American Library Association Non-Profit Org. 50 E. Huron St. U.S. Postage Paid Chicago, IL 60611 Palatine, IL 60095 Permit No. 27 ALACognotes BOSTON — 2010 MIDWINTER MEETING Highlights Issue Youth Media Awards Announced at Midwinter Meeting LA announced the top books, and Company Books for Young Read- audiobooks and video for chil- ers; and The Mostly True Adventures A dren and young adults, includ- of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick ing the Caldecott, King, Newbery and and published by The Blue Sky Press, Printz awards, at its Midwinter Meet- An Imprint of Scholastic Inc. ing in Boston. Randolph Caldecott Medal for John Newbery Medal for most most distinguished American picture outstanding contribution to children’s book for children: The Lion & the literature: When You Reach Me, writ- Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry ten by Rebecca Stead, is the 2010 Pinkney, is the 2010 Caldecott Medal Newbery Medal winner. The book is winner. The book was published by published by Wendy Lamb Books, an Little, Brown and Company Books for imprint of Random House Children’s Young Readers. Books. Two Caldecott Honor Books also Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: All the World, illustrated were named: Claudette Colvin: Twice by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose and Scanlon and published by Beach Lane published by Melanie Kroupa Books/ Books; and Red Sings from Treetops: A Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint Year in Colors, illustrated by Pamela of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman Group; The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate REFORMA President Loida Garcia-Febo, left to right, YALSA President Linda and published by Houghton Mifflin by Jacqueline Kelly and published by Braun, ALSC President Thom Barthelmess, Coretta Scott King Book Awards Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Henry Holt and Company; Where the Committee Chair Deborah Taylor, and ALA President Camila A. Alire display some Harcourt. Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace of the ALA Youth Media Awards winners at the conclusion of the Youth Media Lin and published by Little, Brown Awards presentation. » see page 10 Gebregeorgis Provides Insight, Inspiration at ALA President’s Program By Frederick J. Augustyn, Jr. of past ALA President Loriene Roy, is zen, studying English literature, and The Library of Congress combating illiteracy among the young becoming a children’s librarian after in his native country with innovations earning his MLS. His intensive self LA President Camila Alire, such as donkey mobile libraries to get course in children’s literature while whose signature initiative for reading material out in particular to employed in San Francisco uninten- A Family Literacy Projects dove- the rural poor. tionally prepared him for his return tailed with the topic of the speaker at Gebregeorgis reflected that “with visit to Ethiopia where he found the the President’s Program on Sunday, literate children there is no limit to near absence of libraries with chil- January 17, introduced the CNN Video how much we can do.” He reminisced dren’s collections deplorable. detailing Yohannes Gebregeorgis as about how books guided his life. Ethio- In 2001, Gebregeorgis published one of the ten individuals honored as pian schools tend to contain only text- Silly Mammo, a retelling of an Ethiopi- that station’s heroes and the librar- books to the exclusion of fiction and an folktale, the first Amharic-English ian himself who was responsible for a historical fiction and, consequently, do book in the U.S. In August 2002, he program promoting literacy and librar- not ordinarily inspire young readers. quit his job, returned to Ethiopia, and ies among Ethiopia’s children. Alire But he recounted how the story “Guy Yohannes Gebregeorgis the following year opened the first indicated that while the literacy rate Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot” in tions necessitated his flight to Sudan, children’s library there —in his own in the world at large is 82 percent, in the compilation The March of Times and the Emperor was subsequently home. Noting that Ethiopia has the Ethiopia literacy is only 42.7 percent. set his hopes soaring, especially overthrown. The replacement military second highest number of donkeys in Librarian Gebregeorgis, who earned when student movements against government eventually led to Gebre- the world (a close second to China), his MLS degree at the University of Emperor Haile Selassie ensued. His georgis moving to the United States, Texas in Austin under the mentorship involvement in anti-government ac- becoming a naturalized American citi- » see page 8 NEW LS2 Kids NEW LS2 Circ LS2 Pac www.TLCdelivers.com • 800.325.7759 • Visit Booth #2346 Solutions that Deliver Page 2 • Cognotes BOSTON • 2010 Midwinter Meeting Highlights Authors Discuss Al Gore Delivers