Newbery/Caldecott 2011 or Well, How Awesome Was THAT?

Didn’t I TELL you it was a Wild Card Year?  And the truth?  I adore Wild Card Years.  They’re my favorites, and not just because my Newbery year’s committee picked The Higher Power of Lucky either.  The whole reason I like the ALA Media Awards is because right until the last minute anybody can win and everybody’s fair game (always assuming they meet the right criteria).  So here’s my round-up of the winners!  And for the record, if you want to see the full list of winners (which I will not put here because I am lazy) head on over to Heavy Medal.  That’s where they lay.

We also get to play a little game I like to call How Many of These Did Fuse #8 Actually Read/Review.  I’ve never tallied my previous years before, so let’s start now!  From the top:

Newbery Award Winner:

Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool – I love you, Ms. Vanderpool.  Yes, I had a different winner picked out since (checks date of review) this time last year, but that’s okay.  If it had to go to anyone, I’m glad it went to a book that came so far out of left field that it left all the folks who had made predictions panting in the dust (including myself, of course).  It has three starred reviews to its name, which in some circles is considered the magic number for any Newbery winner.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: No.  Random House book.  You understand.  And that makes two years in a row for them!

Newbery Honors:

Turtle in Paradise, by Jennifer L. Holm – Woo-hoo!  Go, Jenni, go go go!  Loved that book, I did.  I just hope she gets an actually shiny gold award soon.  All these Honors are cool, but I wanna see her make a dive for the medal proper and soon.  Did I Review It: No.  Did  I Even Read It: Yes! 

Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus – Wow!  The book I thought would get a Scott O’Dell Award got a Newbery Honor instead!  Well played, Ms. Preus.  I’m not all that surprised, of course.  It’s a rip-roaring adventure tale with some fabulous writing.  I was a big fan.  Did I Review It: You bet!  I did a podcast review of it over at the Katie Davis site.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night, written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen – Silly me.  I read and reviewed the OTHER Joyce Sidman book this year (Ubiquitous) and left this one, the actual award winner, out in the cold.  Honestly, that was because I preferred the art in Ubiquitous to the art in this title.  But since I always assume Newbery committees won’t give props to poetry, I missed this one’s great Honor win.  Did I Review It: Nope.  Did I Even Read It: Nope and nope.

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia – Ahhh.  Well at least it has an Honor and enough buzz around it that folks will remember it for years and years.  My initial review of this title came out on February 2, 2010, almost one year ago.  It’s always a kind of relief to know that a book you loved and adored for that long had other fans as well.  That silver sticker will look awful pretty on the cover anyway.

I think the real lesson of 2010 is that of all those books that could be considered YA and that folks wanted to consider anyway for the Newbery, not a single one won a Newbery Award.  And I’m fine with that.  That’s why the good lord made the Printz, after all.

Caldecott Award Winner:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip Stead – As I said in my last round of predictions, I want someone with the name “Stead” to win a major ALA award every year.  So far we’re two for two.  This was actually a real and delightful surprise to me.  I knew Stead had a good chance at an Honor but I didn’t have the guts to say she’d get the gold outright.  And for her FIRST picture book too!  I’m sure glad I reviewed that one when I did.  Makes me feel a little bit better about missing the Newbery winner entirely.  Did I Review It:  Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes.

Caldecott Honors:

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill – Clearly I underestimated the committee.  I said that they wouldn’t appreciate this, what to my mind is, Collier’s best work since Uptown.  They proved me wrong.  There was a reason why I couldn’t review this one this year, but I’m glad it worked out for this book.  And for Mr. Collier too.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Oh yes.  Many times.

Interrupting Chicken, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein – Color me surprised on this one!  Not because it isn’t a fabulous book (it is) but because Mr. Stein is one of those folks I was worried the committee would ignore again.  Truth be told, even I ignored him this year.  I didn’t even mention this book on my last round-up.  Not once.  But it’s funny and fresh and proves that maybe Stein’s beginning to get the respect he so desperately deserves. Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Yes!

