2022 Caldecott Possibilities

Archer, Micha - Wonder Walkers

Bagley, Jessixa - Daisy

Colleen, Marcie - Survivor Tree

Cooper, Elisha - Yes & No

Cordell, Matthew - Bear Island

de la Pena, Matt - Milo Imagines the World 

In SPS Library

Fan Brothers - It Fell From the Sky

Ordered

Floca, Brian - Keeping the City Going

Freedman, Deborah - Is Was

Hannah-Jones/Watson/Smith - The 1619 Project: Born on the Water

Harris, Shawn - Have You Ever Seen a Flower 

Ho, Richard - The Lost Package

In SPS Library

Klassen, Jon - The Rock From the Sky  

Levinson, Cynthia - The People's Painter

Lucianovic & Harrison - Hello Star

Martinez- Neal, Juana - Zonia's Rain Forest

Morales, Yuyi - Bright Star

Perkins, Lynne Rae - The Museum of Everything

Pham, LeUyen - Outside, Inside

Pumphrey, Jarrett - Old Boat

Ringler, Matt - Stroller Coaster 

In SPS Library

Rubin, Sean - This Very Tree

Ordered

Sidman, Joyce & Diana Sudyka - Dear Treefog

Sis, Peter - Nicky & Vera : A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust & the Children He Rescued 

Stead & Stead - Amos McGee Misses the Bus

Tabor, Corey R. - Mel Fell

In SPS Library

Talbott, Hudson - A Walk in the Words

In SPS Library

Wang, Andrea - Watercress 

In SPSLibrary

Weatherford, Carole Boston - Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

Wenzel, Brendan - Inside Cat

Wheeler, Lisa - Someone Builds the Dream

In SPS Library

Williams, Alice D. - Jump at the Sun

Wynter, Ann - Everyone in the Red Brick Building

Young, Jessica - I'll Meet You in Your Dreams

Zhang, Gracey - Lala's Words

Caldecott Criteria

To sum it up:

Award is for the ILLUSTRATIONS as follows: 
Artistic technique execution
Pictorial interpretation of story, theme, concept
Appropriateness of style to the story, theme, concept
Plot, theme, characters, setting, mood, information well delineated
Recognizes child audience 

From the horse's mouth:

1. In identifying a “distinguished American picture book for children,” defined as illustration, committee members need to consider:

   1. Excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed;

   2. Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept;

   3. Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept;

   4. Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures;

   5. Excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.

2. The only limitation to graphic form is that the form must be one which may be used in a picture book. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound, film or computer program) for its enjoyment.

3. Each book is to be considered as a picture book. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children’s picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc.

Note: The committee should keep in mind that the award is for distinguished illustrations in a picture book and for excellence of pictorial presentation for children. The award is not for didactic intent or for popularity.

[Adopted by the ALSC board, January 1978. Revised, Midwinter 1987. Revised, Annual 2008.]

Picture Book - The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham and Karim Shamsi-Basha

2020 Caldecott Honor Award

Illustrated by Yuko Shimizu

2020 G. P. Putman's Sons

HC $17.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:   4.25 - 627 ratings

My rating:  5
Endpapers:  Aleppo skyline, with lots of sky and white dove-like birds

1^st line/s:  "Alaa loves his city of Aleppo.  He loves its narrow alleys and covered bazaars selling pistachios, jasmine soap, and green za'atar.  He loves the boiled corn and dried figs offered on the street.  Most of all, he loves the people of Aleppo.  The are gentle, polite, and loving - like him."

My comments:  Fantastic story and rich illustrations come together beautifully to tell a true, meaningful, heartwarming story.  After civil war bombings and crumbling buildings encourage many of Aleppo's citizens to flee, leaving their cats behind to fend for themselves, Alaa begins feeding, rescuing, and ultimately creating a shelter for these helpless animals.  There is currently a way that people all over the world can donate to keep this shelter ongoing.

Goodreads:  The courageous and true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, who in the midst of the Syrian Civil War offered safe haven to Aleppo's abandoned cats.

          Aleppo's city center no longer echoes with the rich, exciting sounds of copper-pot pounding and traditional sword sharpening. His neighborhood is empty--except for the many cats left behind.
          Alaa loves Aleppo, but when war comes his neighbors flee to safety, leaving their many pets behind. Alaa decides to stay--he can make a difference by driving an ambulance, carrying the sick and wounded to safety. One day he hears hungry cats calling out to him on his way home. They are lonely and scared, just like him. He feeds and pets them to let them know they are loved. The next day more cats come, and then even more! There are too many for Alaa to take care of on his own. Alaa has a big heart, but he will need help from others if he wants to keep all of his new friends safe

2021 ALA Awards

Newbery:

**When You Trap a Tiger (Tae Keller) 4.21 - 1177 

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team - Soontornvat 4.69 - 356

Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom - Weatherford (picture book) 4.07 - 153

Fighting Words - Bradley 4.74 - 2473

We Dream of Space - Kelly 4.21 - 1950

A Wish in the Dark - Soontornvat 4.43 - 1064

Caldecott:

**We Are Water Protectors - Lindstrom/MICHAELA GOADE

A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart - Elliott/ NOA DENMON

The Cat Man of Aleppo - Latham & Shasi-Basha/YUKO SHIMIZU

Me & Mama - COZBI A. CABRERA

Outside In - Underwood/CINDY DERBY

Coretta Scott King:

**Before the Ever After - Woodson  4.25 - 4549 ratings

Printz

** Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story) - Nayer 4.37 - 975 ratings (flees Iran)

Apple (Skin to the Core) - Gansworth 4.00 * 349 ratings (memoir in verse)

