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Caldecott and Newbery winners for Valentine’s Day
As the mother of a bookworm (who takes after her mother), I’m always asking other parents or older children for reading recommendations for my 10-year-old daughter.
She blows through books at an astonishing rate, so our library visits are frequent and books always top her wish lists.
If you, too, are blessed with a book lover, there’s still time to run out to your favorite bookstore to feed their heart’s desire.
But what to buy?
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the American Library Association has released the names of the 2009 winners of the Caldecott and Newbery medals, recognizing the very best in children’s lit.
A quick rundown of this year’s top books, as posted on the Association of Library Service to Children’s Web site:
— “The House in the Night,” illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Company), winner of the 2009 Caldecott Medal, awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
ALSC’s capsule review: “Richly detailed black-and-white scratchboard illustrations expand this timeless bedtime verse, offering reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. Krommes’ elegant line, illuminated with touches of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home and family, as well as the joys of exploring the wider world.”
— “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, is the winner of the 2009 Newbery Medal, awarded to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
ALSC review: “A delicious 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.”
Gaiman is a personal favorite of a 20-something bookworm I know. She is devoted to “The Sandman” comics and says Gaiman’s “American Gods” has been known to change lives. Who can argue with a testimonial like that?
If those titles just whet your appetite, click the medalist links above for a list of this year’s honor books and winners from years past.
Happy reading, valentines!
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