It's award season, not just on the red carpets of Hollywood, but in the library world as well. On Monday morning the American Library Association will announce their Youth Media Awards, including the long running medals for illustration and literature for children. You may have heard of the Caldecott and Newbery Medal, but maybe not. They are awarded by a committee of librarians, who spend the year reading as many currently published children's books as they possibly can. From these many many titles, and with a list of specific criteria in mind, they choose a book with the best and most innovative illustrations, and the best written book for children.
Among other awards, I pay very close attention to the winners of these medals every year, and I make sure the last few years of winners are in the library collection. However, just because a book wins an award does not mean it will be the best book for every kid. Still, spending so much time focused on these awards because means I look at a wide variety of books during the year, and I find some great stuff that I can share with our library patrons. Here are some of my favorites from this year:
