American Library Association Youth Media Awards

I'm not going to lie.  The youth media awards day is one of my favorite librarian days of the year. The fact that it fell on a snow day this year and that I could watch them live was absolutely a bonus.  I am always way too busy at school and have to settle for the press release as soon as I get a chance.  Right or wrong, I generally evaluate my successes or failures at collection development in part at least on how many of these titles that I own.  I eagerly prepare a book order to gather the ones that I don't have. And, I prepare to book talk the titles at my next available opportunity.

I have already shared my thoughts on Brown Girl Dreaming here. Certainly glad I found the time to read such an honored book: National Book Award; Coretta Scott King Authpr Award; Newbery Honor Award, and Robert F. Sibert Honor Award. I loved this book and am sharing it with as many kids, especially aspiring writers as I can.

I have this year's Newbery The Crossover by Kwame Alexander.  I will be adding it to my to do list. The seventh graders will definitely be hearing about it in the next book talk. We just talked about a number of Coretta Scott King books as we prepared for Black History Month.  It will be lovely to add this title to the mix.

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming has intrigued me since I read the first review.  Now that it's an award winner times two: Robert F. Sibert Honor and YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, I will really have to get after it.  Currently it is checked out; a good sign.

I didn't do so very well in the Printz category.  I bought, read, loved, and book talked And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. I am drawn to all things Emily Dickinson related.  Certainly, I've noted before, the boarding school books intrigue me!

These are some of the titles I got right in the last year.  I am sure anxious to get into several of today's winners.  I love that ALA gives me so much food for thought each year!

Don't Underestimate Laura Ingalls Wilder

I guess I am hardly unique in my fascination with Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I was excited to read in this article at the NPR that the demand for the unvarnished version of her life story Pioneer Girl has far exceeded expectations! I cuddled in several nights over the winter break to read the book and am fascinated.  Until I study the pictures and explore all the footnotes, a considerable amount of time passes.  I have wanted to talk about it here, but was trying to finish the book first.  Then school happened, and lately the beautiful book is just looking lovely as a coffee table decoration.  I love hearing Laura Ingalls Wilder's unedited voice.  I love having access to the drafts and some of her drawings that accompanied them in this work.  I think it is cool (yes, I typed cool) to have met Laura as a little girl with her polished little girl voice and now to read the adult voice.  It may be summer until I get to really touch it again, because it needs to be savored, but Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, give it a look!