And the winners of the 2013 Caldecott, Newbery, Morris, and Printz Awards are...

I have been looking forward to this morning and anxiously awaiting the announcement of several Children and Young Adult book awards. The Young Media Awards are like the Oscars for many librarians, including myself. The awards took place at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting at Seattle, Washington. Although there are many awards honored today, I was looking forward to finding out the winners for the Caldecott, Newbery, Morris, and of course the Michael L. Printz Award. You can find the other winners on the Association for Library Services to Children website and the Young Adult Library Services website (YALSA).

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of  Randolph Caldecott, who was a nineteenth-century English illustrator. The award is given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal is:

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Honorees of the 2013 Caldecott are:

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue
Green by Laura Seeger
One Cool Friend by Tony Buzzeo


The Newbery Medal was named in the honor of John Newbery, who was an eighteenth century British bookseller. Like the Caldecott, it is also awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Winner of the 2013 Newberry Medal is: 

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Honorees of the 2013 Newberry are:

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

The William C. Morris YA Debut Award was first awarded in 2009 by YALSA. The award is given to a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.

Winner of the 2013 Morris Award is: 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartmann

Honorees of the 2013 Morris Award are:

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby
Love and Other Perishable Items (also known as Good Oil in Australia) by Laura Buzo
After the Snow by Sophie D. Crockett

 The Michael L. Printz Award was named in the honor of Michael L. Printz, a school librarian in Topeaka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The Michael L. Printz Award is an award given annually by the Young Adult Library Services Association to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.

Winner of the 2013 Michael Printz Award is:

In Darkness by Nick Lake

Honorees of the 2013 Printz Award are:

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz *Also the Stonewall Award Winner

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

White Bicycle by Beverly Brenna

  Well, the library associations have spoken. What do you think of these book awards? Will you read the books that have won and have been honored? 

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Caldecott, Newbery, Morris, and Printz Awards..Oh My!

I have been looking forward to this morning and anxiously awaiting the announcement of several Children and Young Adult book awards. The Young Media Awards are like the Oscars for many librarians, including myself. The awards took place at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting at Dallas, Texas. Although there are many awards honored today, I was looking forward to finding out the winners for the Caldecott, Newberry, Morris, and of course the Michael L. Printz Award. You can find the other winners on the Association for Library Services to Children website and the Young Adult Library Services website (YALSA).

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of  Randolph Caldecott, who was a nineteenth-century English illustrator. The award is given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Winner of the 2012 Caldecott Medal is:

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Racka

Honorees of the 2012 Caldecott are:

Blackout by John Rocco
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell

 
The Newberry Medal was named in the honor of John Newberry, who was an eighteenth century British bookseller. Like the Caldecott, it is also awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Winner of the 2012 Newberry Medal is: 

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Honorees of the 2012 Newberry are:

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

The William C. Morris YA Debut Award was first awarded in 2009 by YALSA. The award is given to a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.

Winner of the 2012 Morris Award is: 

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Honorees of the 2011 Morris Award are:

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

 The Michael L. Printz Award was named in the honor of Michael L. Printz, a school librarian in Topeaka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The Michael L. Printz Award is an award given annually by the Young Adult Library Services Association to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.

Winner of the 2012 Michael Printz Award is:

 

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Honorees of the 2011 Printz Award are:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and by Maira Kalman
The Returning by Christine Hinwood
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

  Well, the library associations have spoken. What do you think of these book awards? Will you read the books that have won and have been honored? I was surprised that Where Things Come Back won both the Morris and the Printz award. I haven't heard much of the book, but I'm definitely putting it on my reading pile along with these other great books.

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Michael Grant's New Transmedia Writing Project

  One of the reasons I love blogging is to find out new, awesome book news! I received an interesting email from Harper Teen yesterday in explaining that Michael Grant, the author of the bestselling Gone series, is working on a transmedia series. Have you ever heard of a transmedia novel? No? I haven't either. A transmedia story is an interactive narrative told through different forms such as the book itself, video, puzzles, etc. Think of it as the choose your adventure type books you when you read when you were a kid. Essentially, the reader gets to ultimately decide how much you want to delve into the story. The author wants you to be more involved with the books! The series, called Go Bzrk, will be released this winter.

Image credit to: deanashour

   Here is a snippet of the book's description from the publisher:

The missing son of a U.N. diplomat... the reemergence of a strange organization... a pair of society twins caught in the middle... this is just the beginning of "Go BZRK," a new transmedia experience from author Michael Grant.

If you're ready to take the plunge in an interactive story like you've never experienced before, visit societytwins.com and register with nexushumanus.com to take your first steps in a strange and compelling universe.

Filled with video, puzzles, community collaboration, and more, "Go BZRK" put YOU the player right in the middle of the action as you join Nexus Humanus and unravel a mystery that may hold the key to the fate of all mankind.

 I was also sent a snippet of an interview in which Michael explains how the transmedia series came about:

What is “Go BZRK”? Is this a book or some kind of interactive story?

