The Wisconsin Children's Book Award Winners have been announced!

 

Ten Ways to Hear Snow written by Cathy Camper and illustrated by
Kenard Pak wins 2021 Burr/Worzalla Award

Picture book Ten Ways to Hear Snow, written by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Kenard Pak, and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Books USA, has won the esteemed 2021 Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award. The Children’s Book Award Committee of the Wisconsin Library Association’s Youth Services Section annually presents the Burr/Worzalla Award to the most distinguished work in children’s and young adult literature written and/or illustrated by a Wisconsin book creator. Ten Ways to Hear Snow is a stunning addition to the picture book genre from Camper, who was born in Wisconsin.

A snowy day, a trip to Grandma’s, time spent cooking with one another, and space to pause and discover the world around you come together in this perfect book for reading and sharing on a cozy winter day.

One winter morning, Lina wakes up to silence. It’s the sound of snow — the kind that looks soft and glows bright in the winter sun. But as she walks to her grandmother’s house to help make the family recipe for warak enab, she continues to listen. As Lina walks past snowmen and across icy sidewalks, she discovers ten ways to pay attention to what might have otherwise gone unnoticed. With stunning illustrations by Kenard Pak and thoughtful representation of a modern Arab American family from Cathy Camper, Ten Ways to Hear Snow is a layered exploration of mindfulness, empathy, and what we realize when the world gets quiet.  (book description from cathycamper.com)

For her incredible body of work in children’s literature,
Wisconsin resident Pat Zietlow Miller was selected as the
2021 Wisconsin Notable Children’s Author. 

Miller has written a variety of stories for children with relatable characters and engaging, inclusive storylines. She has received much acclaim for her writing, including starred reviews, honors, and awards for her works. The Children’s Book Award Committee is delighted to present this award to such an inspiring and dedicated storyteller.

Ten noteworthy honor titles have also been selected for Outstanding Achievement in children’s literature, written and/or illustrated by Wisconsin book creators:

• Alone in the Woods written by Rebecca Behrens
• American Immigration: Our History, Our Stories written by Kathleen Krull
• Doodleville written and illustrated by Chad Sell
• Everything’s Not Fine written by Sarah Carlson
• Feast of Peas written by Kashmira Sheth
• Never Fear, Meena’s Here! written by Karla Manternach
• Nina Soni, Sister Fixer written by Kashmira Sheth
• Outside In written by Deborah Underwood
• Robobaby written and illustrated by David Wiesner
• Skunk and Badger written by Amy Timberlake

The Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award is made possible by the Worzalla Publishing Company, Stevens Point, through a grant to the WLA Foundation.

For more information about the Children’s Book Awards Committee, visit http://wla.wisconsinlibraries.org/yss/childrens-books-awards-committee.

2020 Wisconsin Children's Book Awards!

The winners of 2020 Wisconsin Children's Book Awards have been announced!  

The Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award for 2020 goes to Cracking the Bell by Geoff Herbach!

This year's Notable Author/Illustrator is Kashmira Sheth!

The committee has also selected 10 additional Outstanding Books of the Year:

• Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me written and illustrated by Susan L. Roth
• The Disaster Days written by Rebecca Behrens
• The Happy Book: and Other Feelings written and illustrated by Andy Rash
• Home in the Woods written and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
• I am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon written by Baptiste and Miranda Paul
• Nina Soni: Former Best Friend written by Kashmira Sheth
• Reading Beauty written by Deborah Underwood
• Snail and Worm All Day written and illustrated by Tina Kügler
• Sport: Ship Dog of the Great Lakes written by Pamela Cameron and illustrated by Renée Graef
• Viral: the Fight Against AIDS in America written by Ann Bausum 

To learn more about these amazing works, check out the PAGE on WLA's website.

2019 WI Burr Worzalla Youth Book Award Announced

From the WLA blog:

Children’s graphic novel The Cardboard Kingdom, created by Chad Sell and published by Penguin Random House, has won the coveted Burr/Worzalla Award for 2019. The Children’s Book Award Committee of the Wisconsin Library Association’s Youth Services Section annually presents the Burr/Worzalla Award to the most distinguished work in literature written and/or illustrated by a Wisconsin book creator. The Cardboard Kingdom is an impressive debut from Sell, who grew up in Wisconsin and currently lives in Chicago. 

In a society where the lines that divide people have only seemed to deepen, there’s one thing that can bring an entire neighborhood of kids together: cardboard. With enough cardboard, you can make anything. A noble knight’s sword. The headdress of an evil enchantress. A robot. A mad scientist’s lab. What starts as a game between brother and sister soon grows into a sprawling kingdom, where imagination is only limited by how much cardboard you can get your hands on. 

A neighborhood of refreshingly diverse characters each has their own personal quest to fulfill. A young boy who is drawn to the glamor of dressing up as an evil sorceress. A girl who uses her big voice to transform into a gentle but powerful monster. A bully who makes fun of the game he desperately wants to be a part of. As more kids are invited to play in the cardboard kingdom, unique and genuine characters begin to emerge as kids find courage in their fantasy world to truly be themselves. 

Through the refreshingly diverse cast of characters, this compassionate gem of a graphic novel rejects stereotypes and teaches lessons about acceptance, understanding and identity without being heavy-handed. Readers will love the bold, colorful illustrations and imaginative, character-driven story that will no doubt have kids asking adults for spare cardboard boxes this summer.

 For her amazing body of work in children’s literature, former Wisconsin resident Peg Kehret was selected as this year’s Wisconsin Notable Children’s Author. Best known for her inspiring biography, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, Kehret is a prolific, respected author of children’s literature, with her books spanning multiple genres. Many of Kehret’s novels have been selected as “children’s choice” award winners by young readers across the country. The Children’s Book Award Committee is very pleased to bestow yet another award upon this master storyteller. 

Five noteworthy honor titles have also been selected for Outstanding Achievement in children’s literature, written and/or illustrated by Wisconsin book creators: 

• The Button War by Avi
• Lowriders Blast from the Past by Cathy Camper
• Hooper by Geoff Herbach
• Margot and Mateo Save the World by Darcy Miller
• Capsized!: The Forgotten Story of the SS Eastland Disaster by Patricia Sutton 

The Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award is made possible by the Worzalla Publishing Company, Stevens Point, through a grant to the WLA Foundation. 

Click here  on the YSS WLA website for more information about the Children’s Book Awards Committee.

Chair:  Abby Bussen, Chair, Muskego Public Library

• Amanda Brandt
• Ashley Borman
• Julia Lee
  
• Katherine Schoofs
• Aimee Schreiber, Co-Chair
• Emily Stueven

Wisconsin Award Winners, 2018 Webinar

Tuesday, November 6
1:00 p.m. Central Time

The Award Winners were honored last week at the Wisconsin Library Association conference in La Crosse. Here's your chance to learn more about the winners.

The Award Winners were honored last week at the Wisconsin Library Association conference in La Crosse. Here's your chance to learn more about the winners.
Each year the WLA Literary Awards and the Children's Book Award Committees read and evaluate many books by Wisconsin authors. New this year, the Wisconsin Author Project from the WPLC is highlighting self-published adult and young adult fiction. Join this year's committee chairs and hear all about this year's winners.

The webinar will be recorded if you're not able to join us live. Register HERE.