And The Winners Are...

The American Library Association (otherwise known as the ALA) has announced its 2003 awards, honoring the best books published in 2002. And we've got them all for you right here!

Curious about the ALA and its awards? Here's a little background...

Since 1921, the American Library Association has awarded prizes to the best of the best children's books. Each year, one exceptional book receives the John Newbery Medal---and runners up may be named Newbery Honor Books. Also, one awesomely illustrated book is awarded the Randolph Caldecott Medal, with other cool picture books named Caldecott Honor titles. And though the names and works of contenders are hotly debated each year, no one really knows who will win. Committee members are sworn to secrecy, until the announcement is made at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in January!


Winning Books

2003 Newbery Winner

CRISPIN: The Cross of Lead
by Avi
Hyperion
ISBN: 0786808284
262 pages
Ages 9-12
June 2002

"Asta's Son" is all he's ever been called. The lack of a name is appropriate, because he and his mother are poor peasants living in 14th century medieval England. But this 13 year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less --- no home, no family, no possessions. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he may be killed on sight by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name --- Crispin --- and his mother's cross of lead.

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2003 Newbery Honors

THE HOUSE OF SCORPION
by Nancy Farmer
Atheneum
ISBN: 0689852223
400 pages
Ages 13-17
September 2002

To most people around him, Matt is not a boy but a beast. A room full of chicken litter with roaches for friends and old chicken bones for toys is considered good enough for him. But for El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium -- a strip of poppy fields lying between the U.S. and what was once called Mexico -- Matt is a guarantee of eternal life. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself because Matt is himself --- they share identical DNA.

HOOT
by Carl Hiassen
Knopf
ISBN: 0375821813
292 pages
Ages 9-12
September 2002

Roy Eberhardt is the new kid in school and having a tough time making friends. To make matters worse, the school bully has zeroed in on Roy and is making his life miserable. But Roy is about to have the adventure of his life when he stumbles into the middle of an ecological mystery surrounding some endangered miniature owls who are being threatened by a construction company. Readers will be in hysterics over alligators in portable potties and spray painted cop cars, as Hiaasen brings his wacky style of humor to a novel for a younger audience.

PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS
by Patricia Reilly Giff
Random House/Wendy Lamb Books
ISBN: 0385326556
176 pages
Ages 9-12
September 2002

Hollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. She even runs away from the Regans, the one family who offers her a home. When Hollis is sent to Josie, an elderly artist who is quirky and affectionate, she wants to stay. But Josie is growing more forgetful every day. If Social Services finds out, they'll take Hollis away and move Josie into a home. Hollis is determined not to let anyone separate them. She has escaped the system before; this time, she plans to take Josie with her. Yet behind all her plans, Hollis longs for her life with the Regans, fixing each moment of her time with them in pictures she'll never forget.

A CORNER OF THE UNIVERSE
by Anne M. Martin
Scholastic
ISBN: 0439388805
208 pages
Ages 9-12
October 2002

12 year-old Hattie Owen is having a fairly routine summer until the startling arrival of an uncle no one has ever spoken about. Now that Uncle Adam's "school" --- an institution for the mentally disabled --- is closing, Hattie's family must deal with a childlike young man whose existence they've denied for years. Hattie suddenly experiences a summer in which she learns that living life to the fullest means facing both the good times and the bad.

SURVIVING THE APPLEWHITES
by Stephanie S. Tolan
HarperCollins Juvenile Books
ISBN: 0066236037
224 pages
Ages 9-12
August 2002

Jake Semple is a scary kid. Word has it that he burned down his old school and then was kicked out of every other school in his home state. Only weeks into September, the middle school in Traybridge, North Carolina, has thrown him out as well. Now there's only one place left that will take him --- a home school run by the most outrageous, forgetful, chaotic, quarrelsome family you'll ever meet. Each and every Applewhite is an artist through and through --- except E.D., the smart, scruffy girl with a deep longing for order and predictability. E.D. and Jake, nearly the same age, are quickly paired in the family's first experiment in "cooperative education." Of course, the two clash immediately. The only thing they have in common is the determination to survive the family's eccentricities.

2003 Caldecott Winner

MY FRIEND RABBIT
illustrated and written by Eric Rohmann
Roaring Brook Press
ISBN: 0761315357
32 pages
Ages 4-8
May 2002

This is the fun and adventurous story of two friends, Rabbit and Mouse. When Rabbit launches his toy airplane (with Mouse in the pilot's seat) and it gets stuck in a tree, he convinces his friend that he'll come up with a plan to get it down. Rabbit indeed finds a unique way to reach it. The illustrations in this book are magnificent, and children will enjoy the pictures of the animals before and after their attempt to rescue the plane.

