2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Finalists and Winner Announced
July 11, 2012
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is pleased and proud to announce the finalists for the 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction. Established in 2008 to honor the wishes of young adult author Amelia Elizabeth Walden, the award allows for the sum of $5,000 to be presented annually to the author of a young adult title selected by the ALAN Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Committee as demonstrating a positive approach to life, widespread teen appeal, and literary merit.
Updated July 23rd to add:
The winner of the 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award is:
Shine by Lauren Myracle (Amulet Books)
The other 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award finalists are:
The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow (HarperCollins)
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Philomel Books). This book was also a 2011 Cybils Award finalist in Young Adult Fiction.
Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Margaret K. McElderry Books). This book was also the 2011 Cybils Award winner for Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Lee & Low Books)
All Walden Award titles will be identified by an award sticker—gold for the winner and silver for the four finalists. The winning title and finalists will be honored on Monday, November 19th at the 2012 ALAN Workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be invited to participate in a panel discussion.
The 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee would like to thank: the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Foundation, the ALAN Executive Council, the ALAN Board of Directors, NCTE, and the thirty publishers who submitted titles for consideration.
The 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee considered nearly 300 young adult titles throughout the process. The committee was comprised of eleven members representing the university, K-12 school, and library communities. They are:
Ricki Ginsberg, Committee Chair
Classroom Teacher, Rockville High School, Vernon, CT
Wendy Glenn, Past Chair
Associate Professor, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Carolyn Angus
Director, George G. Stone Center for Children’s Books, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
Jonatha Basye
Librarian, Ralston High School, Ralston, NE
Lois Buckman
Librarian, Caney Creek High School, Conroe, TX
Jeff Harr
Classroom Teacher, Theodore Roosevelt High School, Kent, OH
Jeff Kaplan
Associate Professor, College of Education, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Kellee Moye
Classroom Teacher, Hunter’s Creek Middle School, Orlando, FL
Mindi Rench
Classroom Teacher, Northbrook Junior High School, Northbrook, IL
Lois Stover
Professor, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St Mary’s City, MD
Diane Tuccillo
Teen Services Librarian, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO
For more information on the award, please visit ALAN Online: The Official Site of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents.