Podcasts about youth media awards

Jessica, Mari, and Cheryl talk about reading during complicated times, ALA book award season, and book purchasing.   Cheryl's Books:    American Primitive: Poems by Mary Oliver They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us:  Essays by Hanif Abdurraqib Mentioned: The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024 edited by Bill McKibben A Rose, A Bridge and a Wild Black Horse by Charlotte Zolotow Mentioned: A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib Books by Bill McKibben Books by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Hope and Joy book list Jessica's Books:   Women's Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery Waiting For the Long Night Moon: Stories by Amanda Peters Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin Mentioned: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction: https://www.ala.org/carnegie-medals/2025-winners Mari's Books:    Will's Race for Home: A Western by Jewell Parker Rhodes 2025 Mildred L. Batchelder Award: John the Skeleton by Triinu Laan For a complete list of ALA's 2025 Youth Media Awards visit: https://tinyurl.com/37ncj3c9 Tangleroot by Kalela Williams

The Spawn Universe is expanding with two new titles from Todd McFarlane. BOOM! Studios is leaving Diamond earlier than expected. The winners of this years ALA Youth Media Awards have been announced.SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, APPLE, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-2025-sydney-taylor-book-awards.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/g5yluS6SsAbhu4hkoKy62TZUgac?utm_source=copy_url  The winners of the 2025 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, recognizing the best Jewish children's and young adult literature of the year, were announced on January 27, 2025 at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards event. Aviva Rosenberg is the current chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and she joined us to discuss the 2025 winners of the award. LEARN  MORE: Sydney Taylor Book Awards ALA's YouTube channel, where you can watch a recording of the announcement Heidi's unofficial 2025 Sydney Taylor shortlist Get more Jewish kidlit news & calls to action in The Book of Life Substack newsletter 2025 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS Scroll down to see all the winning titles listed, with links to any past podcast appearances by the authors on The Book of Life.   FYI, the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour will take place in early February, and I will be interviewing Joshua S. Levy about Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop. Details will appear soon at JewishLibraries.org.   Picture Book Winner: An Etrog from Across the Sea by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen, published by Kar-Ben Middle Grade Winner: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel, Bethany Strout, and Sammy Savos, illustrated by Sammy Savos, published by Roaring Brook Press Young Adult Winner: Night Owls by A.R. Vishny, published by HarperCollins Podcast interview with A.R. Vishny forthcoming - watch this space  ~~~ Picture Book Honors Joyful Song by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal, published by Levine Querido Podcast interview with Lesléa and Susan about Joyful Song: June 2024 Rising by Sidura Ludwig, illustrated by Sophia Vincent Guy, published by Candlewick Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan's Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finklestein, illustrated by Vesper Stamper, published by Holiday House The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig, published by Rocky Pond Books Middle Grade Honors Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar, published by Nancy Paulsen Books Podcast interview with Ruth about Across So Many Seas: May 2024   Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy, published by Katherine Tegen Books Podcast interview with Josh about The Jake Show: August 2023 Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Podcast interview with A.J. about Ellen Outside the Lines: June 2023 Young Adult Honors Trajectory by Cambria Gordon, published by Scholastic Press The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb, published by Levine Querido Podcast interview with Sacha about When the Angels Left the Old Country: January 2023   ~~~~ Picture Book Notables Mr. Katz and Me by Marc Kornblatt, illustrated by Nanette Regan, published by Apples & Honey Press Everybody's Book: The Story of the Sarajevo Haggadah by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Tim Smart, published by Kar-Ben Podcast interview about the Sarajevo Haggadah, with Geraldine Brooks about People of the Book: April 2008   Sharing Shalom by Danielle Sharkan, illustrated by Selina Alko, published by Holiday House Middle Grade Notables  Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz, published by Dutton Books for Young Readers Podcast interview with Adam about Max in the House of Spies: July 2024   Things That Shimmer by Deborah Lakritz, published by Kar-Ben Podcast interview with Deborah about the Friends for LQ Auction: August 2023   Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton, published by Tundra Books Podcast interview with Deke about Benji Zeb: November 2024   Young Adult Notables The Ballerina of Auschwitz: Young Adult Edition of The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger with Esme Schwall, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Inkflower by Suzy Zail, published by Walker Books Australia ~~~~ 2025 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award Winner:"When You Write Back" by Hanna R. Neier The Sydney Taylor Book Awards are sponsored by Jo Taylor Marshall,  daughter of All-of-a-Kind Family author Sydney Taylor. I interviewed Jo Taylor Marshall on The Book of Life in January 2024 CREDITS: Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast Twitter: @bookoflifepod Support the Podcast: Shop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

In this special extended episode, Colby and Travis discuss the year that was in children's literature.

This episode is dedicated to sharing our thoughts about the 2024 Youth Media Awards presented by the American Library Association. April was fortunate enough to attend the awards live in Baltimore while poor Christi was unfotunate and had to watch the broadcast from bed! 2024 YMA Press release

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-2024-sydney-taylor-book-awards.html The winners of the 2024 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, recognizing the best Jewish children's and young adult literature of the year, were announced on January 22, 2024 at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards event. Aviva Rosenberg is the current chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and she joined us to discuss the 2024 winners of the award. LEARN  MORE: Sydney Taylor Book Awards ALA's Youth Media Awards (where the Sydney Taylors are announced) ALA's YouTube channel, where you can watch a recording of the announcement Heidi's unofficial 2024 Sydney Taylor shortlist Aviva's recommendation for an Israel-related book: The Miracle Seed by Martin Lemelman Aviva's Tikkun Olam suggestion: buy Israeli products! A helpful Facebook group is Israeli Shops to Purchase From  Read the Transcript

In this special extended episode, Colby and Travis discuss the year that was in children's literature.This episode is sponsored by Heinemann and their professional book, WHEN KIDS CAN'T READ--WHAT TEACHERS CAN DO (Second Edition), written by Kylene Beers.

Every year, the Read-Aloud Revival team watches the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards together. This is the award show where the medals that are considered the most prestigious in children's publishing are given.Today I'm joined by Kortney Garrison, our Community Director, Kara Anderson, our Creative Director, and Harmony Harkema, or brand new Managing Editor at both Read-Aloud Revival and Waxwing Books.We are going to talk about the winners that were announced on January 30, 2023. We'll talk about the books we were delighted to see honored, as well as some books that we think should have been honored. And you know we have opinions about that. ;)In this episode, you'll hear:  The impact the awards can have for authors and illustrators The announcements that made us cheer The book gems that didn't make the list and why we love them Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Mentioned in This Episode: American Library Association announces 2023 Youth Media Award winners Kate DiCamillo Tomie DePaola James Ransome Read Aloud Revival: Picture Book Biographies Sophie Blackall Stops by The Yarn to Talk About Farmhouse RAR #177: Teach Your Kids to Think Like a Scientist (with Books You Already Have)

In this episode, author and illustrator Doug Salati takes us behind the scenes of his 2023 Caldecott Medal-winning book, HOT DOG.This episode is sponsored by MATH BY THE BOOK by Susan O'Connell, Jonelle Bell, and Laura Connell

It's the most wonderful time of the year—the ALA Youth Media Awards have been announced! This week, Tirzah takes us through the YA highlights. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What's Up in YA newsletter! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Books Discussed: All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir Scout's Honor by Lily Anderson Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Elliot Schefer We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammands The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez  I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston Kings of B'more by R. Eric Thomas Man o' War by Cory McCarthy The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum Himawari House by Melody Becker The Silence Between Us by Joanna Ho Unequal: A Story of America by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome by Ariel Henley American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds Some Kind of Hate by Sarah Darer Littman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SHOW NOTES: The winners of the 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, recognizing the best Jewish children's and young adult literature of the year, were announced on January 30, 2023 at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards event. Martha Seif Simpson is the current chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and she joined us to discuss the 2023 winners of the award. Please click on SHOW NOTES above to see the full list of winners and find links to more info about the award.

