Friday, September 18, 2009

Schneider Family Book Awards


The Schneider Family Book Awards "is donated by Dr. Katherine Schneider, and honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Three annual awards are presented for the best Teen, Middle School and Children’s Book. The American Library Association administers the Awards, and each recipient receives $5000 and a framed plaque. Winners are announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting."

And why do I mention this?

Because yours truly (um, that means ME) is on this year's Award Committee!

More information can be found at the ALA website.

Want to know about nominating books? Here is the Application/Nomination Form; click through and you'll see it has its own process and procedure.

Past winners are here.

So, yes, that means I'm going to Boston in January. See you there!

© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

3 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

It's good to know that this award exists! I had no idea. Will have to see their winner/book list.

Heather Zundel said...

Agreed. I'm so glad to hear there is an award for this. And really - congratulations and good luck!

Jenny Schwartzberg said...

I took a look at the list of previous award-winners. A very interesting list. I'd heard of the books about deaf children, and read two of them. Permit me a grumble. Why are they always about signing deaf children? There are lots of oral deaf children out there, and the proliferation of books on signing deaf children implies that's the only way to go in deaf education. SIGH. That's the problem with a lot of books about disabled children, which tend to focus on only one perception of the disability. Children and disabilities and their developments as individuals are infinitely various. Disabilities are only a small part of who they are but often books end up implying that they are defined by their disability, i.e. poor little kid..... Many of these children are very remarkable human beings who just happen to have disabilities! Do look for books that portray that, please.