Last night Kathi Appelt won the Writers’ League of Texas Teddy Award in the short works division for Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America (HarperCollins, 2005), and Tammar Stein won in the long works division for Light Years (Knopf, 2005).

The event was held in the Texas Governor’s Mansion on this, the weekend of the Texas Book Festival. Quite the venue!

Unlike previous years, there were no readings, and there was no extended program–just a social followed by a presentation of certificates to all the finalists and teddy bears to the winners. Also, this year, the event was not open to the public, but rather limited to finalists and one guest each.

I had the honor of being the guest of Jennifer J. Stewart, who was a finalist in long works for Close Encounters of a Third World Kind (Holiday House, 2004).

Highlights included a quick hug with Diane Gonzales Bertrand, who was a finalist in long works for Upside Down and Backwards/De Cabeza y Al Reves translated by Karina Hernandez (Arte Publico, 2004).

The evening continued at Caste Hill Cafe, where our party included myself, my husband and former Teddy winner Greg Leitich Smith, my hostess Jennifer J. Stewart, Teddy Award winner Kathi Appelt, Joy Fisher Hein who illustrated Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers, Anne Bustard who was a finalist in short works for Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly (Simon & Schuster, 2005), author Lindsey Lane who was Anne’s guest at the Mansion, author Patricia McMahon and her son/co-author Conner who were speaking at the festival this weekend, Elaine Scott who was a finalist in short works for Poles Apart: Why Penguins and Polar Bears Will Never Be Neighbors (Viking, 2004), and her very cute husband.

Cynsational News & Links

Learn more about the Teddy winners and finalists from cynsations. See cover art for the Teddy Award winners and finalists from the Writers’ League of Texas.

Patricia McMahon and her son Conner Clarke McCarthy’s new book, illustrated by Karen A. Jerome, is Just Add One Chinese Sister (Boyds Mills, 2005).

Lindsey Lane’s debut book, Snuggle Mountain, illustrated by Melissa Iwai (Clarion, 2003), is a perfect choice for pre-K.

Greg Leitich Smith is a former Teddy Award winner for Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo (Little Brown, 2003, 2005).