GreenBeanTeenQueen

My blog has really suffered this year-but for a good reason! I have been spending my time working on the 2016 Caldecott Committee! We're getting down to the wire now with our meetings starting next week, so this past month has been incredibly hectic. Nope, no Caldecott eligible titles in this photo-this is my son's giant to-read pile, but you can use your imagination and pretend to understand the amount of reading I've been doing this year! So, what is it like to be on an award committee? Well, it's lots and lots of reading. And then lots and lots of note-taking. Luckily, I've had some help in that area: Now that Midwinter is getting closer, there's even more reading, note-taking, reading again, reading what others have said in their nominations and preparing your notes for what you want to say in all of your discussions.  That's where I've been and what I'll be up to over the next couple weeks. There most likely won't be man...

I love being part of the Youth Media Awards. There is nothing like being in that room during the announcements and eagerly awaiting the titles of each award to appear. I was thrilled, shocked, and surprised with this year's choices which always makes for a fun experience.  One thing I saw on social media and heard in the crowd murmurings after the announcement over and over again was how pleased people were that this year the books had appeal. It always went along the line "finally, a book that's popular/I can teach/give to kids/put in my library/say I enjoyed." But that's not the point of the awards. Yes, it's nice when a chosen title is cherished and loved by many (it's never all-every book has a critic). But that's not the point of the awards.  The Youth Media Awards such as the Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz are given for excellence in literature to a child (or young adult for Printz) audience. These books are for excellence in te...

(This post was orignially published in January 2014, but I think it's fitting that I have friends serving on the award committees this year and I want them to read this encouragement once again and know it's for them too!) Dear Committee Member- On the eve of the youth media awards and your committee announcements, I offer you some words of advice from someone who has been there before. Your choices are amazing. You have done a fantastic job and worked the hardest you have ever worked over the past year. You have read, and re-read, and re-read yet again, taken notes, analyzed, and discussed titles in more depth than you ever thought possible. Your hard work is appreciated. When the announcement happens and your choices are known, just remember that your titles are amazing. You know why you honored the books you did and now you get to share those amazing titles with the world. You get to watch as others read them and discuss them and discover the intricacies in the...

So I'm going to try my best to share my predictions and we'll see how close I can get (probably not close at all!) Here are my predictions (and hopes!) for Monday morning: Caldecott Prediction: Winner: I wish I had come across this one when I was making my Mock Caldecott list because it would have made our final list for sure. If I was on the committee, this is one I would be championing for-the texture, the use of words in the art, the collage style-it's all fantastic. Honor Books: I think this may be a strong year for honor books and we may end up with quite a few depending on how the committee discussion and voting shakes down.  I think this wordless book will be getting some love. The detail! It's gotta count for something! Caldecott Dark Horse: I have two possible dark horses this year: I've only recently been seeing Flashlight crop on other Mock lists. When this one came across my desk, myself and all of my ...

The ALA Youth Media Awards are coming up-the announcement is January 28th! My top three picks for Caldecott are: And I have two dark horse picks: I haven't read much middle grade this year, but my pick for Newbery is: and I have one dark horse Newbery pick: And of course, I can't make any Printz predictions this year!  What do you think will win? Any predictions for Caldecott, Newbery and Printz?

Monday morning bright and early. ALA announced the youth Media Awards. I was at ALA so I was up early and part of the crowd there to hear the annoucements live! Of course, my predictions were pretty much wrong, which is part of the fun! I'm sure if you follow kidlit and YA, you've already read about the winners, but I wanted to share my thoughts and hear yours! The Newbery Winner: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos -I have not read this book and honestly, it wasn't really on my radar before the Newbery. Of course I'm on hold for it now at my library! If you're read it, I'd love to know what you thought! Newbery Honors: - Inside Out and Back Again by Thannhha Lai-I've read this one and I really liked it a lot! I also really love seeing award love for verse novels! - Breaking Stalin's Nose by Euguene Yelchin-Another one I'd heard of but was hardly on my radar. Caldecott Winner: A Ball For Daisy by Chris Raschka -I'm a big dog lover, so o...

It's a beautiful day in San Diego and I got to spend the morning at the ALA Youth Media Awards Announcements! I loved being there with the crowd and hearing the cheers and gasps of shock as the awards were announced. Here's what won the biggies: Printz Award Winner: Ship Breaker Paolo Bacigalupi-I've read this one, now I need to review it! I'm pretty happy with this win and I'm not that surprised. I also think it has a good amount of teen appeal which is nice when it comes to the awards! Printz Award Honors: Stolen by Lucy Christopher, Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (my dark horse pick! It won an honor-so so thrilled!), Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick, and Nothing by Janne Teller. (I've got some reading to do!!) Newbery Award Winner: Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (big surprise and not a well known title) Newbery Award Honors: Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm, Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by...

Well, ALA is almost here and I'm getting read to go! And on Monday we'll get the big book announcement of who will take home the top prizes for Caldecott, Newbery and Printz and the other ALA Youth Media Awards. It's always fun to make predictions so here's are my predictions. It's a bit of a mix of what I want to win, what I think will win (luckily this year that fits most my choices) as well as my dark horse candidates that might surprise us all. Caldecott Award My favorite picture book of the year, The Quiet Book, can't win because the illustrator is from Canada. Which leaves me without any other picks that I really really love for the top spot. So I'm going to go ahead and put David Wiesner's Art & Max in the top spot. I don't think it's his best picture book, but it's still fantastic and he' a librarian golden boy-seriously, we librarians gush over his books. Caldecott Honors: A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Steed, ill...