Skipping Stones is an international, multicultural and nature awareness magazine for today’s youth, now in its 21st year. Their yearly Skipping Stones Honor Awards recognize books that "promote cooperation and cultivate an awareness of our diverse cultures. Together, [these books] encourage an understanding of the world’s diversity, ecological richness, respect for differing viewpoints and close relationships in human societies."
Richard Michelson, author of the 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award winner As Good As Anybody and the 2009 Sydney Taylor Honor Book A is for Abraham (both in the Younger Readers category), has now been doubly honored. As Good As Anybody and A is for Abraham are both listed in the 2009 Skipping Stones Honor Awards! A hearty mazel tov to Richard!
Click here for the official announcement and the full list of winning titles, which includes children's books and teacher resources.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Anna Levine on SLJ Blog
Sydney Taylor Honor author Anna Levine (Freefall, 2009 Honor Book in the Teen Readers Category), appears today on School Library Journal on "Bowllan's Blog." Blogger Amy Bowllan has been running a very popular "Writers Against Racism" series of interviews, and we are very pleased to see her include Judaism in the mix.
In the interview, Anna says "I am a strong believer of the power that literature can have as a way of crossing cultural and linguistic borders. As writers, if we can envision and create worlds in which people co-exist then we can plant the seeds of change." Go, Anna!
To read the full interview, click here.
To visit Anna's website, go to www.annalevine.org.
And enjoy Anna's new book trailer for Freefall below!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Committee Gets New Members
For Immediate Release
September, 2009
NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO THE SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD COMMITTEE
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries has appointed three new members. Their four-year terms will begin in January 2010. The committee benefits from the diverse membership of AJL, and with the unique talents and experience of the incoming members, we are confident the high standards of the committee will continue.
Debbie Feder is the Director of the Library Resource Center at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago. An active member of the Chicago AJL Chapter, Debbie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and earned her MLS from Dominican University. Debbie, who also worked at the Skokie Public Library, is a lover of children’s literature, first enthralled by All-of-a-Kind-Family.
Aimee Lurie comes to the committee with experience in a variety of Jewish libraries, including the Temple-Tifereth Israel, the Fairmount Temple and the Agnon School, as well as public libraries. Amy has reviewed books for the AJL Newsletter and VOYA and feels that “reviewing books is every librarian’s professional responsibility and it has always played a critical role in my personal professional development. Not only does it play an invaluable role in collection development, I have found it is the best way to keep your finger on the pulse of publishing trends.” Aimee is active in the Cleveland chapter of AJL and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ohio State and an MLS from Kent State University.
Nancy Silverrod is a librarian at San Francisco Public Library. Nancy graduated summa cum laude from Eastern Michigan University and earned her MILS at the University of Michigan. Nancy states that “My reading over the years led me to a deeper connection and involvement with Judaism, and the opportunity to recommend high quality books to interested readers is one of the things I most enjoy about my work” – a great combination.
Barbara Bietz of Oak Park, California will assume the chairmanship. She is the author of Like a Maccabee (Yaldah Publishing, 2006). As a freelance writer, her work has appeared in numerous publications, and she is a frequent reviewer for Jewish Book World and the AJL Newsletter.
The 2009-2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee will also include Debbie Colodny (Libertyville, Illinois), Rita Soltan (West Bloomfield, Michigan); Kathe Pinchuck (Clifton, New Jersey), past chair; and Rachel Kamin (Chicago, Illinois), compiler. Heidi Estrin (Boca Raton, Florida) will assist the committee as AJL Public Relations Liason.
Tremendous Harkaras Hatov (appreciation) to Susan Berson (Denver, Colorado and Kathy Bloomfield (Wellesley, Massachusetts) who have served their four-year terms on the committee with distinction.
For more information, contact Kathe Pinchuck, Chair, Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, chair@sydneytaylorbookaward.org
September, 2009
NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO THE SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD COMMITTEE
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries has appointed three new members. Their four-year terms will begin in January 2010. The committee benefits from the diverse membership of AJL, and with the unique talents and experience of the incoming members, we are confident the high standards of the committee will continue.
