IT'S AWARD SEASON!

The Book Award Season that is. Here's a list of the 2016 medal winners and honors, some of which we have in the system so be sure to put holds on them and check out these amazing books, authors and illustrators. The favorite of the Children's Room is the multiple award winner, Last Stop on Market Street by the first Latino author to win the Newbery medal, Matt de la Pena. 

John Newbery Medal, which goes to the most distinguished book in American literature for children the previous year, went to Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña. The book was illustrated by Christian Robinson.  Newbery Honor Books: 

• The War that Saved My Life written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley  
• Roller Girl written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson 
• Echo written by Pam Munoz Ryan 

Randolph Caldecott Medal for best picture book is Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear, illustrated by Sophie Blackall and written by Lindsay Mattick.

Caldecott Honor Books: 

• Trombone Shorty illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Troy Andrews  
• Waiting illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes 
• Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement illustrated by Ekua Holmes, written by Carole Boston Weatherford 
• Last Stop on Market Street  illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Matt de le Pena.

Coretta Scott King awards for an African-American author and illustrator:

Author award: Rita Williams-Garcia for Gone Crazy in Alabama.  Illustrator award: Bryan Collier for Trombone Shorty written by Troy Andrews and Bill Taylor.

• Illustrator Honor Book: Last Stop on Market Street illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Matt de la Pena. 

Pura Belpré awards for a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience. 
Illustrator award: Rafael López for The Drum Dream Girl.

Stonewall Book Award, the Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children's and Young Adult Literature Award for books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience. 
George written by Alex Gino

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.
Young children's book: Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah written by Laurie Ann Thompson and illustrated by Sean Qualls.Middle grade book: Fish in a Tree written by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and The War that Saved My Life written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradle.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for beginning reader book.
Don't Throw It to Mo! written by David A. Adler and illustrated by Sam Ricks.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook for children and young adults.
The War that Saved My Life written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and narrated by Jayne Entwistle.
Odyssey Honor Recording:

• Echo written by Pam Munoz Ryan and narrated by Mark Bramhall, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews and Rebecca Soler.

WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL PICTURE BOOKS

CALDECOTT WORTHY?  

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown has Mr. Tiger, a very civilized animal from the city,  deciding that he needs to cut loose a bit.  Little by little he goes WILD!  Beautifully illustrated animals throughout the book look on and even join in Mr. Tiger's journey of self exploration.  

Our next Caldecott contender is all about a red knitted hat in Red Hat by Lita Judge.  Like her previous book Red Sled, a slew of adorable animal characters try on the red hat but it can only fit one special head.  An adorable story beautifully illustrated with a vibrant red color.  If you enjoyed Klassen's book, This is Not My Hat, you will love this one. 

CALDECOTT CONTENDERS?

Every year awards are given by the American Library Association for the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children. The gold and silver medals that adorn the covers of winning and honor

books indicate the very best works published that year. The Caldecott Medal (named after 19^th century illustrator Randolph Caldecott) is awarded based on a book’s pictures and is awarded to the illustrator of the story. There is one gold medal winner and several silver honor books chosen each year.

Some truly fine books have been awarded medals over the years. From the very first winner in 1938 (Animals of the Bible, illustrated by Dorothy P Lathrop) all the way to This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen in 2013, the past 75 years have highlighted the very best artists working in their field. For a complete list of all the Caldecott  Medal and Honor books click here. Many of these books are available from Glendale Library, Arts, & Culture.  Contact your local branch to request copies.

The 2014 winner of the 76^th Caldecott Medal will be announced on Monday, January 27^th.  Below are several titles generating buzz this year:

Like many people, Laszlo is afraid of the dark. He can never seem to get away from it - it’s in the closet, behind the shower curtain, outside, and in the basement. Usually, the dark leaves Laszlo alone, but one night it pays him a visit (his nightlight burns out). Follow Laszlo as he gathers his courage and faces his fears in The Dark written by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Jon Klassen.

The illustrations are spooky and atmospheric, almost claustrophobic at times, which perfectly captures the feeling one gets when the power goes out. The dark is an inky blackness, only punctuated by the direct beam of Laszlo’s flashlight. One criterion the Caldecott committee looks for is how well a book’s illustrations tell the story in the absence of text. In this regard, Klassen has hit the nail on the head. When going through this book and looking only at the illustrations, the storyline is perfectly clear and the pictures do a fine job of conveying the rising sense of tension that Laszlo feels as he moves through the house.

The Dark is a pretty strong contender for a Caldecott medal. Illustrator Jon Klassen won two awards last year and the result of this pairing between Snicket and Klassen is pretty incredible.

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos written Deborah Heiligman and illustrated by LeUyen Pham is a biographical picture book about the Hungarian mathematician. It follows Paul’s life from a small child fascinated by numbers to a genius whose work influenced the very computers and search engines we use today. Paul was an eccentric fellow, but he shared his passion for numbers and math with researchers all over the world.

Illustrator LeUyen Pham takes Paul’s love of numbers and incorporates them into every aspect of the illustrations. Numbers are subtly included in building windows, the geometry of rooftops, and in hidden mathematical equations. The amount of research behind Pham’s illustrations is impressive and she devotes meticulous details to show the reader the world the way Paul saw it, with everything a mathematical possibility.

Another strong Caldecott contender! The illustrations are bright and whimsical and make the reader want to pour over each page looking for the details. It will surely spark an interest in the way numbers operate all around us.

For readers of all ages. 

NATURE'S BEAUTY AT IT'S COLDEST

Wilson A. Bentley, a.k.a. Snowflake Bentley, becomes fascinated with snowflakes at a very young age. As a boy, Wilson tried to draw the snowflakes he inspected with his microscope, but they would always melt before he could capture what they truly looked like. When he turned seventeen, his parents bought him a special camera with a microscope built in so that he could photograph the snowflakes and show the delicate designs of each one. This biography tells the story of an interesting man from the late 1800s, but Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin reads like historical fiction. On the sides of each page are random facts that add to the story. This is a Caldecott Medal winner for the fantastic woodcut illustrations by Mary Azarian. A wonderful story for third grade and up.

FIRE IN LOS ANGELES!

Smoky Night by Eve Bunting deals with more than just a fire. During the height of the L.A. Riots, Daniel's apartment building catches fire and his family must evacuate. In the process, Daniel worries his cat will be killed. He sees Mrs. Kim's cat, the enemy of his own kitty. He also sees looters stealing things from Mrs. Kim's store. His mother doesn't shop there because she feels she must support her "own people." Daniel is confused about everything that is going on around him, why people are angry, and worried about his family. When it turns out everyone is safe, including the cats, a lesson is learned about the importance of how you treat others. For 2nd grade and up.