The National Book Foundation announced their 2013 Young People’s Literature Longlist for the National Book Awards on Monday, September 16, giving us a lovely list of ten titles rather than the usual five (that shortlist will be announced on October 16). Apparently the Foundation wanted to create a bit more buzz, a la the Man Booker Prize. Having read five of the ten so far, I’d say the judges have done a great job.
And no wonder. The panel consists not only of four stellar children’s and YA authors (Peter Glassman, E Lockhart, Cecil Castellucci and Deb Caletti) but also a real live children’s librarian and literature expert – Lisa Von Drasek. You go, girl!
If you prefer a more interactive approach to children’s and YA book awards, you’re in luck – the Cybils are right around the corner. Nominations open October 1, giving you a bit more than two weeks to make one nomination in each of eleven different genres. All eligible nominated books are then read and judged by panels from the children’s and YA book blogging world. The genre shortlists announced by these panels on January 1 should be the basis of every book lover’s must-read list.
With autumn arrives a whole gaggle of Best Books of 2013 lists, ratcheting up the tension until we’re all bouncing in our seats during the announcement of the ALA Youth Media Awards in January. Then, just to allow us hang on to that glow a bit longer, there is the Battle of the Kids’ Books in March – funny, irreverent and not to be missed.
What – you’ve gotten behind on your children’s and YA book reading? Push yourself back from that computer, put up your feet and pull up a good book! What’s in your must-read stack? Kevin Henkes’ The Year of Billy Miller is next up on mine – not to mention those NBA nominated titles.
Happy reading!
Sam Bloom
The NBA finalists look great (I’ve only read three, but those three are right on), but there are some great nonfiction titles missing from that list. Tops on my list would be two from the Scientists in the Field series: Eruption, written by Elizabeth Rusch/photographed by Tom Uhlman; and The Tapir Scientist, written by Sy Montgomery/photographed by Nic Bishop. Yeah for Book Award Season!