The American Library Association (ALA) just announced the 2009 winners of its media awards for young people.  How many of the winners do you recognize?  See any favorites?  See something new that looks interesting?  What’s missing from the list?

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball  written & illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book, and Coretta Scot King Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books)

Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle (Belpre Author Award for work that best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian written and narrated by Sherman Alexie (Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production)

Jellicoe Road by Melinda Marchetta (Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults). 

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II, The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson; Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart; Nation by Terry Pratchett; and Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Newbury Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature)

Four Newbery Honor Books were named:  Underneath by Kathi Appelt, Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle, Savvy by Ingrid Law, and  After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson.

Laurie Halse Anderson (author of Chains, Fever 1793, Speak, Twisted, Prom, and Catalyst)  won the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults.