SRCSA library : New arrivals in February 2025

Here is a slideshow featuring some new arrivals in SRCSA library during February 2025: several winners and Honor Books for the American Library Association’s 2025 Youth Media Awards. The music is Funky House by Nver Avetyan.
https://youtu.be/L82xtUUUKxg

Schneider Family Book Award should focus on disabled protagonists

Part of my studies in librarianship this semester involved advocating for a positive change in how libraries serve diverse populations. I chose to offer a suggestion for improving the Schneider Family Book Award, which honors “distinguished portrayal[s] of people living with a disabling condition” (ALA, 2024, p. 6).

Schneider Family Book Award acknowledges past missteps

This week, as an offshoot to my studies in librarianship, I reviewed the manual for a literature award that I am interested in, the Schneider Family Book Award. Presented each year by the American Library Association, this award recognizes books for children, middle-grade readers, and Young Adults “for their distinguished portrayal of people living with a disabling condition” (ALA, 2024, p. 6).

Book haul : ALA Youth Media Awards, 2024

Among recent arrivals in SRCSA library: Our ever-generous parents’ group has purchased winners and Honor Books from the 2024 Youth Media Awards, which are presented each year by the American Library Association.
https://youtu.be/pB8zA9EOHfk

SOLIS’s upcoming book club on Oct. 10

SOLIS’s meeting on Sept. 19 touched upon its first book-club discussion that takes place on Oct. 10.

John Newbery Medal

Among national awards for children’s literature, my studies this week included consideration of the John Newbery Medal. Awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, the Newbery Medal recognizes the author “of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children” (ALSC, n.d.) In 2022, ALSC commemorated 100 years of the Newbery Medal.

Children’s Literature Legacy Award

My studies this week are on national awards for quality children’s literature. Here are my thoughts about a name change, now five years ago, for the Children’s Literature Legacy Award.

‘Library and Community Analysis’

This week, in my course through Library Juice Academy, I was tasked with creating a “Library and Community Analysis.” One aspect of that analysis was to describe services and resources that the library provides to meet the needs of diverse individuals.

Library display: ALA Youth Media Award winners

A definite highlight is the announcement each year of the Youth Media Awards, presented by the American Library Association during its midwinter meeting. To commemorate the latest celebration in “the best” among children’s literature, I looked for Medal winners and Honor books that were already present in our library, and I arranged them on a counter-top display. More books, having recently been ordered, are currently in processing. Throughout the library, I also put out books that were honored during previous years.

Award winners in SRCSA library

Among new arrivals in the library at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts: some 2019 Medal and Honor-Book recipients of the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards. Each year, the ALA recognizes “the best” among children’s and young adult literature. In the photo: this partial view shows a few of the recent honorees. There were more books in this counter-top display than I could fit in the frame — and a few books are missing from the display, for the absolute best of reasons: that is, the books have found their way into readers’ hands. Appreciation to the School for the Arts Community Organization, which financed purchasing new books for the library.

‘Piecing Me Together’ by Renée Watson

Jade has been awarded a place in a program that pairs young Black girls with older mentors.

The program includes a college scholarship if Jade successfully completes the program; this opportunity is the overwhelming factor that convinces Jade to join — because what Jade really wants, what she desperately seeks, is the type of opportunity that allows her to help other people.

“Why am I only seen as someone who needs and not someone who can give?” This question, posed by Jade, is at the heart of Piecing Me Together.

Renée Watson’s book is among recent winners and honorees of the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards. It was named an Honor Book for the John Newbery Medal, and it was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award.

There’s been an undercurrent involving art among the award winners I’ve been reading. In Piecing Me Together, the artistic medium is collage. As a person who enjoys exploring artistic media, I appreciated this dimension to the story.

‘You’re Welcome, Universe’ by Whitney Gardner

I read this book through the lens of considering myself part of a street-art community, through the admittedly non-permanent medium of yarn-bombing. I appreciated the detail and nuance that went into the protagonist, Julia, assembling supplies, preparing stencils, and applying her art.

One area where I struggled to connect with the main character’s viewpoint was that when another artist modified her piece, she considered it in terms of being “shown up,” of the other artist declaring “war” on her. Another character, YP, even asks Julia, “Why does it have to be war?”

You’re Welcome, Universe was a 2018 recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award, which honors an author or illustrator “for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience.” I’ve long followed this award, as a person on the autism spectrum. The emphasis on art made this book, in particular, one that I especially wanted to read.

