The author of a story about a boy convicted of a crime he didn't commit and the illustrator of a book about a photographer who wants to capture the beauty of snowflakes were the respective winners of ALA's prestigious Newbery and Caldecott awards for 1999, which were announced at the Association's Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.
Louis Sachar was named the winner of the Newbery Award for his book Holes, published by Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus and Giroux.
Mary Azarian was honored for her woodcut illustrations in the book Snowflake Bentley, published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Among other awards announced February 1 were the Coretta Scott King Author Award, which went to Angela Johnson for Heaven (Simon & Schuster), and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, given to Michele Wood for i see the rhythm (Children's Book Press).
The Web site of ALA's Association for Library Service to Children offers a complete list of children's authors honored by this year's award committees.
Posted February 8, 1999.