Association
of Jewish Libraries
2008 Sydney Taylor Children's Book Awards
[PRESS RELEASE: Chicago -
January 7, 2008]
Sarah Gershman and Kristina Swarner, author and
illustrator of The Bedtime
Sh'ma: A Good Night Book, Sid
Fleischman, author of The
Entertainer and the Dybbuk, and SoniaLevitin, author of Strange Relations, are the
2008 winners of the prestigious Sydney
Taylor Book Award.
The Sydney Taylor Book Award of the
Association of Jewish Libraries honors new books for children
and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while
authentically portraying the Jewish experience. The award memorializes Sydney Taylor, author of the classic
All-of-a-Kind Family series.
The winners will receive their awards at the Association of Jewish
Libraries convention in Cleveland, Ohio this June at a special ceremony
celebrating the 40th anniversary of the award.
Gershman and Swarner will receive the 2008 gold
medal in the Sydney Taylor Book
Award's Younger Readers Category for The Bedtime Sh'ma: A Good Night
Book, published by EKS Publishing. With accessible
language, this book helps young children understand the meaning and
concepts of the Sh'ma prayers. The stunning artwork matches the
mood of the text, and the words of the prayer (in Hebrew, English, and
transliteration) are beautifully integrated into double spread
illustrations. "The soothing and soulful voice of Rabbi Julia
Adelman on the included CD will lull the listener to sleep with sweet
dreams," adds Kathy Bloomfield
a member of the Award Committee. The book is recommended for children
up to grade 2.
Fleischman will receive the
2008 gold medal in the Sydney Taylor
Book Award's Older Readers Category for The Entertainer and the Dybbuk,
published by HarperCollins Children's Books. When the spirit of a
12-year old Jewish boy, murdered by the Nazis, possesses the body of an
American GI traveling through Europe as a second-rate ventriloquist,
the pair is able to unmask the Nazi responsible. "Fleischman's
knowledge of ventriloquism and senses of humor and humanity craft an
imaginative and haunting story, and although all the action takes place
after the war, the sense of loss and tragedy echo through the book,"
comments Kathe Pinchuck,
incoming Chair of the Award Committee. "Wry humor adds dimension
to the characters and suspense accelerates the pace." The book is
recommended for grades 6-8.
Levitin will receive the 2008
gold medal in the Sydney Taylor Book
Award's Teen Readers Category for Strange Relations,
published by Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.
Fifteen-year-old Marne decides to spend the summer with her Aunt Carole
in Hawaii. But, Aunt Carole is now Aunt Chaya, married to a
Chabad Rabbi with seven children. What Marne anticipates will be
a relaxing summer of jogging on the beach, surfing, sun tanning, and
shopping turns out to be a summer of exploration, spirituality, and
growth. "Levitin skillfully writes from the perspective of a
contemporary teenager and realistically deals with issues such as
drinking, drugs, sexuality, and peer pressure," notes RachelKamin, Chair of the Award
Committee. Levitin also
won the 1987 Sydney Taylor Book Award
for The Return and
two honor awards for The
Singing Mountain (1998) and SilverDays (1989).
Six Sydney Taylor Honor Books
were named for 2008. For Younger
Readers, Honor Books are: The Castle on Hester Street
by Linda Heller with
illustrations by Boris KulikovLetter
on the Wind by Sarah Lamstein with illustrations by Neil Waldman (Boyds Mills Press),
and Light written and
illustrated by Jane Breskin Zalben
(Dutton Children's Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers
Group). For Older Readers, the
Honor Books are: Holocaust:
The Events and Their Impact on Real People by Angela GluckWood with consulting by Dan Stone (DK Publishing in
association with USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and
Education) and The Secret of
Priest's Grotto by PeterLane Taylor and Christos Nicola (Kar-Ben).
For Teen Readers, the Honor Book is Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Mirjam Pressler, translated from the
German by Erik J. Macki (Front
Street). It should be noted that The Castle on Hester Street
won the Sydney Taylor Book Award when
it was first published in 1982 by the Jewish Publication Society, and
its Honor Award this year is due to Boris
Kulikov's new illustrations.
In addition to the medal-winners, the Award Committee designated
twenty-three Notable Books of Jewish
Content for 2008: eleven in the Younger Readers Category, eight in
the OlderReaders Category, and four for Teens. Notable
titles, and more information about the Sydney Taylor Book Award, may be
found online at http://www.SydneyTaylorBookAward.org.
A special video announcement of the awards can also be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/SydneyTaylorAward.
About the Association of Jewish
Libraries
The Association of Jewish Libraries
promotes Jewish literacy through enhancement of libraries and
leadership within Judaica librarianship. Visit our website at http://www.jewishlibraries.org .
For more information, please contact:
Rachel Kamin, Chair
Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee
Association of Jewish Libraries
847/376-2797
rachel@sydneytaylorbookaward.org