Awards and Recognition
12 In 1921 when Frederic G. Melcher proposed the idea of an award for recognizing outstanding contributions for children’s literature, he probably could not have conceived of the number of awards recognizing excellence in children’s and young adult literature that would follow. The Newbery medal was the first to honor children’s literature in 1922 when it recognized The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon. In the years that followed, the United States was introduced to several other awards sponsored by the American Library Association and its divisions, as well as state awards and “choice” awards. The John Newbery award is awarded by the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) and recognizes excellence in children’s literature, with children defined as ages 8–14. For many years this was enough, but throughout the twentieth century, the world of children’s literature grew and the genre of young adult literature appeared, allowing new awards to be developed. These awards include the Pura Belpre Award 2005 Winner award, the Sibert award, and Newbery Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata the Laura Ingalls Wilder Printz how i live now by Meg Rosoff Award—all recognize an Margaret A. outstanding work generally Francesca Lia Block published in the preceding year Edwards or over a lifetime. Awards Coretta Scott Remember: The Journey to School overseen by ALSC are awarded King Integration by Toni Morrison The Voice that Challenged a Nation: to the creators of children’s Robert F. Marian Anderson and the Struggle for literature. Early teen literature Sibert is included in these awards. Equal Rights by Russell Freedman Multicultural Awards One of the oldest awards that recognize literature for teens is the Coretta Scott King (CSK) award for both authors and illustrators. First awarded in 1970, it was not an official ALA recognized award until 1982. The CSK award for an author is awarded to an author of African descent who promotes understanding of the American dream. The range of books that have received the award, or honor status, range from picture books to books with teen protagonists and adult problems, such as the 2004 winner The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. Social Responsibilities Roundtable sponsors the Coretta Scott King awards. Both the King Award and the Pura Belpre Award recognize literature of a multicultural nature. Established in 1996, the Pura Belpre Award recognizes a Latino/a that best represents and celebrates the Latino culture. Winners include Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan and Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida by Victor Martinez.1 Informational Books Not only fiction books have outstanding merit. However, informational books were often overlooked in the past. The Robert F. Sibert award celebrates the best informational book published in a year. Established in 2001 winners include An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy and The Life and Death of Adolf
1 For an interesting debate on multicultural awards see Horning In archives at http://www.hbook.com/horningin.html 13 Hitler by James Cross Giblin. The Newbery Medal, Printz Award, and the Coretta Scott King award can, and have, recognized outstanding informational books as well.
YALSA Awards Recognizing that award committees were not considering a significant body of work, the Young Adult Library Services division of ALA has three awards that address this particular problem. Established in 1988 the Margaret A. Edwards lifetime achievement award honors authors who have been popular with teens over a period of time. Past winners include Robert Cormier, Richard Peck, M.E. Kerr, and Cynthia Voigt. The Michael L. Printz award recognizes an outstanding piece of literature for the previous year. A relatively new award, it was first awarded to Walter Dean Myers for Monster in 2000. Finally the YALSA division of ALA also awards the Alex awards to outstanding books published for adults with young adult appeal. The Alex award list began in 1998 and has consistently recognized books with crossover appeal between adults and teenagers. Awards from Other Organizations ALA, and its various divisions, is not the only organization awarding outstanding young adult Where to find award information: books. ALAN (The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents) honors an individual who has made ALAN an outstanding contribution to the field of young http://www.alan-ya.org/ adult literature. The Boston Globe-Horn Book Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards have been in existence since 1967. The http://www.hbook.com/index.html winners and honorees often fall in the younger National Book Awards spectrum of the young adult audience, but they http://www.nationalbook.org/nba.html are worth knowing. The National Book Awards The Golden Kite Award also recognizes excellence in Young People’s http://www.scbwi.org/awards/htm Literature. The 2004 winner was Godless by Pete Hautmann. The Golden Kite Award is presented by the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, an award given by peers for outstanding work. Previous awardees include Jerry Spinelli’s Milkweed and Virginia Euwer Wolff’s True Believer.
