Kids' Corner

2011 Newbery and Caldecott Awards

Each January, two of the most important prizes for children’s books are awarded.  The winners must have been published during the previous year.  This year’s announcement will be made on January 10.  Here are 10 titles published during 2010 that I think have a good chance of getting a medal or being named an Honor Book:

The Newbery Medal

(for outstanding writing in a book for children up to age 14)

Keeper    by Kathi Appelt
10 year old Keeper may or may not be half-mermaid, but she has a special attachment to the Gulf Coast sea life.  This is fantasy, adventure, romance, and folklore all in one.   For grades 4 – 7.

Mockingbird   by Kathryn Erskine
Caitlin, the 5th grade narrator, is smart and artistic – and has Asperger’s syndrome.  This was the National Book Award winner.  For grades 4 – 6

Ninth Ward    by Jewell Parker Rhodes
This haunting and hopeful novel, set in New Orleans, describes the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Lanesha and her close-knit neighborhood. 
For grades 5 – 8

The Dreamer   by Pam Munoz Ryan
The childhood of the Chilean Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda is beautifully treated in this fictionalized biography.  Clever illustrations by Peter Sis add to the book’s charm.    For grades 4 – 8

One Crazy Summer   by Rita Williams-Garcia
Narrated by feisty 11 year old Delphine, this recounts the summer of 1968 when she and her two sisters are sent from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to stay with their unconventional mother.    For grades 4 – 7

The Caldecott Medal

(for the best American picture book of the year; the award goes to the illustrator.  Unless otherwise noted, the author and illustrator are the same.)

Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy   by Denise Fleming
Lovely “pulp painting” illustrations depict various baby animals getting drowsy – the book ends with a tiny human baby fast asleep.  Preschool

Chalk  by Bill Thomson
Magical chalk makes three children’s drawings come to life in this amazing wordless picture book.    For K – grade 4

The Quiet Book   by Deborah Underwood
A variety of cuddly stuffed animals experience many kinds of quiet, in this perfect bedtime story.   Illustrated by Renata Liwska.   For preschool – grade 2

Art and Max   by David Wiesner
Two lizards explore different ways of painting in this energetic new book by the three-time Caldecott winner.   Preschool – grade 4

City Dog, Country Frog   by Mo Willems
Expressive watercolors accompany the story of a friendship between a dog and a frog over the four seasons.  Illustrated by Jon Muth.  For preschool – grade 2

Happy New Year,  and Happy Reading!
Ellen Xydias
Children’s Librarian