DRUMROLL PLEASE!
This post slides from my usual Tuesday schedule to Monday in honor of this once-a-year extravaganza.
The American Library Association's YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS!
If you are reading this in time, you can watch the full awards program LIVE at this link, on Monday, January 27 at 11:00 AM Eastern time. But if you miss it live you can view it as a recording within a few hours of the event. Either way, pour yourself some tea or coffee or cocoa, sit back, and savor excellence in books for youth.
What in the world am I writing about? For the full description, click on YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS above. My take, though, is that this is the annual book party for readers from birth to twenty. It celebrates the books and their creators, curators, educators, and circulators.Everyone enjoys awards programs, although we can acknowledge that great art and creativity should not be in competition with itself. But we know that is always the case. The Oscars, the Emmys, the TONYs, and even the People's Choice are viewed with glee. And on and on. We all get an adrenaline rush when seeing our own favorites gained wider recognition through awards. And we ache a bit for those that seem to have been overlooked.
Anyone reading my posts can imagine that watching a room full of other book-lovers, perching at the edge of seats and screaming in glee over each announcement of winning and honored books in each category, is a high point in my year. When I had my own classroom of book-lovers, we would hype this during the months ahead by sharing as many prime candidates as possible, offering our personal awards predictions and reviews, and many other award-related activities that engaged kids with a wide range of high-quality reading options.
These days, I consider readers here as my audience to cheer for various superb books throughout the year, landing on this decision day with hopes that one or more of my recommendations might be selected. Some of the more widely-read book advocates post predictions, and I urge you to read theirs HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, just to get a sense of the convergences and divergence of opinions. There are no wrongs and rights, but be prepared to take notes for your library hold lists, wishlists at your favorite indie bookstore, and gift lists for young readers you know and love. The links to predictions focus on Caldecott (illustration award) and Newbery (Youth literature award), but the morning announcements incorporate multiple categories that will excite and impress viewers. The specialty awards are each worthy of a program of their own. Taken together, this is an adrenaline-inducing experience that I hope many will view, live or later.
Some that I expect you might hear mentioned (this is as close as I'll come to making award predictions) have been featured in posts during the past year. I'm sharing only a few of the titles I'll be rooting for, but they are a great sample of why such choices are hard to make. SO. MANY. GREAT. BOOKS. Truly. Click any of the following to see what i had to say about them.
Nonfiction:
FROM BAM TO BURP! SCRATCHING THE SURFACE
CALDECOTT (Illustration):
WHEN NIGHT CAME CALLING, DEAR ACORN, LOVE OAK,
WHERE DEER SLLIP THROUGH, TO SEE AND OWL.
There are categories for graphic novels, audio books, beginning readers, and so much more. Enough reading here for now. Get over to that link, live or as a recording, and experience the excitement for yourselves.
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