‘First Rule of Punk’ by Celia C. Pérez

I’ve embarked on reading recent honorees of the American Library Association’s annual Youth Media Awards.

First up is The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez. It was recognized in February as a 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book — and reading it, this May, it definitely set a tone for excellence.

The protagonist, Malú, is thoroughly likeable; she simply wants to be herself, while her mother seems to hold an ideal vision of the perfect señorita that she wants Malú to be like.

I could thoroughly relate, as I’m sure many young readers could. The content of the vision may vary, as might the identity of the relative, but I can’t imagine anyone liking an attempt to mold them into something they are not, and to know that you fail to live up to this ideal — well, put simply, it sucks.

One thing I found most enjoyable in this book were the interspersed ’zines, pages of collage-art that added dimension to Malú's narrative.

Here’s a definition of a ’zine, courtesy of Wikipedia: “A zine is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via photocopier.”

The author, Celia C. Pérez, has been making ’zines for years; in her author bio, she states that her favorite 'zine supplies are “glue sticks, animal clip art (to which she likes adding speech bubbles), and watercolor pencils.”

Pérez includes directions for how readers can make ’zines of their own, a touch that I especially appreciate. I love exploring new forms of self-expression through art, and am delighted to think that young readers of this book might be inspired to new forms of creativity.

Youth Media Award winners in SRCSA library

A definite highlight to this past week at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts, was the arrival of books honored among the best of children’s literature by the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards. I await with interest early each year as the awards are announced, but how much more exciting to be able to read some of these books for myself, and to know that my library customers will be able to enjoy them too. Appreciation to the School for the Arts Community Organization, for purchasing these wonderful new arrivals.

‘Lowriders’ wins Pura Belpré Award for illustrator

Each January, I await announcement of the American Library Assoication’s Youth Media Awards, representing the top books, video and audiobooks for children. And it’s gratifying when a book that I’ve read and enjoyed receives its due acknowledgement.

The Pura Belpré Awards honor a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience, and for 2017, the Illustrator Award went to Lowriders to the Center of the Earth (Chronicle Books, July 2016).

Illustrated by Raúl the Third and written by Cathy Camper, Lowriders to the Center of the Earth is the second book in a series. The first book, Lowriders in Space (Chronicle Books, 2014), introduced the three main characters: Lupe Impala, Elirio Malaria and El Chavo Flapjack Octopus.

‘Rules’ is problematic Schneider award recipient

Continuing with my discussion of the Schneider Family Book Awards: I struggled with this next part’s social acceptability.

Would expressing concern about a prior award recipient be “second-guessing” a past committee, possibly inviting defensiveness, or would it demonstrate the need for nominated titles to be considered carefully?

Here goes:

For discussion of a problematic Schneider award recipient, I ask that the committee read a review of Rules by Cynthia Lord, the 2007 middle-school winner.

Schneider Family Book Award

Each year in January, I await the announcement of American Library Association Youth Media Award winners.

And each year with its emphasis upon portraying the experience of people with disabilities, the Schneider Family Book Award uniquely piques my interest — both as a person on the autism spectrum and as a library professional who wants the collection to “mirror” the experience of a diverse readership.

ALA youth media awards

At its Midwinter Meeting in Chicago, Ill., the American Library Association announced this year’s winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards. Complete list at http://live.webcastinc.com/ala/2015/live/doc/yma_15_wrap_final.pdf with on-demand webcast coming soon.

Posted to the Southern Oregon Education Services District listserv for school library/media center personnel

Schneider Family Book Award

Given a class assignment to write about a school or library children’s book award, I decided to learn more about the Schneider Family Book Award, one among what are collectively referred to as the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards.

(With its emphasis upon portraying the experience of people with disabilities, the Schneider award uniquely piqued my interest as a woman on the autism spectrum.)

‘Anything But Typical’ by Nora Raleigh Baskin

In Anything But Typical, 12-year-old narrator Jason Blake confronts the contradictions of the neurotypical world. His creative-fiction writing is a valuable strength that he draws upon for insight.

In Jason, author Nora Raleigh Baskin has given this reader a character with whom she found plenty to relate.

Anything But Typical was a recipient in 2010 of the Schneider Family Book Award, ages 11 to 13 division, which honors “artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.”

Anything But Typical and Erin Frankel’s Weird! trilogy are the newest additions to my list of recommended books for people on the autism spectrum. I curated this list to highlight books that I believe to be of value to an autistic readership.