Horace Mann Upstanders Book Award
2010 National Horace Mann Upstanders Children’s Literature Award Announced
February 18, 2010 – Culver City, CA – The 2010 National Horace Mann Upstanders Children’s Literature Award winners reinforce the importance of encouraging young readers to recognize injustice and take a stand against it. Since 2007 Antioch University’s Education Department in partnership with the South Bay Literacy Foundation and the Better World JL Institute jointly work to honor and promote upstander-themed
books that inspire young readers to action.
“The Horace Mann Upstanders Book Awards are all about encouraging children to become civically engaged and to become active members in our democratic society” said Dr. Neal King, President of Antioch University Los Angeles. “At AULA we are passionate about social change and we believe there is no better way to encourage this behavior than through literature”
The winner to receive this year’s 2010 award is:
The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman, Illustrated by David Roberts and published by Candlewick Press.
The story: Miss Breakbone hates kids. Especially the time-squandering, mindwandering, doodling, dozing dunderheads in her class. But when she confiscates Junkyard’s crucial find, she finally goes too far. Enter Wheels, Pencil, Spider, and their fellow misfits in a spectacular display of teamwork aimed at teaching Miss Breakbone a lesson she won’t soon forget. From the incomparable Newbery Award winner Paul Fleischman comes a winning cast of underdogs -- and one of the most terrifying teachers you’ll ever meet -- brought to vivid life in David Roberts’s quirky, hilarious illustrations. Dunderheads, unite!
The Honor Books include
Sparrow Girl-by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Yoko Tanaka
Big Bear Hug-written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland (Kids Can Press)
Finding Lincoln-by Ann Malaspina, illus by Colin Bootman (Albert Whitman Co.)
Duck and Cover-written and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic
How Robin Saved Spring-by Debbie Ouellet, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli
The Curious Garden-written and illustrated by Peter Brown
First Come the Zebra-written and illustrated by Lynne Barasch
Weezer Changes the World-written and illustrated by David McPhail
The Hair of Zoe-by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Nasreen’s Secret School-written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter
Over 150 books were nominated for the 2010 National Horace Mann Upstanders Children’s Literature Award. Graduate students in the education department of AULA were the first readers of the nominees and the final panel of judges included literary and social justice professionals.
This is the third year that the Education Department of Antioch University Los Angeles has given this award. In 2008 the winner was Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice by Frank and Devon Asch (Kids Can Press). The 2009 winner was Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen (Dial-Penguin)
The award will be presented to Paul Fleischman on June 28th at the annual conference which will be held at the Actors Gang Theatre in Culver City. The conference is free to the public. Diana Cohn and Paula Yoo will also be speaking at the event. Diana Cohn is the author of Dream Carver, Si, Se Puede/ Yes We Can!, The Bee Tree, Mr. Goethe’s Garden and Namaste! Paula Yoo is the author of Good Enough and Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story.
More information about the event and the award can be found at upstanderstaward.org
Paul Fleischman's Bio
