Picture This: Little Roja Riding Hood

Little Roja Riding Hood by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Susan Guevara

I think you all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, Susan Middleton Elya has written a modernized one with fun rhyming and rhythm, the incorporation of Spanish words, Hispanic cultural references, and a gutsy Red Riding Hood that doesn't need anyone else to save her. Susan Guevara, who just won a well-deserved Pura Belpre illustrator honor, has created fun, lively illustrations to match. Red Riding wears a patterned cape and cowboy boots, while her mother watches telenovelas in the background. That house has a satellite dish on top and a Jesus figure inside.Three blind mice follow Red Riding through the story, as do trouble-making duendas, or trickster elves. Lots of fun.

ALA Youth Media Awards 2015

CALDECOTT
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo
The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art, illustrated by Mary GrandPré, written by Barb Rosenstock
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett
Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant
This One Summer, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki

What were they smoking? First, 6 honors? Wow. And then, This One Summer. I'm sorry but I think This One Summer has absolutely no business in the Caldecott category. It’s neither for children nor a picture book. It contains mature content including language and sexual topics. I think it’s about time ALA considered creating awards for graphic novels and changing the cap age for children’s awards to 13 instead of 14, because there is some mature stuff that can slip in with that number 14.

As for the other honors, they were mostly pretty good. You know how I feel about Viva Frida (blah) and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Nana in the City is a nice book (though I like Castillo's Melvin and the Boy more).

I'm most happy about the The Right Word and Beekle--what a surprise! Beekle is a real crowd-pleaser and the more I think about it, the more wonderful I think it is. There's real depth and application to life beyond the imaginary friend. And, of course, the illustrations are beautiful! Very happy about that one.

NEWBERY
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

El Deafo!!! Yay!!! I am so happy about the choices here. The Crossover was excellent. And I was thrilled to see El Deafo on the list. It could have easily been overlooked because it’s a graphic novel. Shocked though that it wasn’t even on the list for the Schneider (books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience). I haven’t read Brown Girl Dreaming—I started it a couple times, had a hard time getting into it.

PRINTZ
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson 
And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard 
The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

I've only read This One Summer and I think the recognition is well deserved in this category. Interesting that We Were Liars is nowhere to be seen. I've given up a little on the Printz because I just lose my patience with the overworked and pretentious, so...

GEISEL
You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant
Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard
Waiting Is Not Easy! by Mo Willems

I had the winner on my to read list, but it’s not available at any library in LA. (but it came out in August. ?) Mr Putter…eh, blah, boring. Waiting is by Mo Willems, so of course it’s good.

YALSA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

Uh, what? The finalists included Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin and The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming. How this beat them is baffling to me. Popular is good; it's...nice. A 13-year-old's diary edited and given some perspective. And then you have the masterful telling of a complex story of the Romanovs in the context of Russia at the turn of the century. And you have a little-known story of civil rights, told with the excitement of a courtroom drama. Baffling.

SIBERT
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming
Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell
Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands by Katherine Roy
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

There's Candace Fleming. At least someone saw sense. And Neighborhood Sharks!!! So happy!! Surprised not to see Port Chicago 50.

Also worth noting are Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown, for which Frank Morrison received a Coretta Scott King illustrator honor (great illustrations full of movement, and, seemingly, rhythm) and Little Roja Riding Hood by Susan Middleton Elya, for which Susan Guevara received a Pura Bepre illustrator honor (fun and clever writing and illustration).

I hope this year will convince ALA to get with the program and create graphic novel categories. They are not picture books; they are not novels. They are their own medium and deserve to be recognized as such. Plus, there is such a wealth of quality graphic novels for children and teens out there.