Sara Pennypacker wins the GOLDEN KITE AWARD

PIERRE IN LOVE, written by BookArtist Sara Pennypacker is the winner of the The Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators 2007 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text.

Instituted in 1973, the Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. More than 1,000 books are entered each year.

Sara says . . . . "this award is so sweet for me because I wrote PIERRE for a close friend, as she was dying of breast cancer. She was the most loving, generous woman I've ever known, and my kids and I adored her. When I got the news PIERRE had won, a poet friend said it seemed to him that awards always came to writers right when they were having difficult times (the last few weeks had been very difficult, personally - ok now, though, no worries.) and I realized that he was close to a truth - that maybe the best books are written during difficult times. I remember that in writing PIERRE for Pella, I wanted her to hear the best I had, to know that I'd blown out all the stops for her. Or maybe it was more a feeling of what the hell are you saving it for? Whatever it was, I wrote PIERRE in tears and full of love the whole time, and now to win means so much to me."

MISSING MATH: A Number Mystery

By Loreen Leedy

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Jane Yolen wins the 2008 CLAUDIA LEWIS AWARD

The Claudia Lewis Award, given for the first time in 1998, honors the late Claudia Lewis, distinguished children's book expert and longtime member of the Bank Street College faculty and Children's Book Committee. She conveyed her love and understanding of poetry with humor and grace. The award is given for the best poetry book of the year.

Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, illustrated by Polly Dunbar(Candlewick Press) has been chosen as the 2008 winner.

Dan San Souci wins a BLUE HEN BOOK AWARD

The Blue Hen Book Award is a children's choice award sponsored by the Children's Services Division of the Delaware Library Association. Each year children have the opportunity to vote on selected picture or chapter books published in the last year. The book that receives the most votes in each category will win the Blue Hen Book Award.

Children voting on books nominated by the Delaware Library Association's Children's Services Division picked three stories as winners of the Association's Blue Hen Book Awards. They include picture book winner: "Space Station Mars" by BookArtist Daniel San Souci (Tricycle Press).