Dragon Hoops - Lang 4.47 - 2930 ratings (graphic novel)

Every Body Looking - Iloh 3.96 - 760 ratings (verse)

We Are Not Free - Chee 4.45 - 1299 ratings

Sydney Taylor (Jewish)

Middle Grades:

**Turtle Boy  - Wolkenstein 4.39 - 317 ratings

No Vacancy - Cohen 4.05 - 80 ratings

Anya and the Nightingale - Pasternack

The Blackbird Girls - Blankman 4.42 - 1130 ratings (Chernobyl)

YA:

**Dancing at the Pity Party - Feder 4.59 - 3114 ratings (cancer/death of mother)

They Went Left - Hesse 4.29 - 3915 ratings (searching for brother after Auschwitz

The Newbery Award

2021 When You Trap a Tiger (Tae Keller) 

Honors: 

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team - Soontornvat 

Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom - Weatherford (picture book) 

Fighting Words - Bradley 

We Dream of Space - Kelly

A Wish in the Dark - Soontornvat 

2020 New Kid - Jerry Craft

Honors:

The Undefeated - Kwame Alexander

Scary Stories for Young Foxes - Christian McKay Heidicker

Other Words for Home - Jasmine Warga

Genesis Begins Again - Alicia D. Williams

2019 Merci Suarez Changes Gears (Meg Molina)
Honors:
The Night Diary (Hiranandani)
The Book of Boy (Murdock)

2018  Hello Universe (Erin Entrada Kelly)
Honors:
Crown, An Ode to the Fresh Cut (Derek Barnes)
Long Way Down (Jason Reynolds)
Piecing Me Together (Renee Watson)

2017 The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Kelly Barnhill)
Honors:
Freedom Over Me : Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life (Ashley Bryan)
The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog (Adam Godwitz)
Wolf Hollow (Lauren Wolk)

2016 Last Stop on Market Street (Matt dela Pena)
Honors:
The War That Saved My Life (Kimberly Brubaker Bradley)
Roller Girl (Victoria Jamieson)
Echo (Pam Munoz Ryan)

2015 The Crossover (Kwame Alexander)
Honors:
El Deafo (Cece Bell)
Brown Girl Dreaming (Jacqueline Woodson)

2014 Flora & Ulysses:  The Illuminated Adventures (Kate DiCamillo)
Honors:
Doll Bones (Holly Black)
The Year of Billy Miller (Devin Henkes)
One Came Home (Amy Timberlake)
Paperboy (Vince Vawter)_

2013 The One and Only Ivan (Katherine Applegate)
Honors:
Splendors and Glooms (Laura May Schlitz)
Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (Steve Steinkin)
Three Times Lucky (Sheila Turnage)

2012 Dead End in Norvelt (Jack Gantos)
Honors:
Inside Out & Back Again (Thanhha Lai)
Breaking Stalin's Nose (Eugene Yelchin)

2011 Moon over Manifest (Claire Vanderpool)
Honors:
Turtle in Paradise (Jennifer L. Holm)
Heart of a Samurai (Margi Preus)
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night (Joyce Sidman)
One Crazy Summer (Rita Williams-Garcia)

2010 When You Reach Me (Rebecca Stead)
Honors:
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (Philip Hoose)
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Jacqueline Kelly)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Grace Lin)
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (Rodman Philbrick)

2009 The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman)
Honors:
The Underneath (Kathi Appelt)
The Surrender Tree: Poems for Cuba's Struggle for Freedom (Margarita Engle)
Savvy (Ingrid Law)
After Tupac & D Foster (Jacqueline Woodson)

2008 Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village (Laura Amy Schlitz)
Honors:
Elijah of Buxton (Christopher Paul Curtis)
The Wednesday Wars (Gary D. Schmidt)
Feathers (Jacqueline Woodson)

2007 The Higher Power of Lucky (Susan Patron)
Honors:
Penny from Heaven (Jennifer L. Holm)
Hattie Big Sky (Kirby Larson)
Rules (Cynthia Lord)

2006 Criss Cross (Lyunne Rae Perkins)
Honors:
Whittington (Alan Armstrong)
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow (Susan Campbell Bartoletti)
Princess Academy (Shannon Hale)
Show Way (Jacqueline Woodson)

2005 Kira-Kira (Cynthia Kadohata)
Honors:
Al Capone Does My Shirts (Gennifer Choldenko)
The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights (Russell Freedman)
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (Gary D. Schmidt)

2004  The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread (Kate DiCamillo)
Honors:
Olive's Ocean (Kevin Henkes)
An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Jim Murphy)

2003  Crispin:  The Cross of Lead (Avi)
Honors: 
The House of Scorpion (Nancy Farmer)
Pictures of Hollis Woods (Patricia Reilly Giff)
Hoot (Carl Hiaasen)
A Corner of the Universe (Ann M. Martin)
Surviving the Applewhites (Stephanie S. Tolan)

2002  A Single Shard (Linda Sue Park)
Honors:
Everything on a Waffle (Polly Horvath)
Carver, A Life in Poems (Marilyn Nelson)

2001 A Year Down Yonder (Richard Peck)
Honors:
Hope Was Here (Joan Bauer)
Because of Winn-Dixie (Kate DiCamillo)
Joey Pigza Loses Control (Jack Gantos)
The Wanderer (Sharon Creech)

2000 Bud, Not Buddy (Christopher Paul Curtis)
Honors:
Getting Near to Baby (Audrey Couloumbis)
Our Only May Amelia (Jennifer L. Holm)
26 Fairmount Ave. (Tomie dePola)