Reading Today: 2008 May 14
With National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Jon Scieszka as host, Al Roker of The Today Show as an honoree, and the announcement of five new children’s book awards chosen by children themselves, the Children's Choice Book Awards gala held on Tuesday, May 13, at the Times Center in New York City seemed destined for success. And indeed the event was a huge hit, drawing publishers, authors, and children to share in the celebration of the 89th Annual Children's Book Week, observed this year in May for the first time.
Scieszka celebrated the new as he introduced the event, which was organized by the Children's Book Council (CBC). "We have a new, improved CBC, a brand new Book Week, and these brand new Children's Choice Book Awards," he said. He spoke about his role as literature ambassador for 75 million children, saying, "The thing I love most about being ambassador is being the champion of the little guys."
Next came the presentation of the new Children's Choice Book Awards. More than 55,000 votes were cast, with the following winners being named from among five finalists in these categories:
Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year—Frankie Stein by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Kevan Atteberry, published by Marshall Cavendish
Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year—Big Cats by Elaine Landau, published by Enslow Publishers
Fifth to Sixth Grade Book of the Year—Encyclopedia Horrifica by Joshua Gee, published by Scholastic Paperbacks
Illustrator of the Year—Ian Falconer for Olivia Helps with Christmas, written by Ian Falconer and published by Simon & SchusterAuthor of the Year—J.K. Rowling for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, published by Scholastic
Brian Selznick, winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, presented Al Roker of The Today Show with the 2008 Impact Award for "Al's Book Club for Kids," noting that The Invention of Hugo Cabret was the first book featured on the regularly occurring segment.
Robin Adelson, executive director of CBC, closed the evening, noting that Children's Book Week is the longest running literacy promotion event in the United States. She cited the International Reading Association, noting that the nominees and prize winners for the Children's Choice Book Awards all are drawn from the Children’s Choices booklist, which has been compiled annually by a joint committee of IRA and CBC for more than 30 years, based on the votes of children.
For further information about Children's Book Week and the other activities of the Children's Book Council, visit the CBC website. For further information about the Children's Choices booklist, visit the IRA website. Watch for the annotated Children's Choices list for this year to appear in the October issue of The Reading Teacher.
