SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

January 27, 2014 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Middle Grade Monday – Award Day!

January 27, 2014 by Karen Jensen, MLS   Leave a Comment

In case you missed it, today was the day that the American Library Association announced its 2014 Youth Media Awards. Also known as ‘Youth Librarian Christmas,” among other titles. It’s so exciting!

I want to start off by saying that the dedicated committee members who basically sacrifice a year or more of their lives to read these books and discuss them have done an amazing job! Every one of them is deserving of our gratitude.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Today, I just want to highlight a few of the winners that I am especially excited to see on this year’s lists. Let’s start with the big list for Middle Grade, The Newbery Medal. This year’s winner is Kate DiCamillo for Flora and Ulysses: the Illuminated Adventures. DiCamillo has won the Newbery Award previously, in 2004, for The Tale of Despereaux, and in 2001 her novel Because of Winn Dixie was recognized with a Newbery Honor. I’m not sure how well this would go over in a middle school, but it looks like a perfect elementary title. Kate DiCamillo is also currently serving as our National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (looks like they made a good choice!)

The 2014 Newbery Honor Books are The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes, One Came Home by Amy Timberlake, Paperboy by Vince Vawter, and Doll Bones by Holly Black. I haven’t had the opportunity to read the first three (although I am a super fan of Henkes’ picture books) but I think I scared the students who were using the library when Doll Bones was announced! I was so excited I started jumping up and down. All of her novels are fabulous, but I think Doll Bones is particularly genius. It’s so fun to see someone you’re really invested in as an author be recognized for all of their hard work! Yay! (Read Heather’s review here.)

On to the Coretta Scott King Award. I have to say I was even MORE excited when I found out that Rita Williams-Garcia had won for P.S. Be Eleven! If you want to know what I really think about it – read my review here. I had hopes that it would also be recognized by the Newbery committee, but win some, lose some…

Most of the other awards I got excited about fit more into the YA category than Middle Grades, but I guess that what I get for working in a Middle School. Although I think I might be able to justify a copy of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass for our collection now.

For a list of all the award winners, click here.

Filed under: Doll Bones, Holly Black, Kate DiCamillo, Middle Grade Monday, P.S. Be Eleven, Rita Williams-Garcia

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2014

Middle Grade Monday - the Incomparable Rita Williams-Garcia

by Karen Jensen, MLS

November 2015

Middle School Monday - The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

by Karen Jensen, MLS

September 2015

Middle School Monday - The Shrunken Head (Curiosity House #1)

by Karen Jensen, MLS

September 2015

Middle Grade Monday - Changes

by Karen Jensen, MLS

September 2015

Middle Grade Monday - Confessions of an Imaginary Friend by Michelle Cuevas

by Karen Jensen, MLS

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

One Star Review, Guess Who? (#181)

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day: The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Readers’ Poll Results

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

The Value of Innocence for BIPOC Students, a guest post by David Mura

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

The Human Rainbow | Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Antiracism

Pronouncing Kids’ Names Correctly Matters. Here’s How to Get it Right.

37 Kidlit and YA Titles in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month

8 YA BookTubers To Watch Right Now

21 Books About Children and their Names

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023