To the Rescue! Clark in the Deep Sea by R. W. Alley

With just a glimpse of the beach visible through the spring rain, the four kids are making the best of the bad weather on the front porch. Even the dog in dozing in the doghouse.

CLARK WAS BUSY COLORING WHEN GRETCHEN ANNOUNCED, "IT'S CIRCUS TIME!

PRESENTING BEAR-O, THE BALANCING BEAR!"

BUT BEAR FORGOT TO BALANCE.

Everyone leaps up just as Bear tumbles over the railing into a yard which suddenly morphs into a raging sea.

"LAUNCH THE LIFEBOATS!" CALLED MITCHELL.

"NO TIME!" CRIED CLARK. HE LEAPED OVER THE SIDE.

Be prepared, seems to be Clark's motto. He's into his scuba gear and swimming in pursuit of the rare and apparently ravenous Fur Shark who has Bear in his jaws already. Fearlessly Clark tussles with his captor, and Bear goes free, only to be carried by the wild current into an undersea cave. Clark swims bravely after Bear, snatches him up, and swims toward the roiling surface, only to be encircled by the long, green Million-Mile Eel!

SWIZZZ CAME THE EEL'S ICY SPRAY, PUSHING CLARK AND BEAR INTO THE SEAWEED BOG.

"OUR AIR IS LOW. WHAT A WAY TO GO!" SAID CLARK.

But it's the Submarine Sibling Rescue Squad on duty, and after a bit of a struggle in the wild waves, Clark, Bear, and rescuers are tossed up safely on the porch once more, where little Gretchen is joyfully reunited with her soggy but salvaged Bear.

Now if only the rain would stop....

And as the song goes, "Gray skies are gonna clear up! Put on a happy face!" in R. W. Alley's just-published Clark in the Deep Sea (Houghton Mifflin Clarion, 2016). author Alley's narrative is both succinct and suspenseful, and his illustrations are downright delicious.

Artist Alley makes sly use of the objects visible around the kids in the opening pages--Clark's crayoned drawing of a shark. a garden hose which reappears as the Eel, the shaggy dog who shape-shifts into the Fur-Shark, the yellow galoshes which transform into swim fins, Gretchen's Roly-Poly toys which appear as fishy witnesses to the adventure.  The yellow porch umbrella morphs into the Yellow Submarine, the doghouse doubles as the stinky Fur-Shark cave, and, as a naysayer to the "this didn't really happen, did it?" crowd, the final page features one delightful sight gag in which the loyal umbrella lies wrecked and the kids' shaggy dog suspiciously eyeballs the marooned fish swimming in his water bowl. This tall tale is a light-hearted tribute to the power of imagination that kids will want to scrutinize over and over, and some sharp-eyed page perusers may even notice that on the first page, Clark is crayoning what looks like a page from this very book.

If you can come up with a copy of the classic by Barbro Lindgren, The Wild Baby Goes to Sea, which similarly transmogrifies household objects into the stuff of a wild sea adventure, pair it with Alley's Clark in the Deep Sea for a wonderfully crafted storytime duo that will not disappoint.

And watch for the coming seasonal adventures of the remaining siblings, Mitchell on the Moon and Annabelle at the South Pole from Clarion.

Beware! Jack O' Jerks! Mitchell on the Moon by R. W. Alley

One windy fall evening, Mitchell was leading the way. Until... Gretchen said "STOP!"

"The moon is disappearing."

"Uh-oh," said Mitchell.

Crunching through the autumn leaves and costumed as a sorcerer for Halloween, older brother Mitchell is leading his trio of siblings forth for some trick-or-treating, when younger sister Gretchen notices that part of the moon is ... GONE!

Sensible Clark points out that clouds are just drifting across the moon, and Annabelle insists that the moon is still safely up there in the sky. But big brother Mitchell accepts the challenge to save Halloween from the dark.

"Gretchen is right. The moon is in trouble. Only I, the Sorcerer of Space, can save the moon!"

Commandeering a ladder leaning against a tree, Mitchell waves his wand, declaring that only the Sorcerer of Space can fly the Moon Ladder of Magic Mystery.

But unnoticed behind him, little Gretchen, carrying her little wagon full of roly-polys (little white balls with smiley faces, capable of morphing to meet the need), climbs on the ladder behind him. With a Zappity Snap! Mitchell waves his wand and blasts into space, soaring into the stratosphere and beyond. With another bit of magic he captures the moon. Hooking his magic ladder on one end of the crescent moon, Mitchell races toward the other end where something sinister is indeed in progress!

