Welcome to the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal home page!
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois. ALSC administers the award.
2013 Medal Winner
Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon,” written by Steve Sheinkin, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press.
A riveting thriller told in three parallel stories: the race against time to build the world's first atomic bomb; the determination to stop the Nazis from developing it first; and the stealthy efforts of Soviet spies to steal the American plans.
“Sheinkin’s page-turning narrative is a thrilling introduction to the science, history, politics and intrigue behind events that changed our world forever,” said Sibert Medal Committee Chair Kathie L. Meizner.
2013 Honor Books
Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, written and illustrated by Robert Byrd and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group
Renaissance man and American founding father, Benjamin Franklin, surges to life in “Electric Ben.” From the electrifying cover to the colonial newspaper format, Byrd’s life of Benjamin Franklin sparkles with as much energy—written and visual—as a book can contain.
Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95, written by Phillip M. Hoose and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers
B95, a four-ounce shorebird, is the subject of a fast-paced tale of endurance. Photographs of the bird are crisp; maps are sharp and well-drawn. From start to finish, Hoose inspires the reader with awe—and worry—for this tiny natural wonder.
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster, written by Deborah Hopkinson and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Hopkinson tells the story of the ill-fated ship in compelling detail, offering a gripping account in the voices of survivors. Drawing upon oral histories, historical photographs, letters, telegrams, maps and menus, she portrays the events that continue to haunt us.
Members of the 2013 Sibert Medal Committee are: Chair Kathie L. Meizner, Montgomery County Public Libraries, Kensington, Md.; Martha Baden, Prescott (Ariz.) Public Library; Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine (Wis.) Public Library; Linda L. Ernst, King County Library System, Bellevue, Wash.; Maralita L. Freeny, District of Columbia Public Library, Washington, D.C.; Carol R. Goldman, Queens Library, Forest Hills, N.Y.; Toby D. Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, Ill.; Dean Schneider, Ensworth School, Nashville, Tenn.; and Stephen A. Zampino, Ferguson Library, Stamford, Conn.
Information books are defined as those written and illustrated to present, organize, and interpret documentable, factual material for children. There are no limitations as to the character of the book, although poetry and traditional literature are not eligible. Honor books may be named; they shall be books that are truly distinguished. The first award was announced at the Midwinter Meeting in 2001 and then presented at the ALSC Membership Meeting held during the Annual Conference.
