The 2012 Caldecott Medal winner–awarded to the artist of the year’s most distinguished American picture book for children–is A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka.

This year’s Caldecott Honor books are:
Blackout, written and illustrated by John Rocco
Grandpa Green, written and illustrated by Lane Smith
Me … Jane, written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell

The 2012 Newbery Medal winner–awarded to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children–is Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos.

The year’s Newbery Honor books are:
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Here are links to lists of past winners:
Caldecott Medal and Honor books, 1938 to present
Newbery Medal and Honor books, 1922 to present

Looking over the lists I see a couple of family favorites. As part of a train-loving family, my boys enjoyed The Polar Express by Chris Vans Allsburg, the 1986 Caldecott Medal winner. And one of my personal favorites on the list is Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann, a 1996 Caldecott Honor book.

I remember when my youngest son read Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, a 1965 Newbery Honor book, and it’s a book I still recommend to grade-schoolers when they need a historical-fiction chapter book.

Do you recognize any old favorites on the lists of medal winners and honor books? Books you loved as a child, or maybe books you read to your children and grandchildren? Tell us in the comments.

Here’s to award-winning reading,
Janice

Need forms?

We’ve got you covered.

And if you love mysteries, now is the time to follow this link.  This is the most charming example of library advocacy, activism, art and mystery I’ve ever encountered.  Also, a pretty neat example of gratitude.  And the pleasure of surprises.

If you love books, click here!

P.S.: Don’t miss the update at the top of the page, after you’ve read it through once.

Want to brush up your computer skills? We’re now offering drop-in computer training sessions.

Tuesdays 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wednesdays 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. & 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 

Come in for guided training and practice sessions to learn basic computer skills including:

• creating an email account,
• navigating the Internet for basic searching and online commerce,
• learning Microsoft Office programs,
• searching the library catalog and online references,
• using social networking sites,
• managing ebooks & audiobooks.

The sessions are individually paced, and practice time is available on library computers or your own laptop. 

Contact us by email at blibrary@ci.burlington.wa.us or call 360-755-0760 if you have questions. Meanwhile, the links on our Learn to Use a Computer page will help you get started. 

~Janice

Here’s what Google looks like:

And Wikipedia:

So what’s up?  If you care about your Internet access, you’ll want to be informed about SOPA and PIPA, two proposed national legislations in the news currently.  And here, courtesy of The Rumpus, is a great list of options for educating yourself in your preferred tone of voice.  (I especially appreciate the inclusion of LOLCat, but that’s just me.)

********************************************************
“You don’t need to be a tech nerd to want to know what’s up with the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its counterpart the Protect IP Act (PIPA), so here are some links to help you understand SOPA/PIPA and today’s blackout.  After those links you’ll find a few to help you take action, if you so choose.

If you want to go to the source and read the actual House legislation, here’s a pdf for SOPA.
Similarly, if you want the actual Senate legislation, here’s a pdf for PIPA.

If you want something that summarizes SOPA/PIPA and the Wikipedia blackout, here’s a very basic understanding from ABC News.

If you want CBS News to explain what it believes you need to know on the issue, here’s that summary.

If you want FOX News to explain it to you in its own special way, here’s that link.

If you want the New York Times to explain it to you, you know where to go.

If you want an incredibly specific website to explain SOPA, try here.

If you want to read Obama’s Administration’s response, read this.

If you want a daily technology news website’s take, visit Wired.com‘s explanation of why it went dark today.

If you still don’t understand how SOPA/PIPA might affect you, try reading this CNET article for an FAQ.

If you require a lolcat connection, then watch “The Day the LOLcats died” video.

If you can only function in internet lists mainly composed of graphics, then check out the Washington Post’s collection of the five best anti-SOPA protests from today’s blackout.

Now, as far as taking action goes…

If you’re looking to contact your officials, you visit their websites for direct contact information.  You can call their offices or you can send an email.  Or both.

• Visit Congress’s website and type your zip code in to the box at the top right: http://www.house.gov/
• Visit the Senate’s website and use the drop-down state selection at the top right: http://www.senate.gov/

If you want to sign the Google petition, go here: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

If you want to sign the petition on sopa.com, it’s as easy as going to: http://www.sopa.com/“

                                             –The Rumpus

A free one-hour webinar on the use of this resource is available.   

Title:  Search Essentials: the basics of ReferenceUSA

Day/Date: Offered Fridays (January 13 –  March 30)

Time:  11:00 AM Central

Lots of time will be reserved at the end of the session for questions.  Attendees need an internet connection and a phone line to participate. 

To register for any of the session dates, follow the link below:

ReferenceUSA Search Essentials

At our monthly staff meeting yesterday morning I asked each staff member to share “what they’re reading” right now– here’s the list. You can see, we’re a pretty varied bunch, as far as our literary tastes go. Hopefully this variety will give you an idea for your next good read.

Sarah Lunde: The girl of fire and thorns by Rae Carson. This first book in a medieval fantasy trilogy follows the adventures of 16-year-old Princess Elisa.

Angelica Ascencio: There’s something about Christmas by Debbie Macomber. A small-town Washington news reporter learns to love fruitcake in this take on A Christmas Carol.

Karen Prasse: The shallows: what the Internet is doing to our brains by Nicholas G. Carr. As the Internet causes us to become ever more adept at scanning and skimming, are we losing our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection?

Lisa Anderson: Halt’s peril by John Flanagan. Book number nine in the Ranger’s Apprentice series finds Halt, Will, and Horace back on the trail of the same vicious, thieving outlaws.

Cherí Torrence: Stardust by Neil Gaiman. A charming fairy tale in the tradition of The princess bride and The neverending story.

Rachel Gage: Thereby hangs a tale: a Chet and Bernie mystery by Spencer Quinn. Number two in the mystery series narrated by Chet, a 100-pound crime-fighting canine.

Janet Royer: Wesley the owl: the remarkable story of an owl and his girl by Stacey O’Brien. Biologist and owl expert O’Brien chronicles her rescue of an abandoned baby barn owl–and their astonishing and unprecedented 19-year life together.

Mary Beth Conlee: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. A timely portrait that pulls no punches, and gives insight into a man whose contradictions were in many ways his greatest strength.

Janice Burwash: The discovery of witches by Deborah E. Harkness. witches, vampires, and demons outnumber humans at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, where witch and Yale historian Diana Bishop discovers an enchanted manuscript, attracting the attention of 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont: Harry Potter + Twilight for grown-ups. Number two in the series is set to come out in July.

Maggie Buckholz: Blood Red Road by Moira Young. In a distant future, when eighteen-year-old Lugh is kidnapped, his twin sister Saba trails him across bleak Sandsea. A possible “read-alike” for fans of The hunger games. (On order for our Teen collection.)

Eileen Barnes: The river why by David James Duncan. First published more than two decades ago, this classic has become on of the most widely read fiction titles about fly-fishing. (Not in our collection, but available from several of our “reciprocal borrowing” partners.)

So there you have it, we’re reading a mix of fiction, non-fiction, children’s, Teen, and adult titles. What are you reading?

~Janice