2003 Caldecott Honors

THE SPIDER AND THE FLY
by Mary Botham Howitt
illustrated by Tony Diterlizzi
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0689852894
40 pages
Ages 4-8
October 2002

Mary Botham Howitt's familiar 1829 poem is all about a vain, silly fly and the cunning spider that does her in. In his version of the poem, Tony DiTerlizzi draws inspiration from one of his loves --- the classic Hollywood horror movies of the 1920s and 1930s --- and shines a cinematic spotlight on Howitt's warning, written to her own children about those who use sweet words to hide their not-so-sweet intentions.

HONDO & FABIAN
illustrated and written by Peter McCarty
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN: 0805063528
40 pages
Ages 4-8
April 2002

A dog named Hondo and his puppy friend Fred are going to the beach for a day of excitement. But Fabian the cat has to stay home and play with the baby. Who do you think will have more fun and who will cause the most trouble? Find out the answers to these questions in this beautifully illustrated book sure to delight all who read it.

NOAH'S ARK
illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney
Sea Star/North-South Books
ISBN: 1587172011
40 pages
Ages 5-8
October 2002

For 40 days and 40 nights rain poured from the heavens, enveloping the world. God warned only Noah of the Great Flood --- and only Noah could save life on earth. Jerry Pinkney captures all the courage, drama and beauty of this ancient parable in rich, glorious paintings. Full of sensitive detail and emotion, his art brings new life and meaning to an important message of peace. This elegant edition of NOAH'S ARK promises to give readers strength and hope for many years to come.

2003 Robert F. Sibert Winner

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ADOLF HITLER
by James Cross Giblin
Clarion Books
ISBN: 0395903718
256 pages
April 2002

Most people believe that Adolf Hitler was the personification of evil. In this intriguing biography, James Cross Giblin presents a picture of a complex person --- a brilliant, influential politician who was a deeply disturbed man. In a straightforward and non-sensational manner, Giblin explores the forces that shaped the man, as well as the social conditions that furthered his rapid rise to power. Against a background of crucial historical events, Giblin traces the arc of Hitler's life: his childhood, his years as a frustrated artist in Vienna, his extraordinary rise as dictator of Germany, and his final days in an embattled bunker under Berlin. Powerful archival images provide a haunting visual accompaniment to this clear and compelling account of a life that left an indelible mark on our world.

2003 Robert F. Sibert Honors

SIX DAYS IN OCTOBER: The Stock Market Crash of 1929
by Karen Blumenthal
Atheneum
ISBN: 0689842767
160 pages
Ages 9-12
September 2002

Wall Street Journal bureau chief Karen Blumenthal chronicles the Stock Market Crash of 1929. She tells fascinating tales of key stock-market players like Michael J. Meehan, an immigrant who started his career hustling cigars outside theaters and helped convince thousands to gamble their hard-earned money as never before. Blumenthal also provides riveting accounts of the power struggles between Wall Street and Washington, as well as poignant stories from those who lost their savings --- and more.

HOLE IN MY LIFE
by Jack Gantos
Farrar Straus & Giroux
ISBN: 0374399883
208 pages
March 2002

In the summer of 1971, Jack Gantos was an aspiring writer looking for adventure, cash for college tuition and a way out of a dead-end job. For ten thousand dollars, he recklessly agreed to help sail a sixty-foot yacht loaded with a ton of hashish from the Virgin Islands to New York City, where he and his partners sold the drug until federal agents caught up with them. For his part in the conspiracy, Gantos was sentenced to serve up to six years in prison. This is the story of how Gantos, once he was locked up in a small, yellow-walled cell, moved from wanting to be a writer to writing --- and how dedicating himself more fully to the thing he most wanted to do helped him endure and ultimately overcome the worst experience of his life.

ACTION JACKSON
by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker
Roaring Brook/Porter
ISBN: 0761316825
32 pages
Ages 4-8
September 2002

On a late spring morning, Jackson Pollock began work on the painting that would ultimately be known as Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist). Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan discuss the creative process of this great artist in this unique picture book. Their lyrical text, drawn from quotes from the artist and those around him, is complemented by atmospheric watercolors by Robert Andrew Parker that honor the spirit of Pollock without imitating his paintings.

WHEN MARIAN SANG: The True Recital of Marian Anderson
by Pam Munoz Ryan
illustrated by Brian Selznick
Scholastic Trade
ISBN: 0439269679
40 pages
Ages 4-8
October 2002

Marian Anderson is best known for her historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, which drew an integrated crowd of over 75,000 people in pre-Civil Rights America. While this momentous event showcased the uniqueness of her character and the struggles of the times in which she lived, it is only part of her story. Like the opera arias Marian would come to sing, Ryan's text is as moving as a libretto and Selznick's pictures are as exquisitely detailed and elaborately designed as a stage set. What emerges most profoundly from their shared vision is a role model of courage.