"GADZOOKS! Jack O' Jerks are biting away at bits of the moon like candy!"

Suddenly Mitchell's stowaway little sister leads the way, hurling her multi-use roly-polys at the dastardly Jack O' Jerks.

"Let's get 'em!" Gretchen shouts.

But the ravenous Jack O' Jerks look at Gretchen as if she's the pick of Halloween treats, and Mitchell sees that his sister needs some saving!

"Yes, please," pleads Gretchen.

Will the space-traveling siblings prevail? Will the moon be saved? Will Halloween even happen this year for the fantastic foursome?

Well, what do you think? In this adventure, R. W. Alley continues his "quadrilogy" about the fantasy adventures of these four imaginative kids through the four seasons in Mitchell on the Moon (Houghton Mifflin Clarion, 2016), a rousing autumnal tale that leaves the four brothers and sisters and their long-suffering pooch dazed and amazed, but still up for trick-or-treating expedition, now fully lit by the rescued moon.

R. W. Alley's illustrations are outstanding, filled with double-page spreads in which the land of imagination flows seamlessly from the charming New England coastal scene into deep space and back again. With a slight touch of spookiness just right for the scary season and plenty of action in each scene, young would-be holiday celebrants will find this third story in the series will inspire their own trick-or-treat adventures.

Other books in this series, each featuring a different sibling, are Annabelle at the South Pole, Clark in the Deep Sea, and Gretchen Over the Beach.

The Abdominal Snow Man! Annabelle and the South Pole by R. W. Alley

Winter has settled over the little Yankee seacoast town, and Annabelle with her book about polar regions is sweetly settled in the cozy window seat looking out at a ginormous snowman. Mitchell, Clark, and Gretchen, however, seems to be coming down with a serious case of cabin fever.

"Behold! I am the Wizard!" said Mitchell.

"Look! A scheming sorceress in her tower." said Clark.

"Save my roly-polys from her evil spells!" said Gretchen.

Annabelle stormed out!

She flees the Wizard, denying everything, heading out the front door into the snowscape where four cute penguins await her. But what is that rotund and horrifying sight approaching in the swirling snow?

The Abominable Snow Giant!

The big-bellied snow bully charges. Annabelle rallies, landing a well-placed snowball, knocking his nose askew, and sending his surprised head flying! Oops!

Annabelle and her penguins replace his snowy head, still somewhat awry, and in gratitude the tubby snow giant gives Annabelle a ride on his wide shoulders straight to the South Pole.

But what's this?

The claim to the Pole has already be staked out by the Mitchell and his minions. The Wizard of the World has also magicked up his cauldron of chocolate-flavored potion to ward off attacks.

"Too hot!" said the Snow Giant.

Fearing melting, the Snow Giant flees. But the unabashed Annabelle is unafraid. She snatches the potion and downs it in one long, chocolatey swallow.

So it's back to base camp for the whole lot of intrepid polar explorers, where their sturdy sled pooch naps on the sleigh with Gretchen while the rest down proper mugs of hot cocoa from their porch, and wonder how their snowman's head got upside down while they were away!

R. W. Alley finishes up the finale for his seasonal series in his forthcoming Annabelle at the South Pole (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016) with a polar quest, a snowball fight, and more fun in the snow with his four inventive and resourceful siblings whose imaginations create their own settings--spring, summer, fall, or winter. Charming illustrations with full-bleed, double-page spreads distinguish all the books in this series, whose characters can conjure up their own fun whatever the weather. Other books about the fantasy-loving four include Clark in the Deep Sea, Gretchen Over the Beach, and Mitchell on the Moon (Read my reviews of R.W. Alley's work here.)

Come Fly With Me! Gretchen Over the Beach by R. W. Alley

ONE BEACH DAY, GRETCHEN'S BROTHERS AND SISTER RUSHED DOWN TO THE WATER.

GRETCHEN CRIED, "WAIT UP!"

BUT NO ONE LISTENED.

Annabelle, Clark, and Mitchell shuck their shirts and with flippers, surf board, and dinosaur floatie, they hit the surf.

Little Gretchen trails behind, burdened by her flip-flops, beach towel, and a sand bucket with a busted handle that dumps her four roly-polys into the sand. No one listens to her plea for help her taking her roly-polys down to the water.

Well, phooey on them! Gretchen plops down by a tidal pool and starts to mold a sand castle when something amazing happens!