State and Regional Choice Awards There are a number of state and regional awards. The significance of the state and regional awards is that they are often “choice” awards. Choice awards are selected through a combination of teens and adults. Nominations come from teens, adult professionals (librarians and English teachers) then narrow the list, and finally teens read and vote on the short list. This is one of the places that teens can have a voice in recognized literature; their input is also welcomed in Best Books for Young Adults and Teens Top Ten of the Year. 14 Selected State Choice Awards Gateway (links) to websites for State and Regional Awards available at http://www.mcelmeel.com/curriculum/bookawards.html
Selected State Choice Grades 6–8 & 9–12 (continued) Awards The Golden Sower Award (Nebraska) Nevada Young Readers Award Grades 6–8 Focus Land of Enchantment Book Award Delaware Blue Hen Book Award (New Mexico) Sunshine State Young Reader’s Charlotte Award (New York) Award (Florida) Volunteer State Book Award Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Beehive Award (Utah) Readers' Book Award Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Maine Student Book Award Book Award (Vermont) Great Lakes Book Award Virginia State Young Readers (Michigan) Program Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award (Minnesota) Grades 7-12 Focus Mark Twain Book Award Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult (Missouri) Book Award Buckeye Children’s Award (Ohio) Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Sequoyah Book Award (Oklahoma) Readers Pennsylvania Young Readers Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Award Book Award Golden Archer Awards (Wisconsin) Gateway Book Award (Missouri) Grades 6–8 & 9–12 Garden State Book Awards (New Jersey) Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Iowa Teen Award Choice Award Iowa High School Award Arizona Young Reader’s Award Rhode Island Teen Book Award California Young Reader Medal Evergreen Young Adult Book Award The Heartland Award for (Washington) Excellence (Kansas) Soaring Eagle Book Award Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Wyoming) Maryland Black Eyed Susan Award Some of theLists Major Cult Spotlight on The First Part 15 There areClassics lists developed on a yearly basis Last by Angela Johnson that recognize the best books published in The First Part Last by Angela Johnson was the most the preceding• year.The Rocky While Horrorpublications Picture decorated book of the ALA 2004 award season. It is such as Horn Book,Show VOYA, and School the story of a young man who finds himself raising a Library Journal• Star publish Wars best(and of all the sequals year daughter, Feather; it was successful both critically and lists there are otherand prequels) lists to investigate as with teens. Told in alternating chapters of “Then” and well. ALSC• developsThe Texas several Chainsaw lists of “Now,” Bobby narrates his girlfriend’s pregnancy, the Notable Children’sMassacre Media, including tragedy that occurs to Feather’s mother, and the books. YALSA• The develops Pink Panther a list of Best difficulties and amazing wonder of being Feather’s Books for Young• Harry Adults, Potter Quick (movies Picks and for father. His voice is touching, sincere, and Johnson’s Reluctant Readers,books) Popular Paperbacks, narrative is both sparse and poetic. and Audio •Books. Pee-Wee’s They are Big also Adventure investigating• theUHF possibility of a graphic The First Part Last was awarded the Michael L. Printz novel list of• theThe best Princess graphic Bride novels Award and the Coretta Scott King Award. It was a published in• a Montygiven year. Python ALA and lists the can be Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults, and a Top Ten found at www.ala.org/alscHoly Grail or Quick Pick selection. Its presence on the top ten lists www.ala.org/yalsa.• Heathers indicates its popularity with teens; the Printz award • Scarface indicates the quality of the narrative. Don’t overlook• The other Matrix lists including Bulletin of •the WillaCenter Wonka for Children’s and the Books Blue Ribbon Awards,Chocolate International Factory Reading Association• American “Choice” Pie (and lists, sequals) and individual subject• Better associations Off Dead lists, such as Outstanding• ScienceRushmore Books compiled by National Science• Spider-man Teachers Association on an annual basis.• Superman • Gone With The Wind Web sites: • Indian Jones (all three Bulletin Blue Ribbonmovies) Awards www.lis.uiuc.edu/puboff/bccb/• The Lord of the Rings • Any Jackie Chan or Bruce International Reading Association Lee movie Thought Questions www.reading.org 1) Is there a role for multicultural awards? OnlineEntertainment reading groups Weekly with Annual came out Best of the Best list. 2) How important is popularity in teen awards? with a list of the top 50 cult 3) Should books that are being recognized be www.teenreads.com—Reader’smovies. This list can be seen at books that teens will willingly read? Recommendationshttp://listsofbests.com/list/48/ www.amazon.com—Editor’s Choice in Teen section www.bookdivas.com