The 2020 SCBWI Golden Kite Award and Sid Fleischman Award Winners

The Golden Kite and Sid Fleischman Awards will be presented during the Golden Kite Gala at the New York Winter Conference on Friday, February 7 at 7pm at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Special guest speaker James Patterson will deliver the keynote address.

SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver said of the award,

“The SCBWI is happy to honor writers and illustrators who achieve excellence in their work, and this year, to be able to offer financial awards to both the recipients and the charitable organizations of their choice. It was an extremely large and competitive field, and we thank our renowned panel of judges for working so hard to make these worthy selections.”

THIS YEAR'S GOLDEN KITE AWARD WINNERS ARE...

Young Reader and Middle Grade Fiction: Padma Venkatraman – The Bridge Home (Nancy Paulsen Books)

Four homeless children struggle to create a home under a bridge in Chennai, India.

Young Adult Fiction: Julie Berry – Lovely War (Viking Books for Young Readers)

The goddess Aphrodite narrates the tale of four lovers caught in the sweep of World War I.

Non-Fiction for Younger Readers: Elizabeth Rusch – Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet, illustrated by Teresa Martinez (Charlesbridge)

The true story of how a Mexican American chemist solved the ozone crisis of the 1980s.

Non-Fiction for Older Readers: Deborah Heiligman – Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children’s Ship” (Henry Holt)

Explores the tragic sinking of the SS City of Benares, an English passenger ship of children fleeing Work War II.

Picture Book Illustration: Hyewon Yum – Clever Little Witch, written by Muon Thị Van (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

Young witch Little Linh contends with a new baby brother in a sweet story paired with lively, colorful illustrations.

Picture Book Text: Ashley Benham Yazdani – A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park (Candlewick)

Depicts New York City’s “vibrant jewel” from its birth in 1858 to its role as a social and environmental landmark today.

Sid Fleischman Humor Award Winner: Remy Lai – Pie in the Sky (Henry Holt)

When Jingwen’s life is turned upside down after moving to Australia, where everyone speaks an “alien language”, he finds laughter and the meaning of home in the kitchen with his brother.

THE GOLDEN KITE HONOR BOOKS ARE...

 Young Reader and Middle Grade Fiction: Remy Lai – Pie in the Sky (Henry Holt)

Young Adult Fiction: Elizabeth Acevedo – With the Fire on High (HarperTeen)

Non-Fiction for Young Readers: Curtis Manley – Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet, illustrated by Jessica Lanan (Roaring Brook Press)

Non-Fiction for Older Readers: Ian Lendler – The First Dinosaur: How Science Solved the Greatest Mystery on Earth, illustrated by C.M. Butzer (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

Picture Book Text: Kwame Alexander – The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Versify)

Picture Book Illustration: Frank Morrison – The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop, written by Carole Boston Weatherford (little bee books)

Congratulations to all! Read the full press release from SCBWI here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Golden Kite Winner for Nonfiction for Older Readers: "Vincent and Theo" author Deborah Heiligman: A Brief Interview

In the Nonfiction for Older Reader category, Deborah Heiligman's "Vincent and Theo" won the 2018 Golden Kite Award!

I connected with Deborah via email to learn more... 

Lee: Congratulations on “Vincent and Theo” winning the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for Older Readers! Please tell us what your book is about.​ ​ ​

Deborah: Thank you, Lee. I'm thrilled that it won! Vincent and Theo is about the relationship between the Van Gogh brothers. It is a long-form narrative nonfiction, which I worked on for five years. They style is meant to reflect Vincent's different styles of painting, and the whole book is structured as a walk through a museum show. ​ 

Lee: Why write a book about Vincent Van Gogh now?​

Deborah: Well, I got the idea in Amsterdam in 2011, and I started working on it that fall. It took me a long time to do all the research, and then to write it. I revised it many times. So, while I wish it had come out sooner, it seemed like 2017 was a fine time for it to come out. I think that people are always eager for the inside story on famous people, and I think art matters even in the worst of times. Maybe especially in the worst of times! ​ 

Lee: The Golden Kite is just one of the many awards this book has received. Besides it being awesome, do you have a sense of why this book is resonating with award judges and getting such critical acclaim? (I mean this in the kindest way, I just think it’s fascinating that some author’s books hit different targets, yet many of their books are passion-driven and amazing.)

Deborah: Oh my goodness, I have no idea! I know there are a lot of worthy books published every year. I am just truly grateful that Vincent and Theo resonated with reviewers and judges, and now I hope it has a long life and resonates with many readers. But that's what we all want, isn't it? Our books to reach readers. I hope everyone who is reading this gets that wish fulfilled. 

Thanks, Deborah! 

To find out more about Vincent and Theo and Deborah Heligman, check out Deborah's website here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee