by hatfield13

Thankful Thursday (with particular gratitude to the ABC!)

Just as I was about to leave school today, I checked my email, and author Katie Davis had forwarded an announcement from the Association of Booksellers for Children.  Her only additional note: "OMG!! Kate!!!"  

I scrolled down and discovered that THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. was one of four books for middle grade readers chosen for the E.B. White Read Aloud shortlist!  The E.B. White Read Aloud Award is a project of the Association of Booksellers for Children, to honor books that are terrific to share aloud and has long been a source of inspiration for our Messner family read-alouds.

So I stared at Katie’s email for a few minutes.  Then I checked the ABC website, you know, to see if she’d just made the whole thing up.  She hadn’t.  You can check out the E.B. White finalists for picture books and books for older readers here.

Whatever happens, I’m so, so honored to have GIANNA Z. included and recommended as a book to share out loud with families and classrooms.  And as one of my Twitter friends so wisely observed, "Any time your name is even used in the same sentence as E.B. White’s, it’s a very good day."    

GIANNA Z.  is in some amazing company on the list, along with Kristen Clark Venuti’s LEAVING THE BELLWEATHERS, Emily Bearn’s TUMTUM AND NUTMEG: ADVENTURES BEYOND NUTMOUSE HALL, and Grace Lin’s WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, which I’ve been reading with my daughter as our bedtime read-aloud. 

In fact, I blogged about it this morning…a full eight hours before I knew that either Grace’s book or mine was on the shortlist.  Weird, huh? 

Somewhere, I suspect E.B. White is smiling.

44 Replies on “Thankful Thursday (with particular gratitude to the ABC!)”

  10. Congratulations, Kate and Gianna!

    You know what a fan I am of Gianna and I am so glad the E. B. White Committee has made this nomination! All best wishes! HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!

  12. Yay! Congratulations! (I recommended “Gianna” to a friend, and she loved it too.)

    I was at the L.A. County Arboretum a few weeks ago, checking out all the different types of leaves. Nerdy, I know. :>)

  21. Thanks, April! Also…I am jealous that you got to go for a walk with Lisa today…I am so looking forward to meeting her (finally!) at ALA.

  24. Thanks, Tami!! And I know I said so already, but I’m sending those congrats right back at you for the OK State Book Award – I loved seeing your pictures!

  25. Thanks, Christine! I spent so much time identifying trees & leaves when I was writing that book that I don’t think I’ll ever think of a “tree” as just a tree again… they’re all oaks, maples, catalpas…

  31. Congratulations! We enjoyed reading it aloud and I look forward to sharing it with future classes, as well.

    Thank you for posting the link to the list. I checked it out and discovered The Curious Garden, which looks like a perfect book to add to our curriculum. Our school is working on developing a gardening program that will be a regular part of the curriculum and that looks like a great mentor text.

  35. I saw that yesterday … and cheered! Okay, so maybe nothing really came out of my mouth, but there were yippees and yahoos nonetheless. Congratulations!

  42. At least you had an excuse. My family probably just thinks I’m weird. :>)

    I’ve been comparing different types of oak leaves (love the configurations, for some reason). I think my favorite Arboretum leaf was a Formosa maple.

  43. Have been away for a few days, but hopping right back on the train to shout out HOORAY for you Ms Messner. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
    Mona