Debbie Feder is the Director of the Library Resource Center at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago. An active member of the Chicago AJL Chapter, Debbie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and earned her MLS from Dominican University. Debbie, who also worked at the Skokie Public Library, is a lover of children’s literature, first enthralled by All-of-a-Kind-Family.
Aimee Lurie comes to the committee with experience in a variety of Jewish libraries, including the Temple-Tifereth Israel, the Fairmount Temple and the Agnon School, as well as public libraries. Amy has reviewed books for the AJL Newsletter and VOYA and feels that “reviewing books is every librarian’s professional responsibility and it has always played a critical role in my personal professional development. Not only does it play an invaluable role in collection development, I have found it is the best way to keep your finger on the pulse of publishing trends.” Aimee is active in the Cleveland chapter of AJL and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ohio State and an MLS from Kent State University.
Nancy Silverrod is a librarian at San Francisco Public Library. Nancy graduated summa cum laude from Eastern Michigan University and earned her MILS at the University of Michigan. Nancy states that “My reading over the years led me to a deeper connection and involvement with Judaism, and the opportunity to recommend high quality books to interested readers is one of the things I most enjoy about my work” – a great combination.
Barbara Bietz of Oak Park, California will assume the chairmanship. She is the author of Like a Maccabee (Yaldah Publishing, 2006). As a freelance writer, her work has appeared in numerous publications, and she is a frequent reviewer for Jewish Book World and the AJL Newsletter.
The 2009-2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee will also include Debbie Colodny (Libertyville, Illinois), Rita Soltan (West Bloomfield, Michigan); Kathe Pinchuck (Clifton, New Jersey), past chair; and Rachel Kamin (Chicago, Illinois), compiler. Heidi Estrin (Boca Raton, Florida) will assist the committee as AJL Public Relations Liason.
Tremendous Harkaras Hatov (appreciation) to Susan Berson (Denver, Colorado and Kathy Bloomfield (Wellesley, Massachusetts) who have served their four-year terms on the committee with distinction.
For more information, contact Kathe Pinchuck, Chair, Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, chair@sydneytaylorbookaward.org
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sydney Taylor Book Award Slide Show
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Two Interviews with Raul Colon
Raul & his lovely wife, with award certificateSocial media guru Mark Blevis was a presenter at the AJL convention, and while he was there he snagged some interviews for his own blog and podcast. Here are two interviews with Raul Colon, illustrator of the Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers category, As Good As Anybody by Richard Michelson.
Listen to Raul on the Just One More Book Podcast...
...and hear more from Raul at the markblevis.com blog.
Award Acceptance Speeches
A video of the Sydney Taylor Book Award acceptance speeches of Richard Michelson & Raul Colon (As Good As Anybody), made by award committee member Barbara Bietz, originally posted on her blog at barbarabbookblog.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
STBA Convention Podcasts
Each year at the Association of Jewish Libraries convention, the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee gets together to do a panel review of recent Jewish books for kids and teens. It takes the whole morning, and there are usually at least 100 people in attendance. It's a lively event in which committee members praise books, deconstruct books, disagree with each other, and share lots of honest opinions. The session usually includes guest appearance by recent award winners as well.
At the 2008 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Cleveland, Ohio, we recorded the committee's presentation, as well as the talks given by Sarah Gershman & Kristina Swarner (author & illustrator of The Bedtime Sh'ma, which won a gold in the Younger Readers category) and Sonia Levitin (author of Strange Relations, which won gold for Teen Readers). These recordings (and many others) are available via the AJL Podcast at jewishlibraries.org/podcast.
Click here for the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee's panel "Adventures in Book Reviewing"
Click here for Sarah Gershman and Kristina Swarner (The Bedtime Sh'ma)
Click here for Sonia Levitin (Strange Relations)
The 2009 AJL Convention will be held July 5-8 in Chicago, IL, and once again we will be recording sessions for podcasting.
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