The American Library Association has announced the winners of the Newbery, Caldecott and Printz Awards for 2009, along with their other annual youth awards. Here are the winners:
John Newbery Medal Winnerfor the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean
Newbery Honor Books
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
Savvy by Ingrid Law
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
Randolph Caldecott Medal Winner for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes
Caldecott Honor Books
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, written and illustrated by Marla Frazee
How I Learned Geography, written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Printz Honor Books
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:
We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Author Award)
The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Illustrator Award)
King Author Honor Books
The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
King Illustrator Honor Books
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Sean Qualls
The Moon Over Star by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award. Shadra Strickland, illustrator of “Bird,” written by Zetta Elliott
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences:
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum written and illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker (Young Children Category)
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor (Middle-School Category)
Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen (Teen Category)
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers:
Are You Ready to Play Outside? written and illustrated by Mo Willems
Geisel Honor Books
Chicken said, “Cluck!” by Judyann Ackerman Grant, illustrated by Sue Truesdell
One Boy written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Stinky written and illustrated by Eleanor Davis
Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator by Sarah C. Campbell, photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell
Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: Laurie Halse Anderson (author of Catalyst, Fever 1793, and Speak)
Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children’s books:
Just in Case illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Illustrator Award)
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle (Author Award)
Belpré Illustrator Honor Books
Papá and Me” by Arthur Dorros, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
The Storyteller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos by Lucía González, illustrated by Lulu Delacre
What Can You Do with a Rebozo? by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated by Amy Córdova
Belpré Author Honor Books
Just in Case by Yuyi Morales
Reaching Out by Francisco Jiménez
The Storyteller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos by Lucía González
Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children:
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
Sibert Honor Books
Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and Rediscovery of The Past by James M. Deem
What to Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video.
March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World
Mildred L. Batchelder Award for the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi and translated by Cathy Hirano
Batchelder Honor Books
Garmann’s Summer by Stian Hole, translated by Don Bartlett
Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis, translated by Anthea Bell
Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, written and narrated by Sherman Alexie
Odyssey Honor Audiobooks
Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L.A. Meyer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, narrated by Mirron Willis
I’m Dirty! by Kate & Jim McMullan, narrated by Steve Buscemi
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale, written and narrated by Carmen Agra Deedy
Nation by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Stephen Briggs
Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
City of Thieves by David Benioff
The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
Finding Nouf by Zoë Ferraris
The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
Just After Sunset by Stephen King
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Over and Under by Todd Tucker
The Oxford Project by Stephen G. Bloom
Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
Three Girls and Their Brother by Theresa Rebeck
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, established in 1954, honors an author or illustrator whose books are published in the United States and have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children:
Ashley Bryan, his numerous works include “Dancing Granny,” “Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum,” and “Beautiful Blackbird.”
William C. Morris YA Debut Award, which is awarded for the first time in 2009, honoring a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Liz Strand said
As the newest award presented, the William C. Morris Award has no explanation about what it is and why it is an award. It is only fair when every other award is described specifically for what it is, including, ( if you ever attended a writing class you would know,) what The Newbery and Caldecott are.
Readers of children and young adult books are most familiar with the stamps of the American Library Association. They know what those awards are for.
Since this is the first year for the Morris Award, could the “writer” have taken the time to explain what it was for, and the first recipient to have a bullet before her name.
This is really nitpicking, but lets try for some consistency, since you are reporting about the best books of the last year, and one assumes the journalists are aware of writing and editing. Liz Strand Coon
John said
Thank you for your comments.
I did not include an explanation for the William C. Morris Award because we were not supplied one by the ALA. However, after digging around I found this on the Young Adult Library Services Association page:
“The William C. Morris YA Debut Award begins in 2009, honoring a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens”
I will add this explanation to the post.