January 29th, 2012 Comments(10)

So: I’ve finally finished reading, and rereading, our medal and honor books. Jonathan has pointed out that no one should be that surprised to see DEAD END IN NORVELT and INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN “stickered,” since each had previously been so… Gantos winning the Scott O’Dell award, and Lai the National Book Award. But I think that those of us in the theater in Dallas where the Youth Media Awards were announced were surprised. We were prepared to be surprised…  there were so many ways to call out what was distinguished in this year’s crop of writing for… Read More

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January 27th, 2012 Comments(4)

Some of the honorees of the Youth Media Awards have been posting video reactions.  Here’s Elephant and Piggie: http://www.youtube.com/ALAYouthMediaAwards#p/c/139BE1FB0DFBE1CF/7/ZzxLukueoy8

Jonathan and I have a few more things to say this season (yes, including our thoughts on “Breaking Stalin’s Nose”)…but we’ll be wrapping up early next week. So if there’s anything else you’ve been too shy to ask all along, now’s the time!… Read More

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January 25th, 2012 Comments(15)

The uncorrected version of the 2012 Notables list is now up here

The Notables list is considered a gathering of “the best of the best” of the year:

“”notable” is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.”

I always look to this list to gather books that we’ve recognized stand out …often on… Read More

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January 23rd, 2012 Comments(29)

You’ll get a more thoughtful post from Jonathan soon, but here’s something quick from the floor so you all can begin commenting. Remeber that your resource page for all the award winners is http://www.ala.org/yma

Sharon McKellar and I are here with Monica Edinger. We passed the closed Starbicks (7:30? come on, don’t they know what day it is?), the press office, where committees were still having photos taken after their phone calls:

…And into the theater. As the announcements proceed, there are shouts and yelps, recongition for each committee, and… Read More

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January 21st, 2012 Comments(6)

I just breakfasted next to a Newbery committee member who was feeding and bolting to her 8am meeting.  They met all day yesterday, and will again all day today, and by the end (“10pm” is often wishful thinking on Saturday) may have a winner.  Sunday, if they’re on schedule, is for preparing press releases and staggering around in dazes…  if they’re brave, maybe sitting in on the Notable Children’s Books discussion where we try to read their faces, and if not, perhaps to bed. They’ll be up early early Monday… Read More

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January 18th, 2012 Comments(15)

Tomorrow I head to Dallas for ALA, and Jonathan a little later. So here’s where our postings and comments may get a little more sporadic. You’ll hear from us at the conference, and on Monday of course.

A couple of Mock Newberies reported on the ALSC listserv:

Queens Library: Winner: OKAY FOR NOW, Honor: WONDERSTRUCK

Maryland Library Association: Winner: OKAY FOR NOW

Allen County Public Library reported online their winner: INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN, and honor: OKAY FOR NOW.

Still to come online: Rhode Island Office of Lib and Info Studies decides tonight… Read More

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January 15th, 2012 Comments(9)

One of my favorite books of the year that I can’t seem to find a Newbery argument for is DRAWING FROM MEMORY. We bandied it about lightly for our shortlist… but while I think it’s easily one of *THE* best children’s books of the year…I couldn’t find truly distinguished elements in the text alone on par with our other contenders. Where in WONDERSTRUCK or I BROKE MY TRUNK or THE MONEY WE’LL SAVE I feel the words and text play equal, related parts, here I feel like the text plays… Read More

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January 12th, 2012 Comments(17)

Despite a last minute plea for more honors, I think we’ll call the results of our online ballot:

Our winner:

OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt, published by Clarion, a division of Houghton Mifflin

 

Our honors, in alphabetical order:

AMELIA LOST: THE LIFE AND DISAPPEARANCE OF AMELIA EARHART by Candance Fleming, published by Schwartz & Wade, a division of Random House

 

A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness, published by Candlewick Press

 … Read More

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January 11th, 2012 Comments(23)

Here are the numbers from our ballot! We had 61 voters. Assigning 4 points to first place, 3 points to second place, and 2 points to 3rd place votes, I’ve tried to put them into some sort of ranking.

Â
1st place votes
2nd place votes
3rd place votes
Total points

OKAY FOR NOW
24
11
7
143

AMELIA LOST
15
8
12
108

A MONSTER CALLS
8
16
4
88

WONDERSTRUCK
3
11
4
53

I BROKE MY TRUNK
5
5
8
51

TROUBLE… Read More

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January 10th, 2012 Comments(5)

It is time to proceed to the online ballot!  Have you:

1. Read all of the titles on our shortlist?
2. Read and considered the Newbery Terms & Criteria?  Considered each of these 10 titles against the criteria, and against each other using them, only?
3. Participated in the discussion here, and listened to what other commenters have had to say in balancing one book against the other?   

If you’ve answered yes to all three, then please imagine the weighty task you have in casting a ballot for our Mock Newbery.  Our voting only works if… Read More

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