I Heart Cybils Winners

The long awaited day is finally here. Get thee to the Cybils and check out the winners in 13 different categories, including poetry, book app, speculative fiction, and more. 
Congratulations to all!

Poetry Wins Awards!

This morning I am celebrating the range of diverse books (authors, illustrators, and subjects) and poetry present in the youth media award winners announced at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Chicago.

Brown Girl Dreaming, written by Jacqueline Woodson

Newbery Honor Book

Coretta Scott King Author Book 

Sibert Honor Book

The Crossover, written by Kwame Alexander

John Newbery Medal Winner

Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book 

How I Discovered Poetry, written by Marilyn Nelson

Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book 

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, 

written by Patricia Powell  and illustrated by Christian Robinson 

Sibert Honor Book

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book 

If you are a fan of poetry and haven't read these, be sure to add them to your TBR list. 

Finally, let me add a plug for the Cybils and mention that Brown Girl Dreaming is also a Cybils poetry finalist!

Congrats to the 2012 Cybils Winners!

I'm thrilled that BookSpeak!: Poems About Books is this year's Cybils winner in the poetry category. Go Laura!

There are many other very deserving winners. Check them out at The 2012 Cybils Awards.

To see the shortlists from which the winners were selected, check out  Cybils Finalists Flyer.

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners, and thanks to all the hardworking Cybils folks for making it happen.

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award 2011

This year I had the pleasure of serving as a judge for the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. After months of reading, the committee of judges met virtually to discuss our top choices. The authors have been contacted, so we've been given the go-ahead to share the news. I am pleased to announce this year's choices.

Winner

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku

written by Lee Wardlaw and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Honor Book

Hidden
written by Helen Frost

Congratulations to Lee Wardlaw and Helen Frost.

Award Winners and Poetry

I know everyone is writing about ALA midwinter and all the awards announced yesterday. Have you taken stock of the poetry on the list? Here's a recap from a poetry perspective.

Coretta Scott King Book Awards - Author Honors
The Great Migration: Journey to the North, written by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Never Forgotten, written by Patricia C. McKissack and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon 

Pura Belpré Author Award Winner AND William C. Morris Finalist
Under the Mesquite, written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Pura Belpré Author Honor Book 
Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck, by Margarita Engle

John Newbery Medal Honor Book
Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

This is not a bad showing for poetry. Check out all the winners at the 20102 ALA Youth Media Awards page.

2011 Green Earth Book Award Winners

The winners of the Green Earth Book Award were recently announced. Given by the Newton Marasco Foundation in partnership with Salisbury University, this award promotes books that inspire a child to grow a deeper appreciation, respect and responsibility for his or her natural environment. You can read about the prize criteria at the Newton Marasco Foundation site.

Picture Book Winner
The Earth Book
written and illustrated by Todd Parr

Nonfiction Winner
Not Your Typical Book About the Environment
written by Elin Kelsey and illustrated by Clayton Hammer

Children's Fiction Winner
Mallory Goes Green
written by Laurie B. Friedman and illustrated by Jennifer Kalis

Young Adult Fiction
Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots
written by Abby McDonald

Honor Books

• Ancient, Strange and Lovely, written by Susan Fletcher
• Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: A Compost Story, written by Linda Glaser with photographs by Shelley Rotner
• Get Real: What Kind of World Are YOU Buying?, written by Mara Rockliff
• Let's Save the Animals, written and illustrated by Frances Barry
• The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge, written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen
• A Place for Frogs, written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Higgins Bond
• Seeds Of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World, written by Jen Cullerton Johnson and illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler
• Ship Breaker, written by Paolo Bacigalupi

For more information on this award and its past winners, check out the March 2008 issue of Book Links and the article "The Green Earth Book Award" by Fred Chapel, Sharon James, and J. Cynthia McDermott.

Best Books in Science - Finalists Announced for 2011 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize

The finalists for the 2011 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books have been announced. This prize "celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults."

Children's Science Picture Book

Bones
written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Lizards
written and illustrated by Nic Bishop

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge
written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen

Why Do Elephants Need the Sun?
written and illustrated by Robert E. Wells.

Middle Grades Science Book

• The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe, written by Loree Griffin Burns with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz.
• Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Largest Parrot, written by Sy Montgomery with photographs by Nic Bishop.
• The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing, written by Susan Jermain.
• The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder, written by Mark Cassino and Jon Nelson and illustrated by Nora Aoyagi.

Young Adult Science Book

• The Case for Pluto: How a Little Planet Made a Big Difference, written by Alan Boyle.
• The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of Elements, written by Sam Kean.
• Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discovery, Deductions, and Debates, written by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw.
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, written by Rebecca Skloot.

