Schneider Family Book Award

  

          Dr. Katherine Schneider (who has been blind since birth) created an endowment in 2003 to honor authors or illustrators who depict aspects of living with a disability within their children's books. These are a selection of the most recent winners in the young children's category of this ALA sponsored award.

 

      Lyon, G. E. (2010). The pirate of kindergarten. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Illustrated Children's Book: Realistic Fiction. Ginny’s eyes play tricks on her, and the illustrations by Lynne Avril make that painfully clear. Ginny can’t navigate tables in her new school room, nor read as others in her kindergarten class do. Teachers and parents reading this book will wonder why it took so long for Ginny’s teacher to catch on to her disability, but the illustrations and clever text keep the young child engaged. Recommended read-aloud for children three through seven years old; this book explores the differences among us. Laudable are the sketch and water color illustrations paralleling the text. View as a story of a child with a disability who comes to terms with her surroundings. Awarded Family Schneider Award 2011.

     Parker, R. A. (2008). Piano starts here. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books.

Illustrated Children's Book: Biography. This book is a comprehensive following from the youngest years of pianist extraordinaire, Art Tatum, born in Toledo, Ohio to his accomplishments in his young adult years. Blind from birth, Art Tatum learned to play piano at home and church, but in his teens started premiering in late-night spots, accompanied by his dad. The swaying prose is accompanied by stark watercolor illustrations, as Art tells his story of how he started out and how he always remembered his home. Parker’s illustrations add a growing intensity to the narrative that is felt by the reader as we gain insight into how widely recognized Art Tatum will be viewed as a pianist. The endpapers are mesmerizing. Recommend read-aloud for children ages six to eleven, and an independent book for ages nine to adult. Awarded Family Schneider Award 2009.

  Christensen, B. (2009). Django: World's greatest jazz guitarist. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.
Children's Picture Book: Biography This book starts with the birth of Django Reinhardt in a gypsy encampment in Belgium, and follows him through his young years and teens as he becomes an acclaimed Paris performer of classical guitar. Then, at the age of nineteen, Django is severely burned in a camp fire. His left fretting fingers crippled, doctors are certain he’ll never play again. However, as he spends two years recuperating, Django picks up the guitar and proves not only will he play again, but he will become one of the greatest jazz guitarists the world has ever known. The narrative ends with Django’s first public performance after his injuries, but the author includes two pages of endnotes on the remainder of his celebrated life, as well as information on the Roma or gypsy peoples. Poetic free-verse comprises the entirety of the narrative, allowing the reader to lilt through his early life, rise with him at his early success, feel sorrow appropriately, and then share in his determination and inspiration. Christensen’s expressive oil paintings complement the text and mood. Recommend read-aloud for children ages six to eleven, and independent book for ages nine through adult. Awarded Family Schneider Award 2010.