GRETCHEN'S SPORTY NEW HAT WITH THE FANCY RIBBON FLEW AWAY WITH THE BREEZE.

But Gretchen manages to grab the trailing ribbon and her roly-polys follow suit. Scrambling inside the hat, they float higher and higher. Gretchen orders the breeze to lift them to the clouds.

Gretchen goes for a dip in the wispy clouds until she drifts to a small island cloud. But alas, the hat with the four roly-polys sails on and on into a cloud, the ribbon still wafting behind. Thinking fast, Gretchen hails a passing seagull and surfs on his back toward her missing hat,  using it as a parachute to float her and the rolys safely down to the scene of her sand castle, just as her siblings stagger out of the surf to the umbrella where dad is unpacking snacks. Oblivious of her airborne adventures, big brother Clark chastises her for losing her fancy ribbon from the hat.

SHE WASN'T EVEN WORRIED ABOUT HER RIBBON.

And why should she be, when overhead there's a helpful seagull doing a flyover to return the ribbon, in R. W. Alley's Gretchen Over the Beach (Houghton Mifflin Clarion, 2016). Big brothers and sisters sometimes leave their youngest sibling behind, but the resourceful Gretchen has the best adventure of all in this sunny story of the power of fanciful thinking.

Part of a set of four forthcoming seaside stories, this one stars a resilient little heroine who imagines a way to catch a wave without hitting the water. Alley's artwork is altogether endearing, with ink-and-watercolor illustrations in watery pastel palette, set clearly somewhere on the northeastern coast, as evidenced by the weathered pink frame beach house, stone walls, and fir trees in the landscape fronting the yellow-brown sands. Only the faces and stick arms and legs of the roly-polys reveal that Gretchen has a mind of her own, a girl for whom a day at the beach has a little something extra.

I Hate Badurday! Saturday Is Dadurday by Robin Pulver

AFTER THE TWINS WERE BORN, MIMI AND DAD HAD AN IDEA FOR THEIR FAVORITE DAY.

IT CAME AFTER FRIDAY, AND MIMI AND DAD CALLED IT DADURDAY.

With newborn twins, Mom is totally busy, and Mimi feels left out.

So Dad steps into the breech and offers to spend all day Saturday doing things they both like to do. After sharing their custom-designed silly-shaped pancakes, the two of them read the comics in the newspaper, and then each makes out lists of fun ways to spend the day. They compare notes, choosing matching things on both their lists.  They ride bikes and make silly-shaped picnic food. When it rains they stomp in puddles and get happily wet.

Dadurday is Mimi's BEST day of the week.

But one day Dad regretfully announces that he's going to be working on Saturdays for a while.

"BUT WHAT ABOUT DADURDAY!" MIMI ASKS.

"IT WILL STILL BE DADURDAY WHEN I GET HOME!" DAD OFFERS.

"IT WON'T BE THE SAME!" MIMI MOANS.

At first Mimi is stunned into a major meltdown. Daduday is SADurday.

Dadurday is MADurday!

Dadurday is BADurday!

Mom promises to play with Mimi if the twins ever go to sleep at the same time, but Mimi knows that's probably not going to happen any time soon.  Mimi wants Saturday to be HER day again.

"TODAY SHOULD BE MIMIDAY!  ME! ME! ME!"

But after a while, Mimi calms down and decides that she's going to make the best of it as Dad said.  Working on Saturday is definitely a lemon, but she sets to work making some Mimi lemonade!

And when a dispirited and tired Dad finally comes home, Mimi has artistic decorations and party hats to welcome him back and  silly-shaped pancakes on the griddle for his supper, in Robin Pulver's just-in-time-for-Fathers-Day book, Saturday Is Dadurday (Walker, 2013). Mimi is an ebullient girl with a mind of her own, but she soon gets it that it's not all about her just in time to make it a Dadurday after all. R. W. Alley's watercolor, pencil, and ink illustrations keep the angst light while capturing the real emotions that Dad and Mimi share. Sometimes things are beyond mom and dad's control, and Mimi rises to this occasion with admirable flair.

Peter Pan Papas? When Dads Don't Grow Up by Marjorie B. Parker

Some dads just don't grow up.

You know who they are.

They understand that shopping carts are for racing.

The know that milk tastes better through a straw.

They aren't afraid of looking goofy... or getting their hair wet (if they still have hair).