Every year, our Read-Aloud Revival Team watches the American Library Association Youth Media Awards together. These are the official awards of ALA. Some you'll recognize, like the Caldecott, the Newbery and the Coretta Scott King Awards. But others are not quite as well known ... The ALA Youth Media Awards honor books that have been published in the previous year, so this year's awards ceremony in January 2022 was honoring books that had been published in the year 2021 only. For this episode the RAR team gathered together to talk about the announcements that made us cheer, the familiar faces that we loved seeing win, and ... ...just a few books that we think should have gotten some ALA love.

Nic and Kate settle in for the 2022 Youth Media Awards

Welcome to Episode 14 of This Podcast is Overdue with April and Christi. Usually we talk about books we're reading, things we're loving, and library advice we're giving but this week we have a special ALA Youth Media Awards episode where we play Monday Quarterback (but with all love!) #ALAyma Head over to our Instagram to let us know what you thought! https://www.instagram.com/thispodisoverdue/ Show notes from this episode, and all our episodes, can be found at tinyurl.com/thispod

Welcome to Episode 14 of This Podcast is Overdue with April and Christi. Usually we talk about books we're reading, things we're loving, and library advice we're giving but this week we have a special ALA Youth Media Awards episode where we play Monday Quarterback (but with all love!) #ALAyma Head over to our Instagram to let us know what you thought! https://www.instagram.com/thispodisoverdue/ Show notes from this episode, and all our episodes, can be found at tinyurl.com/thispod

Fairfield Public Library Fairfield, CT https://fairfieldpubliclibrary.org/learning-and-research/find-a-good-book/ Tamara Lyhne, Head of Children's Services A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly, Ice Dragon vol 6 by Jordan Quinn Northwind by Gary Paulsen Stefanie Bergstrom, Branch Children's Services Librarian The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate Dicamillo Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca – It did win a Newbery honor! Youth Media Awards: https://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/presskits/youthmediaawards/alayouthmediaawards Emily Muller, Children's Services Librarian Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba (Author), Miho Satake (Illustrator), Avery Fischer Udagawa (Translator) Tidesong by Wendy Xu Winter Reading Challenge: https://fairfieldpubliclibrary.org/winter-reading/

In this episode, Colby and Travis react to the 2022 ALA Youth Media Awards, including the Newbery and Caldecott Medal winners.This episode is sponsored by Heinemann and their professional book Read the World: Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action in a Digital Age by Kristin Ziemke and Katie Muhtaris

We're shaking things up with this episode: rather than highlight a specific title or genre, we're taking a closer look at one of very few literary awards given with the reader in mind. Every January, the American Library Association holds its Youth Media Awards, which include eighteen individual awards: fifteen awards for excellence in writing for youth, two for lifetime achievement in writing and supporting children's literature, and lastly, one special award that considers the readers of books and what works for them, rather than awarding the merit of the creator. The Alex Awards, which were first handed out in 1998, celebrate novels written for adults but that have “special appeal” for readers ages 12-18. The Alex Awards are named annually by a committee of the Young Adult Library Services Association, and the 2021 winners were recently announced. So why do the Alex Awards matter? What is their purpose, and how can we as librarians and as readers use these winners (and nominees) to navigate the immense amount of books published every year? In addition to discussing the history of the Alex Awards and their use in librarianship, we talk about our favorite winners and nominees, and we throw out some suggestions (just in case YALSA is listening!) of possible retrospective Alex Award winners.

The post Podcast: Youth Media Awards 2021 appeared first on Clermont County Public Library.

During this episode of the Booklovers Podcast, we’re sharing our thoughts about the Youth Media Awards for 2021. The post Podcast: Youth Media Awards 2021 appeared first on Clermont County Public Library.

Maurice highlights African American History Month, career development, and leisure programs. Molly talks about four Open Book/Open Mind events as well as a few more. Kiersten shares fiction titles that won Youth Media Awards in 2021 that are available digitally or physically in our collection. Ken shares new February adult fiction titles. Adrienne explores the beginning of There There by Tommy Orange. Ariel interviews local author Gabrielle Glaser on her new book, "American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption." Books Discussed: A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles Blood Grove by Walter Mosley Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibrim X. Kindi Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story, by Daniel Nayeri Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh We Are Not Free by Tracy Chee All the Days Past, All the Days to Come,” by Mildred D. Taylor Legendborn by Tracy Deonn This is My Brain in Love by I. W. Gregorio Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez We Are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender This Light Between Us, by Andrew Fukuda They Went Left by Monica Hesse X: A Novel, by Kekla Magoon, co-written by Ilyasah Shabazz How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon Fire in the Streets by Kekla Magoon

Nicole and Matthew discuss the results of the 2021 Youth Media Awards and celebrate some of their favorite books honored by the awards. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Book Riot may earn a commission. RELEVANT LINKS: ALA announces 2021 Youth Media Awards (press release) BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat (Newbery Honor Book) A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat (Newbery Honor Book) We Are Water Protectors written by Carole Lindstrom; illustrated by Michaela Goade (Randolph Caldecott Medal) Me & Mama illustrated and written by Cozbi A. Cabrera (Caldecott Honor Book) (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book) Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration by Samara Cole Doyon; illustrated by Kaylani Juanita (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book) All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor (Coretta Scott King Book Award, Author) (Children’s Literature Legacy Award) When Stars are Scatteredby Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, narrated by Faysal Ahmed, Barkhad Abdi and a full cast (Odyssey Honor Audiobook) I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott; illustrated by Sydney Smith (Schneider Family Book Award) ¡Vamos!: Let’s Go Eat by Raúl the Third (Pura Belpré Award) Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award) We Are Little Feminists: Families by Archaa Shrivastav (Stonewall Book Award) Closing Note: Let us know what books or topics you’ve been sharing this week, or if you have a suggestion or book recommendation for an upcoming episode. Find us on email (kidlitthesedays@bookriot.com) or Twitter (@MatthewWinner and @ittybittyny). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this second episode of the Black Fatherhood podcast, we interview Derrick Barnes. He is the author of the critically acclaimed picture book CROWN: An Ode To The Fresh Cut (Denene Millner Books/Agate Bolden) which won a multitude of literary awards, making it one of the most decorated picture books in the history of children's literature. The awards/prizes include two 2018 EZRA JACK KEATS AWARDS (one for New Writer and an honor for the magnificent illustrations). It was also a HUGE winner at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards, taking home FOUR Honor awards: the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, Newberry Honor, and the Caldecott Honor. In October of 2018, CROWN also took home the lucrative and highly coveted Kirkus Prize For Young Readers.

