The 2010 ALA Youth Awards offered few surprises and much delight.  Massachusetts librarians should be very proud of creators and publishers with Massachusetts connections.

Grace Lin’s novel, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, received a well-deserved Newbery Honor.  This beautiful book with full-color plates tells the story of Minli, a poor young girl, who goes on a quest to change her family’s fortune.  During her adventures Minli hears many stories inspired by Chinese folktales.  A rich treat awaits readers of this novel.

Dedham’s Melanie Kroupa, top-notch editor, helped Philip Hoose bring the memorable-but-unknown story of Claudette Colvin: Twice toward Justice to Life.  Hoose won the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, and a Sibert Honor for this story of the 15 year old girl who was really the first person to integrate the buses of Montgomery. This is a must-read for all. 

Jerry Pinkney, summer resident of Cape Cod, took the Caldecott for the sumptuous illustrations in his wordless book, The Lion and the Mouse. This is already a favorite in library story times.

Boston publishers were well-represented as well.  Houghton Mifflin published the Caldecott Honor, Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. How nice to have poetry represented in the winners circle. Houghton also published a Geisel Honor, Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends by Wong Herbert Yee.  This endearing series for early readers is a favorite of mine.

I look forward to reading Punkzilla, a Printz Honor, by Adam Rapp and published by Candlewick.  How nice that Tanya Lee Stone’s Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream published by Candlewick, won the Sibert Award for nonfiction. These highly-trained and qualified women were ahead of their time but paved the way for future women astronauts.

Also on my list of future reading is Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.   I have heard raves about this story of a teen with Asperger’s Syndrome. 

For the most eye-popping book of the season turn to the Sibert Honor title, The Day-Glo Brothers… by Chris Barton and illustrated by Tony Persiani and published by Charlesbridge. And Lois Lowry will deliver the Arbuthnot Lecture at some date and place within this year.

Cheers from all the publishers and librarians rang out as the winners were announced at the ALA Midwinter Conference in Boston on January 18, 2010.