A Celebration of Picture Books ~By Suzy Leopold

The kid lit world always seems to be buzzing with news. The good news includes announcements of book birthday celebrations that debut new books, awards for distinguished and deserving books, along with many amazing events happening at bookstores, and much more.

Last week many outstanding books were recognized by American Library Association, ALA. The Caldecott Medal is defined by the ALA as:

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most 

distinguished American picture book for children. 

As everyone knows the committee presented the 2016 Caldecott Medal to: 

FINDING WINNIE: THE TRUE STORY OF THE MOST FAMOUS BEAR by Lindsay Mattic with illustrations by Sophie Blackall.

FINDING WINNIE:
THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS BEAR

This is a remarkable story named after the Canadian city of Winnipeg that inspired the story of Winnie-the-Pooh. You can read more about the illustrator Sophie Blackall in TIME for Kids.

And now on to the 2016 Caldecott Honor Books . . . 

TROMBONE SHORTY

TROMBONE SHORTY is a stunning autobiography about Troy Andrews. He is a legendary artist from the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Growing up in the New Orleans' district of Tremé, Troy lead his own band at the age of six. The illustrations by Bryan Collier are a combination of paintings and collage and received the 2016 Coretta Scott King Book Illustrator Award.

WAITING

An pig, a bear, a puppy, a rabbit and an owl are waiting. What are they waiting for as they look out the window sill? Kevin Henkes is a master picture book creator and has written many beloved books. WAITING was also recognized for the Theodore Seuss Geisel Award. For more information about Kevin Henkes click on his name to read his bio.

VOICE OF FREEDOM
FANNE LOU HAMER

VOICE OF FREEDOM celebrates the life and legacy of Fannie Lou Hammer [1917-1977]. Fannie Lou was an American voting rights activist, civil rights leader and philanthropist. Find out more about Fannie Lou in an article on the History web site. Her tombstone in Mississippi indicates, "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired." In addition to receiving the Caldecott Honor Award, this book with a message of hope received a 2016 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book. A 2016 Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner was given for the illustrations of mixed media and collage by Ekua Holmes. 

LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET

LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET, by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson received many awards and include: 2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, a New York Times book Review Notable Children’s Book of 2015, A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of 2015 and the prestigious John Newbery Medal.

The reader will appreciate the beautiful moments between CJ and his Grandma as they spend their time together on a Sunday afternoon. The illustrations are a mix of acrylics and collage. Carter Higgins shares an excellent post about the Design of the Picture Book along with her excitement that we share for the awards presented to LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET.

In case you missed it, two fellow GROGgers recently shared information on the title of LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET and the award. You can find a GROG post by Kathy Halsey this past Monday. Last week, Tina Cho wrote a post about the prestigious Caldecott Award. The information shared by Kathy and Tina are both great posts, so make sure you check them out if you haven't already done so.

Along with the good news of these prestigious awards, comes those who grumble and scratch their heads. There are those who question the judges' decisions to recognize and honor these picture books. For myself, I am pleased and excited to celebrate each one of these titles.

Those who write for children know the challenges that come with being a writer. The journey to publication is most often a long journey. There is no need to question the decision of the judges. This is time to celebrate books! It is a time to recognize all the hard work the creators-authors, illustrators, editors, and many more, strive for in the world of publishing. All are deemed award winners. 

Attend a Library Convention! Here's Why. by Kathy Halsey

Columbus Skyline @ AASL

AASL and ALA are not alphabet soup that our favorite literary dog Martha cooked up. They're acronyms for the American Association of School Librarians and American Library Association. In the world of publishing, they have been called gatekeepers, but I prefer the word "ally." As a former school librarian myself, I know our goals are similar- to promote literacy and to engage readers for a lifetime. Librarian go to conferences for the same reason as writers: connections, professional development, and fun.

Even if you are a pre-published writer, you can learn so much from your local school library association conference or one of the national conferences. AASL came to Columbus, OH, my home town, this past fall and I attended the conference for only $25! The secret? Only purchase an exhibit/vendor hall pass. You will miss the great presentations, but chatting up vendors, getting piles of free books, and meeting amazing authors kept me busy.

Only some of the loot I snagged for FREE!

Make a game plan before you peruse the exhibit hall. It is a dizzying array of swag, companies, and librarians. I targeted the vendors by my writing interests: PB, NF,  and library/educational publishers. Look at their displayed books, snag a catalog, introduce yourself as a writer, and hand them your business card. (Tip: The best time to chat with folks you really want to meet is during  concurrent sessions. The vendor hall is almost empty and reps appreciate your interest.)
Discuss commonalities and areas of expertise with the reps. I pitched this blog and its readership to get a free trial to some library apps that could be useful to writers, such as StoryboardThat, an AASL best app. 

Science & Children Journal

Avail yourself of free professional magazines, also. I found PW, School Library Journal, a chapter book series pub, and best of all for NF writers, and Science & Children, a National Science Teachers Association journal. This particular issue's focus is writing in science. Many articles give the appropriate Next Gen Science Standards for articles. Writers can save time if they plug these into their science manuscripts. Visit NSTA for more resources. 

J. Patrick Lewis, Former Children's Poet Laureate

Author Tim Federle, writer of MG, PB, and funny drink books (He knows librarians & their habits well. LOL)

Connecting with the authors seen above along w/the likes of Matt de la Pena, Don Tate, Michael J. Rosen, and Melissa Stewart made AASL a stellar experience! 

Share your conference tips and favorite finds in the comment section so we can all benefit!