Dads who don't grow up are the ones that remember that being a kid means having fun. They remember that reading the comics and watching cartoons on the couch with a kid isn't necessarily wasting time, that playing in water sprinklers or playing ball in the living room with umbrellas is a real sport. They know what bubble wrap was really invented for, and sitting in the dunking seat at the school carnival can be fun and funny, and that going down the twisty slide is worth the risk of getting stuck in the crawl-through tunnel.

Marjorie Parker's newest, When Dads Don't Grow Up (Dial Books, 2012) is a celebration of dads with long memories, those who haven't forgotten how to have fun with their kids. If play is the work of kids, being able to play with the kids is part of the job description for being a good dad. R. W. Alley's spirited and imaginative comic illustrations are the meat and potatoes of this charming little picture book, showing good-natured and un-self concious dads sharing the joys of their girls and boys. A great Fathers Day gift for a dad who isn't afraid of looking goofy when goofy is good!

Tough Love: Because Your Mommy Loves You by Andrew Clements

WHEN THE PACK ON YOUR PACK FEELS LIKE A GIANT ROCK,
YOUR MOMMY COULD SAY, "HERE, I'LL CARRY IT FOR YOU.
BUT SHE DOESN'T.

YOU BOTH SIT DOWN A WHILE AND SHARE A HANDFUL OF RAISINS.
THEN SHE HELPS YOU STRAP ON YOUR PACK AGAIN,
AND UP THE TRAIL YOU GO.

A mom and her little boy are off for an overnight camping trip. It's a new experience for the youngster, carrying his own backpack, crossing the creek on a wobbly fallen log, putting up a tent by following the instructions step by step, but instead of taking over and doing the hard part herself, this wise mom gives the child the chance to learn to do it for himself. In the process she manages to give the child more than just a helping hand--she gives him success, the feeling of competence that only comes from mastering a new skill and overcoming fear.

When dark comes and the boy starts to shiver as they sit around the campfire, this mom has the wisdom to hand him the flashlight and send him back to the dark tent where he left his fleecy jacket.

AND AFTER YOU FIND IT
YOU PULL IT ON AND HURRY BACK TO THE FIRE,
AND THE TWO OF YOU SNUGGLE EXTRA CLOSE.

What parents need to give their children most is a loving space in which to learn to be independent, and that is the theme of Andrew Clements' new picture book, Because Your Mommy Loves You (Clarion, 2012), charmingly illustrated by R. W. Alley. A companion book to Clements' earlier Because Your Daddy Loves You, his new entry, with its subtle reminder to the so-called "helicopter parents" among us to give children the gift of independence, makes good reading for Mothers' Day or any time.

Read Out Loud! Read to Tiger by S. J. Fore

I SAT DOWN ON THE COUCH AND OPENED MY BOOK. IT'S TIME TO READ.

BUT I CAN'T READ.

THERE'S A TIGER BEHIND MY COUCH. CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMPING HIS BUBBLE GUM.

"HUH-UH, TIGER."

"OOOPS!" THE TIGER SAYS. "TIGER IS SORRY. TIGER WON'T CHOMP!"

The boy settles down happily to enjoy his book, but Tiger has a different agenda. "HI-YAA!" he yells, as he karate kicks around the sofa. "GRRRRRR!" he growls, as he pretends to be a bear in the boy's own costume. "CHOO-CHOOOOO! TOOOOOOT!" goes Tiger's noisy red train as it circles the couch. With each interruption, the boy admonishes his buddy, and Tiger apologizes profusely. " Tiger sorry!" But then....

CREAK CRACK! CREAK CRACK! CREAK CRACK! "AHHHHHHH!"

MY COUCH IS FLYING UP IN THE AIR BECAUSE THERE'S A TIGER UNDER IT.

TIIIIIGER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I AM TRYING TO READ!!!"

By this time, even the youngest listener knows what is going on here. Tiger obviously feels left out of the silent reading process and his attention-seeking behavior is his way of letting the boy know it. But when Tiger actually looks at the book and sees that it's about a tiger just like him, he cuddles up and waits expectantly for the boy to get the message of his body language. And the boy does....

FINALLY I CAN READ MY BOOK...TO TIGER.

As in his earlier book Tiger Can't Sleep, S. J. Fore's Read to Tiger (Viking, 2010) uses the comic style of illustrator R. W. Alley (slightly reminiscent of the the pair of friends in Calvin and Hobbes) to depict the relationship of boy and tiger, in which the boy plays the adult role to a rambunctious tiger who plays the impulsive preschooler with elan. Kids will appreciate the humor of the role reversal and chuckle along with this delightful sequel.

