Quick Thoughts on the ALA Youth Media Awards

You can find all the winners on the ALA website, but here are some of my first impressions. I was able to attend the announcements this morning, and it was exciting!

The Newbery went to Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, which I mentioned briefly in a recap.

I LOVED this! The characters and the setting are so wonderfully created, and it's oh-so funny. What I loved, definitely outweighed the problems...that being said, I thought it was a surprise win.

The Robert F. Sibert Medal, for the most distinguished informational book for children, went to Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet.

Truly, I loved everything about this book!

One more book I really want to mention: See Me Run by Paul Meisel is a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book, a distinguished beginning reader.

I actually first read this in the Holiday House (the publisher of this title) booth yesterday. Honestly, I picked it up because, cute dogs on the cover! I made a note of it, to find a copy and review it later because I thought it was so good. It's bigger in size than the typical beginning reader, and it has full-page color illustrations, yet the text is very much that of an easy reader. And while it has some repetition in it, it's not overkill. It's funny, and it has a cute ending, and I am so glad it was recognized. It's part of a new series from Holiday House, I Like To Read. This is the only book in the series that I've read, but I'm eager to look for more.

I have had Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley sitting in my TBR pile since reading this review by Patti at Oops...Wrong Cookie. Which she wrote back in August! I keep renewing the book and not reading it, and I'm not sure why. But, now that it has won both the Printz Award, for excellence in literature written for young adults, and the William C. Morris Award, for a debut book published by a first time author writing for teens, and I got to hear Whaley accept the Morris Award this morning, it's what I'm reading tonight. Tonight!

What didn't win...I really expected Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt to get a Newbery Honor, and I'm surprised Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming didn't get any awards, but you never really know what goes on in the deliberation process.

What were you excited to see win this year?