November Nominations: Choose Four

Around this time, the real Caldecott Award committee begins their nomination process, so over here at Calling Caldecott, we will do the same. 

For the real committee, the nomination process consists of three rounds. In the first nomination, committee members nominate three books; in the second, two books; and in the third round, two more books, for a total of seven nominations from each committee member. Nominations are accompanied by brief justification statements, of around 100 words. Each committee member must choose seven distinct titles and not repeat a title in subsequent nomination rounds. A book must be nominated by someone on the committee in order for it to be considered for the award, so this is a crucial step. 

According to the Caldecott Medal Committee Manual, “Serious consideration is to be given to all nominated books, including those with minimal support.” The nomination process is a crucial step in the process: it’s a necessary narrowing down of the field. It forces the committee to take a step back and think about what their top seven books are and why, and then to take a step forward with the titles they believe are worthy of serious award consideration. 

Over here at Calling Caldecott, we will also call for your nominations, but we will simplify the process by asking for two rounds of nominations instead of three. Let this blog post serve as the call for the first nomination round;  the second round will occur in early December, where we will ask for three nominations (for a total of seven distinct titles). 

While Calling Caldecott has its own list of books that it’s covering on the blog, your nomination does not have to come from that list, especially if you have something in mind that you think is overlooked. 

So what are you waiting for? Give us a list of four nominations: in comments, list four titles (and author/ illustrator names). If you’re up to it, you can also say why you’re nominating the book, but that’s not required. 

The first Calling Caldecott nomination round will close on November 7th. We will post the list of nominations on November 9th. 

We look forward to hearing what your nominations are, and to the conversation! 

Julie Hakim Azzam

Calling Caldecott co-author Julie Hakim Azzam is a communications project manager in Carnegie Mellon University's Finance Division. She holds a PhD in literary and cultural studies, with a specialization in comparative contemporary postcolonial literature from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Southeast Asia. Her most recent work focuses on children's literature, stories about immigrants and refugees, and youth coping with disability.

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Abby Gail

AN AMERICAN STORY - Dare Coulter (illustrator)/Kwame Alexander (Author);

THE WALK - E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)/Winsome Bingham (Author);

BIG - Vashti Harrison;

THE ARTIVIST - Nikkolas Smith

Posted : Nov 08, 2023 01:12


Ronni Diamondstein

Beautiful Noise by Lisa Rogers

A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes

Tomfoolery by Michele Markel

Evergreen by Matthew Cordell

Posted : Nov 07, 2023 01:37


Allison GroverKhoury

Remember by Joy Harjo/Michaela Goade,

An American Story, Kwame Alexander/Dare Coulter,

Fungi Grow by Maria Gianferrari/Diane Sudyka,

Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter/Daniel Miyares

Posted : Nov 06, 2023 09:37


Betsy BIRD

An American Story by Kwame Alexander, ill. Dare Coulter

There Was a Party for Langston, King of Letters by Jason Reynolds, ill. Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey

Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan

Tomfoolery: Randolph Caldecott and the Rambunctious Coming-of-Age of Children’s Books by Michelle Markel, ill. Barbara McClintock

Posted : Nov 06, 2023 02:43


Matthew Bowers

The North Wind and the Sun - Stead

There Was a Party for Langston - Pumphrey & Pumphrey

Jumper - Lanan

Finding Papa - Bui

Posted : Nov 04, 2023 12:04


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