Solutions to Climate Change Print-to-Film Transition By Brad Martin By Frederick J. Augustyn, Jr. when I am not working.” ABC News The Library of Congress Chuck Hogan, author of several novels including The Standoff and l Gore began the Arthur he Exhibits Roundtable Prince of Thieves and co-author of Curley Memorial Lecture showcased authors Eric Van The Strain, jocularly admitted that A Saturday, January 16, Lustbader, Chuck Hogan, there have been no drawbacks, so by joking that he was “formerly T the next President of the United Tracy Chevalier, and Julie Powell far, to having his books optioned comfortably arranged on sofas and as films. Like Lustbader, news sto- States,” but then set a serious interviewed by Brad Hooper on ries also influence Hogan’s works. tone as he gave the audience January 15. Hogan, for example, wrote a crime a tour of his latest book Our Robert Ludlum’s estate selected novel after learning that Charles- Choice. Lustbader, author of many bestsell- town in Boston was a virtual epicen- Gore, whose audience includ- ing thrillers of his own including ter for armed car robberies although ed children and grandchildren The Testament and The Ninja, to he also underlined the traumatizing of Arthur Curley, acknowledged continue the Bourne series whose effect such an event had on a bank the humanitarian crisis unfold- transition to film was the major teller. Among the writers whom ing in Haiti as a result of the topic of his discussion. Asked what he admires and reads are Dashiell recent earthquake, and said, it was like taking over a character Hammett and Richard Price. “one of the secrets of the human from a popular author, Ludlum Tracy Chevalier, the author of condition is that suffering binds explained that he felt that he knew Girl with a Pearl Earring, which us together.” Bourne and, unlike many others, became a film starring Scarlett Moving to the topic of climate he also got along with Ludlum. Johanson, stated that she has to change and its global effects, Lustbader noted that “you take research the particulars of everyday Gore said, “one of the things the what you see in everyday life and life in her historical novels. Among current crisis does is to cause Al Gore delivers the Arthur Curley Memorial extrapolate” when writing fiction. these were what people ate and com- us to consider those who will Lecture January 16. He does what is natural for him mon household tools. She admitted come after us,” adding that “the by reading newspapers and novels, that “she loved books so much when scientific community has reached a Inconvenient Truth, which was mostly which influence his stories, but not growing up that she often said that consensus that is as strong as any you an exploration about the problem. He contemporary thriller fiction. He she wanted to be either a writer or will find.” said that three years of research for the writes constantly, disclosing that “I Gore then discussed the ideas he book gave him some hopeful signs, but do it because I love it….I am a bear » see page 8 presents in Our Choice, which he one big obstacle. “The good and hopeful described as an effort to focus on the news is that we have enough solutions solutions to the climate crisis, unlike An to solve three or four crises like this. But we have everything except the will to act.” Gore praised librarians by calling them “the stewards of that great in- stitution that was created during the Booth #1714 Enlightenment,” a time when the print- Visit H.W. Wilson ing press helped spawn what he called a democratization of information, a “new information ecosystem.” At the Wilson Theater: Unfortunately, according to Gore, the rise of broadcasting has ushered in period that has seen a “refeudalization” n Fiction Core Collection—new of the information ecosystem. He cited 16th Edition the example of big tobacco’s public rela- tions offensives having delayed action n Careers—coming this winter against the harmful effects of smoking, n and said that similar forces are at work Art Suite—63 new Journals, New in the climate change debate “to oppose Images anything that might call for govern- ment response and to sow confusion.” n Biography products—new While describing many of the solu- graphical interface coming tions (solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels), Gore also pointed out that the climate crisis, the economic crisis and the national security crisis are all inter- Drawing for a Gift Basket! twined. He said this was because we have “an absurd, dangerous, ridiculous overdependence on fossil fuels.” Gore praised individual efforts at reducing carbon emissions, but said government action is needed more. “It Less Searching, More Finding is important to change light bulbs and windows, but it is far more important REgistER foR a fREE tRial to change laws and policies.” www.hwwilson.com/trial Citing an African proverb that says “if you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,” Gore H.W.