Children's Choices Book Awards

There are three more days remaining in Children's Book Week. Travel to the CBC site to see all the fantastic things that happened in the past week to celebrate books, reading, and children.

One of the highlights of the week was the first annual Children's Choices Book Awards. The children are no longer just seen, they have spoken and they say they like books.
Especially these ones:




Frankie Stein by Lola M. Schaefer - honorary Charlesbridgian, though we no longer have her book.




Big Cats by Elaine Landau, author of Popcorn.




Encyclopedia Horrifica by Joshua Gee, a book we would have totally stolen from the library when we were in fifth grade.




Ian Falconer was voted Illustrator of the Year.





And, underdog J.K. Rowling was voted Author of the Year.




Perhaps not the best part of a trip to New York City to celebrate great books and our privilege to publish them, but certainly a close second, was getting to stay at the Ye Olde Carlton Arms Hotel. Forget the money because it's wicked cheap. It's cheap for Kansas, let alone New York City, but you want to go for the funky, fresh art. Every inch of the joint is covered in paint lovingly applied by the hand of an Artiste. While my travel companion's room was beautiful, it did not whisper 'sweet dreams' in my subconscious. Still, it was clean, it had it's own bathroom, and it was original. At Charlesbridge we appreciate the original (which explains Jerry Pallotta).

On the other hand, my room was a beautiful Chagallian dreamscape of floating, rapturous lovelies pointing the way to Heaven and the sleep of the innocent. The woman yelling for attention on 6th Avenue at 3:00 AM was in juxtaposition to my idyllic wonderland.

All in all, I would gladly return to NYC for the Children's Choices Book Awards next year. The tiny tacos were awesome!

Posted by Donna