And the Awards Just Keep on Coming

Breaking News*:

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages (Viking) is the winner / medalist of the 2007 Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature.

Honor books are:

A Drowned Maiden's Hair: a Melodrama by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick)

The Road to Paris by Nikki Grimes (Putnam)

Gemini Summer by Iain Lawrence (Delacorte)

The award will be presented on Sunday, June 10, at a dinner and presentation from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., at the U.C.L.A. Faculty Center.

The Judy Lopez Memorial Awards for Children's Literature are granted annually to works of literary excellence for nine- to twelve-year-olds. The awards are made in remembrance of Judy Lopez, a founding member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women's National Book Association who was deeply interested in seeing that children's literature of quality is recognized and rewarded.

A panel of judges composed of children's librarians and other professionals in the field of books for young readers selects the winning book and three honor books. Books submitted for the award must have been published in the United States in the year that precedes the award. The author must be a United States citizen or a resident of the United States.

The medal awarded the winning book was designed by sculptor Alex Shagrin and is cast in solid bronze. The medalist and the authors of the honor books are celebrated each June at a reception and dinner held in Los Angeles.

Established in 1985, the Judy Lopez Memorial Awards for Children's Literature are administered by the Women's National Book Association, Los Angeles Chapter, in association with the Judy Lopez Memorial Foundation.

That's two TWO mentions of Schlitz's novel in a single day. I'm so very pleased.

*The term "breaking news" shall herein be used to describe news that came out roughly 48 hours prior to my announcement.