Maurice Sendak died today.  He was a transformative author and illustrator of books for children.  Where the Wild Things Are is his best known title, which won the Caldecott Medal in 1964.  As a child, I spent many hours listening to Really Rosie - a musical based on his books with music by Carol King.   You might enjoy reading them too!

For those who are looking for award winning children's books in the San José Public Library collection, a great source is NoveList Plus. The following links will provide a comprehensive listing of the Caldecott and Newbery Medal winners. To see if a particular award winning book is part of our collection, please click on the title of the book you are interested in and then click on the "Check the Library Catalog" link. Please note, if you are accessing this resource from home, you do need a San José Public Library card.

• Caldecott Medal Winners
• Newbery Medal Winners

The American Library Association recently announced the winners of the 2011 Caldecott and Newbery Awards. Both are awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, the Caldecott going to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children and the Newbery to the most distinguished contribution to America Literature for children.

2011 John Newbery Medal winner:

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, in her debut novel, takes us to Manifest, Kansas during the Depression and this is where Abilene Tucker seeks adventure and answers to her father's childhood.

2011 Randolph Caldecott Medal winner:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Christian Stead and illustrated by Erin Stead.

Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor.