Blue Ribbons - The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books - Non-Fiction

Christchurch City Libraries lists literary prize winners and links to catalogue searches, but we may not hold copies of all titles mentioned.

Blue Ribbons are chosen annually by the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books staff and represent what they believe to be the best of the previous year’s literature for youth.

2009

The story of snow: the science of winter’s wonder: Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson; illustrated by Nora Aoyagi with photographs by Mark Cassino
Moonshot: the flight of Apollo 11: Written and illustrated by Brian Floca
Charles and Emma: the Darwins’ leap of faith: Deborah Heligman
Claudette Colvin: twice toward justice: Phillip Hoose
Down down down: a journey to the bottom of the sea: Written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Truce: the day the soldiers stopped fighting: Jim Murphy
A whiff of pine, a hint of skunk: Written by Deborah Ruddell; illustrated by Joan Rankin
Red sings from treetops: a year in colors: Joyce Sidman; illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Opuestos: Mexican folk art opposites in English and Spanish: Cynthia Weill; illustrated with photographs by Sergio A. Gómez
Pharaoh’s boat: Written and illustrated by David Weitzman

2008

Frogs: Written and illustrated with photographs by Nic Bishop
What’s eating you?: parasites — the inside story: Nicola Davies ; illustrated by Neal Layton
Falling hard: 100 love poems by teenagers: Betsy Franco, ed.
Abe Lincoln crosses a creek: a tall, thin tale (introducing his forgotten frontier friend): Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by John Hendrix
This is your life cycle: Heather Lynn Miller; illustrated by Michael Chesworth
Face to face with frogs: Written and illustrated with photographs by Mark W. Moffett
We are the ship: the story of Negro League baseball: Written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Punk rock etiquette: the ultimate how-to guide for DIY, Punk, Indie, and Underground Bands: Written and illustrated by Travis Nichols
Abe’s honest words: the life of Abraham Lincoln: Dorreen Rappaport; illustrated by Kadir Nelson

2007

The strongest man in the world: Louis Cyr: Written and illustrated by Nicolas Debon and with photographs.
Henry’s freedom box: Ellen Levine; illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Houdini the handcuff king: Jason Lutes; illustrated by Nick Bertozzi
Good masters! Sweet ladies!: voices from a medieval village: Laura Amy Schlitz; illustrated by Robert Byrd
The wall: growing up behind the Iron Curtain: Written and illustrated by Peter Sís

2006

Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the front lines of the civil rights movement: Ann Bausum
Sea horse: the shyest fish in the sea: Chris Butterworth; illustrated by John Lawrence Candlewick
The poet slave of Cuba: a biography of Juan Francisco Manzano: Margarita Engle; illustrated by Sean Qualls
5,000 miles to freedom: Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin
Memories of survival: Esther Nisenthal Krinitz and Bernice Steinhardt; illustrated by Esther Nisenthal Krinitz
Giants of science: Isaac Newton: Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Boy, were we wrong about dinosaurs!: Kathleen V. Kudlinski; illustrated by S. D. Schindler
Kampung boy: Written and illustrated by Lat
Stompin’ at the Savoy: the story of Norma Miller: Norma Miller; edited by Alan Govenar; illustrated by Martin French
The hero Schliemann: the dreamer who dug for Troy: Laura Amy Schlitz; illustrated by Robert Byrd

2005

Go figure!: a totally cool book about numbers: Johnny Ball
Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler’s shadow: Susan Campell Bartoletti
How the Amazon queen fought the Prince of Egypt: Tamara Bower
Chameleon, chameleon: Joy Cowley
Invisible allies: microbes that shape our lives: Jeanette Farrell
Understanding the Holy Land: answering questions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Mitch Frank
I see a kookaburra!: discovering animal habitats around the world: Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
The forbidden schoolhouse: the true and dramatic story of Prudence Crandall and her students: Suzanne Jurmain
John Lennon: all I want is the truth: Elizabeth Partridge
Song of the water boatman and other pond poems: Joyce Sidman
Secrets of a Civil War submarine: solving the mysteries of the H. L. Hunley: Sally M. Walker

2004

Odd boy out: young Albert Einstein: Written and illustrated by Don Brown
Poop: a natural history of the unmentionable: Nicola Davies; illustrated by Neal Layton
The voice that challenged a nation: Marian Anderson and the struggle for equal rights: Russell Freedman
Andy Warhol: prince of pop: Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Sweet Jasmine, nice Jackson: Robie H. Harris; illustrated by Michael Emberley
Curse of the pharaohs: my adventures with mummies: Zahi Hawass
Actual size: Written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Remember: the journey to school integration: Toni Morrison

2003

Strange Mr. Satie: M. T. Anderson
Close to shore: the terrifying shark attacks of 1916: Michael Capuzzo
Bow wow meow meow: it’s rhyming cats and dogs: Douglas Florian
The man who walked between the Towers: Mordicai Gerstein
Runaway girl: the artist Louise Bourgeois: Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
September 11, 2001: attack on New York City: Wilborn Hampton
An American plague: the true and terrifying story of the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793: Jim Murphy
Blues journey: Walter Dean Myers
God went to beauty school: Cynthia Rylant
One is a snail, ten is a crab: a counting by feet book: April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre
The world according to Dog: poems and teen voices: Joyce Sidman

2002

Outside the lines: poetry at play: Brad Burg
Phineas Gage: a gruesome but true story about brain science: John Fleischman
Hole in my life: Jack Gantos
Action Jackson: Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Hello Benny!: what it’s like to be a baby: Robie H. Harris
Rescued images: Ruth Jacobsen
A cool drink of water: Barbara Kerley
To fly: the story of the Wright Brothers: Wendie Old
This land was made for you and me: The life & songs of Woody Guthrie: Elizabeth Partridge
Revenge of the whale: the true story of the Whaleship Essex: Nathaniel Philbrick
Fossil fish found alive: discovering the Coelacanth: Sally M. Walker

2001

Countdown to independence: a revolution of ideas in England and her American Colonies: 1760-1776: Natalie S. Bober
The stable rat and other Christmas poems: Julia Cunningham
Lizards, frogs, and polliwogs: Douglas Florian
My family shall be free!: the life of Peter Still: Dennis Brindell Fradin
Vincent Van Gogh: portrait of an artist: Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
A poke in the I: a collection of concrete poems: compiled by Paul Janeczko
The cod’s tale: Mark Kurlansky
The lamp, the ice, and the boat Called Fish: based on a true story: Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Carver: a life in poems: Marilyn Nelson
Martin’s big words: the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Doreen Rappaport

2000

America’s champion swimmer: Gertrude Ederle: David A. Adler
Sir Walter Ralegh and the quest for El Dorado: Marc Aronson
Dragon bones and dinosaur eggs: a photobiography of explorer Roy Chapman: Ann Bausum
Uncommon traveler: Mary Kingsley in Africa: Don Brown
Frank O. Gehry: outside in: Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Blizzard!: Jim Murphy
So you want to be President?: Judith St. George
The serpent slayer and other stories of strong women: adapted by Katrin Tchana
Pedro and me: friendship, loss, and what I learned: Judd Winick