The 2009 Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards have been announced.  The awards are given each year to children’s books that “effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence.”

The winners are:

For Younger Children:

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire A. Nivola (an amazing picture book!)

 

For Older Children:

The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle (loved this book!)

 

Younger Children Honor Books:

The Storyteller’s Candle by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre

Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford

 

Older Children Honor Books:

The Shepherd’s Granddaughter by Anne Laurel Carter

Ain’t Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson

If you recall, I had cheered when several YA novels were up for the Nebula Award.  And one won! 

Powers by Ursula Le Guin won this year’s Nebula Award.

The winner of the Andre Norton Award is

Flora’s Dare by Ysabeau S. Wilce.

I admit that I haven’t read either of these, so they weren’t the ones I was rooting for.  I am pleased to have YA titles so fully embraced by this award this year.

Thanks to Educating Alice for the link to the shortlist! 

Here are the shortlisted titles:

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Love Boyce but haven’t gotten my hands on this one yet!  I haven’t seen that it’s been released in the states yet.)

Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks

Airman by Eoin Colfer (Great read for anyone who enjoys a good action/adventure tale with a very smart protagonist)

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (An incredible read.  This is my prediction for the win.)

Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson

The short list for the best writing and illustration in Canadian literature have been announced. 

Picture Books

Just One Goal! by Robert Munsch.

M is for Moose: A Charles Pachter Alphabet by Charles Pachter.

A Pocket Can have a Treasure in It by Kathy Stinson.

Chester’s Back! By Melanie Watt.

Stanley at Sea by Linda Bailey

 

Young Adult/Middle Readers

Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel

Libertad by Alma Fullerton

Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson

Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen

The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton

The 2009 Hugo Award Nominees have been announced.  The nominees for Best Novel include some familiar titles for teen and children’s book readers:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

 

And the more adult nominees:

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

Saturn’s Children by Charles Stross

Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi

The shortlist for The Bistro Children’s Book of the Year Awards has been announced.  The age range is large and makes for a very intriguing list of finalists:

Airman by Eoin Colfer

An Phleist Mhór by Ré O’Laighléis, Susan Edwards & Emily Colenso

Anila’s Journey by Mary Finn

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

Brionglóidí by Áine Ní Ghlinn & Carol Betera

Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson

Her Mother’s Face by Roddy Doyle

Highway Robbery by Kate Thompson

The Gift of the Magi by PJ Lynch

The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers

The 2009 Golden Kite Awards were announced today.

The winners are:

Fiction: Down Sand Mountain by Steve Watkins

Nonfiction: A Life in the Wild: George Schaller’s Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts by Pamela S. Turner

Picture Book Text: A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

Picture Book Illustration: Last Night by Hyewon Yum

 

And the honor books:

Fiction: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Nonfiction: The Mysterious Universe: Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Nic Bishop

Picture Book Text: Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Sean Qualis

Picture Book Illustration: I Love My New Toy by Mo Willems

The Nebula and Norton 2008 ballots have been finalized. 

Strangely, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow is listed in the novel category instead of the teen Norton section.  Ack!  So is Powers by Ursula Le Guin!  And neither of them are in the Norton category at all.

Ignoring that inconsistency, on to the great list for the Andre Norton award for Science Fiction and Fantasy written for teens:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Lamplighter by D. M. Cornish

Savvy by Ingrid Law

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Flora’s Dare by Ysabeau S. Wilce

 

Where is Hunger Games?!  Well, at least it won a Cybil.  😉