Matthew and Nicole discuss the results of the 2020 Youth Media Awards, highlight some of their favorite books recognized, and how this awards year could impact the future of publishing. Joining is special guest Dr. Emily R. Aguiló-Pérez, who served on the 2018 Pura Belpré Award committee. This episode is sponsored by: Get Booked Middle School Bites by Steven Banks with illustrations by Mark Fearing, published by Holiday House Book Riot Insiders Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! RELEVANT LINKS: 2020 Youth Media Award Winners Dr. Emily R. Aguiló-Pérez BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW:PICTURE BOOKS: The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander; illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Caldecott Medal) Bowwow Powwow: Bagosenjige-niimi’idim by Brenda J. Child (Red Lake Ojibwe), translated into Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain (Lac La Croix First Nation), illustrated by Jonathan Thunder (Red Lake Ojibwe) (American Indian Youth Literature Award Picture Book Winner) When Aidan Became a Brother, written by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita (Stonewall Book Award Winner) Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You, written by Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Rafael López (Schneider Family Book Award for Young Children) Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, written by Kevin Noble Maillard and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal (Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Winner) MIDDLE GRADE: New Kid, written by Jerry Craft (John Newbery Medal) Other Words for Home, written by Jasmine Warga (Newbery Honor) AWARD-WINNING BOOKS FROM PAST GUESTS Gittel’s Journey, by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Amy June Bates (The Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor) Stargazing, written by Jen Wang and published by First Second, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group (Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Children’s Literature Winner) An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People, written by Debbie Reese (Nambé Owingeh) and Jean Mendoza, adapted from the adult book by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (American Indian Youth Literature Award Young Adult Book Honor) My Papi Has a Motorcycle, illustrated by Zeke Peña, written by Isabel Quintero (Pura Belpré Award Honor) Genesis Begins Again, written by Alicia D. Williams (Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award, Newbery Honor) Let us know what books or topics you’ve been sharing this week, or if you have a suggestion or book recommendation for an upcoming episode. Find us on email (kidlitthesedays@bookriot.com) or Twitter (@MatthewWinner and @ittybittyny).

Eric and Kelly talk about this year’s winners of the Youth Media Awards and highlight great YA by Black authors coming soon. This episode is sponsored by The Handsell, Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry, and Scammed by Kristen Simmons. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter! SHOW NOTES Don’t Read The Comments by Eric Smith Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega 2020 Youth Media Awards The New Kid by Jerry Craft Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki Field Guide to the North American Teen by Ben Phillippe That Dedication Free Lunch by Rex Ogle Amelia Bloomer/RISE Project Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo All American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Kahn The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagen SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow All The Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk We Used To Be Friends by Amy Spalding You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson A Phoenix First Must Burn by Patrice Caldwell

Nic and Eric are joined by Kate to discuss the winners of the 2020 Youth Media Awards!

Karina and Matthew talk about the Youth Media Awards, educators doing mock book awards with their students, and we look back on some of our favorite Kidlit These Days episodes of the year. Joining is special guest Colby Sharp, 5th grade teacher, co-host of The Yarn podcast, editor of The Creativity Project, An Awesometastic Story Collection, and the co-author with Donalyn Miller of Game Changer: Book Access for All Kids. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot's Read Harder Journal and by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! RELEVANT LINKS: The Youth Media Awards HarperCollins Children’s Books Launches Heartdrum, A New Native-Focused Imprint Episode 13: An Indigenous Peoples' History Episode 1: The Wall in the Middle of This Podcast Matthew's Mock Coretta Scott King Award with Students in Grades K-5 Colby Sharp BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: Drawn Together by Minh Le, illustrated by Dan Santat (2019 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Picture Book winner) Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina (2019 Newbery Medal winner) Dr. Debbie Reese (2019 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award) Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender/Kacen Callender (2019 Stonewall Book Award winner) Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (2019 Pura Belpre Illustrator Award winner) Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal (2019 Caldecott honor) Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan by Ashley Bryan (2017 Coretta Scott King Illustrator honor & 2017 Newbery honor) The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros; illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte (2019 Schneider Family Book Award Young Children's Book honor) The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (2017 Newbery award winner) Jerome By Heart by Thomas Scotto, illustrated by Olivier Tallec and translated from the French by Claudia ZoeBedrick and Karin Snelson (2019 Mildred L. Batchelder Award honor) Let us know what books or topics you've been sharing this week, or if you have a suggestion or book recommendation for an upcoming episode. Find us on email (kidlitthesedays@bookriot.com), Twitter (@KarinaYanGlaser and @MatthewWinner), or Instagram (@KarinaIsReadingAndWriting and @MatthewCWinner).