2003 Coretta Scott King Author Winner

BRONX MASQUERADE
by Nikki Grimes
Dial Books
ISBN: 0803725698
176 pages
Ages 13-17
December 2001

When Wesley Boone writes a poem for his high school English class, some of his classmates are eager to read their poems aloud too. Before you know it, they're having weekly poetry sessions and, one by one, the eighteen students are opening up and revealing some of their darkest secrets. Lupe Alvarin expresses her desperation to have a baby so she will feel loved, while Porscha Johnson needs an outlet for her anger after her mother overdoses. Sharing these poems and narratives allows the students to understand one another in a very deep and intimate way.

2003 Coretta Scott King Author Honors

THE RED ROSE BOX
by Brenda Woods
Putnam
ISBN: 039923702X
160 pages
Ages 13-17
May 2002

Leah is celebrating her tenth birthday. To mark the occasion, her aunt Olivia sends her a red rose box. Leah and her younger sister Ruth can hardly imagine what's inside it. Living in dusty Sulphur, Louisiana, the arrival of the box is about the most exciting thing that has ever happened to Leah and Ruth. The box turns out to be full of magical things --- lipstick, nail polish and a 100% silk bedjacket. Aunt Olivia has also sent some train tickets for a trip to Los Angeles and freedom, far away from the Jim Crow laws that keep the Southern blacks down. Leah is enchanted by her rich aunt's lifestyle and the California culture. Like the treasures in the box, California is almost too good to be true. But when tragedy forces Leah and Ruth to make Los Angeles their permanent home, the girls are longing for their roots.

TALKIN’ ABOUT BESSIE: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman
illustrated by E. B. Lewis
written by Nikki Grimes
Orchard Books
ISBN: 0439352436
48 pages
Ages 5-9
Nov 2002

Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman was always being told what she could and couldn't do. It was not easy to survive in a world when the Jim Crow laws and segregation were a way of life. But these unfortunate circumstances did not stop her. When she was only 11, she vowed to become the first African-American pilot. Her faith and determination helped her overcome so many obstacles - poverty, racism, and gender discrimination.

2003 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Winner

TALKIN’ ABOUT BESSIE: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman
illustrated by E. B. Lewis
written by Nikki Grimes
Orchard Books
ISBN: 0439352436
48 pages
Ages 5-9
Nov 2002

Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman was always being told what she could and couldn't do. It was not easy to survive in a world when the Jim Crow laws and segregation were a way of life. But these unfortunate circumstances did not stop her. When she was only 11, she vowed to become the first African-American pilot. Her faith and determination helped her overcome so many obstacles - poverty, racism, and gender discrimination.

2003 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors

RAP A TAP TAP
by Leo and Diane Dillon
Scholastic/Blue Sky
ISBN: 0590478834
32 pages
Ages 4-8
September 2002

This informative book for young children tells the life story of a ground-breaking African-American tap dancer. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920s and 1930s. People said he "talked with his feet" and, in the Dillons' graceful paintings of old New York, he dances from page to page to the tune of a toe-tapping rhyme.

VISITING LANGSTON
illustrated by Bryan Collier
by Willie Perdomo
Holt
ISBN: 0805067442
32 pages
Ages 4-8
February 2002

It's a special day when a little girl and her father go to visit the house where the great poet Langston Hughes lived --- especially when the little girl is a poet herself! This rhythmic tale is a wonderful introduction to the work and world of Langston Hughes, who was a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance and an American cultural hero.

2003 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Author Talent Award

CHILL WIND
by Janet McDonald
Frances Foster Books
ISBN: 0374399581
144 pages
Ages 13-17
October 2002

The good life, according to Aisha Ingram, is easy. It includes spending time with friends, dancing and listening to music --- but it doesn't include worrying about the future. However, this is exactly what she starts to do when she receives a sixty-day termination-of-welfare-benefits notice. This means no more monthly food stamps or assistance checks. With no help from the father of her two children, the clock is ticking and she doesn't have many options. However, she is sure of one thing: workfare is not for her. There's no way she's going to scrub subway cars or sweep city sidewalks. Aisha tries to come up with other ways to obtain money, but things don't look good. Soon another notice comes --- only thirty days left. Then she sees an ad on television for BIGMODELS and she figures she might as well check out the agency. But just when it looks like Aisha's problems might be solved, things grow crazy again.

2003 Steptoe New Illustrator Talent Award

THE MOON RING
written and illustrated by Randy DuBurke
Chronicle Books
ISBN: 0811834875
36 pages
Ages 4-8
September 2002

In the light of a blue moon, the second full moon in a month, Maxine discovers something amazing in the grass --- a magical moon ring! Ahead lies a night of adventure beyond anything Maxine could have imagined, as she is whisked around the globe, from the ice floes of Antarctica to the sunbaked African savannah to the neon lights of New York City. Is it all just a dream? Only Maxine and her grandmother know for sure.

   -- Written by Tom Donadio

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