Librarian Leaps: 2019 Youth Media Awards Recap

Third grade Everett with his teacher Mrs. DeMassio and their golden medal cookies.

HELLO 2019 YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS!

I must believe that if I put off writing about our Youth Media Experience, that it didn't actually happen and therefore, it's not technically over.

HOWEVER, it has been nearly two weeks. Lives have changed. Kids have declared "my book won" and we must now emotionally be ready to move on. I read my first 2020 contender in 2019 and am now working on my second. Wake up, Stacey (slaps face). The 2019 award season is over and it is time to. move. on.

Here's a small recap:

Merci's #1 Fan!

The WHOLE day of January 28 was dedicated to the love of literature. We celebrated, cheered, leapt, held our breath, drum rolled, screamed, smiled, bit our nails...all in anticipation of the award announcements. We wore t-shirts expressing our favorite books and authors. Our friends hugged us when our books won and theirs didn't. And we all ate golden medal cookies.

We watched performances from Newbery contending books (AND the Newbery medal book and honor book). We viewed sculptures and read reasons why books should win the Sibert medal and were thrilled when our books were announced for both the Sibert and the YALSA Nonfiction award.

SO many of the books we were championing won awards. Check out this bulletin board I made outside the library with EVERY book we read in one grade or another BEFORE the awards. Every book posted had at least one fan, most had more.

Last April we threw book birthday parties (with Skypes) for Alma and How She Got Her Name and Hello Lighthouse. I was informally observed in November while sharing one of the books that won a Caldecott Honor (A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin--gorgeous!). It was a win-win-win year all around!

January 28, 2019. It was a day to remember. I'm sure Meg, Sophie, Juana and many others will agree.