All Stories

Over 10,000 people braved the blizzard to head to Chicago last weekend for the American Library Association Midwinter Conference. Here are a few highlights:

Exhibit Hall: The Exhibit Hall at ALA Midwinter could not to be missed. Hundreds of exhibits and stages featured the hottest authors and book giveaways. Expert vendors were there to share their expertise and enthusiasm about their new and favorite library products, books, and technologies. Live stages included Book Buzz Theater, What’s Cooking@ALA Cooking Demonstration Stage, and Pop Top Stage.

United States Board on Books for Young People: On Friday, Jan. 30 the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) revealed the 2015 Outstanding International Books List. The 2015 list includes 42 books that have been published or released in the U.S. in 2014 and are appropriate for grades ranging from PreK to 12. Many of the 2015 books are included on OmniLibros.com, an annotated online bibliography, which is sponsored by the Carthage College Center for Children’s Literature.  A few of the books included on the 2015 list are:

  • “A Pond Full Of Ink” by Annie M.G Schmidt - recommended for grades 3-5
  • “Hope is a Girl Selling Fruit” by Amrita Das - recommended for grades 6-8
  • “Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin” by Chieri Uegaki - recommended for grades PreK-2
  • “The Day My Father Became a Bush” by Joke van Leeuwen - recommended for grades 3-5

For further information about USBBY’s Outstanding International Books, book annotations, maps of book locations, and selection criteria visit http://www.usbby.org/list_oibl.html or omnilibros.com.

Youth Media Awards: The most exciting part of ALA Midwinter was the Monday morning announcement of the Youth Media Awards, where ALA announces awards including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and Printz Book Awards. The awards, honoring books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens are recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent. They guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Among this years winners are the following:

  • John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature: “The Crossover,” written by Kwame Alexander, and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  • Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children: “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” illustrated by Dan Santat, written by Dan Santat, and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
  • Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: “Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
  • Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award: “Firebird,” illustrated by Christopher Myers, written by Misty Copeland, and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
  • Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: “I’ll Give You the Sun,” written by Jandy Nelson, and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, a Penguin Random House Company.

The complete list can be found online on the ALA homepage.