Coretta Scott King Awards – John Steptoe New Talent for Writing

Victoria Bond and T.R. Smith for Zora and Me – Ah!  This got some Newbery buzz but never quite struck me as extraordinary enough to get over the last hump.  I would agree entirely that these two talented (and, let’s admit it, gorgeous) writers are more than deserving of a new talent award, though.  I’m excited to see what they come up with next in the future.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Yes.

Coretta Scott King Awards – John Steptoe New Talent for Illustration:

Sonia Lynn Sadler for Seeds of Change – You know, it’s interesting to me that after a brief flurry of interest in Kadir Nelson’s Mama Miti, it sank like a stone never to come up for air again.  I blame the writing (odd since I love the author) not the story or the art.  This book was the same tale but the art was gorgeous in its own particular way.  Plus I’m always thrilled with Lee & Low Books get a little award attention.  Go, L&L, go!  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: No.

Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration

Dave the Potter, illustrated by Bryan Collier – So very satisfying.  Very very satisfying indeed.

Coretta Scott King Honors for Illustration

Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe – Must feel good for him.  I’ve told you the story of how I had a kid in my library once who insisted on finding and reading every since Javaka Steptoe book we owned, right?  Well, there you go.  Another one for the kid’s pile. Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Yes.

Coretta Scott King Award for Writing

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia – Soooooo satisfying.  Of course, I don’t know how she’ll be able to fit all her awards on the cover of the book without covering up the images there.  The combination of her Scott O’Dell Award with the Newbery Honor with this Coretta Scott King Award . . . . we should all have such problems, eh? Did I Review It: Yes.

Coretta Scott King Honor for Writing

Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers – A surprise for me since I was unaware they gave King Awards and Honors to YA novels.  That’s the only reason I didn’t read it, I like to think.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: No.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes – Huh.  Well it’s a cool idea and a great setting.  And the tension is nicely ratcheted up in the course of the story.  I tend to have problems with magical realism and how it’s handled in some novels, so this wasn’t one of my favorites of the year, but I respected what it was trying to do. Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Yes.

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke – Wow!  Is this the first graphic novel to ever win a King?  Maybe so.  In any case, I’m pleased as punch that they gave it the honor they did.  It’s a fantastic book and recently made it into the final round of the Cybils Awards.  Well played again, Lee & Low.  Did I Review It: Yes.

Printz Honor:

Nothing by Janne Teller – I don’t tend to cover the Printzs, but I will say how pleased I am to see Teller here.  I really didn’t feel that Nothing got enough attention this year, and the book is quite amazing.  Disturbing beyond belief, but amazing.  I’ve discussed this with other bloggers who mentioned that the translation felt a bit stilted, but I think once you get beyond that you’re in the clear.  Plus the kids in the bookgroup I run have been clamoring for it ever since I told them about it (NYPL doesn’t carry it yet, sadly).  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Read It: Yes!

Belpre Award for Best Illustrator

Grandma’s Gift by Eric Velasquez – By complete accident I ended up reading this book just last week, and I found it deeply satisfying.  Have you guys seen this one?  Juan de Pareja makes an appearance and the story feels very real and true.  I was delighted to see this get some loving.  Wish I’d reviewed it when I had a chance.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Yes.

Belpre Honors for Best Illustrator

Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated by Amy Cordova – The revenge of the now defunct Tricycle Press.  Everyone sigh together on cue . . . *sigh*  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Yes!

Me, Frida by David Diaz – Perhaps this will convince him that maybe not every book of his needs to be done a computer.  I mean, it’s just gorgeous and it stands out amongst a lot of what he’s been doing lately.  Just sayin’.  Did I Review It: No, because apparently I am AWFUL at remembering to review Hispanic children’s literature.  Did I Even Read It: Yes.

Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh – Okay, this is one of the few books on this list that I haven’t even heard of.  Oh man.  Where did this one come from?  Hanging my head in shame.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: No.

Belpre Award for Best Author

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sis – No Newbery Honor, huh?  That was a surprise.  Ah well.  At least the Belpre committee recognized the book, and that’s pretty cool.  Did I Review It: Yes, on the Katie Davis podcast.