Buzz Cut! Paddington at the Barber Shop by Michael Bond

One day Paddington went to visit his good friend Mr. Grubar at his shop. They shared cocoa and caught up on the news.

Mr. Grubar showed Paddington a vase. A piece had broken off.

Paddington is a helpful bear and offers to get some glue and fix the vase. He carefully stows the vase in his basket with wheels. But on the way back, he notices a sign in the window of the barber shop.

HELP WANTED

Paddington goes into inquire and takes a job sweeping up cut hair and generally helping out with the customers.

"Bears are good at sweeping," says Paddington.

"If you do well, you can try the clippers," Mr. Sloop said.

Leaving Paddington to his broom and dustpan, Mr. Sloop ducks out for a quick cup of coffee.

The barber shop is full of neat things--mirrors and chairs that go up and down, posters of many types of haircuts, fragrant shampoos and hair-grow tonics There is a white barber's coat hanging on the wall and Paddington just has to try it on. He is just trying out the barber's scissors, when a customer comes declaring that he's tired and in a big hurry.

The man sat down in the barber's chair, and before Paddington could speak, he had fallen asleep!

Paddington looks at the sleeping customer and then at the barber's clippers, plugged in and ready to go. How hard could it be to give the man a quick trim?

What's worse than a bull in a china shop? Paddington Bear in a barber shop!

Paddington decides to give the clippers a try. But they work a little faster than he thinks and his sleeping customer winds up half bald. Now what should Paddington do? He tries a liberal application of hair tonic to the customer's bare pate, but he remains bald. Paddington looks around and sees the hair that he is supposed to be sweeping up around all the barber chairs, and he remembers the glue in his basket-on-wheels. And he has an idea that just might work....

It's hair today and gone tomorrow, in Michael Bond's new I-Can-Read book, Paddington at the Barber Shop (I Can Read Level 1) (Harper, 2017), and you can bet that this bear finds a way to save the day for all concerned. R.W. Alley does the illustrating honors for Bond's famous bear-with-a-suitcase as he has done since the 1990s, with Paddington Bear as lovable and well-meaning as ever. Paddington is a bear with the best of intentions, but perhaps it might be good to give him some time off, so for primary students, pairing this one with Bond's earlier Paddington's Day Off (I Can Read Level 1) (Harper I-Can-Read, 2017). And for a terrific read-aloud bedtime book, introduce this quaint fiction series with the classic, A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond.

Running Between the Raindrops: Enzo Races in the Rain by Garth Stein

FROM THE START, I'VE KNOWN THAT I WAS DIFFERENT.

ON THE OUTSIDE, I'M THE SAME AS ALL THE OTHER PUPS ON THE FARM.

BUT ON ON THE INSIDE, IN MY HEAD, IN MY HEART, THAT'S NOT WHO I AM.

Enzo feels like a person.

He tries to tell all his people how he feels, but his words sound just like barks. No one understands what he wants.

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY IS TO RUN AS FAST AS I CAN.

But farmers don't really like a dog that barks and chases every car that passes.

"STOP YOUR BARKING, DOG!"

But then, one of the cars he races, stops. A small girl waves and then gets out and gives him a hug. Zoe likes Enzo best of all the puppies, and to his joy he goes home with her in a car that goes VROOOM! Even better, the man and girl name him Enzo, Enzo Ferrari!

It's a neat little house, with a doggy door painted like a racing flag that leads Enzo outside into a nice little backyard. The only problem is that there's no room to run fast in that little yard. An then Enzo spies... an opening in the fence just the right size for a small, racing dog. And in front of him are open fields just right for running.

FLASH!  NOW PEOPLE ARE RUNNING EVERYWHERE--AFTER ME!

Little Enzo races until his tongue hangs out! It's glorious fun, but... suddenly he notices that it's raining and he's very wet. He's ready to go back home and warm up.... But where is his home?

Garth Stein's story of a dog who lives to race, Enzo Races in the Rain! (HarperCollins, 2014), features an appealing little brown and white pooch who is born to run who finds just the right family. R. W. Alley's illustrations take the forefront in making this lost dog story come alive. School Library Journal says "facial expressions of both man and beast, ranging from sadness, determination, joy, anger, surprise, and many places in between, add a great boost to the wordy text."

ALA Announces Newbery, Caldecott, and Other Annual Awards

The American Library Association's annual medals are the most prestigious awards given for books and media for children and young adults. Here is the news service report of this year's winners:

BOSTON, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, audiobooks and video for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Boston.

