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| 2014 Cynsational Book of the Year! |
The height of awards season is upon us!
I watched the ALA Youth Media Awards via live stream while escorting a plumber around my master bath. He was amused that I could barely tear myself away long enough to wave at the shower.
He observed, “So, for you, this is like the Oscars!”
Yes, yes, it is.
I’m genuinely thrilled for all the winners and honorees! Shout outs below are directed at former workshop students, VCFA family, personal friends, critique pals, and author pals whose journeys and/or inspiration have significantly intersected with mine.
Children’s-YA Book Awards
Congratulations to Jenny Offill, winner of the eighteenth annual Charlotte Zolotow Award for Picture Book Writing from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at The University of Wisconsin, Madison. See honor and commended books.
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| IRA Notable Book for a Global Society |
Congratulations to winners of Notable Books for a Global Society from the International Reading Association! Shout outs to Skila Brown, Bethany Hegedus, Susan Kuklin, J. Patrick Lewis, Kekla Magoon, Duncan Tonatiuth, Tim Tingle, Dana Walrath, Jacqueline Woodson and Paula Yoo.
Congratulations to Candace Fleming, winner of the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award from Nonfiction! Shout out to honor winner Duncan Tonatiuth.
Congratulations to Anne M. Martin, winner of the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction! Shout out to honor winners Marla Frazee and Deborah Wiles.
Congratulations
to the ALA Youth Media Award Winners and Honorees! Too many friends to
mention, but a quick shout out to fellow VCFA faculty member Kekla Magoon and VCFA alumni Jandy Nelson and Julie Berry.
See also 2015 Popular Paperbacks from YALSA and 2015 Best YA Fiction from YALSA. On the latter, shout outs to Michelle Knudsen, Gail Giles, Kekla Magoon, Jandy Nelson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Mary E. Pearson, Robin LaFevers, Deborah Wiles, and Emily Lockhart.
For post-game, try: Wednesday Morning Quarterbacking: The Post-Game Edition by Robin Smith from The Horn Book; Poetry = Newbery by Sylvia Vardell from Poetry for Children.
More Awards
Congratulations to Andrea J. Loney, winner of the Lee & Low New Voices Award and to Kara Stewart, the Honor Winner!
Peek: “A first-time author and member of the Sappony tribe, Stewart is
an Elementary School Literacy Coach and serves on the North Carolina
State Advisory Council on Indian Education. She believes that it is
vital for Native people to be reflected in an accurate, contemporary,
and non-stereotypical way, and she wrote this story to honor her Sappony
family, their resilience, and determination to keep their heritage
alive. Stewart will receive a prize of $500.” See also In the Spotlight: Kara Stewart from Prissy World.
Congratulations to Heidi Kim and Adria Quinones, winners of the 2014 On-the-Verge Emerging Voices Award from SCBWI!
Congratulations to 2015 Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence Crystal Allen!
Congratulations to K.T. Horning, winner of the 2015 ALSC Distinguished Service Award!
Congrats to ALL the winners! It's always an exciting time of year, and though I know there are ALways books out there which are just as deserving as the ones chosen, I'm happy for all the winners! 😀