Both. The book comes out this winter, but the interactive part starts now.  One leads up to the other, but they're part of a complete package.

Why “transmedia”?

There are different approaches to transmedia.  Most people take a single story and reproduce it on various platforms.  My philosophy has been to make each element - ARG, app, web, book - a thing unto itself, each revealing some aspect of the world of BZRK.  I've been fascinated with this is as a new way to tell stories.  The book remains central, but now I can reach beyond the book and create a much more complete world.  I can tell stories that enhance the book, and stories that parallel the book, and stories that are offshoots of backstory.  I guess the answer to "why" is "because it's fun."

Is this the future of publishing?

I began a few years ago reaching out to publishers and saying we collectively needed to understand that the old models were dead or dying.  I want publishing to survive, and of course I'd like my own career to thrive.  So Egmont Publishing and my partners and I certainly hope this is a part of the future of publishing. 

How long is this running? Is this part of a larger picture?

We'll be running this in several chunks between now and the book release this winter. Because these things have a hard start/stop point, August is a ramp-up phase. There'll be a lot of content coming out, but the experience really gets underway at the end of the month… just in time to distract the kids from their schoolwork.

What if someone wants to follow the story but doesn’t want to participate?

You don't have to do anything.  You can do one thing and not another.  But the deeper you plunge the wetter you get.  I think every part of this is fun, I think people will enjoy the ARG, the app, the site and the books. 

App? You've mentioned that a couple times now.

Just wait and see.

What can you tell us about the story? What is “BZRK”?

It's a battle for the soul and freedom of the human race carried out simultaneously in the world we know, and in a world that you're not going to expect. It's a world where if you make a false move, you're going to lose your mind.

 

 Pretty cool, huh? I'm going to sign up. I've never read a transmedia novel before and it sounds really cool. I hope you sign up too. Thanks again to Harper Teen for passing the information along!

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And the Caldecott, Newberry, Morris, and Printz winners are...

  I have been looking forward to this morning and anxiously awaiting the announcement of several Children and Young Adult book awards. The Young Media Awards are like the Oscars for many librarians, including myself. The awards took place at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting at San Diego, California. Although there are many awards honored today, I was looking forward to finding out the winners for the Caldecott, Newberry, Morris, and of course the Michael L. Printz Award. You can find the other winners on the Association for Library Services to Children website and the Young Adult Library Services website (YALSA).

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of  Randolph Caldecott, who was a nineteenth-century English illustrator. The award is given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal is:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead.

Honorees of the 2011 Caldecott are:

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Bryan Collier

Interrupting Chicken written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein The Newberry Medal was named in the honor of John Newberry, who was an eighteenth century British bookseller. Like the Caldecott, it is also awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Winner of the 2011 Newberry Medal is:

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Honorees of the 2011 Newberry are:

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Heart of a samurai : based on the true story of Nakahama Manjiro by Margi Preus

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Rick Allen

The William C. Morris YA Debut Award was first awarded in 2009 by YALSA. The award is given to a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.

Winner of the 2011 Morris Award is: 

Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston 

Honorees of the 2011 Morris Award are:

Hush by Eishes Chayil

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

Hold Me Closer, Neromancer by Lish McBride
Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber

 The Michael L. Printz Award was named in the honor of Michael L. Printz, a school librarian in Topeaka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The Michael L. Printz Award is an award given annually by the Young Adult Library Services Association to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.

Winner of the 2011 Michael Printz Award is:

 

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Honorees of the 2011 Printz Award are:

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Nothing by Janne Teller

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

  Well, the library associations have spoken. What do you think of these book awards? Will you read the books that have won and have been honored? I, personally, was a little suprised by Ship Breaker winning the Printz. It's a well written book, however, I didn't find anything really exceptional about it. I do have most of the other books already on my tbr pile. I guess, I will post them up higher just to see what made them so special.

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Thanks, but I can SPEAK for myself Giveaway

  I have always been apalled and outraged when I come across a book ban or challenge. I firmly believe each individual has a right to decide whether or not he/she wants to read a book. What I strongly oppose to is restricting others to express their same freedom to read. While others had a great Sunday relaxing and hanging out with friends and family, I was stewing and speechless after I read an incredibly stupid (that's putting it mildly) article about how books such Laurie Halse Anderson's Printz honored book Speak are deemed as 'soft porn'.

  Excuse me?! Speak is no where near soft porn. It is about a girl named Miranda, who is ostracized, and lost her ability to speak after a high school party. Speak is Miranda's journey to gain back her courage to fight against the injustice that was done to her. How is this anywhere near soft porn? Apparently, the writer of the article hasn't bothered to read the books he questions.

  I read Speak during my first year of library school. It opened up my eyes and made me cry. I cried not because I have experienced anything close to what Miranda has (thank God), but because I found a girl who was so lost and alone in her own problems that she was virtually silent. A girl who had no one to turn to and faced her own demons day after day until someone noticed and cared. A girl who developed strength, courage, and finally a voice to speak up. A girl who could be my mom or sister or friend.

