And the Winner Is…

By Staff -- School Library Journal, 12/1/2005

First-time author Jeanne Birdsall received the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Knopf). In accepting the award, Birdsall cited her favorite review, from a student on Long Island, New York, who wrote that the novel “was about being a good listener even if you are a grown-up.” According to Liz Rosenberg, author and chair of the Young People’s Literature Panel, there were more than 200 submissions in a variety of genres but fiction rose to the top.

“When an award goes to a first-time author who can channel Alcott, E. Nesbit, and Konigsburg, with a dash of Lemony Snicket for spice and humor—and make it all completely her own—the field is alive and well,” says Connie Rockman, a children’s literature specialist. The award, presented in New York City on November 16, is one of only four awards—including prizes for adult poetry, nonfiction, and fiction—sponsored by the National Book Foundation. The Penderwicks is also one of SLJ’s Best Books of 2005.