2011-2012 Book Awards

Was your book published in 2011? Do you want to enter your book for awards? Some deadlines have passed, but several awards are still accepting submissions. Here are three lists that I created of awards for children’s picture books. I rank the awards as “Best”, “Recommended”, or “Expensive”. Keep in mind these lists are not meant to be comprehensive. There are hundreds of awards out there!

BEST PICTURE BOOK AWARDS
(Organized chronologically by the deadline due date for a book with a 2011 copyright.)

Year	Name	Deadline	Winners Announced	Minimum Cost
2012	IRA Teacher’s Choices List/Awards	7/22/11	4/29/12	FREE
2011	Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards	9/17/11	10/17/11	$95
2012	Benjamin Franklin Awards	9/30/2011 or 12/31/11	4/1/12	$90
2012	Reader Views Annual Literary Awards	10/31/11	3/25/12	$75
2012	Wanda Gág Read Aloud Book Award	12/16/11	5/1/12	FREE
2012	Theodor Seuss Geisel Award	12/31/11	1/15/12	FREE
2012	Caldecott	12/31/11	1/15/12	FREE
2012	Notable Children’s Books	12/31/11	1/15/12	FREE
2012	Gryphon Award	12/31/11	2/1/12	FREE
2012	Golden Kite Award (SCBWI)	12/31/11	8/1/12	FREE
2011	ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards	1/13/12	5/1/12	$99
2012	Indie Book Awards	2/24/12	5/1/12	$75
2012	Giverny Book Award	3/1/12	4/1/12	FREE
2012	Boston-Globe Horn Book Award	5/15/12	6/1/12	FREE

Click on the award above to visit its page or learn more about each award on my upcoming blog post entitled: FOURTEEN PICTURE BOOK AWARDS.

RECOMMENDED PICTURE BOOK AWARDS
(Organized chronologically by the deadline due date for a book with a 2011 copyright.)

Year	Name	Deadline	Winners Announced	Minimum Cost
2012	Children’s Choices Reading List/Award	7/22/11	4/1/12	CBC member ship
2011	Parent’s Choice Awards	8/22/11	11/17/11	$100
2011	USA Best Books Awards	9/30/11	10/31/11	$69
2012	Nautilus Awards	1/15/12	6/1/12	$155
2012	IPPY Award	3/15/12	5/1/12	$75

Click on the award above to visit its page or learn more about each award on my upcoming blog post entitled: FIVE PICTURE BOOK AWARDS YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE.

EXPENSIVE PICTURE BOOK AWARDS
The minimum cost is per title per category. Late entries for the Learning Magazine Awards can cost $225/category. 

Year	Name	Deadline	Winners Announced	Minimum Cost
2012	Learning Magazine Teacher’s Choice Awards for the Family	7/22/11	12/2/11	$195
2013	Learning Magazine Teacher’s Choice Awards for Classroom	?	?	$195
2013	Learning Magazine Teacher’s Choice Awards for Children	?	?	$195
2012	Mom’s Choice Awards	Varies	Varies	$300
2012	Children’s Choices Reading List/Award	7/22/11	4/1/12	CBC member ship

Learn more about these awards on my upcoming blog post entitled: THE HIGH COST OF ENTERING or AWARDS FOR THE BOTTOMLESS BUDGET.

Most states also give awards for picture books. In order to be considered for a state award, your book must be assigned to the state reading list. Cynthia Leitich Smith compiled a great list of State Awards for Children’s and YA Books.

State Book Awards are also listed at:

http://www.corecollections.net/lib_book_awards.htm

Here is great blog post about evaluating the benefits of literary awards. This post has some great advice. I highly recommend reading it before entering your unpublished (or published) work into a contest:

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2010/12/some-tips-on-evaluating-literary.html

Do you know of an award not listed on this page? Let me know via email: authorvisits @ tammybronson.com.

Help Libraries Destroyed by Hurricane Irene

I stumbled across a blog post on August 31 by a fellow SCBWI author who is heartbroken by the destruction of a small town library. Hurricane Irene destroyed the entire children’s collection at Wells Memorial Library in Upper Jay, New York.

Click to visit Kate's Blog.

When award-winning children’s author Kate Messner saw the destruction first-hand, she posted pictures and wrote a moving story pleading for help. Kate’s article inspired me to donate autographed copies of my picture books to help rebuild the library’s collection.

Posted August 31st, Kate’s story was quickly picked up by NPR’s All Things Considered and School Library Journal. Word has also spread quickly through Facebook and Twitter, and if you visit Kate’s original post, you’ll see she’s already updated  her article with a quick “How to Help” guide and more information about additional libraries destroyed by flooding.

Her Live Journal also has information about how to donate to the Silent Auction being held for Wells Memorial Library.

More Information:

Wells Memorial Library Website

Kate Messner’s Website

Vermont Libraries Destroyed

New York Libraries Needing Help

LibraryJournal.com article covering destruction in NY, NJ, & VT.

North Carolina Libraries Mostly Undamaged

List of Libraries in Need @ LibraryThing

2011 Fall Retreat

If you want to write for children, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a great organization to join. Although it is an international organization with annual meetings in New York City (January) and Los Angeles (August), your membership entitles you to participate in conferences and/or retreats happening in any state or region around the world. Attending a conference or retreat will give you the opportunity to fine tune your manuscript by getting feedback from an editor or literary agent. You will also learn what types of manuscripts editors or literary agents want to publish.

St. Scholastica Monastery

The Arkansas SCBWI writer’s retreat occurs every fall, and in recent years writers from across the state have converged on the Saint Scholastica Retreat Center in Fort Smith for three days of intensive work on their writing. The retreat center, sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters, shares a 66 acre wooded area with Saint Scholastica Monastery, and the secluded setting is the perfect spot for contemplation and inspiration. I attended in 2009 and 2010, and during both retreats I made great progress with the revisions for my novel.

Sadly, I will be out of the state during the conference this year, but you may be able to attend! If you submit pages from your manuscript by October 1st, you will receive feedback from the editor at the retreat. The 15th annual Arkansas SCBWI Fall Retreat for Writers of Children’s Literature (November 4th-6th, 2011) will feature hands-on workshops led by Stacy Cantor Abrams, editor at Walker Books for Young Readers, and guidance on craft issues by Anna Myers, an Oklahoma author of nineteen novels for middle-grade and young adults.

You must be an SCBWI member to attend. Registration is usually by invitation only, and reservations are on a first come, first served basis. Email the Retreat Director (retreat @ arkansasscbwi.org) if you are interested in joining SCBWI and attending the retreat.

Cost:

SCBWI Membership: First year is $85. Annual renewal fee is $70. Join SCBWI

Arkansas Fall Retreat: $280 (Includes meals, snacks, all sessions, and private rooms with a shared bath.)

For more information, visit these websites:

Arkansas SCBWI

Arkansas SCBWI Retreat Page

Join SCBWI

Anna Myers Main Website

Books Published by Bloomsbury Kids