How to Win a National Book Award: A Primer

• Published in: The ALAN review Vol. 32; no. 3; p. 24
• Main Author: Hautman, Pete
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Youngstown Assembly on Literature for Adolescents -- National Council of Teachers of English 01.07.2005
• Subjects: Awards; Book awards; Nominations; Novels; Young Adults; New York; United States > US
• DOI: 10.21061/alan.v32i3.a.5
• ISSN: 1547-741X; 0882-2840

The Newbery, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Caldecott, the Printz, or-while we're dreaming here-how about a freaking National Book Award!? I suppose you could wager one or more of your children on a horse named Lotsa Luck. [...]they haven't asked me for any money, nor have they used my Social security number in an identity theft scam. [...]the winners are announced, each by the chair of the judging panel in each category, beginning with the nonfiction finalists. The way it works is that the panel chair goes on at some length about what they were looking for, and what they found in their search for the best books of the category, and what qualities were exemplified by the as-yet-unnamed winning book. [...]everyone in the audience is listening for clues as to which book is about to be named, and Lois Ruby, in keeping with the amped-up dramatic structure of the Awards Ceremony, packs her talk with vague hints, red herrings, and generalities. [...]they haven't asked me for any money, nor have they used my Social security number in an identity theft scam.