From: Lindsay, Nina <nlindsay>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:27:28 -0800

Something I was especially pleased to note with the awards this year was the diversity of genres represented in the honor selections of the "standard" awards. Newbery Honors included a non-fiction (Hitler Youth) and picture book (Show Way). Caldecott Honors included non-fiction (Rosa, Hot Air) and poetry (Song of the Water Boatman). Printz Honors included non-fiction
(John Lennon) and poetry (Wreath for Emmett Till).

I suspect that the Sibert award for informational books has gone a long way to getting non-fiction back into the spotlight...and that maybe award committees are making a bigger effort to consider the criteria as they pertain to the less-expected genres. It's interesting to note that in choosing honor books, the committee is really still looking at what is "most distinguished" under the criteria, rather than considering what makes a nice broad assortment of honor books--though that is sometimes what you end up with, as a happy effect.

Nina Lindsay, Librarian Children's Room Oakland Public Library 125 14th Street Oakland CA 94612
(510) 238-3615 fax (510) 238-6865 nlindsay at oaklandlibrary.org
Received on Fri 27 Jan 2006 06:27:28 PM CST