  I know friends who have been sexually abused and had similar family issues like Miranda. In fact, my very good friend Angela is on a personal crusade to educate teens about abusive relationships. She is speaking to them from her own personal experience through lectures and blogging about it. I also know teens who have gone through similar experiences and feel that there is no one out there who cares for them. I also know teens who, thanks to books like Speak, can find help and have talked to adults about their problems. I have read the numerous teen responses on Laurie Halse Anderson's website that brought tears to my eyes and confirmed that Speak is a book that is meant to be read and discussed not taken out of a school curriculum. If you don't want your child to read it, fine, but let others decide for themselves.
 I can't tell you how many times I've recommended this book to adults and teens. Just this weekend alone I attended a public library book sale, I grabbed every copy that I could find of Speak. Not to buy, because I had my own copy of the book, but to tell teens and parents to buy it. I told them that if they buy one book in this book sale, let it be Speak because not only it is phenomenally written, it has a powerful message: Stand up and speak for yourself because no one else will. And do you know what? 9 out of 10 people did buy Speak. How about that Mr. Scroggins?!
  Because I feel so strongly about the power of Speak, I will be giving away 4 copies of the book internationally.  There is no need to follow my blog. Just leave me a comment with your email address at the end of this blog post. The giveaway will end on October 2nd.
 Thanks for letting me getting this off my chest. If you're wondering what the other books that were questioned, they are: the classic Vonnegut title Slaughter House Five (which tells about the World War II bombing of Dresden) and Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer (which centers around a girl who is mourning the death of her good friend). Let's face the reality, teens can be sexually active or even thinking about sex. Why not educate them about it in any form instead of not talking about it?   

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Book and Movie News!

  It's been a while since I last posted book and movie news! And boy, do I have lot of things to report!

Sequels, which I can't wait to read!

• Neal Shusterman is working on a sequel to his phenomenal book called Unwind. The sequel will be called Unwholly and it is slated to be released in 2012.
• Gayle Forman is working on the sequel to her fabulous book, If I Stay, called Where She Went. It is expected to come out in April 4, 2011. According to Collider.com, the movie If I Stay is in works. Currently, Catherine Hardwicke is attached to direct the movie while Shauna Cross is adapting the novel. According to Entertainment Weekley, the movie is to start filming next year. No cast has been decided. 
• Melissa Marr's best selling Wicked Lovely series books will come to an end. The last book will be Darkest Mercy and it will be out on Feb. 2011. You can see the cover and read the snippet on the Harper Collins website. I just read on PR Newswire that the Wicked Lovely series was picked up by Universal Pictures. Apparently, Vince Vaugn's production company, Wild West Picture Show Productions, will produce the movie and Caroline Thompson (Edward Scissorhands) will write the screenplay according to

New exciting series and or stand alone books, which I can't wait to read!

• Melissa Marr will be working on a new YA trilogy. The new series revolves around a girl assassin, a demon with a soul, and a world where myth and science meet. Look for the first book to be released in 2013!
• Lisa McMann is working hard on another creepy parannormal with a love story stand alone book called Cryer's Cross, coming Feb 8, 2011! 
• We can expect a new book by Sarah Dessen, the queen of YA romance, later this year. The book is called What Happened to Goodbye. 
• Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympian series will be adapted into graphic novels! Coming soon on Oct 12, 2010!

On to Movie news....

• According to Collider, Gary Ross (Seabiscut), Sam Mendes (Away We Go), and David Slade (Eclipse) are the front running contenders to direct Suzanne Collins blockbuster Hunger Games movie. I, personally, would want Mendes to direct. Let's keep our fingers cross that this groundbreaking YA book isn't slaughtered at the box office. 

• Lois Lowry's classic novel, The Giver, will be made into a movie. According to the Internet Movie Database, no director, writer or cast has been named.The movie is under development.

• Kazuo Ishiguro bestseller, Never Let Me Go, is being made into a movie starring Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan. 

Maybe this will help me understand the book and pick it up again. I gave up reading it after pg. 50.

• Freakonomics will be turned into a documentary movie. Another book that didn't really interest me. Check out the trailer:

• Ned Vizzini's YA book, It's Kind of a Funny Story will be releasing in a few weeks:

• Last but not least, Jonathan Swift's classic satire, Gulliver's Travels, will be updated by Jack Black and crew:

Cool, huh? So, which one will you see?

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Heroes of Olympus has gone live!

  I am a huge fan of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which has the adventure of Harry Potter set to Greek Mythology. The first book in the series is called The Lightening Thief. If you have not read this series, you're missing out! Run, don't walk to your nearest library or bookstore today.

Rick Riordan is starting a new series following a new gang in Camp Half Blood called The Heroes of Olympus. Here is the book cover of the first book, The Lost Hero, in that series:

  
My good reading friend M_Dobrev sent me a link to the Entertainment Weekly article that gives readers a secret code to read the first two chapters of The Lost Hero. Be sure to read the article and then stay tuned to my blog as I review The Red Pyramid from the Kane Chroncles another new series by Riordan set to Egyptian Mythology as well as The Lost Hero.

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