The Difference between Caldecott and Newbery Awards

 

      Both the Newbery Medal the Caldecott Medal are awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.  The Newbery Medal was named after an English bookseller, John Newbery.  The Newbery Medal is awarded each year, “to the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in English in the United States during the preceding year.”  The Caldecott Medal was named after English illustrator Randolph Caldecott.  The Caldecott Medal is awarded each year, “to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in English in the United States during the preceding year.”

            I do not believe that one award is better than the other.  I think both writing and illustrating a book are equally important because children look at both concepts when they are reading a book. 

Newbery Honor – “Turtle in Paradise” By: Jennifer L. Holm

   
      Turtle in Paradise is about a little girl named Turtle and her adventures during 1935.  Since jobs are very hard to come by, when Turtle’s mother gets a job cleaning for a women who doesn’t like kids, Turtle is forced to live with her relatives who she has never met before in Key West.  When Turtle arrives in Key West she isn’t welcome with open arms.  Her mother forgot to relay the message to her aunt that she was coming and her male cousins aren’t too happy to see a girl either.  While living in Key West Turtle finds a way to earn money and then discovers a treasure map that sends her on an adventure where she discovers things she never thought she would.  (This is where I would love to tell what happens, but I don’t want to ruin the ending for anyone).

            After reading Turtle in Paradise I had to purchase it for my own personal library.  This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time and I would recommend it to everyone.  The antics of Turtle’s cousins who run the Diaper Gang are hilarious.  I couldn’t wait to see what they would do next.  Our school library media specialist had already read the book and I kept guessing what would happen next, but she wouldn’t tell me.  This book would be more suitable for the intermediate grades, but I really believe boys and girls would like the story.

Laurence Yep – “The Man Who Tricked a Ghost”

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Tricked-Ghost/dp/081673030X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322362650&sr=1-1

     The Man Who Tricked a Ghost is a story about a man named Sung who was not afraid of anything.  During a walk home, Sung comes upon a ghost who is on his way to scare Sung.  Sung tricks the ghost by telling him he is also a ghost, but a very new one and that is why he doesn’t know everything about being a ghost yet.  On the journey Sung tricks the ghost into telling him secrets about being a ghost and what ghosts fear the most, being spit on by a human.  If a ghost is spit on by a human they are stuck in that form forever.  As the two get closer to the village the ghost turns into a goat to fit in better with the crowd of people.  Once he’s a goat, Sung spits on him and he is stuck as a goat forever.

            The Man Who Tricked a Ghost was originally published in the third century A.D.  Many believe the story was written by a Chinese Emperor.  The story is very creative, but I feel that it would only work for intermediate grades.  I think younger readers may find the ghost scary.  Also, the ghost says that he is going to scare Sung and if Sung isn’t scared, he’s going to kill him. 

            This was the first book that I have read by Laurence Yep and I really enjoyed it.  I am anxious to read more of his work.  Other books by Laurence Yep are:

·         Dragon’s Gate

·         The Magic Paintbrush

·         The Lost Garden

·         City of Fire

·         The Rainbow People

·         The Star Fisher

·         Cockroach Cooties

Jerry Pinkney - “Three Little Kittens”

Three Little Kittens is a rhyming story about three kittens who want to go outside to play, but they must wear their mittens.  While outside the three kittens lose their mittens and their mother won’t give them any pie until they find their mittens.  Once the kittens find their mittens they can eat pie, but they forget to take their mittens off while eating pie and get them very dirty.  Then, the kittens have to wash and dry their mittens.  When the kittens have clean mittens they are ready to go back outside to play.

            The rhyming in Three Little Kittens works well for young readers and would be an easy read for them.  Another aspect of the book that I believe young readers will enjoy is the repetition and the Onomatopoeias.  Throughout the book the kittens and their mother say, “meow, meow, meow” or “purr, purr, purr.”  Young readers will find this amusing and will act out the part of being the kittens and the mother.

Other books from Jerry Pinkney:

·         Aesop’s Fables

·         Uncle Remus: The Complete Tale

·         The Ugly Duckling

·         Rikki-tikki-tavi

·         The Moon Over Star

·         Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

·         The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Little-Kittens-Jerry-Pinkney/dp/0803735332