Sam Juliano

"I’m pretty happy with these results! I hope the real committee will give more love to RADIANT CHILD and FREEDOM IN CONGO SQUARE! Such powerful stories & illustrations. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to write about LEAVE ME ALONE! As always, it’s fun to come to this space and talk about good books. :)" The above comment was posted of course by Alia Jones! Wow! She really ROCKS!!!!

Posted : Jan 23, 2017 02:56

Jonathan Hunt

Six honor books? ????

Posted : Jan 20, 2017 08:02

Rachel Payne

Thanks for a great discussion! I have mostly been lurking, but I have enjoyed dipping in from time to time. I second what Robin has said, that choosing honor books is a difficult process. The manual is murky at best. While I love the diversity of the six honor books selected by Calling Caldecott, a real committee, looking at that point spread, could have made a different choice. They could have stopped honor recognition at Some Writer or even Thunder Boy, jr., deciding that 1-2 honors is just fine. Can't wait to hear what the 2017 committee honors! Wishing them well as they gather in their secret room tomorrow.

Posted : Jan 20, 2017 02:16

Sam Juliano

"But I know the committee does not care about Calling Caldecott or any other blog–they will dig much deeper and each of the members of the committee will have read each of the titles very very carefully, over and over again. AND, they will vote much more carefully than I voted with our little online ballot, knowing that each vote can push a book forward…or knock it off the table. I well remember the sickening feeling when I voted my year. I would fold my ballot" Robin, obviously there is quite a bit of truth to the first part of your statement as two years ago after THE FARMER AND THE CLOWN dominated Calling Caldecott and was a huge favorite with the Horn Book writers and many other on line sites, it failed to finish in the Top 7 of the Real Committee. I am not myself complaining as though I did like the book (and like it now even more) I did not vote for it on the Calling Caldecott ballot. The result that year confirms a position I have maintained for decades, and I say this as a newly-minted and appreciative member of the American Library Association: It is highly unlikely that different committees will come up with the same results no matter how many times they look at the books. There can never be a BEST here or in any other awards in all the other arts. Art is subjective. But I understand that the Caldecotts never intended that designation. What they do each and every years is the best possible manner to hand out awards - get a relatively smaller group (15 or 16) and let them disect an ungodly number of books under the specified guidelines. But as we saw with FARMER, there is a great deal of "taste" to be accounted for in the final balloting. Not a special ability to ascertain flaws or inherent attributes but taste and perception. Taste will always play a major role. As a classroom teacher and a review writer I know I have looked at these books 50 to 60 times each, some even more. Every new viewing brought something new to the table pro or con. It all depends on how serious each person is with this system and the books themselves. I am not on the committee but I have been living and breathing these titles all through the year. I know there are a number of others not on the committee who have been too, not to mention the vigilant writers from the major blogs. Then there is the matter of PAST committee members who now only have a say on the Calling Caldecott blog. Surely these past members understand and appreciate a book's artistry within the proper specifications. I respect the committee GREATLY. And whatever result they come up with on Tuesday I will celebrate it. I will promote it. I will talk as if the results are the final word on picture book awards for the year. And I will go in pocket to make sure that I own the same books all over again just to have the medals on them. But deep down I know the results in part comes down to the committee's artistic dynamic and how quickly said committee makes the final decisions. A slower process could indicate more honor books, a faster one less honor books. I am just speculating here. I don't know for sure. I know you were on the committee and know the ins and outs, I am an outsider just attempting to get an idea in my mind how it all comes to pass. Perhaps the GREATEST compliment I can give any committee member is not how they exercise subjective artistic judgement, but rather how they manage to set aside personal feelings for artists and authors they may have had a longtime reverence for. That to me is inordinately difficult. I honor and respect the ALA system. They do after all now represent me and all the other members. I will openly defend their final choices. When I said I mourned the five artists whose books didn't make the final cut after they passed into the second and final round of the Calling Caldecott, I basically was saying "too bad they all couldn't get Calling Caldecott Honors" but we know that is not remotely possible. As it is the Horn Book opted for a more generous embrace, and ever a proponent of more honors I applaud the decision vigorously. But I was speaking only of the Horn Book's vote, not anything about what will happen Tuesday or about what the committee thinks of the Horn Book results. The committee of course will put aside any of that as well they should. The last four years the Calling Caldecott Final Winner did NOT match up with the Actual Winner: 2013: HBCC Winner - Extra Yarn Caldecott Winner - This is Not My Hat 2014: HBCC Winner - Journey Caldecott Winner - Locomotive 2015: HBCC Winner - The Farmer and the Clown Caldecott Winner - Adventures of Beekle 2016: HBCC Winner - Last Stop at Main Street Caldecott Winner: Finding Winnie In all but ONE instance the HBCC winner did receive an HONOR. I will say this. I dod think the HBCC winner if 2013 was the right one. I feel Klassen's greater book was and is EXTRA YARN. The committee gave both books medals but opted to go with HAT for the top one. I predict the run will be broken on Monday morning when the Real Committee anoints THEY ALL SAW A CAT for the gold. But my prediction is worthless, especially as I have been wrong way more than I have been right. And when the results are announced I will mourn those books that I am particularly sad about being omitted. But I will mourn for maybe one hour. Then I will celebrate and promote what my fellow ALA members have exhaustively and painstakingly chosen. :) Robin, I must thank you, Martha, Lolly, Sam, Alia, Thom (and of course Roger) and many others for this exhaustive coverage, one I deeply looked forward to and appreciated greatly. I know well the work, dedication and passion that went into it, and was enriched by the entire experience. Thank you too for allowing me to express my own views.

