Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal and More!
On January 26th, the Newbery winner for 2013 will be announced along with a slew of other children’s and Young Adult awards in a star-studded night capped by a speech by the Newbery winner. Think Oscars but for children’s books!
The 2013 winners are all here!
If you’ve wondered what all the awards to be announced are for, here’s the run down:
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature.
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults.
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book.
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults.
Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.
Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States.
Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.
YALSA Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.
Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.
I have my picks for the Predicting Newbery and Caldecott Winners here and I’ll be posting the winners on January 26th as they are announced. Even if you don’t enjoy the thrill of guessing the winners, the winners and honor books make a great reading list for 2013.
I’m hoping Sharon Creech will win for The Great Unexpected. Fingers crossed!
The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech
I had big thoughts to match the big wind. I wondered if we find the people we need when we need them. I wondered if we attract our future by some sort of invisible force, or if we are drawn to it by a similar force. I felt I was turning a corner and that change was afoot.
In the little town of Blackbird Tree live two orphan girls: one Naomi Deane, brimming with curiosity, and her best friend, Lizzie Scatterding, who could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens. For she knows all the peculiar people in town—like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins and Mr. Farley. But then, one day, a boy drops out of a tree. The strangely charming Finn boy. Then the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking all kinds of questions. Curious surprises are revealed—three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy. Soon Naomi and Lizzie find themselves zooming toward a future neither could ever have imagined. Meanwhile, on a grand estate across the ocean, an old lady whose heart has been deceived concocts a plan. . . .
As two very different worlds are woven together, Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech celebrates the gossamer thread that connects us all, and the great and unexpected gifts of love, friendship, and forgiveness.
This book is probably Sharon Creech’s finest to date with a tightly constructed interwoven plot that is From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (the outside narrator that the plot turns on) meets Irish faerie magical realism. While the cast of characters is large, each person plays a role in this story that spans generations of sorrow yet wraps up in a denouement that is both inspiring and satisfying. The Newbery award seems to favor a windy plot set in small town Americana. I put my money on this book for the top Newbery award!
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BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
Thanks for this list. I was just going to make one to keep track of the awards when they are announced, too but you have done it for me. I can’t decide what book I want to win the Newbery, Good thing I’m not on the committee.
Hi Alex,
I agree that it’s hard to decide and I didn’t read all the books on the list either so it makes it easier to pick from a smaller pool. Still, Sharon Creech is a favorite author of ours! And she just gets better and better! I hope she wins!
That’s a great list! I think this would actually be more up my alley than going to the Oscars. Wanna go with me?
Hi Jeanette,
YES! I wonder what you have to do to score tickets? We’ll have to look into that for next year! It’s probably as difficult as getting Oscar tickets!
I had The Great Unexpected from the library but had to take it back before I had a chance to read it. It looks great though. It hasn’t been getting a lot of attention, but I think it would be awesome if it won.
Hi Amy,
I really enjoyed The Great Unexpected. All the story lines tie up neatly at the end and I think that is a tough trick to pull off. I also loved the magical realism. What is your pick for Caldecott and/or Newbery?
I have really liked Sharon Creech in the past, so I’m sure I’ll like it.
I only read a handful of Newbery candidates, but I really, really loved “Wonder.” Recently though, it seems that it has been falling off other people’s favorites list. I still love it though.
Hi Amy,
Author R. J. Palacio came to Newton to speak as part of a presentation called Understanding Our Differences. She was wonderful. I love that book too. I am hoping it will win a Newbery Honor.
http://www.pragmaticmom.com/2013/01/wonder-rj-palacio/
I’m hoping “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate will win the Newbery and “Extra Yarn” by Mac Barnett will will the Caldecott.
Hi Adrienne,
My daughter’s 3rd grade teacher just raved about The One and Only Ivan … I am hoping to borrow it from her. Extra Yarn sounds like a sure thing! You have excellent choices and should probably be on the Newbery or Caldecott Committee (or at least that is the Fortune Cookie that you deserve to open!!).
I love to read and blog about the winners of these awards. But I find that what adults consider an award winning book that kids ought to like is often not the book that a child wants to read.
I like to check out the awards where kids do the voting. I did a post last year called Who Are You Writing for and linked somed of those awards.
http://thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/who-are-you-writing-for.html
Hi Pen and Ink Susan,
You are so right about adults picking books for awards not being what kid want to read! I track the Children’s Book Awards where kids vote for their favorite books and am so happy to learn of more though your post! I’m always looking for books to get kids reading, especially reluctant boy readers.
I am intrigued by this book! I always enjoy seeing what wins especially the Caldecott!
Hi Ann,
When your kids are in 4th or 5th grade, they might like Creech’s work. We do a Sharon Creech author study in 5th grade so my kids are all big fans of hers! PickyKidPix even got a comment on her blog from her which has made her year!
That is SO cool for PickyKidPix!
Hi Ann,
She is so proud of that! Such bragging rights!