Nonfiction Awards

A lot has happened in the past two weeks. Louise and I traveled to Seattle to attend the American Library Association's Midwinter Conference. While we were at the conference, a number of children's literature awards were announced. Here's a re-cap of recent award results (with links to our reviews).

The National Council for Teachers of English announced the winner of the 2013 Orbis Pictus Award. The Orbis Pictus recognizes "excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children." We are pleased that the winner of the 2013 Orbis Pictus Award is Monsieur Marceau by Leda Schubert and Gerard DuBois. Not only did we review this picture book biography, but we named it one of our Top Ten Biographies of 2012.

2013 Orbis Pictus Winner

Monsieur Marceau by Leda Schubert, illustrated by Gerard Dubois

(Named a 2012 Top Ten Biography by the Nonfiction Detectives.)

2013 Orbis Pictus Honor Books

Citizen Scientists by Loree Griffin Burns

(Named a 2012 Top Ten Science & Math Book by the Nonfiction Detectives.)

Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd

The Mighty Mars Rovers by Elizabeth Rusch

(Named a 2012 Top Ten Science and Math Book by the Nonfiction Detectives.)

Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley and Edwin Fotheringham

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson

(Named a 2012 Top Ten History Book by the Nonfiction Detectives.)

ALA Youth Media Awards

Robert F. Sibert Medal Informational Book Medal

The Sibert Medal is awarded annually to the author and illustrator of "the most distinguished informational book published in the United States." The award is sponsored by ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children), and the award is for informational books for children up to age 14.

The winner of the Sibert Medal was announced during the ALA Youth Media Awards last week in Seattle. I was in the room when the announcement was made, and the winning title received a lot of cheers and applause from the audience.

2013 Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner

Bomb: The Race to Build -and Steal- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

(Named a 2012 Top Ten History Book by the Nonfiction Detectives.)

Bomb also won a 2013 Newbery Honor and a YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. 

2013 Sibert Honor Books

Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose

(Named a 2012 Top Ten Science and Math Book by the Nonfiction Detectives.)

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson

Other Nonfiction Books That Were Recognized

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf won an Alex Award.

 It was named one of ten adult books for teen readers.

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal was a finalist for YALSA's Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adult Readers Award.

Andrea Davis Pinkney won a Coretta Scott King Author Award for Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America.