Belpre Award for Best Author

Ole Flamenco by George Ancona – Oh good!  I didn’t know that nonfiction was even necessarily able to win this award.  This is one I saw time and time again and never got a chance to pick up and read.  2011 resolution: Read more!  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: No.

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle – Engle pulled off a Wild Card move of her own a couple years ago when her The Surrender Tree got a Newbery Honor.  This book could have pulled off its own surprise Newbery Honor win, but a Pura Belpre Honor ain’t half shabby either.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: No.

90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis – I keep shelving this book on the New Books truck in my library branch.  Our “F” section in the fiction is really tight right now.  To its credit, it keeps getting checked out as a result.  Guess I should have read it to see why that was.  Instead I read The Red Umbrella.  Wrong choice.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: No.

Batchelder Award Winner

A Time of Miracles by Anne-Laure Bondoux – Sometimes I think that the Batchelder Award is my favorite award aside from the Newbery and Caldecott.  I just love it so.  I mean, I love translated books for kids and books for children from overseas.  The Batchelder just taps into that.  Not that I ever saw Bondoux’s book, but there are peaches on its cover, so it’s gotta be pretty good (I’m stretching a little here).  Particularly if it beat my beloved Departure Time.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: No.

Batchelder Honor Winner

Departure Time by Truus Matti – I would have given you all the awards in the world if I could have, Matti.  You had a terrible cover and a heart of gold.  Godspeed, little Dutch book.  Did I Review It: Yes.

Nothing by Janne Teller – Like I said, awesomeness incarnate.  And a book that makes The Lord of the Flies seems pretty seriously weak in comparison.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Yes.

Sibert Medal Winner

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery, photos by Nic Bishop – I kick myself every day for putting off reviewing this until it was too late.  Talk about the world’s greatest nonfiction booktalk.  All you have to tell the kids is that it’s about gigantic flightless parrots that smell like honey and they’ll be hooked.  The fact that it makes for the most amusing reading in the world made me hope a little that it might get a Newbery.  Alas, this was not a nonfiction luvin’ Newbery year.  Did I Review It: No, consarn it.  Did I Read It: Yes.

Sibert Honor Winner

Ballet for Martha by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca – Don’t worry, Brian.  We’ll get you a Caldecott one of these day.  You just sit tight.  Did I Review It: Yes.

Lafayette and the American Revolution by Russell Freedman – I think that if you told folks beforehand that THIS was the Freedman book that was going to get noticed and not his WWI title (a book that, I admit it, I couldn’t get through) you’d have met with scoffs galore.  As it stands, I’m a little surprised, but pleased that he got something for his troubles.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Even Read It: Yes.

Geisel Award

Bink and Gollie by Alison McGhee and Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Tony Fucile – I was hoping for a Caldecott but I am more than satisfied with a Geisel win.  Way to go, all!  Did I Review It: Yes.

Geisel Honors

Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin – Yay!  Good old, Geisels.  They were the most predictable award this year.  I say that in a good way.  Did I Review It: Yes.

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems – If I don’t review any Elephant & Piggie books anymore it isn’t because I don’t adore them.  It’s because they’re already popular and don’t need a leg up.  I’m pleased to see this get a Geisel, though.  It more than deserved it.  Did I Review It: No.  Did I Read It: Yes.

And now, from an award that’s given out by folks other than ALA:

The Sydney Taylor Award for Older Readers

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch – And, if I may be so bold, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy or a nicer book.  So that’s two graphic novels (this and Yummy) that got a little love this year.  All the more reason we need an ALA Award for GNs, yes what?  Did I Review It: Yes.

Nothing I didn’t like won a thing this year.  That’s actually a little strange.  Usually there’s at least one book out there that gets a big award and that I have to plaster a grin about whenever a patron asks for it by name.  But this year the four children’s books I seriously disliked (come to my next Kidlit Drink Night and I’ll tell you what they were) got nada.  Zip.  Zero.  Zilch.  I’m in heaven.

For a laugh and a giggle you can check out my last round of predictions of what would win this year.  In the end I successfully named the Caldecott winner (though I said it would be an Honor), a Newbery Honor (though I said it would be a winner) and some other random books.  In the end, however, predictions were useless this year.  And that’s just the way I like it.

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