Hands-On Science Book

• The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science, written and illustrated by Sean Connolly.
• Insect Detective, written by Steve Voake and illustrated by Charlotte Voake.
• Nature Science Experiments: What's Hopping in a Dust Bunny?, written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Edward Miller.
• You Are the Earth: From Dinosaur Breath to Pizza from Dirt, written by David Suzuki and Kathy Vanderlinden.

There are many terrific titles here, along with a few I haven't seen. The Disappearing Spoon has gone everywhere with me for the last few weeks and I am enjoying it immensely. While waiting for the winners to be announced, I'll be reading through these and making my best guess about the outcome. Won't you join me?

2010 Green Earth Book Award Winners

The winners of the Green Earth Book Award were recently announced. Given by the Newton Marasco Foundation in partnership with Salisbury University, this award promotes books that inspire a child to grow a deeper appreciation, respect and responsibility for his or her natural environment. You can read about the prize criteria at the Newton Marasco Foundation site.

Picture Book Winner

Miss Fox's Class Goes Green
written by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Anne Kennedy

Nonfiction Winner
Earth in the Hot Seat: Bulletins from a Warming World
written by Marfe Ferguson Delano

Children's Fiction Winner
Operation Redwood
written by S. Terrell French

Young Adult Fiction
The Carbon Diaries: 2015
written by Saci Lloyd

Honor Books

• The Curious Garden, written and illustrated by Peter Brown
• The Frog Scientist, written by Pamela S. Turner and photographed by Andy Comis
• Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet, written by Harriet Rohmer and illustrated by Julie McLaughlin
• Mission: Planet Earth: Our World and Its Climate--and How Humans Are Changing Them, written by Sally Ride & Tam O'Shaughnessy
• A Place for Birds, written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Higgins Bond
• Recycle this Book: 100 Top Children's Authors Tell You How to Go Green, written by Dan Gutman
• Redwoods, written and illustrated by Jason Chin
• A Summer of Silk Moths, written by Margaret Willey

For more information on this award and its past winners, check out the March 2008 issue of Book Links and the article "The Green Earth Book Award" by Fred Chapel, Sharon James, and J. Cynthia McDermott.

How Poetry Fared

Here's how poetry titles fared in the awards this year.

Caldecott Honor Book

Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors

written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
(Cybils poetry finalist)

Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Illustrator

The Negro Speaks of Rivers
written by Langston Hughes and illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Gorgeous illustrations breathe new life into Hughes' poem. Each line of the poem is paired with a watercolor illustration that highlights water as a source of life and sorrow in the lives of black people.

Coretta Scott King Medal for Illustrator

My People
written by Langston Hughes and illustrated by Charles R. Smith

Hughes familiar poem that begins "The night is beautiful/So the faces of my people" is brilliantly illustrated in sepia-toned photos. Though only 33-words in length, the poem is brought vibrantly to life in a series of double-page spreads containing only 2 or 3 words each.

Pura Belpré Author and Illustrator Honor Book
Diego: Bigger Than Life
written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and illustrated by David Diaz

Pura Belpré Author Honor Book
Federico Garcia Lorca (Cuando Los Grandes Eran Pequenos/ When the Grown-Ups Were Children)
written by Georgina Lazaro and illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro

Congratulations to the winners.

Sibert Medal Winners

The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year. Here are this year's winners.

Honor Books

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors
written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Tony Persiani
(Cybils nonfiction picture/information books finalist)

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
written and illustrated by Brian Floca
(Cybils nonfiction picture/information books finalist)

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
written by Phillip M Hoose
(Cybils nonfiction middle grade & young adult books finalist)

Medal Winner
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream
written by Tanya Lee Stone

Congratulations to all the winners.

Where's That Shiny New Sticker Going to Go?!

Congrats to Tanita Davis for her Coretta Scott King honor award for Mare's War. Here's a summary.

Alternating between present and past, the story of Marey Lee Boylen's service in the African American unit of the Women’s Army Corp (WAC) unfolds against the backdrop of a roadtrip with her bickering granddaughters. Mare's story is told as she experienced life in the 40's, and as such is filled details about day-to-day life during the war, the humiliations of segregation (even in the army), and the role of WACs in World War II.

Where do you think they'll put that shiny new sticker?

Winners of 2010 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize Announced

The winners of the 2010 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books have been announced. This prize "celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults."

Children's Science Picture Book

Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life
written by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm, illustrated by Molly Bang
(Cybils nominee for Nonfiction Picture Book.)

Middle Grades Science Book
The Frog Scientist
written by Pamela S. Turner, with photographs by Andy Comins
(Cybils finalist for Nonfiction Middle Grade & Young Adult book)

Young Adult Science Book
Invisible Kingdom: From the Tips of Our Fingers to the Tops of Our Trash, Inside the Curious World of Microbes
written by Idah Ben-Barak


Outstanding Science Series

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science (Stage 1)
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science (Stage 2)

In addition to these titles, Robert Garnder won a Lifetime Acheivement Award for hands-on science writing.

