Library Notes / February 6, 2012


Dara L. Cain

The 2012 Newbery and Caldecott Winners Are…


If you haven’t already heard January was a very exciting time in the library community! The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association has announced this year’s Newbery and Caldecott Medal winners for titles published in the previous year. Writer Jack Gantos has won this year’s Newbery Medal for Dead End in Norvelt. In 2001, Gantos received the Newbery Honor Award for his book Joey Pigza Loses Control. This year’s Caldecott Medal has been awarded to Chris Raschka, illustrator and writer of A Ball for Daisy. Raschka also won the Caldecott Medal in 2006 for The Hello, Goodbye Window.

The Newbery Award was established in 1922 and became the first children’s book award in the world. This prestigious award is named in honor of eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery. The intent of the award is "to encourage original creative work in the field of books for children” and “is awarded to the author for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature.” Set in a real Pennsylvania town created during the Great Depression the character Jack Gantos (named after the author) manages to find himself “grounded for life” at the beginning of his summer vacation in Dead End in Norvelt. Jack’s punishment is to help an arthritic old neighbor, Miss Volker type obituaries filled with stories about the citizens who have lived in the town. As one obituary leads to another Jack finds himself entangled with twisted promises, voices from the past, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, Hells Angels, and possibly…a murder. In this funny adventure story Jack learns that being grounded may have its unexpected share of surprises as he learns about facing death and his fears.

It became apparent to many people after the Newbery Award was established that the artists designing picture books for children were equally deserving of recognition and encouragement. As a result, the Caldecott Medal was established in 1938 and was named in honor of the nineteenth –century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott. “This medal is to be given to the artist who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year.” Every child has a special toy and in the wordless picture book A Ball for Daisy illustrated by Chris Raschka most children will be able to relate to Daisy, an energetic black-eared dog whose favorite red ball is deflated by a big brown dog. Daisy is heartbroken but learns that sometimes losses can lead to unanticipated gains when Daisy and the big brown dog become friends and the big dog gives her a blue ball that they both can play with together. Raschka is successful in portraying the emotions of the story without the necessity of words by using ink, watercolor, and gouache artwork. He effectively creates large close-ups of Daisy to emphasize emotion and smaller panels for the action scenes.

Dead End in Norvelt and Daisy’s Red Ball can be found at Rowan Public Library!!! Remember, to also look for this year’s Newbery Honor Books: Inside Out & Back Again, written by Thanhha Lai and Breaking Stalin’s Nose, written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. For the younger audience be sure to check out the Caldecott Honor Books awarded this year: Blackout, illustrated and written by John Rocco, Grandpa Green, illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and Me…Jane illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell.