Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book won the Newberry Medal for children's literature today. Congratulations, Neil!
If you don't know, the Newberry Medal is awarded by the ALA and has gone to such fabulous books as Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan, Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Holes by Louis Sachar in the past, as well as one of my all-time favorite Katherine Paterson books, Jacob Have I Loved, which tells the story of two sisters growing up on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
I thought The Graveyard Book was delightful and highly enjoyable and am thrilled that it will get even more attention and exposure now that it has won an award. It is exactly the sort of book that helped my imagination soar as a child. Also, seeing as how I gave it a positive review here, it is nice to see my opinions backed up by the experts.
Now, if you haven't read The Graveyard Book, go get yourself a copy. You'll be glad you did. Even librarians agree!
I hadn't thought about Jacob Have I Loved in years. Newbury Award winners were a big deal in my school and I remember loving that book when I read it as part of a contest to read the most NA winners (in a month? a school year? can't remember). I have been thinking about which books to bring on vacation and I might head to the library and check out a few old favorites.