Top Book Awards Unveiled
This year’s literary, illustration awards were tough guesses
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 3/1/2006
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Also in this article: Newbery Medal  Caldecott Medal Margaret A. Edwards Award |
The American Library Association (ALA) on January 23 unveiled the nation’s top book awards for children and young adults at its midwinter meeting in San Antonio, TX. Don’t be surprised if your top pick didn’t nab a Newbery or Caldecott—most agree that it was almost impossible to predict this year’s winners.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Pura Belpré award and the first Theodor Geisel award for books for beginning readers. The Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults is cosponsored by School Library Journal and the Young Adult Library Services Association.
Here is a partial list of winners. For the complete list, visit www.slj.com/2006bookawards.
Newbery Medal
Criss Cross (Greenwillow) by Lynne Rae Perkins.
Caldecott Medal
The Hello, Goodbye Window (Hyperion/ Michael di Capua Bks.) illustrated by Chris Raschka, written by Norton Juster.
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book.
Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas (S & S) written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson.
Margaret A. Edwards Award
Jacqueline Woodson is the 2006 Edwards Award winner. Her books include I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This (1994) and its sequel, Lena (1999, both Delacorte), as well as From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun (1995), If You Come Softly (2004), and Miracle’s Boys (2000, all Putnam).
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults.
Looking for Alaska (Dutton) by John Green.
Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African-American author of outstanding books for children and young adults.
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun) by Julius Lester.
Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African-American illustrator.
Rosa (Holt) illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Nikki Giovanni.
Pura Belpré Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children’s books celebrate the Latino cultural experience.
Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart (Knopf) illustrated by Raul Colón, written by Pat Mora.
Pura Belpré Award honoring a Latino author.
The Tequila Worm (Random/Wendy Lamb Bks.) by Viola Canales.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children.
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H. L. Hunley (Carolrhoda) by Sally M. Walker.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and published in the U.S.
Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic, for An Innocent Soldier. Originally published in German in 2002.
May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award.
Kevin Henkes will deliver the 2007 lecture. Henkes has published seven novels and more than 20 picture books, as well as a number of board books for young children.
