And the winners are.....

The 2010 Newbery and Caldecott winners have been announced (yesterday in Boston)!! Yeah!

Here is the Caldecott winner:
"The Lion and the Mouse" by John Pickney


Honor books include:
"All the World" by Liz Garton Scanlon
"Red Sings from Treetops" by Joyce Sidman


The Newbery winner is:
"When you reach me" by Rebecca Stead

Honor books include:
"Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose
"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jaqueline Kennedy
"Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
"The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg" by Rodman Philbrick


Pickney is a fabulous children's book illustrator. Many agreed that it was about time that he was awarded a Caldecott for his work. I am excited to check out some of the other winners. Happy reading!

2010 commitments

Are books no longer in vogue? Gone are the days when people would spend hours reading a book by candle light or a roaring fire. Let me rewind that, gone are the days before electricity, but I still find myself reading hours upon hours (often when I should be doing something else).

In our current age of technology it is easy to be bombarded on a daily basis by the Internet, television, radio, text messaging, video games, iPods, the list could go on and on (hey you're reading this blog so you're obviously one who embraces technology). However, as we start this new decade let's vow to find times to shut ourselves off from the constant buzzing of technology and curl up with a good book. In a world that can too often leave us feeling disenchanted why not occasionally whisk ourselves away to a different time or place?

Having two young boys (and I mean very young) I hope that they find enjoyment out of reading, in the future. I pray that I will not have to constantly pry them from yet another screen. I know that the Kindle and some other portable "book" devices are becoming more popular, but what can ever replace the feel of a good book? Let's not create a society like the one found in Ray Bradbury's classic "Fahrenheit 451," where books are burned and outlawed.

Here's to a decade where books are rediscovered and reopened. Dust off your bookshelves and let the adventures begin. Let's support our public libraries and local book stores! Okay well I'm off my latest novel is calling.

Happy reading!