Oakview Elementary • 515 Godfrey Rd. • Simpsonville, SC 29681 • (864)355-7100 • fax (864) 355-7115

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

2009-2010 Award Winning Books

Many of this year's book awards have been given. As always, use good judgment about whether the book is suitable for the maturity level of your child(ren). If you are looking for something good to read, try one or more of the winning books below (includes recommended grade levels or ages in parentheses):

Caldecott Medal Award

The Randolph Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

2009 Randolph Caldecott Winner is The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson.

2009 Caldecott Nominees:

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, written and illustrated by Marla Frazee
In lively, detailed, subtly retro cartoons, Frazee gently pokes fun at adult expectations and captures the unbounded joy of two friends experiencing a parent-free summer adventure.
How I Learned Geography, written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
Recounting memories of his family's flight from the Warsaw Blitz and his years as a refugee during World War II, Shulevitz employs watercolor and ink to depict a boy liberated from his dreary existence through flights of fancy inspired by the map his father buys in the village market.
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant
Sweet's mixed-media collage and primitive watercolors flow seamlessly with Bryant's prose to reveal the important bits and pieces of Williams' ordinary, yet extraordinary, life as a doctor and poet.

Newbery Medal Award

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The 2009 Newbery Medal winner is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by HarperCollins Children's Books.
A mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose. A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.

Newbery Honor Books

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small
Underneath the canopy of the loblolly pines, amid the pulsating sounds of the swamp, there lies a tale. Intertwining stories of an embittered man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat and a vengeful lamia sing of love, loss, loneliness and hope.

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
The Surrender Tree utilizes compelling free verse in alternating voices to lyrically tell the story of Cuba's three wars for independence from Spain. Combining real-life characters (such as legendary healer Rosa La Bayamesa) with imagined individuals, Engle focuses on Rosa's struggle to save everyone--black, white, Cuban, Spanish, friend or enemy.

Savvy by Ingrid Law
This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride, winding through the countryside on a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions. Newcomer Law weaves a magical tall tale, using vivid language and lively personalities, all bouncing their way to a warm, satisfying conclusion

After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
This tightly woven novel looks back on two years in a New York City neighborhood, where life changes for two 11-year-olds when a new girl joins their game of double Dutch. Bonded by Tupac's music, the three girls explore the lure of freedom and build a friendship that redefines their own identities.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year.

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (3-6) illustrated and written by Peter Sís. Artist Peter Sis describes what it was like growing up in a Communist country and discusses how Western culture influenced his life.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Books

Lightship (K-3) written and illustrated by Brian Floca. Illustrations and simple text tell the story of lightships that were used in place of lighthouses in order to safely guide ships into port.

Nic Bishop Spiders (K-3) by written and illustrated by Nic Bishop. Over 15 different arachnids are featured in close-up detail.

Coretta Scott King Author Book Award

Given to African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions, the Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream.

Elijah of Buxton (3-6) by Christopher Paul Curtis. Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American South in 1859, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family's freedom.

Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali (5-8) written by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier. Rap-inspired verse and illustrations describe the life of Muhammed Ali, discussing his bouts, struggles with societal prejudice, Islamic faith, Olympic glory, and more.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It (3-6) by Sundee T. Frazier. Brendan Buckley, a biracial ten-year-old, applies his scientific problem-solving ability and newfound interest in rocks and minerals to connect with his white grandfather, the president of Puyallup Rock Club, and to learn why he and Brendan's mother are estranged.

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

Let it Shine (K-3) by Ashley Bryan. This little light of mine -- When the saints go marching in -- He's got the whole world in His hands. Colorful illustrations and simple text introduce versions of three well-known spirituals along with a brief music score and a short history of slave songs before the Civil War.

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books

The Secret Olivia Told Me (K-3) by N. Joy, illustrated by Nancy Devard. Two friends learn an important lesson about telling and keeping secrets.

Jazz On A Saturday Night (K-3) by Leo and Diane Dillon. A crowd gathers on a Saturday night to groove to an evening of jazz played by a "Dream Team" of musicians including Miles Davis on trumpet, Max Roach on drums, Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, John Coltrain on his sax, Thelonius Monk on piano, Stanley Parker on bass, and Ella Fitzgerald at the microphone.

Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Books

First the Egg (K-3) by illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Seeger explores the stages of development in the natural world and, then, how a story grows.

Hello, Bumblebee Bat (K-3) written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne. Meet the inch-long bumblebee bat, the smallest bat species in the world.

Jazz Baby (K-3) written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Baby and his family make some jazzy music.

Vulture View (K-3) written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Simple text and illustrations introduce readers to the turkey vulture, discussing their eating habits, behaviors, and more.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award was first given to its namesake in 1954. The award, a bronze medal, honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominees and Winners

South Carolina Children's Book Award Nominees and Winners

The purposes of the South Carolina book awards are to encourage our students to read good quality contemporary literature and to honor the authors of the books annually chosen the favorites by student vote. The book award medals will be awarded to the winning authors the following year at the annual conference of the SCASL.

2008 Notable Children's Books

Each year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, identifies the best of the best in children's books.

From the South Carolina State Department of Education. The purpose of this list is to provide suggestions for literature with a wide appeal to elementary school students. While this list is not intended to replace existing reading lists, classroom teachers, reading teachers, library information specialists, parents and others should use this list to encourage their young people to read a wider variety of current literature.