Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - February 2013

As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, I try to post new releases for the month.  Here are some of titles that I found being released in February 2013.  Books marked with an asterik (*) indicated full length chapter books for grades 5 to 8. 


February 1, 2013

*A Marked Man: The Assassination of Malcolm X by Matt Doeden (Twenty-First Century Books)

February 12, 2013

Becoming Babe Ruth by Matt Tavares (Candlewick Press)

February 19, 2013

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone; Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (Henry Holt and Co.)

If you know of a book that should be included in this list, please include the title and author in the comments section and I will update the list.  

If you have posted any nonfiction book reviews, please link them up with this post:

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

After getting back from ALA Midwinter, I had a super busy week which limited the number of books that I could read.  Here are a few that stood out to me from the past week.

Peace by Wendy Anderson Halperin - I found this title up in Seattle at the Secret Garden Bookstore.  The illustrations are beautiful and the text weaves together. 

Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford - This book is a good one for math fans.  I enjoyed how the author tries to help readers understand the concept of Infinity.

Jacob Lawrence in the City by Susan Goldman Rubin- An interesting board book that looks at various paintings of Jacob Lawrence.

Penguin on Vacation by Salina Yoon (release date April 16, 2013) - I had an opportunity to see an F&G of this one.  I love this follow-up to Penguin and Pinecone.


So, what are you reading this week?

Printed Books Giveaway Hop

The Printed Books Giveaway Hop is hosted by Kathy over at I am a Reader, Not a Writer.  This hop celebrates the printed book.  No e-books this time.


I will be giving away signed copies of the following Middle Grade Mystery/Adventure Pack:

The Fellowship for Alien Detection by Kevin Emerson (Walden Pond Press)

The Tell-Tale Start: The Misadventure of Edgar and Allen Poe by Gordon McAlpine (Penguin)

Girls' Best Friend: A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery by Leslie Margolis (Bloomsbury)

Enter Using Rafflecopter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to check out the other blogs participating in this giveaway hop:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction & the Robert F. Sibert Medal

On Monday, the world celebrated one of the most important days in Children's Literature with ALA's Youth Media Awards.  Congratulations to all of the winners of the YALSA's Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction and the Robert F. Sibert Medal Award.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults 

Winner: Bomb: The Race to Build — and Steal — the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon written by Steve Sheinkin, published by Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Honor: Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different written by Karen Blumenthal, published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Honor: Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 written by Phillip Hoose, published by Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Honor: Titanic: Voices from the Disaster written by Deborah Hopkinson, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic

Honor: We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March written by Cynthia Levinson, published by Peachtree Publishers

2013 Robert F. Sibert Medal for the most distinguished informational book for children 

published in 2012 

Winner: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon written by Steve Sheinkin and published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press.

The Sibert Medal Committee selected three Honor Books:

Honor: Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin written by Robert Byrd and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Honor: Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 written by Phillip M. Hoose and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.

Honor: Titanic: Voices from the Disaster written by Deborah Hopkinson, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic 

Of course, I would have loved to see some more nonfiction picture books on this list, but given that two different Award Committees selected nearly all of the same books, these need to go on my list of books to read.

If you have a nonfiction picture book or nonfiction book post that you would like to link up, please include them below. 

ALA's Youth Media Awards - Schneider Family Book Award Winners

Part of me is terribly exhausted but the other part is running on adrenalin.  It was an amazing morning being a part of ALA's Youth Media Awards.  It started with pictures at 6:00 a.m. for the committees.

The 2013 Schneider Family Book Award Jury

After hanging around for awhile, we were able to go into the room where the announcements would be made.  Each committee has reserved seats. Look what was on our chairs:

Believe it or not, we were in the front row in front of the big screen.  However, it is pretty dark in there so my pictures are limited.

Me in front of the big screen

Here is a picture of room as people were coming in:

The Youth Media Award Announcements are made quickly and efficiently.  The Schneider Family Book Awards were announced early on.

Each year, the Schneider Family Book Award Jury selects three awards.  The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Usually, they are given in the following categories - Young Child, Middle Grade, and Young Adult.  And the winners of this year's Schneider Family Book Awards go to:

Young Child Award -
Back to Front and Upside Down by Claire Alexander (Eerdmans Books for Young Children)

Middle Grade Award -
A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean (Katherine Tegen/Harper Collins)

Young Adult Award -
Somebody Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis (Simon & Schuster)

I am excited about the hard work of the jury and really feel that we selected some great books that fit what the award is all about. 

When the awards were over, I went down to the exhibit hall to see the books on display.  I was able to take some pictures with the books.  However, the highlight was when HarperCollins let me place the Schneider Family Book Award Sticker on A Dog Called Homeless.

I am with Sarah Shumway Liu (Editor for A Dog Called Homeless)

Ok, that's all for now.  I'll be posting more about this incredible experience, but now off for a nap.