From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 09:50:42 -0600

I don't think Ginny was referring to the internal process but rather the widely known terms she mentioned earlier in her message: that publishers themselves nominate books by paying an entry fee for each one, and that a shortlist of five titles in each category is announced in advance. These two aspects make the NBA vastly different from other U.S. children's book awards, especially those that fall under the auspices of the American Library Association. With the ALA awards, the publishers have very little input (aside from publishing and promoting the books in general) and the shortlisted titles are kept completely confidential, even after the fact.

What is not clear to me (and I don't know if answering this would be a breach of confidentiality or not) is if NBA judges can nominate titles themselves or if they're limited to the titles nominated by publishers. I think I'd find it frustrating not to be able to consider a great book that had not been nominated by a publisher.


it differs from "other national award juries." I was an NBA judge a few years ago and we were asked to not ever discuss our process so I'm not sure if I will be able to say anything in response that might not violate that trust, but I am curious about what you've heard, since you weren't supposed to have heard anything at all.

Julius Lester





Kathleen T. Horning (horning at education.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706 608&3930 FAX: 608&2I33
Received on Mon 08 Jan 2001 09:50:42 AM CST