Publisher's Synopsis
Each year, the Newbery and Caledcott Awards are awarded by the American Library Association to the most distinguished children's books published the previous year. With up-to-date annotations for all the medal and honor books since the inception of the awards (Newbery in 1922 and Caledcott in 1938); librarians and teachers everywhere have come to rely on this indispensable guide for quick-reference, collection and curriculum development, and readers' advisory. Fully indexed by title and author/illustrator, the 2004 edition includes background on the awards and photos of the new medalists and their books. New to the 2004 edition is an essay ("Reading Pictures: Searching for Excellence in Picture Books") by artist and former children's librarian Gratia J. Banta which shows how children delight in "reading the pictures" long before they learn to read words.;The 2004 essay also: Explores how adults can become more discerning selectors of materials for children by relearning the joy of reading the pictures; Outlines a host of necessary elements, such as visual literacy and knowledge of art history, art terms and techniques; Helps prepare professionals to search for and identify excellence in picture book illustration; This 2004 comprehensive guide will help you to introduce children to outstanding literature and illustration and support your own literature selections from the criteria used for these celebrated awards. For more than eight decades, librarians from the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) have intensely scrutinized the children's books published each year, selecting the winning and honor books for the Newbery and Caldecott Awards. In addition, the ALSC division of the ALA is committed to creating a nation of readers, starting with the youngest. ALSC supports all those providing library services to children, including youth librarians, teachers, families, literature experts, publishers, and child advocates.
