Monday, February 12, 2018

The ALA's Book Awards

Last year I was totally out of the childlit world for many months while dealing with some family issues, which resolved themselves very well, thank you. Evidently my head isn't totally back into the game, because I thought the ALA children's book awards were announced last month. I thought they were always announced in January. Talk about total lack of paying attention. They were announced today!

Even when I saw people on my Facebook wall talking about going to ALA last week, I didn't put two and two together and go, Wait...they're having their meeting now? The award announcement meeting now?

And I thought I'd been being very disciplined and mindful since my retreat week last month. This may shatter how I perceive myself and function for the rest of the year.

Anyway, check out the winners. The only winner I've read is The Murder's Ape, which was awarded the  Batchelder Award "for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States." But I didn't blog about it! My recollection is that it was a strange, not easy to pigeonhole story that I didn't necessarily perceive as a children's story. But I do like seeing unique works like that winning awards, so, good for Jakob Wegelius, the author and illustrator.

Also, congratulations to Debbie Reese, who won the May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award "recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature." Reese has been writing about and advocating for Native American children's literature for many years. I have been seeing her within the childlit community for a long time. She has truly stayed the course and deserves recognition for her work and commitment.

While we're on the subject of Native Americans in children's literature, the AILA Youth Literature Awards have also been announced. 

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