ALA Youth Media Awards 2016

Wow!  I’m not even sure where to start.  I got up extra early, skipped my gym workout and got to work by about 7:15 so I could listen to SLJ’s pre-game show before the live webcast of the Youth Media Awards at 8:00am.
It was so worth it.  I know everyone talks about the Caldecott and Newbery awards, but there are a bunch of other awards that are announced as well – the Alex Awards, Schneider Family Book Awards, Stonewall Awards, Coretta Scott King, Printz, Pura Belpré and many more.

The Caldecott Award committee selected four honor books:

• Trombone Shorty illustrated by Bryan Collier
• Waiting illustrated by Kevin Henkes
• Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement illustrated by Euka Holmes
• Last Stop on Market Street illustrated by Christian Robinson

The winner is:
Finding Winnie illustrated by Sophie Blackall
 
The Newbery Award committee selected three honor books:

• The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
• Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

The winner is:
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

That’s right, you read that correctly… a picture book won the Newbery (with a graphic novel winning an honor)!  It’s an exciting time for children’s books as more and more diverse authors and illustrators are being recognized for their work and different formats are being recognized and it’s all super amazing and awesome!  I’ll be posting some more, after I stop geeking out over all the amazing winning books!