Award Winners

This year I've never heard of the Newbery 
and Caldecott winners.
This is usual. 
And as usual, the winners look well worth a look.
The picture book seems a bit over the top illustratively 
for kids who relate better to clear, realistic pictures. 
But the message of someone searching to belong and
succeeding is great. 
And my boy loves poems. 
I'm hoping he'll give The Crossover a try.

Here's an article by Christina Barron from the Washington Post about the winners.

D.C.-area poet and author Kwame Alexander won the Newbery Medal 

on Monday for “The Crossover,” his book written in verse about 12-year-old basketball-playing twin boys.

KidsPost reviewer Abby McGanney Nolan wrote that the poems are “sometimes fresh and funny, sometimes sad and painful, but always move the story along in a compelling way.”

Alexander said the book was partly inspired by basketball legends such as Michael Jordan and the way their playing is described as “poetry in motion.”

Two books, “El Deafo” by Cece Bell and “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson, were awarded Newbery Honors.

“The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend” by Dan Santat was awarded the Caldecott Medal for the year’s best picture book. Six books were named Caldecott honor books.