or different than expected?
YALSA Award and Selected Lists are so dependable. They are not one person’s opinions but a group of well-read, thoughtful and caring librarians that re