It's early November here in Northern Michigan but it already feels like mid December, possibly February, and we're trying to avoid early onset cabin fever, so we look to Danelle and Stephie to provide some much needed "Ed-Tech Inspiration," to get through the bleak early winter.Show Transcript:Danelle Brostrom 0:00 Obviously it's smarter than I am.Larry Burden 0:08 Where's this come fromDanelle Brostrom 0:08 because you have to edit out all the stupid things that we say,Stephie Luyt 0:11 Now the pressures on.Larry Burden 0:13 gotta delete thatStephie Luyt 0:14 You're like Botox.Larry Burden 0:21 It's Episode 96 of the EdTech Loop podcast. My name is Larry Burden and she drank a bit too much of the apocalyptic Kool Aid after binging 16 straight hours of Black Mirror its Danelle Brostrom. And here to reel our Ed tech hero back from the dark side, it's Stephie Luyt. To coax Danelle back from the edge, this week's moment of zen trends hopeful.Moment of Zen 0:44 I hope that in this year to come you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world, you're doing things you've never done before. And more importantly, you're doing something.Larry Burden 1:06 After checking the unseasonably cold hourly forecast our decision was made to stay in, and partake in this week's meat of the show: Ed Tech Inspiration. It's Northern Michigan here, it's early November, it already feels like mid December, possibly February, and we're trying to not get into that early kind of hunker down mood. So we needed to find a little inspiration today. It was a great idea that Danelle had yesterday, as far as coming up with a topic for this podcast. So we all have lists, let's just jump right into this.Danelle Brostrom 1:43 I can start. My first favorite thing that I love right now, Common Sense Media had an amazing blog post on ISTE. It was written by Liz Cline who's their VP of Education Programs, and her idea is to, "Pause for People." We talk a lot about digital lives and how to find balance with your media and real life, and I think this idea of pausing for people is beautiful, and it's simple, and it's a great thing to keep in mind. So when you're in real life and someone is talking to you, pause what you're doing and privilege that human standing in front of you over what's on your screen.And she says this, "I'm no tech hater. I strongly believe that technology does help connect us with people in meaningful ways, and it should be used for powerful learning in the classroom. But even with all that potential the face to face interactions that you could be having. You should be having, starting now."I love that idea of pausing for people, and I'm really trying to do that when I'm in meetings when I'm, when somebody comes in and interupts me at my desk either turning around for my screen or closing my screen and just pausing for people. It's a great thing to talk about with kids in the classroom to.Stephie Luyt 2:45 That's a beautiful way to say that whole idea of a balance between how we use tech and how we, how we function IRL. It's a really good way to think about it. There's nothing more valuable than pausing for someone, and having that conversation.Larry Burden 3:02 I love that you're making an active step to do that. Sometimes we want to do that but we still have our device up, or we have our device open and it's amazing how our eyes just naturally fall back down into it. David Noller, the TechNollerGist, mentioned that when he's using devices in his class they're open, as soon as they're not being used, he tells them, close the device, close the lid. It's easy to get distracted by the device. So we need to be probably very, very deliberate in what we do to make sure that we are pausing for people.Danelle Brostrom 3:36 And tell people around you that this is something that you're trying to do too because I want you to check me on it. If we're in a meeting together and you see me not pausing, remind me of that. My kids have been checking me on it. My four year old will say, and I've got her saying this, I told her what to say so it's really funny when she says it, but she'll say, "daddy, what's more important right now me or your phone?" and he's like, okay, that is a kick in the teeth, I'm putting this phone down. You are more important to me always. But I think that's a good, you know, pausing for people, we need to make sure we're doing that.Stephie Luyt 4:05 I also feel like in meetings and in just events in general I feel like people are trying to be more mindful about that. I feel like there was a time where it was, hey great look at how busy you are, I'm going to check these four different things, and I'm going to have this open, and I'm going to be looking at this device, and, and that was almost a good thing. But I feel like that pendulum has swung a little bit and we're seeing more, I'm seeing more active examples in adults of trying to model that balance because we can't multitask in the way that we think we can. I 100% can't, and I think the research proves most people can't.Larry Burden 4:39 I can almost guarantee you guys do it when you go into a meeting. I take a look at the table and see how many people have their phone on the table. And over the past year I've noticed, less.Stephie Luyt 4:51 I agree.Larry Burden 4:52 Whereas so that trend that you're talking about, I think is taking hold. I think people are recognizing that the multitasking skill, isn't really a skill.Danelle Brostrom 5:01 I agree, it makes my heart happy.Stephie Luyt 5:03 My first favorite thing is, is pretty nerdy, but I've been doing a lot of looking into evidence based practice in libraries which comes out of the healthcare fieldLarry Burden 5:13 I'm not going next.Danelle Brostrom 5:14 I like this one already.Stephie Luyt 5:15 The part I wanted to highlight is you can collect subjective data, as well as objective data. And the piece in subjective data that is meaningful to me is really that idea of a narrative and the storytelling. It's falls under the "anec-data." So anecdotal data. And it's telling the story about the connections. It can be about anything, but the something I'm thinking about is the number of our schools are focused heavily on relationship building and connections. And they are always doing that but for some it's like the top focus this year. And just trying to quantify for lack of a better word, how some of those connections get made with individual students or staff members in the library, and how valuable that is for way down the road, even. I just read a report last night, it was from NPR, and it was some research that had been done that, if a student even has one positive connection with an adult, it can help buffer them against, really some of the things that come up on like the ACES Survey, our those childhood trauma experiences. And like, those meaningful connections, and even what seems like a small interaction reaps benefits down the road. And so my point here is just saying that having anec-data to show those connections, it's very valuable. Like, that is time well spent. And it's kind of the same idea that Danelle is talking about in terms of making connections. Like, those, those connections are meaningful, and they can be very powerful for our kiddos. So, anec-data is my one of my favorite things.Larry Burden 6:53 At the start of last year, our opening PD for the school year. We focused on something called the ISSN, the Intense Student Support Network. And I don't know if this happened over at Central High School, but I know at West Senior High, all the people that attended that PD wrote down something that they were going to do for students, be mindful of doing for students that year. And we ended up having, documenting the full list of things. And as far as something that would create a positive environment and would be what, what, what's the term again?Stephie Luyt 7:25 anec-dataLarry Burden 7:26 Anec-data, that was, you know, I look at it because it was a spreadsheet of anec-data, and it was, it was very inspiring. We actually made a video out of it with the running, the running comments. "I want to make a kid, one students smile today," I'm going to say hi to a student everyday," "I'm going to try to imagine, trying to focus on their needs over mine." And we just it was all, just so many great comments from our educators, and it was nice that they had a moment to reflect. Because sometimes it's hard to reflect on that anec-data and recognize how important it is because you're wrapped up in so many other things. It's nice that, that became a focus.Danelle Brostrom 8:03 Everything we should be doing. Kids, if they don't have that they can't learn. And that, those are the kinds of things we, we need to be doing every day.Larry Burden 8:10 I'm not nearly as cool as that.Danelle Brostrom 8:12 What'cha got Larry.Larry Burden 8:14 The thing that I'm inspired about or that's inspiring me is the continued focus on STEAM and STEAM education. I love the A. I