Compiled by Cynthia Leitich Smith

The 43rd NAACP Image Awards Youth/Teens Outstanding Literary Work: Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin); Eliza’s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary by Jerdine Nolan, illustrated by Sadra Strickland (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman); Jesse Owens: I Always Loved Running by Jeff Burlingame (Enslow); Kick by Walter Dean Myers, co-authored by Ross Workman (HarperTeen); Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes (Bloomsbury).

Cynsational Notes

Kekla Magoon on Truth, Inspiration, and Camo Girl from Cynsations. Peek: “The story’s themes of friendship, loyalty, fitting in, and self-acceptance all rested very close to my heart, but when people asked why I wrote the book, I found myself hemming and hawing.”

Co-authors Interview: Walter Dean Myers & Ross Workman on Kick from Cynsations. Peek: “I…saw, first hand, that the experience of writing increases the ability to write. Ross wrote much more convincingly at the end of this project than he did at the onset. I believe that structure helps in the writing process and working with Ross on Kick served to reaffirm this in my mind.”

The 2012 ALA Youth Media Awards are currently being announced live. Look for more Cynsations coverage of children’s-YA book award winners, honor books, finalists and lists in the days to come.