Posted : Jan 19, 2017 10:58

Alia

I'm pretty happy with these results! I hope the real committee will give more love to RADIANT CHILD and FREEDOM IN CONGO SQUARE! Such powerful stories & illustrations. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to write about LEAVE ME ALONE! As always, it's fun to come to this space and talk about good books. :)

Posted : Jan 19, 2017 08:51

Emmie Stuart

Robin, Martha, and Lolly, Thanks for such organizing and providing such a wonderful place to discuss picture books during the months leading up to the ALA awards. The thoughtful and enriching discussions on Calling Caldecott provide an extra dimension to the 2016 picture book year. The insights from the three of you regarding the Caldecott criteria as well as the selection process and committee procedures are so valuable! So from all the readers of Calling Caldecott...thank-you, thank-you for your hard work and dedication.

Posted : Jan 19, 2017 06:00

Alyson Whatcott

Great list! So happy to see They All Saw a Cat on the top of your list. Our class (second graders in Acton, MA) held a Mock Caldecott as well. Here is our list: Winner: Leave Me Alone, by Vera Brogsol Honors: Nanette's Bagette, by Mo Willems Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis They All Saw a Cat, by Brenden Wenzel Alyson Whatcott Merriam Elementary Grade 2 Acton, MA

Posted : Jan 19, 2017 01:48

Allison Grover Khoury

Well, I'm stunned by our results! I was not expecting They All Saw A Cat to be the winner of our mock Caldecott vote. As much as I like it, and enjoy the illustrations SO much, plus my students LOVE it (!!), it was not even on my voting decision radar. Can't wait for Monday. My students are very excited - we are voting this week in each class for a medal and two honors and the results are wildly different. Thanks, too, Robin for your further explanation. I really understand so little about the voting process even tho' I read the criteria every year, and study the explanations. I mourn Giant Squid - from the first round to the second - just so incredible. And I am sad about Radiant Child - one of my top books of the year. Thanks to everyone again this year - just love this blog - feel parched all summer til we hear from you in September.

Posted : Jan 19, 2017 02:21

Robin Lynn Smith

Dear all, Forgive this long "comment." Yes, Jules, it was a wild card year! When I look at the voting of the readership, it makes me all the more grateful that the Real Committee's deliberations will be secret and that the people on the real committee have a whole year to do their research. They will not be influenced by online or offline popularity contests like our blog probably is. Like most of you, I live in the social media world and am able to see people share our ballot and ask their friends to vote for their favorite books. It's natural to want to support your favorite books, but that is the opposite of what really happens on the committee. (When real committee members might state aloud during discussion how much children or their parents love a book, the chair or other members will be very quick to remind the whole committee that popularity is not part of this award.) When Sam mourns for Sergio or Javaka or anyone else, I get it. But I know the committee does not care about Calling Caldecott or any other blog--they will dig much deeper and each of the members of the committee will have read each of the titles very very carefully, over and over again. AND, they will vote much more carefully than I voted with our little online ballot, knowing that each vote can push a book forward...or knock it off the table. I well remember the sickening feeling when I voted my year. I would fold my ballot in half and reluctantly turn it in, knowing that I would never have enough space on that ballot to honor all the books I loved. Some books were simply not going to win a spot on the slate. Gulp. That third place slot takes a long time to decide. The other part of voting that is difficult to describe is the how honor books are decided. That is left rather cloudy, isn't it? It can be rather challenging to decide what to do about honor books. On one hand, the committee is ecstatic about deciding on a winner. On the other hand, the committee has to get past that heady feeling, take a short break and then hash out the honor books. It is Not Easy. I hope that Calling Caldecott has helped our readers find new books and appreciate each of them--now we all wait for the announcements on Monday morning. I am very excited. Some of my favorites are not even on the second ballot, which is often the case. I think there will be some surprises on Monday morning--I hope so!

Posted : Jan 18, 2017 10:29

Julie Danielson

What a wild card year this one is (or feels to me).

Posted : Jan 18, 2017 07:21

Sarah M

Oh I was so hoping for Some Writer! Tough competition this year. Congrats to the winner!

Posted : Jan 18, 2017 07:11

Sam Juliano

I mourn for Sergio Ruzzier, Jevaka Steptoe, Jon Klassen, John Hendrix and Lisa Brown as ALL are fantastic books, but the results are glorious and generous! Yes anything can happen Monday, But it does seem to me that the writing if on the wall with one specific book. Certainly a mighty great one as are the six fabulous Honor books awarded here.

Posted : Jan 18, 2017 05:51