so love of the A. You know, we're all familiar with, with STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math. Throw the arts in there. Some of the comments that I ran across were, "It removes limitations and replaces them with wonder, critique, inquiry and innovation." The four C's, the 21st century skills, are all based, kind of in that artistic mindset, the creative mindset, collaboration creativity, critical thinking, and communication. Art is the tool to get those things done. So it's kind of like that connective tissue. It's like if STEM is the muscles and the, the skeletal structure. The A is the tendon, it's the ligament. It's all connecting it together, and I think that that's always been kind of a separate thing. You know, we always look at it any of our schools, especially high schools, the Arts Wing, it's kind of over there, it's those kids, you know, the artsy kids. And later on in life, when we're in business, or in any other field, we always go for it we really wish we had that creative person to kind of, not only bring some visual flair, but the viewpoint, the value of the viewpoint of, of a Creative, to look at a problem, and do that problem solving, from an outside perspective, I think is really what the A, brings to STEM is that, that creative problem solving.Stephie Luyt 9:46 The jobs, and the challenges, and the fields that aren't even created yet, like, the creative problem solvers of the world are going to be able to make the future happen. That is so, such a valuable perspective.Larry Burden 9:59 Next,Danelle Brostrom 9:59 Next, the next thing that I am super inspired by are the Michigan Social Studies Standards.Stephie Luyt 10:05 Interesting.Danelle Brostrom 10:06 I know, right. You would never thought that one would have been on my list. No, they just were approved in January 2019 and it was after.Larry Burden 10:13 You just had a meeting on this.Danelle Brostrom 10:13 I did that's why it's kind of in my, in the forefront of my brain right now. They were approved after this big five year discussion and it became political as these things often do, but the final draft is the part that I love. It has this heavy focus on inquiry, and the entire first few pages of the Standards introduction talks all about how social studies should be taught. And how different it is from how we used to teach it. So it's heavy into inquiry and that should be the primary form of instruction for social studies. And that students and then they put, and teachers, kind of in parentheses, like as a second thought, like, oh yeah teachers should help too. But mostly the students should be crafting these investigative questions that matter. That teachers should provide and help students develop tangible opportunities to take informed action. And I just love this focus on inquiry. If we do true inquiry, then I think we can come, we can knock out like 95% of those ISTE Standards that we work so hard on.Stephie Luyt 11:07 And ASL.Danelle Brostrom 11:08 Right? It's, it's beautiful. I think Trevor Mackenzie's work on incredible become important as we unpack with the shift and kind of how, how this changes our teaching. He wrote a series of books, one is called, "Dive Into Inquiry," that I'm in the middle of right now. But he has another book called, "Inquiry Mindset," that's more K-7 focused. This one is more K-12 focused. But even just looking at his companion website, there are a ton of resources that, how to take students from, here's what inquiry is, which is wouldn't be very structured into this like free inquiry work students are actually solving problems that they care about. And I just, I love that scaffolding, and there's, there's even a section that I was thinking about he calls, "Teacher Librarians Your Inquiry Superhero." That they're the ones who are really helping you understand and empower within this learning idea. It's just, it's beautiful. I'm excited to see how inquiry into the social studies standards really changes the way we teach and how it starts to excite kids. This is a topic I'm passionate about, social studies instruction, and I'm excited to see how we can make kids passionate about this too.Stephie Luyt 12:15 And let them follow what they're curious about reminds me a little bit of Genius Hour. It's that same following the, the area that you're passionate about, and, and seeing kids in that world, it's pretty empowering.Larry Burden 12:29 The fact that this is actually in the standard is great. I think we have educators that do this, that focus on this. Our superintendent was just in, was mentioning in a board meeting recently that he was in a classroom where he was observing a teacher do exactly this. I think she's been doing it for years. The fact that it's a standard shows was me, or tells me that we're recognizing that we are we are no longer the gatekeepers of knowledge, and that our job really is to spark curiosity and inquiry. And the fact that it's a fundamental shift now it's not just something we're talking about it's actually embedded in the standards. We're not talking about content. We're talking about,Danelle Brostrom 13:13 ProcessLarry Burden 13:14 Process. That is a foundational shift in how we're educating and how we're expected to be educating.Danelle Brostrom 13:21 It's amazing to see that in our standard.Larry Burden 13:23 Two years ago we were frustrated that we had been talking about this. And it wasn't happening fast enough, and now...Danelle Brostrom 13:30 It's there, and I would definitely encourage people to go to Trevor Mackenzie's website because there are a lot of resources on how to start inquiry. One of the things that he shares, and it's kind of fantastic. He took the UN Sustainable Development Goals and made this, I guess it's a slideshow, and each of the squares are interactive. So you click on the one that talks about poverty, or you click on the one that talks about access to clean water, and it shows you this little kid friendly video that would be a great starter for inquiry into that topic. Response, it's real world, it's inquiry, it's going to be great for kids and teachers.Stephie Luyt 14:06 My next thing is everything over at TADL. I spent yesterday there. Thanks to TADL for hosting our PD. We had our K-12 library staff there for the morning and they were gracious enough to provide the meeting space. And just being reminded again, I spend a lot of time at TADL, but we have such a gem there of resources, as well as a community space. And the number of innovative programs and opportunities to our, for our community. Every time I'm there there's something else that I think, oh my gosh they're doing this. You know you can borrow a theremin, if you want to do that.Larry Burden 14:44 Because why wouldn't you.Stephie Luyt 14:44 It's not everyday, right? Besides the theremin lots of other gear for any kind of audio visual project that you might have. You know, it's just a beautiful community space, and I actually looped back over to the library at the end of the day, my son had robotics, so I started the day there early and then was there at the end of the day and saw some of the same teens that had been there all day, taking part in all of what's there for teens, you know. And I thought what a great space, you know, being there, so much yesterday, just saw kind of the, the evolution of the day. And like, how people are using this. It's just, it's just awesome, and I just wanted to thank them for the experience being there, but also just say that's one of my favorite things currently.Danelle Brostrom 15:25 I would agree with you totally. Yesterday I was there as well picking up some MELCAT resources that I had ordered online and shipped right to my local library. And I walked in andLarry Burden 15:35 Shout out to MELCAT.Danelle Brostrom 15:36 I know, right? My kid was there and she was looking for some things. And that, that idea of connections with people, they are just so wonderful about talking to a child at their level, finding out what they're interested in, helping them find books. We're first taken the the card catalogs, they can look it up. And then helping them find that book on the shelf. And then, offering this additional series that they might be interested in. Like, they know their stuff, and they know how to get kids excited by reading.Stephie Luyt 16:02 Absolutely. They're a great partner. One thing that I noticed yesterday that then looped around today, I, there's a sign in the, in the teen section and it lists all the dewey numbers for topics that you might not want to ask about. So, just think of a topic that as a kiddo you might be nervous to ask about, you know? And then as I was driving here today there was a story on the news about a person who was, you know what, growing up had some, some things that they were figuring out and spending a lot of time in the library and trying to learn about some of these issues but not wanting to ask questions, and so kind of fumbling their