And the results are in! Winners of BCCLS Mock Awards!

Below are the results of the Mock Awards sponsored by the BCCLS Youth Services Committee and held on Friday, January 8, 2010:


Printz Award Winner:
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Dorothy Heiligman

Printz Award Honors:
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Fire by Kristin Cashore

Newbery Award Winner:
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Newbery Award Honors:
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker

Caldecott Award Winner:
The Lion & the Mouse written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Caldecott Award Honors:
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields


Our thanks go to the Washington Township Library for hosting the event! And thank you to all of the attendees who came out in the snow and participated in our lively discussions!

We have winners!

I can't speak for anyone else, but I had a wonderful time at this year's Mock Awards. There was spirited discussion and I thought the focus on the criteria for each award really helped everyone talk about the books in terms of eligibility for the awards, not just "I liked it" or "I didn't like it."

Results!

MOCK CALDECOTT:

Winner: The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes

Honors: Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus ; Don't Worry Bear by Greg Foley

MOCK NEWBERY

Winner: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Honors: Seer of Shadows by Avi ; Lincoln shot! : a president's life remembered by Barry Denenberg ; The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

MOCK PRINTZ

Winner: Nation by Terry Pratchett

Honors: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson ; Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link ; The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Thanks to all who attended, and to the New Milford Public Library for hosting the program. We'll all be waiting anxiously on January 25.

Caldecott contenders for 2009

I noticed that Richie Partington has posted his "Best of 2008" picks. His list includes several picture books, and because Richie is serving on the 2009 Caldecott, I would say that his picture book selections are ones to check out.

The BCCLS Mock Caldecott shortlist is here.

Mock Caldecott: Notes from the committee

The Mock Caldecott committee is reading a ton of picture books. Here are some notes on what they've read:

Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus (9780152059903) is the book we all thought was truly remarkable. The illustrations seem to vibrate and want to jump off the page. Cyrus uses scratch board and digital colorization so well the claws look like they could leave a mark. Unique and exciting.

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson (9780786808328). The vivid illustrations are from oil paintings done by the author. You can feel the respect and admiration he feels for his subject and lets their strength and dignity shine through his art.

Scoot! by Cathryn Falwell (9780061288821). The lives and adventures of "six silent turtles" is brought vividly to life by the use of paper collages. The blues and greens capture the lush world the creatures inhabit and there is a "Printing Textures" page for readers with information on creating different effects by the use of found things such as bubble wrap or a broccoli flower. Very lively and fun use of collage. Illustrated by the author.

Wave by Suzy Lee (9780811859240). This is a wordless picture book, illustrated by the author in charcoal and acrylics. There are only two characters, the ocean and the little girl and very few colors but all the playfulness and excitement of a child's first encounter with the ocean is evident.

I'm Bad! by Kate McMullan, illustrations by Jim McMullan (9780061229718). This is by far the book that had the whole group saying "I love this book." The review in SLJ calls it a "wonderfully illustrated psychedelic spread" and it is. The greens, oranges and violets are as bold and vibrant as the T-rex himself.