Youth Media Awards Announced

I confessed in my looking ahead post on Friday that I was nervous about this year's awards. Last year was an amazing year in which so many committees thought outside the box and broke new ground. The winners across the board were so diverse. I was nervous because I didn't want a return to the status quo.

And I am so pumped that we didn't get one.

A PICTURE BOOK WON THE NEWBERY!!!!!!

Congratulations Matt De La Peña!!! This book also won a Caldecott Honor.

Newbery Honors include: Echo, The War That Saved My Life, and Roller Girl

I LOVE Roller Girl. It is by far my favorite graphic novel of 2015. I didn't list it in my hopes for the award because I honestly didn't think that the committee would award a graphic novel two years in a row. I've never been happier to be wrong. My daughter squealed and bounced so hard at this announcement. I read this book in the first place because she literally followed me around the house with it for days begging me to.

Thanks to the Newbery Committee for their hard work this year.

Even more exciting to me is the Printz Award Winner. I think I've made it abundantly clear in numerous posts how I feel about this book.

I'm so excited that not only a strong fantasy story won, but one that is feminist and about the struggle of all women and men against a system that subjugates women and puts them at the mercy of powerful men. That it plays with one of my favorite myths/fairy tales and highlights the very problematic aspects of those is another reason it is such a special book for me. And I love Petey and Finn forever. (And Roza and Sean.) But mostly Petey and Finn.

Jason Reynolds won TWO Coretta Scott King Honors. I said on Friday he deserved to win for both All American Boys and The Boy in the Black Suit. So happy the committee agreed with me.

Jerry Pinkney won both the Hamilton AND Wilder awards. I was a little taken aback he hadn't won either a long time ago, but YAY!

Other Random Thoughts:
Angie Manfredi said on Twitter that it is time for the Belpré Award to have a YA Award. I couldn't agree more.

The Carnegie for video went to That is Not A Good Idea and the clip they showed was ADORABLE. My kids were enchanted. They want to watch the whole thing. That book is a favorite in our house anyway. (I mean, Mo Willems so obviously.)

Both the YALSA Non-Fiction and The Sibert reminded me how much great non-fiction I missed out on reading last year. I have so much catching up to do!

Here is the complete list of awards given by ALSC.

For the life of me, I can't find a link for YALSA. If someone knows it, feel free to put it in the comments. (This kind of sums up my experiences of being a member of both organizations really.)

What are your thoughts on this morning's awards?

Comments

Unknown said…

Loved the lineup!! And you DO need to read more nonfiction :-). Drowned City is amazing (and a graphic novel!). Sheinkin's book is well done, of course.

January 11, 2016 at 10:28 AM

Brandy said…

I know. I just couldn't with the reading year I was having last year. I'm actually reading the Sheinkin now though and have a hold on the Anderson one.

January 17, 2016 at 6:52 PM

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