way through how to find the right materials. And I thought what a great thing that they're posting some information like, you might not want to ask but here's some places to start your inquiry.Larry Burden 16:48 Is ours a diamond in the rough?Danelle Brostrom 16:50 We are really fortunate for all we have in our library for the size of our community. We have just a really innovative, forward thinking staff over there. I mean, there are a lot of fantastic libraries, but I think we're just, we're extra fortunate and what we have in the size of our town.Larry Burden 17:08 I was going to kind of jump off my STEAM conversation and actually go into one of the ISTE Standards. I really liked the Design Thinking Standard. So, students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. Kind of piggybacking off of what I was saying before. It's somewhat similar, but again it's taking a lot, maybe oftentimes several problems and looking at them as a whole, and then getting our students to, instead of focusing on the small point also look at the bigger picture and teaching some of those design skills and recognizing the usefulness of those design skills and design thinking is, is very important. You know, Stephie, you had commented on maybe not liking the word standard. But really, maybe instead of standard, maybe a different word would be design. Because really that's what it is. They're taking the social studies curriculum, or the social studies standards and they're actually looking at social studies design, and how best can we create a system that will educate our students in the social studies field, most efficiently and most productively. It's a standard, yes, but really it's a design, and I think that's really something that is exciting that you see that pop up, obviously in the ISTE standards as something that's really important. Moving it along.Danelle Brostrom 18:34 I only have one more thing and it's eSports. Wow, last week's pod was amazing. Um, I'm reading, "The New Childhood, Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World," by Jordan Shapiro. I don't agree with everything in the book but he does lay out a lot of things that kids can learn through gaming. It's super interesting, reminds me a lot of the Jane McGonigal book, the "Reality is Broken." She talked about why gaming makes us better. And I think I really got that sense last week talking to the guys. That the things that they're doing with eSports, and the MiHSEF is so much more than just having kids on video games. It's all of these essential skills that they're learning through video gaming, and it was so cool. So that's another thing that I love.Larry Burden 19:16 One of the neat things about eSports is the fact that you can get all these kids together in a community. It's an online community, but it's a constructive, controlled online community. One of the things that a lot of parents, including myself, would have wished for, for my kids is neighborhood time. Where they can go outside, and explore, and play and find their friends and do whatever. It's this, "come back at five," that doesn't exist. It just does not exist because oftentimes schedules. They're here, they're there, a lot of our houses are far enough apart where the distance isn't really workable. Online is actually a place where that can happen, where you can get groups of kids together in a constructive, fun place. When we were out playing in the yard, in somebody's yard, it's not like we were being constructive. I mean we were because we're learning so many of those skills that would be learned through eSports. Similar, similar topics, similar skill sets, similar mindset. It's just the playing field has changed from the yard, which we can't, we can't seem to recreate anymore, to an online yard, which is available.Danelle Brostrom 20:33 Did you read the Jordan Shapiro book?Larry Burden 20:35 I did not.Danelle Brostrom 20:35 That is exactly what he talks about. He goes through things like, that kids would have normally learned in the sandbox, and this is what they learned in the online sandbox, and it's the same thing. It's just in this online community versus this face to face community. And yes, you need balance, but they're also learning these things online. You need to read it, it's exactly what you're talking about.Larry Burden 20:52 We've talked about this before, we're not leaving our students, or our kids at the playground and walking away. The eSports environment, creates a controlled environment. So suddenly that sandbox is being monitored. Instead of, we're just throwing them out there and, you know, who knows what's happening. There's adult moderation in that environment, which I think is really important.Stephie Luyt 21:16 And adult modeling even like, yeah,Larry Burden 21:19 We hope.Stephie Luyt 21:19 Yeah. My next one is specific to this time of year but the, the Youth Media Awards. So the Children's Literature Awards will be announced in January, and so this time of year is such fun because there's such a buzz about what books might it be, and lists coming out, and people making predictions. And what happens for me as the immense addition to my reading list that I got this time of year, because it's like, oh, this one, this one, this one, this one, oh yes okay. So I just love the, the discussions happening around books and the, the buzz around books, and the excitement, and the discussions that are happening. And I'm headed to a conference next week and they'll be that times 1000 so this is it fun time.Danelle Brostrom 22:03 So the stack next to your bed of the books you need to read...Stephie Luyt 22:06 unsafe.Larry Burden 22:08 I trying to think of your Twitter stack. Because I know, you know, after we had we mentioned Colby Sharp on a few pods and that obviously triggered an algorithm on Twitter at some point in time because we @ him a few times. And suddenly, I'm pretty up on all the new books and things that are coming out because that is my Twitter feed and I'm thinking, what is yours like? Is it just, just book, after book, after book?Larry Burden 22:28 You've got to read this, you've got to read this, You've got to...Stephie Luyt 22:28 Pretty muchStephie Luyt 22:32 It's nerve wracking.Larry Burden 22:32 I was just going to say, it's got to be overwhelming. I'm stressed just looking your mine andStephie Luyt 22:35 This is a fun time. Yeah.Larry Burden 22:36 For sure.Larry Burden 22:37 Stephie, do you have anything else?Danelle Brostrom 22:37 I'm out.Stephie Luyt 22:38 When you mentioned Colby Sharp, the one book that he, one of the books he talked aboutLarry Burden 22:43 This year's Liz Kolb it would seem.Danelle Brostrom 22:45 Colby SharpStephie Luyt 22:46 He mentioned that he was reading "Atomic Habits." And then it popped up for a couple people, and so I just started it. So I can't say much about it but I am really encouraged by, it's an interesting look at sort of those small things, those small changes that you make. Nothing, in terms of a huge new philosophy, but I think it, it's really interesting, and if it gives me insight into how Colby Sharp reads 1000 books a year and then that can even translate for me to read a quarter of that number that would be a huge win for this book to help me do that. So get through that big list.Larry Burden 23:25 I guess for there. TechTool of the Week.Techtool of the Week 23:31 I want to share the, "Use Tech for Good," site. It's ustech4good.com, and they challenge youth and adults to find and create the good online. Replacing the fear with positive deliberate and constructive ways youth and adults can work together with technology. It is beautiful, and inspirational, and there's a ton of positive examples of youth in tech, and it's definitely my tech tool of the week.Larry Burden 23:55 This is good stuff. Tutorials and Updates. TechNollerGist shockingly has a new tutorial, "Intro to Google Drive." I think there's a cottage industry on Google tutorials. Because Google updates and changes so many things so often, for the good 90% of the time. So, if you think you know Google Drive you probably don't, watch the tutorial, "Intro to Google Drive," by the TechNollerGist. Hey, I would ask for our listeners, leave a rating on iTunes and include your favorite trends in education in, in the review so it's a great way for us, A. to get reviews, so please leave a review, but also a great way to communicate with us on what you think is really cool in education right now. So leave a review and a trend. In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @tcapsloop,Danelle Brostrom 24:44 @brostromda,Stephie Luyt 24:46 @StephiLuytLarry Burden 24:47 And get all the books. Subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher and tune-in, downcast overcast, the Google Play Store, Spotify and wherever else you get your ear candy. Leave review, we love the feedback. Thanks for listening, and inspiring.Danelle Brostrom 25:04 Jeez Larry, I wasn't gonna Black Mirror it.

