ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS AND HONOREES OF THE 2012 GOLDEN KITE AWARDS & SID FLEISCHMAN AWARD
The 2012 awards are presented for excellence in books for young readers published in the 2011 calendar year.
Golden Kite Award Winners
Philomel (Penguin Group USA)
Between Shades of Gray tells the harrowing story of Lina, a young Lithuanian girl fighting for her life and the honor of her family during the Soviet cleansing of the Baltic region in 1941. The daughter of a Lithuanian refugee herself, Sepetys wrote this book in hopes of shedding light on the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives during this tragic time. Readers will be inspired by Lina’s strength of spirit and devotion to her family and moved by Sepetys’ heartfelt gift for storytelling.
Schwartz & Wade (Random House)
Alternating chapters between Amelia’s childhood and her life as a flyer, Fleming captures the drama and detail (Amelia liked to eat tomato soup while flying) of Earhart’s life with suspense and enthusiasm. Maps, handwritten notes and photos further highlight the remarkable journey of one of America’s most celebrated women.
By Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
Chronicle Books
Exploring the enchanted lives of animals that survive winter underground, Kate Messner’s Over and Under the Snow is this year’s winner for Picture Book Text. Messner’s vivid imageries and delicate prose glide us along a whimsical journey of a father and son as they ski through the forest and discover the hidden, sometimes secret existence of the animals that inhabit the cold season.
Picture Book Illustration:
BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY
By Melissa Sweet
Ho
ughton Mifflin
Melissa Sweet’s imaginative use of art and illustration in Balloons over Broadway makes it the winner of this year’s Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration. Using handmade toys and puppets, watercolor illustrations, and collages made from old books, found objects and fabrics, Caldecott Honoree Sweet’s charming images are fluently united to help tell the story of Tony Sarg, the original puppeteer of the Macy’s Day Parade.
Golden Kite Honor Recipients
By Trent Reedy
Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic)
By Katherine Kirkpatrick, illustrated by Emma Stevenson
Holiday House
By Margaret H. Mason, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
By Tricia Tusa
Harcourt Children’s Books
By Chris Rylander
HarperCollins
Imagination and quirk lend itself to this hilarious story of friendship and adventure as we follow two middle school boys who will stop at nothing to fix your problem and learn a few lessons along the way.