Best Books in Science - Finalists Announced for 2010 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize

The finalists for the 2010 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books have been announced. This prize "celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults."

Children's Science Picture Book

Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life
written by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm, illustrated by Molly Bang
(Visit Molly Bang's web site for more information.)

Redwoods
written and illustrated by Jason Chin
(See the review at Seven Imp and check out the book's web site.)

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
written and illustrated by Brian Floca
(Read my review.)

What Bluebirds Do
written and photographed by Pamela Kirby
(Read my review.)

Middle Grades Science Book

Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon
written by Andrew Chaikin and illustrated by Alan Bean

Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past
written by James M. Deem

Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet
written by Alexandra Siy

Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From
written by Catherine Thimmesh

The Frog Scientist
written by Pamela S. Turner, with photographs by Andy Comins

Young Adult Science Book

Invisible Kingdom: From the Tips of Our Fingers to the Tops of Our Trash, Inside the Curious World of Microbes
written by Idah Ben-Barak

Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day
written by Peter J. Bentley

The Survivor's Club: The Secrets and Science That Could Save Your Life
written by Ben Sherwood

Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
written by Seth Shostak, with a foreword by Frank Drake

Hands-on Science Book

Sadly, the judges and editors are choosing not to award a prize in the hands-on category this year, feeling that there were no hands-on science books that met the high standards of the SB&F Prize. Instead of honoring a single book, they will be giving a lifetime achievement award to a hands-on science book author for "their significant and lasting contribution to children's and a young adult science books." The recipient of that award will be announced in early January.

There are many terrific titles here, along with a few I haven't seen. (The Frog Scientist has been on my TBR for too long now!) While waiting for the winners to be announced, I'll be reading through these and making my best guess about the outcome. Won't you join me?

Jane Addams Children's Book Award Winners Announced

The winners of the 2009 Jane Addams Children's Book Award have been announced. The awards are given annually to the "children's books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence."

Winners

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai,
written and illustrated by Claire A. Nivola

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom,

written by Margarita Engle

Honor Books

Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad, written and illustrated by James Rumford

The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos, written by Lucia Gonzalez and illustrated by Lulu Delacre

Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry, written by Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson

The Shepherd's Granddaughter, written by Anne Laurel Carter

Cybils Love 2009

The wait is over! Hop on over (that's a clue!) and check out the winners. You won't be disappointed. Go Now!

2009 Green Earth Book Award Winners

The winners of the Green Earth Book Award were recently announced. Given by the Newton Marasco Foundation in partnership with Salisbury University, this award recognizes books that inspire children and young adults to appreciate and care for the natural environment. You can read about the prize criteria at the Newton Marasco Foundation site.

Picture Book Winners (2)

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai
written and illustrated by Claire Nivola
(nominee for 2008 Cybils nonfiction picture book)

Varmints
written by Helen Ward and illustrated by Marc Craste

Children's Fiction Winner

Night of the Spadefoot Toads
written by Bill Harley

Young Adult Fiction Winners (2)

The Blind Faith Hotel
written by Pamela Todd

Write Naked
written by Peter Gould

Nonfiction Winner

My Space/Our Planet: Change is Possible
written by the Myspace Community, Jeca Taudte, and Dan Santat

Honor Books
10 Things I Can Do to Help My World
written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh
(nominee for 2008 Cybils nonfiction picture book)

Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery
written by David A. Adler and illustrated by Joy Allen

Fern Verdant and the Silver Rose
written by Diana Leszczynski

Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life
written by Linda Siversten and Tosh Siversten
(nominee for 2008 Cybils nonfiction MG/YA)

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming
written by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch

Science Warriors: The Battle Against Invasive Species
written by Sneed B. Collard III

The Last Wild Place
written by Rosa Jordan

The Wolves are Back
written by Jean Craighead George and illustrated by Wendell Minor

Tin Lizzie
written and illustrated by Allan Drummond

Whirlwind: The Caretaker Trilogy: Book 2
written by David Klass

When Santa Turned Green
written by Victoria Perla and illustrated by Mirna Kantarevic

For more information on this award and its past winners, check out the March 2008 issue of Book Links and the article "The Green Earth Book Award" by Fred Chapel, Sharon James, and J. Cynthia McDermott.

2009 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize-winning Books Announced

The winners of the 2009 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books have been announced. This prize "celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults." You can read about the prize criteria at SB&F Online.

Children's Picture Book Winner

Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World
written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
(nominee for 2008 Cybils nonfiction picture book)

Middle Grades Winner

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming
written by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch

Young Adult Winner

Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys But Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life
written by Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang

Hands-on Science Book

True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
written by Rior McKay and Jenny Bonnin

In addition to the books that were honored, Jean Craighead George was the recipient of the SB&F Lifetime Achievement Award. You can read more about her.