The Judy Lopez Memorial Awards for Children’s Literature
The Judy Lopez Memorial Awards for Children’s Literature are granted annually to works of literary excellence for nine- to twelve-year-olds. The awards are made in remembrance of Judy Lopez, a founding member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association who was deeply interested in seeing that children’s literature of quality is recognized and rewarded.
Each year, a panel of judges composed of children’s librarians and other professionals in the field of books for young readers selects a winning book and several honor books. Books submitted for the award must have been published in the United States in the year that precedes the award. The author must be a United States citizen or a resident of the United States.
The medal awarded the winning book was designed by sculptor Alex Shagrin and is cast in solid bronze. The medalist and the authors of the honor books are celebrated each June at a reception and dinner held in the Faculty Center of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Established in 1985, the Judy Lopez Memorial Awards for Children’s Literature are administered by the Women’s National Book Association, Los Angeles Chapter, in association with the Judy Lopez Memorial Foundation.
For more information, please go to judylopezbookaward.org
or contact Margaret Byron Flanders,
July Lopez Awards Chairman for WNBA/LA
1225 Selby Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024
meg_flanders@verizon.net
Women’s National Book Association/Los Angeles Chapter Judy Lopez Memorial Foundation
MAY 2, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“GROUNDED” BY KATE KLISE WINS 2011 JUDY LOPEZ MEDAL FOR CHILDREN’S LITERATURE; FOUR HONOR BOOKS ALSO NAMED; JUNE EVENT IN LOS ANGELES WILL CELEBRATE WINNERS
Kate Klise won the twenty-sixth annual Judy Lopez Memorial Medal for excellence in children's literature with her novel "Grounded," published by Feiwel and Friends, a story of family loss and love that is by turns moving and very, very funny as its story plays out among a cast of unforgettable characters in a small town in the Ozark Mountains. “Grounded” and four more outstanding children's books will be celebrated at a reception and dinner to be held on Sunday, June 12, 2011, at the Faculty Center of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Selected as Lopez Honor Books for 2011 were "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia (Amistad), in which three young sisters from New York City become acquainted with their long-estranged mother during the turbulent summer of 1968 in Oakland, California; “The Clockwork Three” by Matthew J. Kirby (Scholastic Press), a richly imagined fantasy novel; “The Haunting of Charles Dickens” by Lewis Buzbee (Feiwel and Friends), a suspense-filled story featuring the great author that takes readers into nineteenth-century London; and “Ninth Ward” by Jewell Parker Rhodes, in which the young protagonist’s strength of character and sense of connection to her community enable her to survive and help others during the devastation created by Hurricane Katrina.
About the event: All friends of children’s literature are invited to attend the celebration of the awards on Sunday, June 12, 2011. The reception and book sales begin at 5 PM, followed by the dinner and program at 6 PM, at UCLA's Faculty Center, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024. For reservations, call 818-363-8650 or see the website at judylopezbookaward.org.
About the awards: The Lopez Awards have been granted annually since 1985 to works of literary excellence for readers aged 9 to 12. They are co-sponsored by the Women’s National Book Association/Los Angeles Chapter, a branch of the national non-profit organization founded in 1917, and by the Judy Lopez Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization created in memory of WNBA/LA founding member Judy Lopez. For more information about the award process or the sponsoring organizations, please see www.wnba-books.org or judylopezbookaward.org.
CLICK HERE to download Judy Lopez winner's list.
