Caldecott Season!

It's Caldecott season!  

We're going more self-serve 

for our library Caldecotts this year.

 The entire library community gets to take part in evaluating our Caldecott Contenders.

 Here is the ballot: 

So many beauties! 

What a challenge to narrow down the favorites!

Have you read any of our contenders? 

What are your Caldecott predictions?

Here is lovely Librarian Martha. She is a fount of creativity, kindness, and wisdom. 

Plus, she lets me run with scissors and bookish ideas. 

She is adored by our entire community.

 Just a smattering of some of our books...

And this. 

Because my library is a book-happy place.

Book Party!

The verdict is in!

 

After months of evaluating beautiful books of 2016,

the Jefferson County Library Kids' Caldecott committee has chosen their favorites.

The envelope, please...    

Our Mock Caldecott Award goes to 

The Night Gardener by the Fan brothers. 

The committee found the Fan brothers' illustrations excellent, 

with great hints and subtleties in visual story, 

and a story itself both inspiring and hopeful. 

Our Mock Caldecott honors:

Ada's Violin by Susan Hood, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

Ada's Violin captivated our committee with its powerful true account and its collage illustrations.

The Storyteller by Evan Turk 

wowed us with layer upon layer of story and meaning, woven in both text and illustrations.

The kids were also quite impressed that Mr. Turk used 

sugared tea, indigo, and fire in the making of the illustrations.

Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campos & Theresa Howell, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

Our committee appreciated the vibrant exuberance in Maybe Something Beautiful, 

as well as the true story of how art transformed a neighborhood.

Return by Aaron Becker

This wordless book fascinated our kid voters. 

They discovered intricate details tucked within each page, 

and appreciated the fantastical world Becker created in his book trilogy.

They liked that the story dove deep, like a mystery.

And our children's librarian Martha Ashenfelter came up with the best Caldecott treat yet!

Sparked by the colorful illustrations and murals from Maybe Something Beautiful, 

Martha helped kids created their own edible canvases

with graham crackers, frosting, candy, and apricots.

 

 

A party with Caldecotts and apricots.

Candy and canvases.

 

Glorious in composition, sweetness, and stickiness!

Thank you, Jefferson County Library.

I'm grateful to have been part of another year of Mock Caldecott goodness. 

Hooray for beautiful books

and stories that inspire!

Here are the official American Library Associaton's picks:

Caldecott Award:  

Radiant Child by Javaka Steptoe

Caldecott Honors:

They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel

Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis

Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie

Leave Me Alone by Vera Brosgol

Caldecott Club!

From Maybe Something Beautiful, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

Our Kids' Caldecott Club has savored 

and examined its selection of 2016's sharpest books.

They've learned to look for visual story, theme, mood, 

flow of text and illustrations, inference, and tiny details.

 

They've looked at letters we've received from authors and illustrators,

and have written letters to some of their favorites.

Here are a few letter templates made to suit writers of different ages.

Decision day!

After whittling the book forest to eight top favorites,

our committee flexed their powers of debate and persuasion. 

One at a time, they passed each book like a conch, 

discussing its strengths and potential weaknesses.

And then they cast a final vote, 

rating each book from 1-8 for visual strength, 

and then rating each from 1-8 

for how well the illustrations balanced the text.

 

This Thursday, we get to announce our winner, as well as the official ALA winners

at our Caldecott Club Awards Party. 

3:45 p.m. at Jefferson County Library in Port Hadlock. 

Come join us for a final hour of Caldecott delights!

Our Mock Caldecott finalists:

Ada's Violin by ill. by Susan Hood, ill. by Sally Wern Comport

Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell, ill. by Rafael Lopez

Cricket Song by Anne Hunter

Return by Aaron Becker

Bloom by Doreen Cronin, ill. by David Small

The Night Gardener by The Fan Brothers

The Storyteller by Evan Turk

The Secret Tree Fort by Brianne Farley