Bulletin honors year's best books with Blue Ribbons

The staff at the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB) has announced the 2011 Blue Ribbons, their choices for the best of children's and YA literature for the previous year. Blue Ribbons are chosen annually by the Bulletin reviewers and represent what they believe to be outstanding examples of fiction, nonfiction, and picture books for youth.

Over thirty titles received Blue Ribbons in 2011, and the full list is available on the Bulletin's website.

BCCB editor Deborah Stevenson said, "Like last year, we had a strong showing for younger children’s books this year, rather than the YA-dominant lists we’ve often encountered of yore, so we’re happy that readers will find much to delight them even before middle school. In excellent news for the just-post-toddler crowd, the picture book list is also rich for the young end of their audience. Our fiction list is an intriguing mix, with history, fantasy, and realism all represented, each in several very different ways (albeit with an oddly generous helping of the death-related). The nonfiction category has a certain old-school flair, breathing new life into iterations of actual classics and classic topics for results that will immeasurably enhance several curricular units as well as bring joy to recreational readers."

Archived lists of Blue Ribbon winners dating back to 1990 are also available.

The Bulletin, founded in 1945, is one of the nation's leading children's book review journals for school and public librarians.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

iSchool undergraduates selected as 2025 Community Academic Scholars

The Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI) has selected BSIS student Dhanvi Puttur and BSIS+DS student Lara Terpetschnig as 2025 Community-Academic Scholars. Representing nineteen majors and nine minors in eight colleges and schools at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and two additional universities, the eighteen scholars in this cohort encompass diverse fields of study, from community health to graphic design to statistics. 

He receives Amazon Research Award to improve monitoring of Earth’s ecosystem

A new project led by Professor Jingrui He aims to help scientists monitor disruptions to the Earth’s ecosystem, such as climate change. She recently received support for her work through an Amazon Research Award, which includes $60,000 in cash and an additional $40,000 in Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits.

Jingrui He

Scholarship provides validation, motivation for Martinez

BSIS+DS student Fabian Martinez chose his major because he wanted to learn how to help people understand and interpret data and information. While his immediate plans include finding a job in data analytics, business analytics, consulting, or product management, his ultimate goal is "to create meaningful relationships and help make a meaningful impact in the world" in whatever way he can.

Fabian Martinez graduation

Spectrum Scholar Spotlight: Guadalupe Castillo

Twelve iSchool master's students were named 2024–2025 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. This "Spectrum Scholar Spotlight" series highlights the School's scholars. MSLIS student Guadalupe Castillo earned her BA in international studies and Spanish and Latin American literature from the University of California, San Diego.

Guadalupe Castillo

Kemboi receives the Research and Advocacy Social Justice Award

PhD student Gladys Kemboi has received the 2025 Research and Advocacy Social Justice Award from the Office of Diversity & Social Justice Education in the Office of Student Affairs. She was presented with the award at the Social Justice Awards Ceremony, which was held on April 8 in the Illini Union. The annual event honors and celebrates the work and dedication of University of Illinois community members seeking to create a more inclusive and equitable campus.

Gladys Kemboi