Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, everyone! As an added bonus - congratulations to all the winners of the annual American Librarians Association (ALA) Awards! Today is the "Academy Awards" of children's literature. Keep reading for more details...

Below is a complete list of all the winners for the 2010 ALA Awards. These awards include the prestigious "holy trinity" of medals - the Caldecott, the Newbery, and the Printz Medal. These medals honor the best children's illustrated books as well as the best overall children's book and the best in YA fiction. Other prestigious awards include the Coretta Scott King Award, the Batchelder Award, the Belpre Illustrator Award, the Carnegie Award, the Geisel Award, and the Sibert Medal.

A special shout out to some friends, including...

-- GRACE LIN, who won the Newbery Honor for her novel "WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON" (Little, Brown '09).

You can see her live reaction to the phone call at the crack of dawn here: http://outergrace.blogspot.com/2010/01/morning-phone-call.html

Congratulations, Grace! We're so proud of you!!!! For more info on Grace Lin, check out her website here: http://www.gracelin.com/

--  TANYA LEE STONE, who won the Sibert Medal for her book, "ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 WOMEN WHO DARED TO DREAM" (Candlewick Press '09)

YIPPEE Tanya! I met Tanya at the Texas Book Festival in 2008 and she is an awesome writer! I'm so happy for her! To find out more, go to her website here: http://www.tanyastone.com/

-- JOHN PARRA (illustrator) and PAT MORA (author), who won the Belpre Award for Illustration for the children's picture book, "GRACIAS - THANKS" (Lee & Low '09). They are published by my publisher, Lee & Low Books. I'm thrilled for another win for the best multicultural independent publisher in the country. John Parra's website is here: http://www.johnparraart.com/ and Pat Mora's website is here: http://www.patmora.com/

For more info on their book, go here: http://www.leeandlow.com/books/376/hc/gracias_thanks

For more info on the ALA Awards, go here:

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/2010medawardwin.cfm

Below is the list of winners and honor recipients of the 2010 ALA Awards. I hope this list inspires everyone! Happy Writing!

Newbery Medal

"When You Reach Me," written by Rebecca Stead, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books

Newbery Honor Books

"Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" written by Phillip Hoose, published by Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" written by Jacqueline Kelly, published by Henry Holt and Company

"Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" written by Grace Lin, published by Little Brown and Company Books for Young Readers

"The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg" written by Rodman Philbrick, published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Caldecott Medal

"The Lion and the Mouse" illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney, published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers

Caldecott Honor Books

"All the World" illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon, published by Beach Lane Books

"Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors" illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman, puslished by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Printz Medal Winner

"Going Bovine" by Libba Bray, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House

2010 Printz Honor Books

The committee also named four Printz Honor Books:

"Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman, published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. ? ?Once Charles Darwin sets his rational mind to marry the religious Emma Wedgeworth, they both must take a leap of faith in order to build a life together.

"The Monstrumologist" by Rick Yancey, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.? ?Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a monstrumologist, races against time to save his town (and himself) from the anthropophagi, a pod of monstrous creatures who prey on humans.

"Punkzilla" by Adam Rapp, published by Candlewick Press. Fourteen-year-old runaway Jamie, homeless and strung out, embarks on a harrowing journey to reach his dying brother.

"Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973" by John Barnes, published by Viking Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Young Reader’s Group. Karl Shoemaker wants to begin his senior year with a new identity separate from his counseling group, his alcoholic mother and the legacy of his dead father.

2011 Arbuthnot Honor Lecture

Lois Lowry

Batchelder Award

"A Faraway Island" written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books

Batchelder Honor Books

"Big Wolf and Little Wolf" written by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Olivier Tallee, translated by Claudia Bedrick, published by Enchanted Lion Books

"Eidi" written by Bodil Bredsdorff, translated by Kathryn Mahaffy, published by Farrar Straus Giroux

"Moritito II: Guardian of the Darkness" Written by Nahoko Uehashi, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, translated by Cathy Hirano, published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Belpre (Illustrator) Award

"Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros" illustrated by Rafael López, written by Pat Mora, published by Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Belpre (Illustrator) Honor Books

"Diego: Bigger Than Life" illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, published by Marshall Cavendish Children

"My Abuelita" illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston, published by Harcourt Children's Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

"Gracia Thanks" illustrated by John Parra, written Pat Mora, published by Lee and Low Books Inc.

Belpre (Author) Award

"Return to Sender" written by Julie Alvarez, published by Alfred A. Knopf
Belpre (Author) Honor Books

"Diego: Bigger Than Life" written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz, published by Marshall Cavendish Children

"Federico García Lorca" written by Georgina Lázaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro, published by Lectorum Publications Inc.

Carnegie Award

"Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" produced by Paul R. Gagne, Weston Woods Studios, and Mo Willems

Geisel Award

"Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!" written and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes, published by ToON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC

Geisel Honor Books

"I Spy Fly Guy!" written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold, published by Scholastic Inc.

"Little Mouse Gets Ready" written and illustrated by Jeff Smith, published by published by ToON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC

"Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends" written and illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

"Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day" written by Kate McMullan, illustrated by R.W. Alley, published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

Odyssey Award

"Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken" produced by Live Oak Media
Odyssey Honor Audio Books

"In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber" produced by Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

"Peace, Locomotion" produced by Brilliance Audio

"We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball" produced by Brilliance Audio

Sibert Medal

"Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream" written by Tanya Lee Stone, published by Candlewick Press

Sibert Honor Books

"The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors" written by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani, published by Charlesbridge

"Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11" written and illustrated by Brian Floca, published by Richard Jackson/Atheneum Books for Young Readers

"Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" written by Phillip Hoose, published by Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Coretta Scott King Book Award Recipients

Author Award Winner
“Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal,” written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, is the King Author Book winner. The book is illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Illustrator Award Winner
“My People,” illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr., is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Langston Hughes and published by ginee seo books, Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Author Honor Book
“Mare’s War” by tanita s. davis and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Illustrator Honor Books
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes and published by Disney - Jump at the Sun Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
“The Rock and the River,” written by kekla magoon, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
Walter Dean Myers is the winner of this first-ever Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. Myers’ books include: “Amiri & Odette: A Love Story,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; “Fallen Angels,” published by Scholastic Press; “Monster,” published by Amistad and HarperTeen, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers; and “Sunrise Over Fallujah,” published by Scholastic Press.