I’m sure several posts will bout appearing on this blog about the Newbery/Caldecott banquet and speeches. They’re sure to have affected many people in many ways. Last night was my first time going to the speeches and it was an amazing night.
I didn’t go to the banquet, but came to sit in the back at 8:00, and the first thing that struck me was how HUGE and PACKED the room was! There where over 100 tables and then several sections of seats in the back, plus people standing or sitting on the floor.
Sitting there, applauding madly for the medal and honor winner with so many people who love books and children as much as I do, was an emotionally overwhelmingly experience. John Klassen, Katherine Appplegate, and Katherine Paterson each gave talks that were funny and touching and reiterated that what we do as librarians is so important.
Not only do these awards change children’s literature forever, every year, they also change lives. Not just the lives of authors and illustrators, but of editors and agents and publishers. And, of course, children. It’s not a small thing that we do here.