A list of all the 2010 literary award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children's literature

When You Reach Me, written by Rebecca Stead, is the 2010 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.

Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose and published by Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly and published by Henry Holt and Company; Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin and published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers; and The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figgby Rodman Philbrick and published by The Blue Sky Press, An Imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children

The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney, is the 2010 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers.

Two Caldecott Honor Books also were named: All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon and published by Beach Lane Books; and Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults

Going Bovine, written by Libba Bray, is the 2010 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman, published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Group; Punkzilla by Adam Rapp, published by Candlewick Press; and by John Barnes, Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973published by Viking Children's Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults

"Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal," written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, is the King Author Book winner. The book is illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

One King Author Honor Book was selected: "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.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award

"My People," illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr., is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Langston Hughes and published by Ginee Seo Books, Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected: "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes and published by Disney - Jump at the Sun Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

"The Rock and the River," written by Kekla Magoon, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement

Walter Dean Myers is the winner of this first-ever Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children's author Virginia Hamilton. Myers' books include: "Amiri & Odette: A Love Story," published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; "Fallen Angels," published by Scholastic Press; "Monster," published by Amistad and HarperTeen, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers; and "Sunrise Over Fallujah," published by Scholastic Press.

Pura Belpre (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience

"Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros," illustrated by Rafael Lopez, is the Belpre Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Pat Mora and published by Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Three Belpre Illustrator Honor Books were selected: "Diego: Bigger Than Life," illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and published by Marshall

Cavendish Children; "My Abuelita," illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston and published by Harcourt Children's Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; and "Gracias Thanks," illustrated by John Parra, written by Pat Mora and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Pura Belpre (Author) Award

"Return to Sender," written by Julia Alvarez, is the Belpre Author Award winner. The book is published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.

Two Belpre Author Honor Books were named: "Diego: Bigger Than Life," written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz and published by Marshall Cavendish Children; and "Federico Garcia Lorca," written by Georgina Lazaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro and published by Lectorum Publications Inc.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience

"Django" written and illustrated by Bonnie Christensen and published by Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, wins the award for best young children ages 0 to 10.

"Anything but Typical" written by Nora Raleigh Baskin and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, is the winner for middle grades (ages 11-13).

The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is "Marcelo in the Real World," written by Francisco X. Stork and published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

William C. Morris Award honors a book written by a first-time author for young adults

"Flash Burnout," written by L.K. Madigan, is the Morris Award winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Odyssey Award for excellence in audiobook production

Live Oak Media, producer of the audiobook "Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken" is the winner of the Odyssey Award. The book was written by Kate DiCamillo and narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.

Three Odyssey Honor Audiobooks were named: "In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber," produced by Listen & Live Audio, Inc., written by L. A. Meyer and narrated by Katherine Kellgren; "Peace, Locomotion," produced by Brilliance Audio, written by Jacqueline Woodson and narrated by Dion Graham; and "We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball," produced by Brilliance Audio, written by Kadir Nelson and narrated by Dion Graham.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for most distinguished beginning reader book

"Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!," written and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes is the Geisel Award winner. The book is published by TOON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC.

Four Geisel Honor Books were named: "I Spy Fly Guy!" written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold and published by Scholastic; "Little Mouse Gets Ready," written and illustrated by Jeff Smith and published by TOON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC; "Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends," written and illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; and "Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day," written by Kate McMullan, illustrated by R. W. Alley and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults

Jim Murphy is the 2010 Edwards Award winner. His books include: "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793," published by Clarion Books; "Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America," published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; "The Great Fire," published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; "The Long Road to Gettysburg," published by Clarion Books; and "A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy," published by Clarion Books.

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children

"Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream," written by Tanya Lee Stone, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Three Sibert Honor Books were named: "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; "Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11," written and illustrated by Brian Floca, and published by Richard Jackson/Atheneum Books for Young Readers; and "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice," written by Phillip Hoose and published by Melanie Kroupa/Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award

"Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith," written by Deborah Heiligman, is the winner of the first-ever YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award. The book is published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video

Paul R. Gagne and Mo Willems of Weston Woods, producers of "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!," are the Carnegie Medal winners. The video is based on the book of the same name written and illustrated by Willems; it was narrated by Willems and Jon Scieszka with animation by Pete List.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States

"A Faraway Island" is the 2010 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Swedish in 1996 as "En o i havet," the book was written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.