Monday, January 23 was to youth services librarians what the Oscars are to the film industry. While we Californians were still sleeping, the 2012 Newbery and Caldecott winners were announced during the American Library Association's Midwinter Conference in Dallas, Texas. The Newbery recognizes the year's best in children's literature, while the Caldecott honors excellence in children's picture books.
Jack Gantos, author of the popular Joey Pigza series, won this year's Newbery for his novel
Dead End in Norvelt. Drawing on his childhood experiences, Gantos writes about a 12-year-old boy (not coincidentally named Jack Gantos) who spends the summer of 1962 grounded until he is tasked with helping an elderly neighbor with an unusual chore.
Newbery Honor books (in other words - the runners up) were
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai and
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin.
The wordless picture book
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka took home the Caldecott Medal. This poignant tale features a spirited young dog who is heartbroken when a bigger dog destroys a favorite toy. This is Raschka's second Caldecott Medal; he previously won for
The Hello, Goodbye Window.
Caldecott Honor books were
Blackout by John Rocco,
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith, and
Me, Jane by Patrick McDonnell.
Many other American Library Association awards recognizing excellence in such categories as young adult literature, beginning readers, juvenile nonfiction, and audiobooks were also announced this week. A full list of winners can be found
here.
As always, our librarians are available to help you find these award winning books. We're just a phone call away at 408-615-2916.
posted by SPB
