2004
Award -Winning Children's Books
If you are looking for excellent children's books, a good place to begin is with the Caldecott and Newbery Medal and Honor books. The winners are announced in January/February for the previous year. Another award for children's books is the Coretta Scott King Award, recognizing distinguished children's books written and illustrated by African American authors and illustrators.
The 2004 Caldecott Medal Award, established in 1938, presented for the most distinguished picture book for children, is The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. This wonderfully illustrated book relates the true tale of tight rope artist Philippe Petit's 1974 walk between the towers of the World Trade Center.
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is the winner of the 2004 Newbery Medal Award. This award, established in 1922, is presented to the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. DiCamillo's first book, Because of Winn-Dixie, previously was a Newbery Honor book. The Tale of Despereaux is an old-fashioned fairy tale told from the point of view of a mouse, Despereaux Tilling, who lives in a castle. The story revolves around the mouse and other animal and human inhabitants.
The Coretta Scott King Award for the best children's author of 2004 is The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. This young adult novel is about the challenges and decisions that face the main character, Bobby, a single teenage father from New York City. Ashley Bryan won the best illustrated award for Beautiful Blackbird, a retold fable from the people of Zambia, written for children from ages one to seven.
For information on these and other award-winning children's books, go to: www.awardbooks.hypermart.net/
Of course, these books are available at the Park Forest Library.
For more information about children's award-winning books, contact Golam
Kibreah, Youth Services Director.
-- Susan McGoldrick