The Banquet is a culmination of the ALA Annual Conference for me, and definitely caps off another great year of books. I also love that it comes just as I've ended a school year. It's also fun to dress up (cuter shoes than usual) and see friends, and we're all anticipating the wonderful speeches we know we will hear that night.
This year, I was a guest of the the kind team from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. I so enjoyed their company, and loved having the chance to chat with a few of their authors. So wonderful to share this evening with them!
Three awards were given on this night: the 2016 Newbery Medal (and Honors), the 2016 Caldecott Medal (and Honors), and the 2016 Wilder Award (hence the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder name).
Pam Muñoz Ryan (Echo), Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (The War That Saved My Life) , and Victoria Jamieson (Roller Girl) received their Newbery Honor Awards, and Matt de la Peña (Last Stop on Market Street) accepted his Newbery Medal with a powerful and inspirational speech. I loved that he began by running off the stage to give the Newbery Medal to his mom!
Bryan Collier, Kevin Henkes, Ekua Holmes, and Christian Robinson received their Caldecott Honor Awards, and Sophie Blackall (Finding Winnie) accepted her Caldecott Medal with a beautiful speech. I love that she gave a shoutout to her illustrator studio friends, and had her editor, Susan Rich, read aloud an email during her speech. As is tradition, the Caldecott Medal winner designs the programs for the Banquet, and Sophie's was absolutely lovely, of course. I take mine home, and add it to the others in my collection, admiring their art each time I work in my office.
The Wilder Award is given to an author or illustrator (U.S.) whose works have had a powerful impact on children's literature, and this year's recipient was illustrator Jerry Pinkney. His speech was wonderful as well, and afterwards, I immediately wanted to reread all of his books. (I also felt this way last year when Donald Crews accepted his award in San Francisco.)
As a school librarian, the night is very special for me. Each speech truly is an authentic lesson in children's literature. Gathered in a huge ballroom, as we are all sitting there listening, clapping, crying, and laughing together, enriched by each moment. The Banquet illuminates the beauty and power of books, and inspires us to continue in our respective roles. We bid each other adieu until next year, returning to our libraries, offices, classrooms, and studios, fed and inspired for another year. I walk away grateful for the experience, and, in the back of my mind, wondering who we will celebrate next year.
I will continue to celebrate children's literature in my library all year long, reflecting back on The Banquet as a precious lifetime memory.