Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Sometimes it is personal

The ALA ALSC Book & Media Awards have real personal meaning to me this year.

They are always such fun and humbling as I realize that once again my reading has been utterly inadequate or right on the mark. This year, though, I have had the honor of meeting maybe even, sort of, kind of friending, not one, not two but THREE of the Honor winners.

It is a wonderful thing to think these books will sport a lovely medal on their covers now!




2010 Coretta Scott King (Author) Honor Book
Mare’s War by tanita s. davis and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

OK, I will have to confess that I have actually never met, face-to-face, in-person, shaken her hand, stood in the same room, city block, county, state or even had a coffee with the awesomeness that is Tanita S. Davis but her support from her blog to BookMoot and the Kidlitosphere in general make me feel like I know her, like we could sit down at the kitchen table and talk for hours. She is a kind and generous spirit who has a way of making a blogger feel like they have just written something profound/hilarious/meaningful/important. Tanita and Mare have been nominated for a NAACP Image Award too.

Mare is an unforgettable character. So is Tanita.




2010 Newbery Medal--Honor Book
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers.

At the 2007 Texas Library Association conference I asked Grace Lin to sign a book for one of my young relatives and while she did, I mentioned that I was one of those Kidolitosphere bloggers who followed her blog and that her trip to Hong Kong had been a virtual vacation for me.

Now, I don't know if she had REALLY ever looked at this-here blog -- she made me feel like she had and she had someone take our picture and she talked to me and it was just ... w o n d e r f u l. My dragon and I really love this beautiful book. Check out the photos of her early morning phone call on her blog, gracenotes




2010 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal --Honor Book
The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors, written by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani and published by Charlesbridge

I served on a Cybils committee with Chris Barton, which is really a wonderful way to get to know your fellow kidlitospherians (VOLUNTEER.) I hoped I would get to meet him, in person, at TLA but who knew if I would really see him? Walking through the exhibit hall, bent in half by a too many books and arcs in my backpack, I was stunned to hear a man say, "Camille?" as I staggered by him.

Good Gad! It was Chris Barton. He had recognized my shoes from a photo of my shiny new pink swoosh Nikes that I had posted before leaving for the conference.

Readers of his blog, Bartography, have followed his twisty-turny road to publication so this is sweet for all of us. I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled, thrilled for him.

BTW, If you are one of my librarian friends who I contacted about booking him for an author visit, I TOLD you so!

4 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

SHOES!!!!!! I still just love that. I mean, what are the chances a DUDE recognizes you from your SHOES!!!!! Mr. Barton is truly one of a kind.

THANK YOU for your kind words. I tend to list folks I've never met as "friends" and it's weird -- we might not recognize anything but each other's minds, but we HAVE met. In some other universe.

sprite said...

It's so cool you've gotten to meet so many of the winners!

Personally, having just read and loved When You Reach Me, I'm utterly delighted that it won the Newbery. I also quite liked The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate when I read it over the summer, so I'm glad it was named an Honor Book.

Greg Pincus said...

I share your feelings here, Camille - it was definitely personal for me as well in the same ways. I do love the kidlitosphere... and hope we all keep getting chances to meet in person, too.

Grace Lin said...

Camille--I really look here! Though, I have been trying to cut down my blog reading & I'm usually too shy to comment...a lurker, sorry...thanks so much for your kind thoughts! Hope to see you again at TLA!