Caldecott Medal artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend written by Dan Santat This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle. An unforgettable tale about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find one's place in the world
Honor Book Titles: Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
Newbery Medal author of the most distinguished writing in American literature for children
The Crossover written by Kwame Alexander "With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood.
Honor Book Titles: Brown Girl Dreaming written by Jacqueline Woodson El Deafo by Cece Bell
Coretta Scott King Award outstanding book by an African American author or illustrator that reflects the African American experience
"The Crossover",Brown Girl Dreaming written by Jacqueline Woodson Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.
Honor Book Titles: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Pura Belpre Award Latino/Latina writer or illustrator whose work best expresses the Latino cultural experience for children
I Lived on Butterfly Hill written by Marjorie Aqosin Celeste Marconi is a dreamer. She lives peacefully among friends and neighbors and family in the idyllic town of Valparaiso, Chile--until the Warships are spotted in the harbor and schoolmates disappear from class without a word. Celeste doesn't quite know what is happening, but one thing is clear: no one is safe, not anymore. Celeste's parents--her educated, generous, kind parents--must go into hiding before they, too, "disappear." To protect their daughter, they send her to America. But even after democracy is restored to her home country, questions remain: Will her parents reemerge from hiding? Will she ever be truly safe again?
Honor Book Titles: Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera
Schneider Family Book Award author or illustrator of a book for children, or teens, that relates the experience of a disability
Rain Reign written by Ann M. Martin Rose Howard has Asperger’s syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). Rain was a lost dog Rose’s father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home alone, as Rose’s father doesn’t have much patience for his special-needs daughter. Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Now Rose has to find her dog, Rose will find Rain, but so will Rain’s original owners.
Teen Book Award Title: Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
Michael Printz Award literary excellence in young adult literature
I'll Give You the Sun writtenby Jandy Nelson Doomed love circles back through the centuries in a series of seven intricately plotted, interlocking stories set on a mysterious, isolated island. Forgetting and remembering, blessed and cursed, modern and ancient, these dualities brilliantly infuse the novel’s lush landscape. Honor Book Titles: And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard The Carnival at Bray by Jessica Ann Foley Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
All reviews adapted from those found on the ALA Website; http://ala.org or GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com