Newberry and Caldecott Award Winners

Well, my computer has been down for three days, so I spent most of that reading and watching movies. I am always interested in books that receive all the big awards, kinda like the oscars. I enjoy seeing who wins and then I scream, "Oh my god, that won.. It's awful. I just don't see that at all." I do the same thing with books. I am always surprised about who wins the Caldecott and the Newberry Awards and this year is no exception.

The Newberry Award is given to the best children's book for the previous year. This year's winner is Criss Cross by Lynn Rae Perkins. I read this book and for the most part was disappointed. The main characters are 14 years olds who are at crossroads in their lives. Children's books, IMHO, don't have 14 year ol characters. The book is told from the point of view of each character. The interesting thing about the book is that the author uses many different forms of writing; poems, letters, newpaper articles. It would be a great books to use to teach genre writing for a seventh grader and above. But a children's book, I think not.

The Caldecott Award is given to the best illustration in a children's book for the previous year. This years winner is The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norman Justus. I read this book and loved the story, but the pictures.... Ick. It looked like the illustrator has drawn the people and then thrown pastels at the drawings. The story is about a window at a little girl's grandparents house and how the window connect sher grandparents to the world. Great story.. Pictures disappointing.

It amazes me how some people love a particular book and some one else hates it. We always need to remember that what the reader brings to the reading of the book is so important.. Good lesson for all readers.