Caldecott, Newbery, King Awards revealed

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- "Criss Cross" author Lynne Rae Perkins and "The Hello, Goodbye Window" illustrator Chris Raschka Monday won the highest U.S. awards in children's literature.

The Newbery medal was awarded to Perkins' "Criss Cross" about four 14-year-olds in a small town, while the Caldecott medal went to Raschka's illustrations for Norton Juster's picture book about a young girl's visit to her grandparents' house, the American Library Association, ALA, announced during its Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio.

It is the second Caldecott for Raschka, who was honored in 1994 for "Yo! Yes?"

John Green's debut "Looking for Alaska" won the 2006 Printz Award for excellence in writing for young adults and "Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas" written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Sucie Stevenson took the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for "the most distinguished beginning reader book," the ALA said.

The Coretta Scott King Award for the best African American young people's author went to Julius Lester for "Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue" and illustrator Bryan Collier received a King award for his pictures accompanying Nikki Giovanni's book, "Rosa."