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.

PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED NEWBERY POSSIBILITIES

HAVE YOU READ THESE? 

Librarians, book sellers and bloggers are predicting that these two titles will be on the short list for this year's Newbery winner.  Here's what our librarians in Glendale say about these stories.   

WILD ISLAND ADVENTURE

A review by Mr. B. of  the Grandview Library Branch: 

Setting dragons free is dangerous work, but in Ruth Stiles Gannett’s My Father’s Dragon, somebody’s gotta do it. That somebody is a little boy named Elmer Elevator; and his story is told in the voice of his very proud son, also a little boy. It all begins when Elmer brings home a stray cat. The cat tells Elmer about a young dragon being held captive and in servitude as the new rapid transit vehicle between the islands of Tangerina and Wild Island. Elmer quickly packs a bag with seemingly random items, and he and the cat are off on an adventure. 

There are many hazards on the road to rescue, but in true folklore tradition, each of the packed items gets the travelers out of trouble just as disaster is about to strike, until the dragon is rescued. This gentle, imaginative, witty Newbery Honor (1949) adventure is suitable for episodic read-aloud times, at home or in the classroom.

For readers ages 5-10.