On Monday, January 28, 2013, at the Washington
State Convention Center in Seattle, thousands of librarians, publisher types,
book people, and some educators will gather together to hear the announcement
of the American
Library Association (ALA) Youth
Media Awards There are twenty different children’s book awards that will be announced. Though the most well known of these awards
are the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, additional categories that represent a greater
age range and increased diversity have also been added over the years.
During the hour-long announcements, the room
will be filled with anticipation, excitement, and great energy. There will be wild clapping as well loved
favorites from 2012 are announced as winners.
However, there will also be stunned silence when heavily favored books
are passed over for a lesser-known title.
And once the awards are announced, there will be a mad scramble by
bookstores and libraries to stock the winning books on their shelves.
In 2011, I sat in the auditorium listening to
the silence as a relatively unknown title, Moon Over Manifest by debut author
Claire Vanderpool claimed the prestigious Newbery Medal. Last night, I had the honor of chatting with
Vanderpool and Newbery Honor author, Kirby Larson (Hattie Big Sky). Sometimes life is a bit surreal, and it will
only become more so, when I enter the auditorium for the Youth Media Awards as
one of the Book Award Committee members.
I have had the honor of serving on the 2013 Schneider Family Book Award Jury. This past Friday, our committee carefully
reviewed the books we had read and selected three titles to take home the Schneider
Family Book Award (for a book with a positive portrayal of an
individual with a disability). As I
write this, I am about to leave to join committee members in calling the award
winners to let them know they have won.
And on Monday morning, I will have a seat near the other Award Committee
members as all of the announcements are made.
My experience on this committee has given me new
appreciation for those who select the Newbery and Caldecott Award Medal
winning books. I have learned that the
average reader reads only a small portion of books that the committee reads and
understandably wants their favorite book to win. However, I have also learned that the
committee may have found in their stacks a gem of a book that deserved to win
even if it was unknown. My “what were
you thinking” questions will be replaced with an understanding that the
committee took seriously the task before them by respecting the criteria of the
award, and selecting what they felt was the best fit for the medal. I look forward to sharing with students and
teachers the winners from the 2013 ALA Youth Media Awards.
