Time for the National Book Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Scott O'Dell Award and the John Newbery Medal. Bright and shiny embossed circlets will be popping up on books in the children's departments of libraries and bookstores. Oh so shiny. Oh so pretty. Certainly well-deserved.
It is a thrill to see children's books receiving the attention which they merit.
But today I found myself looking over my bookshelves and seeing many treasures in my personal collection with no affixed sticker. I lovingly took each book off my shelves and marveled at the stories within the covers. Each has stretched my mind, filled me with wonder, enlarged my understanding, filled my heart.
To each of those books and to the authors, editors, and publishers who have and will continue to publish such books, my gratitude.
Thank you for writing and publishing these books. Thank you for making my world and the worlds of children everywhere a better, richer place.
Please keep writing and publishing.
I will keep reading and sharing.