2010 Lammy Award Finalists Announced
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By Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 03/29/2010
A gay teen coping with his father’s death, a debut novel that retells Cinderella, and a collection of 12 authors who write about learning to love yourself are among some of the five books nominated for the Lambda Literary Award in the category of children’s and young adult literature. The Lammy, as the award is known, seeks to recognize excellence in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender literature.
The award’s judging committee is comprised of writers, booksellers, librarians, and journalists who reviewed 462 books published in 2009 for awards in 23 categories.
“I'm always honored when anyone likes my work, whether they sit on an awards committee or not,” says Dale Peck, who was nominated several times for the award beginning in 1993 for his first novel, Martin and John (Farrar, Straus, 1993) and this year for Sprout (Bloomsbury, USA). “Sprout seems to have touched a chord in a lot of readers, gay and straight, teen and adult, which is also really gratifying, since I almost didn't finish it.”
Nick Burd, a former student of Peck’s at the Graduate Writing Program of the New School, is also a finalist for his book, The Vast Fields of Ordinary (Penguin). “There's a particular poignancy to sharing the nomination with a former student,” Peck adds.
Winners will be announced at the 22nd Annual Lambda Awards on May 27 at New York’s School of Visual Arts Theater.
The nominations are listed below.
Ash, (Little, Brown) by Malinda Lo
A retelling of Cinderella, where Ash meets Kaisha, the king’s huntress, and the relationship rekindles Ash’s capacity for love.
How Beautiful the Ordinary, (HarperCollins) edited by Michael Cart.
Twelve acclaimed authors, including Greg Maguire, David Levithan, and Francesca Lia Block contribute stories ranging from sweet and nostalgic to lyrical and desperate, capturing the blissful/painful process of self-discovery.
In Mike We Trust, (HarperCollins) by P.E. Ryan
Coping with his sexuality and the death of his dad, Garth gets a visit from his laid-back uncle. During the course of the book, they dance around issues of honesty and truth.
Sprout, (Bloomsbury USA) by Dale Peck
Sprout is green haired gay 12-year-old with a secret.
The Vast Fields of Ordinary, (Penguin Books) by Nick Burd
The summer after graduating from an Iowa high school, 18-year-old Dade Hamilton watches his parents' marriage disintegrate, ends his long-term, secret relationship, comes out of the closet, and savors first love.
