This week, Jacqueline Woodson receives the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award; Kazu Kibuishi throws a first pitch; Susanna Reich and Gary Golio are awarded the Alice Curtis Desmond Award; Elise Parsley sticks her neck out; and DDG Booksellers find good homes for their ARCs.
A Night to Remember
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jacqueline Woodson received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award during a ceremony held in the Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 28. During her acceptance speech, Woodson spoke about the value of kindness, saying: “As I moved through this country this week, again and again, I was reminded that first and foremost, we must remain kind. That kindness—the kindness of family and friends and strangers, has gotten so many of us through hard times.” Here, H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria presents the award to Woodson.
Play Ball!
Kazu Kibuishi, author of the Amulet series, threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on May 27. Kibuishi was invited to do the honors after Trevor Gooby, v-p of ballpark operations for the Mariners, reached out to him because his kids are big fans of his books. Kibuishi invited Gooby and his children—who want to draw comics—to visit his studio. During the visit, Kibuishi shared how much he loved baseball as a kid, “so they decided to bring me into the Mariners family in a fun way,” said Kibuishi. “It’s a dream come true!”
Something to Sing About
Susanna Reich (Stand Up and Sing: Pete Seeger, Folk Music and the Path to Justice) and Gary Golio (Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song) jointly received the Alice Curtis Desmond Award. The honor is presented each year by the Desmond-Fish Library in Garrison, N.Y., to recognize excellence in creating children’s books. Singer-songwriter Dar Williams introduced the husband-and-wife pair, who then took the stage to accept their awards.
Standing Tall
Author-illustrator Elise Parsley celebrated the launch of Neck & Neck (Little, Brown) at Barnes & Noble in Sioux Falls, S.D., on June 5. Parsley read to attendees, who enjoyed giraffe-themed snacks, giraffe-shaped balloons, and sported specially designed Neck & Neck headbands.
Summer Reading Ready!
DDG Booksellers in Farmington, Maine, saved up their middle grade and YA ARCs for more than a year and donated them to Mt. Blue Middle School in Farmington. At a school event, students were invited to peruse the titles and each select a book to take home for summer reading. Each book included a bookmark that asked students to send their thoughts to the store on the books after they read them.
