NEWBERY

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My book SIMON SORT OF SAYS won both a Scheinder Family Honor and a Newbery Honor.

Like everyone else in kid-lit, I had a high-stress weekend leading up to the Youth Media Awards. It’s possible I made eight dozen cookies. Sunday morning, I glanced at the phone and there was a message on it. It was the committee from the Schneider Family Book Award – that’s the book award for putting the disability experience on the page -- and they were asking me to call them back.

I figured if I’d heard from one committee, the other wouldn’t be calling. I tried not to let that be bittersweet. I was – and am – genuinely thrilled that Simon Sort of Says is a Schneider Family Book Award honor book. In the book, Simon, who has PTSD slowly comes to the realization that he is not defined – that none of us are defined – by the worst thing that ever happened to him. If just one reader with PTSD finds this book because the Schneider honor, and hears that message for themselves, that would be an incredible thing.

But if I am honest, I admit the Newbery is the award I’ve wanted my whole professional life. I have a feeling I’m not supposed to admit that, as if ambition were bad, but it’s true. And because the pundits were saying this year there might be a chance, I’ve been on edge since October. So when the phone rang again at 9 PM --- I don’t think I handled it with sangfroid. In fact I think I made some rabid raccoon noises at the committee.

I know I cried.