ALA presents Newberry and Caldecott Medals, others awarded too

The American Library Association announced winners and finalists of their Youth Media awards, including the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, at a ceremony Monday . The Newbery Medal honors a distinguished work of children's literature. The Caldecott Medal acknowledges excellence in illustration. The awards are presented annually.

The Newbery Medal was awarded to Clare Vanderpool's "Moon Over Manifest," which is the story 12-year-old Abileen Tucker and her adventures upon arriving in Manifest, Kansas in 1936.

The Caldecott Medal was awarded to "A Sick Day for Amos McGee" by Philip Christian Stead and illustrated by Erin Stead. The book tells the story of zookepper Amos McGee and the animals who visit him on a day he stays home with a cold.

"Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi, also a National Book Award finalist, was awarded the Printz Award at the ceremony, a prize for young adult fiction. Bacigalupi is previously the recipient of the Nebula science fiction writing award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for his adult novel "The Windup Girl."

Also presented at the ALA ceremony were the Coretta Scott King Awards, which acknowledge an African-American author and illustrator, to Rita Williams-Garcia for "One Crazy Summer" and to Bryan Collier for his illustrations in "Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave" by Laban Carrick Hill. Also presented to an author and an illustrator, the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Awards for New Talent were given to Victoria Bond for T.R. Simon for their jointly written "Zora and Me" and for Sonia Lynn Sadler's illustration of "Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World" by Jen Cullerton Johnson.

The winner of the Pura Belpré Award, presented to Latino writers whose children's books best "portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience," was Pam Muñoz Ryan, for her book "The Dreamer," a fictional biography of Pablo Neruda.

The winner of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award was Tomie dePaola, author and illustrator of more than 200 books, including "26 Fairmont Avenue" (Putnam, 1999), "I Love You Sun, I Love You Moon" (Putnam, 1994) and "Strega Nona" (Simon & Schuster, 1975). The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors a U.S.-published author or illustrator whose work has made a "substantial and lasting contribution" to literature for children.

Also at the ceremony was the Schneider Family Book Awards for work that depicts or promotes understanding of disabilities. The winners, by recommended reader age, were "The Pirate of Kindergarten" by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril, "After Ever After" by Jordan Sonnenblick and "Five Flavors of Dumb" by Antony John.

A complete list of all award winners and finalists is available on the American Library Association Web site, ala.org.