And the Winner is.....

Well, it looks like more snow days ahead! Hopefully we'll get some school time in on Wednesday!

Due to the snow, I was not able to meet with the elementary classes. I will be in Kanawha on Thursday in the morning, but will probably stop in Britt in the afternoon. I will not be in the West Hancock district next week. My one scheduled day will be spent at an Iowa Core Curriculum meeting in Clear Lake. The focus of my sessions are on technology and shifting to the 21st century.

AND THE WINNER IS.....
Book awards and medals have been announced by the American Library Association for 2010. Here are a few of my favorite winners:

John Newbery Medal- to the author for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Randolph Caldecott Medal- to the artist of the most distinguished picture book for children - The Lion and the Mouse, written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Coretta Scott King Book Award- Recognizes outstanding books for young adults and children by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience - Author Vaunda Micheau Nelson for her book, Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshall and to illustrator Charles R. Smith Jr. for the book, My People
Pura Belpre Award- Presented to a Latino/Latina writer or illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience - Return to Sender by Julia Alverez
Margaret L. Batchelder Award- given to a book published in the USA that was orginally published in a foreign country in a foreign language - A Faraway Island by Annika Thor and translated by Linda Schenck
Robert F. Siebert Informational Book Medal- honors most distinguished informational book for its contribution to children's literature - Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone
Schneider Family Book Award- honors an author or illustrator of a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for the child or adolescent audience - TEEN: Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork; MIDDLE SCHOOL: Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin; and YOUNG CHILDREN: Django by Bonnie Christensen
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award [aka Dr. Seuss]- awards authors and/or illustrators for the most distinguished contibution to the body of children's literature known as beginner readers - Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! by Geoffrey Hayes
Michael L. Printz Award- awarded for excellence in Young Adult literature - Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults- best nonfiction book published for YA (ages 12-18) - Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

And these are just a few of the winners!! Check out www.ala.org for more information about the American Library Association and their full list of award winning books.

Until next time,
Mrs. Reiter, K-12 Teacher Librarian