Caldecott, Newbery And Other Children's Books Awards

There's just something about those Caldecott, Newbery, and King Awards books. They have a special look, a special read, a
special feel.
In January the American Library Association announced the winners of the Caldecott and Newbery and King medals, along with other awards for the best children's and young adult literature, at its Midwinter Meeting in Denver.
Here are some of the winners:

• The John Newbery Medal went to The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature.
• The Newbery Honors Books were The Underneath by Kathi Appelt and illustrated by David Small; The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle; Savvy by Ingrid Law; and After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson.
• The Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children went to The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes.
• The Caldecott Honors Books were A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Maria Frazee; How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz; and A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

The Coretta Scott King Awards were:

• For author: We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
• King Author Honor books: The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas, illustrated by Floyd Cooper; Keeping the Night by Hope Anita Smith, illustrated by E. B. Lewis; and Becoming Billie Holiday by Carol B. Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
• For illustrator: The Blacker the Berry
• King Illustrator Honor Books: We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball; Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carol B. Weatherford, illustrated by Sean Qualls; and The Moon Over Star by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
• The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award went to Shadra Strickland, illustrator of Bird, written by Zetta Elliott.

The Caldecott, Newbery, and King Awards are granted to books of outstanding quality, not only for the content of the story but for the illustrations. If you have a chance, stop by the library and see how many of these special awards books you can locate. Then check them out and plan on an evening of wonderful reading, whether you read them to your children or by yourself. They are some of the most outstanding books available to lovers of books.