Teachers' Choices, 2011

Yesterday I got this nice shiny new sticker in the mail for Henry Aaron's Dream!

In case you can't read that shiny writing, Henry Aaron's Dream won a Teachers' Choices award! Thanks to the International Reading Association for this wonderful honor.

They also sent a pamphlet detailing the work of the award committee, and highlighting the winning books. The pamphlet featured this excellent logo designed by the amazing Chris Van Allsburg (same as on the sticker, but easier to see here):

I'd be thrilled to have my book honored in any way, but one thing I especially like about this is the fact that Henry Aaron's Dream won in the "Advanced Readers" category, for grades 6-8, ages 11-14. Henry Aaron's Dream is technically a picture book, but I really do think of it as a book for older readers, I'd say grades 3 and up. Nice to see that this group of educators thinks it can be used in classrooms for older students, even though it is a picture book.

Very cool to see my book featured alongside some great books by talented and accomplished authors like Laurie Halse Anderson, Russell Freedman, Gary Paulsen, and Mitali Perkins. 

Here's the list of ten books in the Advanced Readers category, from the pamphlet:

 

I put the sticker on the copy of Henry Aaron's Dream that I bring to school visits:

A Lupine Honor Award for Henry Aaron's Dream!

I was thrilled to accept the Lupine Honor Award for Henry Aaron's Dream yesterday, at the Reading Round-Up conference in Augusta, Maine. The award is presented by the Youth Services Division of the Maine Library Association, to recognize an outstanding contribution to children's literature of Maine. 

The award is beautiful- a handmade, hand-painted piece of Maine pottery. Here it is:

2010 Cybils Award winners announced

The winners of the 2010 Cybil Awards were announced this morning! Here's the full list of winners.

I admit, this is the first year I paid close attention to the Cybils Awards, and it was for completely selfish reasons- my book, Henry Aaron's Dream was chosen as a finalist in the nonfiction picture books category. My book didn't win (that honor went to Babrara Kerley's and Edwin Fotheringham's completely-deserving The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)), but seriously it was such an honor to be picked as a finalist.

I'm amazed by how much time and energy children's book bloggers put into these awards, and also how much time and energy so many of them put into their blogs. For the most part, these are people who have full-time jobs, and some of these blogs must end up being the equivalent of a second full-time job. And for the most part, they're not getting paid for it, and unlike author blogs (including my own), there is no element of self-promotion involved. They just LOVE books. And to have my book recognized as one of the best of the year by a group so passionate about books is pretty awesome. So thanks bloggers! I'll be looking forward to the 2011 Cybils, even if my book doesn't make it to the finals.

Carol H. Rasco, one of the judges in the non-fiction picture books category, has a nice roundup of the winner and finalists on her blog today.

Henry Aaron's Dream news

Wow! Henry Aaron's Dream has been chosen as a 2010 Cybils Award Finalist! It's one of seven finalists in the nonfiction picture book category, chosen from a  list of 112 nominated books. There were so many great nonfiction picture books in 2010, so I'm incredibly honored to know that a panel of judges would pick my book as one of the best of the year. If any of the Cybils judges happen to be reading this, THANK YOU!

Meanwhile, Henry Aaron's Dream is also a finalist for a Kiddo Award, and is doing really well in the voting so far. If you haven't voted yet, please do! (It's in the Transitional Books category)

 Happy New Year!

Award news for Jack's Path of Courage: The Life of John F. Kennedy

Good news- Jack's Path of Courage: The Life of John F. Kennedy, written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by me (Disney-Hyperion, October 2010) won't be in stores until October 26, but it already won an Oppenheim Gold Seal Award!

Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award

Good news- Henry Aaron's Dream is a finalist for the Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Book Award! Very exciting to know that kids all over Alabama will be reading my book, and learning about a great Alabamian, Henry Aaron. Remember kids, vote early and vote often! (Kidding, kidding.)