This podcast was recorded at the first meeting of DCPL's Mock Printz Award committee. In it, we discuss our nominees and let you know how our version of the Printz Awards will work. A description of the actual Printz awards, from ALA.Org: "The Michael L. Printz Award annually honors the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit, each year. In addition, the Printz Committee names up to four honor books, which also represent the best writing in young adult literature. The awards announcement is made at the ALA Midwinter Meeting as part of the Youth Media Awards and is celebrated with a program and reception each year at the ALA Annual Conference."

Susan Kusel and Rebecca Levitan join today on behalf of the SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD, presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The two joined me to talk about the award, what’s it’s like to serve on a Youth Media Awards committee, and trying to change conversations around Jewish literature through the work done during committee tenure. We’re also joined by the authors and illustrators whose works represent the winners, honors, and notables from the 2019 Sydney Taylor Book Awards. You can access even more information about this book and its author illustrator by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast.

Nic and Eric (and Kate) talk about the honors and winners of the 2019 Youth Media Awards!

The 2019 Youth Media Awards were announced and a number of this year's award-winners were guests on the Children's Book Podcast this year! I've gathered them all together in one convenient place so you can hear the stories behind the books, including Veera Hiranandani for THE NIGHT DIARY, Juana Martinez-Neal for ALMA AND HOW SHE GOT HER NAME, Brian Lies for THE ROUGH PATCH, Oge Mora for THANK YOU, OMU! , Mark Oshiro for ANGER IS A GIFT, Yuyi Morales for DREAMERS, Traci Sorell for WE ARE GRATEFUL: OTSALIHELIGA, Jessica Love for JULIÁN IS A MERMAID, Vesper Stamper for WHAT THE NIGHT SINGS, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka for HEY, KIDDO: HOW I LOST MY MOTHER, FOUND MY FATHER, AND DEALT WITH FAMILY ADDITION. The compilation blog post can be accessed by visiting matthewcwinner.com/blog or by clicking here: http://www.matthewcwinner.com/single-post/2019/01/30/2019-Youth-Media-Awards-Announced?fbclid=IwAR017a3tKGMOPvuWIsltsD-IinTIek4VUmwoQcEj7hLDEPBhtBiwu7rEu9w

Eric and Kelly discuss the big YA winners at this year’s Youth Media Awards and dig into the (very wrong) New York Times piece about the lack of sex in YA books.   Sponsored by The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert and Class of 2K18.

In this special bonus episode, Dewey Decibel goes behind the scenes at the 2018 Youth Media Awards, held February 12 at the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Denver. American Libraries Associate Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart joins the award-selection committees as they make phone calls to the winners the morning before the award announcement event. Morehart then talks to the heads of the Coretta Scott King Book Award and Newbery Medal committees to learn more about the award-selection process. Finally, we join the Mock Newbery Club from Oakridge Middle School in Clover, South Carolina, as they watch the award announcements and discuss the winners.

In this bonus episode of the Dewey Decibel podcast, American Libraries reports from the Youth Media Awards (YMAs) at the 2017 American Library Association Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits. The YMAs have a devoted fan base, many of whom queue in the pre-dawn hours to get a prime seat for the ceremony. Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart talked to some of them about their YMA fandom, their favorite kids books, and more.

