Science fiction, fantasy works, writers among ALA award winners

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Science fiction, fantasy works, writers among ALA award winners
January 10, 2011
Elaine Frei
SFF Chronicles

Science fiction and fantasy made a respectable showing when the American Library Association announced its annual awards on 10 January at its midwinter conference in San Diego, California.

Ship Breaker (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), by Hugo and Nebula Award winner Paolo Bacigalupi, was awarded the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults. Ship Breaker is a post-apocalyptic adventure set on the US Gulf coast after all the world’s fossil fuels have run out and after rising sea levels have submerged coastal cities around the world.

The Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production went to The True Meaning of Smekday (Listening Library), written by Adam Rex and narrated by Bahni Turpin. A science fiction story for children ages 9 through 12, The True Meaning of Smekday concerns an 11-year-old girl who has to get along on her own after her mother is abducted by aliens.

The Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime contributions in writing for young adults was given to Terry Pratchett, best known for his Discworld series of fantasy novels, which tell stories of life on a flat world which sits on the backs of four elephants standing on the back of a turtle.

Other prizes awarded at the conference included the prestigious Caldecott and Newberry Medals, for outstanding children’s picture book and the most distinguished contribution by an author to children’s literature.