January 14, 2008

Read This!

The American Library Association (ALA) announces the year's best books

By Suzanne Friedman

What do a school librarian, a former bookstore clerk and a former factory-worker have in common? They all wrote books that received some of the year's top honors in children's literature.

COURTESY LAURA AMY SCHLITZ School librarian Laura Amy Schlitz’s Newbery-awarded book started out as a project for her students.

On Monday morning, the American Library Association (ALA), a group that promotes books and libraries internationally, announced its 2008 winners. The Newbery Award went to Laura Amy Schlitz for her collection of monologues, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. Brian Selznick snagged a Caldecott Medal for the drawings in his fantasy-mystery novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

A School Librarian Takes the Prize

The Newbery Medal, named for the 18th-century British bookseller John Newbery, has been awarded since 1922. It honors the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." This year's winning title started out as a school librarian's project for her students.

Twelve years ago, Schlitz, the librarian at the Park School in Baltimore, Maryland, wanted to bring medieval history to life for her fifth-grade students. She searched for a play they could perform, one in which every student would have a speaking part. "When I was child, if I got the small part in the play, I was distraught," she told TFK. But Schlitz couldn't find the play that she was looking for, so she decided to write one. She created monologues for 16 different characters, all young inhabitants of an English village in 1255. Her students performed the monologues for years before Schlitz decided to have them published.

COURTESY BRIAN SELZNICK Brian Selznick’s 533-page book was awarded a Caldecott Medal for its many illustrations.

The prize-winning book contains 22 monologues accompanied by explanations and tidbits about medieval times. "You've got many, many different ways to approach the book," Newbery Award chair Nina Lindsay said. "It's historical, it's a play, it's funny, it's a character story... and it excels in every direction."

But Schlitz encourages readers to perform the monologues. "I want children to have that experience of pretending to be somebody else, and I want them to hear the applause," she says.

A Picture-Perfect Read

The Caldecott Medal is named for the 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded to the "artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." The Invention of Hugo Cabret, an extensively illustrated 500-plus-page mystery about an orphan who lives in a Paris train station wall, is not a typical Caldecott picture book. But since the book is made up mostly of drawings, it qualifies for the award. Selznick, the book's author and illustrator, says he learned all about children's literature while working in a children's bookstore in New York City. The job also offered the opportunity to practice his artwork; he painted the store's windows for holidays and book events.

Other Honors

The ALA also announced other award winners. The Coretta Scott King Award recognizes African-American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults. This year, author Christopher Paul Cutis, who once helped pay for college by working in a factory, won the award for Elijah of Buxton. Illustrator Ashley Bryan won for his artwork in the book Let It Shine.

ALA President Loriene Roy explained that the organization hopes to inspire caregivers, teachers and librarians around the country to recommend these books to young readers. "We're highlighting the best of the best," she says.

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