Intro   Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect middle grade kids to books they will love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of two young daughters, a 5th grade teacher, and… whew - coming off a tiring couple of weeks. How are you all holding up? I feel like I’ve been through the wringer, honestly. But - even though my entire family (and half my students) are battling colds and respiratory things and the news has been…. um..concerning, there have been some much needed bright spots. I took my first trip ever to DC last Saturday, and I watched the Youth Media Awards live webcast with my students last Monday morning.   This is Episode #16 and Today we are discussing the Youth Media Awards and the featuring the 4 books that won Newbery Awards.   Main Topic - 2017 Youth Media Awards   Last Monday morning at 8am, I sat with my 18 pajama clad 5th graders and we had donuts and watched the Youth Media Awards live through the American Library Association website.  They had their favorites that they were rooting for - The Wild Robot and Pax among them.  But honestly, the day wasn’t really about the ultimate winners of those awards.  To me, it was about honoring ALL children’s literature and showing my students that books for THEM, for an audience of children and teens are worthy of stopping everything and making a big deal of it.  And, they learned about a lot of great books while they watched. They knew about the Caldecott and the Newbery, but now they know about the Alex Award, the Schneider Award, the Coretta Scott King Award and so many others that recognize the diversity in children’s literature.  There were gasps when March got its fourth award and suddenly, every kid in that room wanted to know  - wow, what is THAT book about? And when they learned about the Stonewall Award and that one of their all-time favorite authors, Rick Riordan, had won it for Magnus Chase - there were some opened minds that morning. Some of our favorites didn’t win - but that wasn’t really the point.  The point is having a favorite that you are passionate about and discovering new books and authors that are going to stay with you forever. Book Talk - 2017 Newbery Award Books For our book talk segment this week, I’m going rebroadcast the two segments about the Newbery books that I have already featured on the show and then talk about the two others that earned recognition this past week.   The novel that won the Newbery Award this year was Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon. And -  yeah - I think I may screamed a tad when it was announced. Here’s what I had to say about this book back on episode 15.   The Girl Who Drank the Moon   Our second featured book today is The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. This is also an adventure survival story but a fairy tale fantasy with powerful witches, a poetic swamp monster, and a seemingly small dragon. The start of this story takes place in a gloomy village along a bog called The Protectorate run by a group of unscrupulous men called The Council of Elders. Each year, on the Day of Sacrifice, these elders take the youngest baby in the village and leave it in the woods. They do this, they claim, to appease an evil witch. Well, it turns out that there is actually a witch, a kind witch named Xan, who rescues these poor babies and feeds them on starlight while she journeys across the dangerous volcanic mountain to find a new home for them. Except one year, she accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight and enmagicks the child who grows to be uncontrollably powerful. The rest of the story is about Xan’s attempts to help her adoptive granddaughter harness that power, and what happens to the villagers left behind in The Protectorate - including a young Elder-in-Training named Antain who starts to have doubts, and the girl’s mother who ends up going mad and being locked in a tower with secrets of its own. It is beautiful and powerful. And here are three more things I loved about Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon:   The magic. This is not your typical sparkly, wand summoned magic. It’s earthy and primal and often exists as something almost separate from the characters. Flowers spring from footsteps. And there is a flock of paper birds that swarm and cut and lead and protect in a way that is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. I loved how unique the magic in this book was. The love you feel for the characters. Somehow Barnhill has written them in a way where you feel this deep sense of warmth and protectiveness and empathy for them. Xan, the witch, is getting older and she desperately wants to impart all of her knowledge that she can to her granddaughter, who she’s named Luna. But that same spell that protects her makes it so that she can’t get through to her. And you keep hoping that Luna will discover who she is and maybe be reunited with the mother she was so brutally ripped away from. And all the people in the village - especially Antain and his wife - who are under the thumb of the Council of Elders. I just felt so much love for this characters. What this story has to say about truth and power. In this book, there are some who feed off of other people’s misery. Those who raise themselves by putting others below them, by controlling what stories get told, and by spinning lies. But - there comes a time when the people start to realize how much power they actually have when they band together to use it. Loved it.   The Girl Who Drank the Moon  is lush and quirky and whimsical and funny and full of adventure. And I can’t wait to read everything else Kelly Barnhill has ever written because this was one powerhouse of a book.   Freedom Over Me         The first Newbery honor book announced was  Freedom Over Me by Ashley Bryan. Well, I was totally wrong when I predicted that a picture book would not be included this time. And I’ll admit that this gorgeous and powerful picture book slipped by me this year. When I got this book, one of the first things I noticed was the cover featuring the images of eleven enslaved black men, women and children whose faces appear in the links of circled chain. Wow. And then flipping open the book and skimming, my heart stopped when I noticed the prices under each face. $300, Stephen age 32. Or $400, Charlotte, age 30 and her child, Dora, age 8. Whew - I hadn’t even read the text yet and this book had struck me. Before I talk about the text, the illustrations are gorgeous bright yellows and purples and greens in a Van Gogh style where you can see the swirls and textures on the each page. And in the background of several of the pages are images of legal documents showing the sale of these people as property.           Okay - the text. Freedom Over Me is a book of poems - each one from the point of view of an enslaved man, woman, or child who live on the same plantation and are about to be sold. They share remembrances of their homes and childhood in Africa, their work on the plantation, and their hopes and dreams for the future.       What’s fascinating is that the seeds of this book came from real slave-related documents that the author had acquired and his wish to honor the humanity of these people lost to history. It’s beautiful, and moving, and just stays with you a long time.   Also receiving a Newbery Honor this year was the incredible The Inquisitor’s Tale. Here’s what I had to say about this book back in Episode #10.   The Inquisitor’s Tale   Our final book featuring an abundance of surprising twists is The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz. I have been texting, tweeting, and talking about this book so much in the past month that when I type the letter I into my phone, it automatically suggests “Inquisitor” as the first option. This novel is a medieval adventure story about three magical children (and a dog) who are pursued by various agents of the Inquisition. The first is a young girl named Jeanne (sort of like a young Joan of Arc) who has fits and sees visions. Then we meet the talkative and tall monk-in-training, William - an eleven year old whose unusual dark skin is likely the result of a relationship between his crusading father and a North African woman. Since this is 1242 France, his appearance and supernatural strength immediately have people seeing him as dangerously different. And finally, there’s little Jacob - a wise Jewish boy reeling from the recent death of his parents and just starting to realize his powers to heal others.  Eventually all three are both hailed and condemned as saints and have to outwit and outrun their pursuers. The story is so gorgeously detailed and interconnected that any description I give you of this novel is NOT going to do it justice. You just have to get it and read it yourself.  The fact is there are so so many big and little things I loved about this book, but I have committed to limiting myself to three. I have to start with the illustrations. Just like many real medieval texts had illuminations in the margins, The Inquisitor’s Tale includes dozens and dozens of intricate sketches by Hatem Aly. There is so much to explore there but I think what is most fascinating is the note at the beginning of the novel explaining that the drawings might actually contradict or question the text. That profound mix of humor, philosophy, and yes - savagery. There are gross jokes galore in this book. And I love how that is mixed in with deep philosophical and religious discussions between the children. At one point, Jacob asks that eternal question: Why would a good God let bad things happen?  This is a book about saints and at some point it dawns on the children that most saints are martyred. In high school, I worked evenings in the rectory (the office) at St. Cecelia’s church and during down times, I would read this dusty old copy of Lives of the Saints. And the stories in there were appallingly gruesome - and this novel doesn’t really shy away from the awfulness of that. But, it does give some hope that people with intensely different beliefs might still find a way to work together and be friends. The character twists! I don’t want to say too much and ruin it, so I’m really holding a lot back here, but all throughout this book, you meet the most vile, nastiest characters and then suddenly… it flips and one of the narrators helps you see their point of view. And even if they’ve still DONE terrible things, you have more empathy for them. Then you realize that one of the key characters that have been telling you this story - You. Can’t. Trust.  Ahhhh!  I LOVED it - this book had me gleefully yelling at the pages.   The Inquisitor’s Tale would make a fantastic read aloud, and I’ve heard the audio version is phenomenal. I think this novel is probably best suited for upper middle grade readers about ages 10-14 but I am sure any teen or adult who likes an historical adventure with some awesome fart jokes thrown in is going to really love it!   Wolf Hollow        And finally,  the third Newbery honor book is one that you will not soon forget -  Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk.  I think just about every librarian I knew had this book in their hands at some point over the past year, and I finally started it last week and immediately knew I should have read it months ago. For some background, it’s an historical fiction set in 1943 rural Pennsylvania. And it’s about a 12 year old girl named Annabelle whose steady life gets derailed when this vicious, manipulative girl, Betty, arrives in town. She’s horrendous. You hate to speak ill of a child - even a fictional one, but - errr - she is clearly a sociopath or emotionally disturbed. The chain of lying that starts when this girl comes to town is tragic and yet - you could see it coming. I’ve got to say that I adored this book, but there were some times in the beginning that I had to put it down for bit when it got too intense. I can handle almost anything, but when kids are in danger - especially children the same age as my own - I have a bit of a tough time. There are these heart-rending moments when Annabelle is faced with moral dilemmas that would have adults cowering. And - it’s small but there’s this scene where Annabelle is in a clearing in the woods near her home and looking at this large stone with clear quartz veins running through it. And it suddenly hits her that this rock has been there long before her and everyone she knows and will be in the same place long after everyone is gone. And her life is nothing more than a flicker in time.  It’s that moment of cosmic realization that we all eventually go through. I’ll just read a small passage from that page: “And I decided that there might be things I would never understand, no matter how hard I tried. Though try I would. And that there would be people who would never hear my one small voice, no matter what I had to say. But then a better thought occured, and this was the one I carried away with me that day: If my life was to be just a single note in an endless symphony, how could I not sound it out for as long and as loudly as I could.”   That’s the line that I’m carrying forward with me today, this week, and for a long, long time. Closing Thank you so very much for taking the time to join me this week. You can get find a transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And lots of other fantastic resources to lighten your heart and connect the children in your life to books they’ll love.   Thanks again and see you in two weeks!  Bye!

Eric and Nic talk about upcoming book releases, literary news and dig into the Youth Media Awards! Children's librarian, Kate Miller, makes her All the Books debut. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/01/american-library-association-announces-2017-youth-media-award-winners

Adam's back from ALA Midwinter and brought with him the big list of 2017 Youth Media Award Winners and a whole bunch of advanced reader copies that the whole OverDrive office is excited to read.    Books mentioned in this episode Quiet Until The Thaw by Alexandra Fuller The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill Radiant Child by Javaka Steptoe March: Book Three by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World by Nell Stevens The Marsh's King Daughter by Karen Dionne My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti Celine by Peter Heller The Wanderers by Meg Howrey The Stars are Fire by Anita Shreve The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Speed of Life by Carol Weston Fairy Tale Reform School series by Jen Calonita If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't! by Elise Prasley   The full list of YMA awards can be found here.   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com    Music "Buddy" provided royalty free from www.bensound.com    Podcast Overview We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks available through public libraries and schools. Hear about the best books we've read, get personalized recommendations, and learn about the hottest books coming out that we can't wait to dive into. For more great reads, find OverDrive on Facebook and Twitter.

Eric and Nic talk about upcoming book releases, literary news and dig into the Youth Media Awards! http://www.ala.org/alsc/2016-alsc-book-media-award-winners The official podcast of the David A. Howe Public Library.

Join us for a discussion on Youth Media Awards, February themed fun, and how to communicate all the cool stuff you're doing.