IPSWICH, Mass. — June 5, 2019 — EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) and the Graphic Novel Committee of the Children’s Book Council announced Speak: The Graphic Novel, written by Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrated by Emily Carroll, as the 2019 recipient of the SEE-IT™ Award.
Laurie is a New York Times Bestselling Author, a two-time National Book Award nominee, and the proud recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award winner given by the YALSA division of the American Library Association for her contribution to young adult literature. Emily Carroll is an award-winning Canadian comics creator. She has received several honors, including the Eisner Comic Industry Award and the Ignatz Award.
SEE-IT Award Juror Francisca Goldsmith says, “Seeing Laurie Halse Anderson’s contemporary classic Speak as a graphic novel in the sensitive art of Emily Carroll is to take yet an even more intimate step into the world of their character Melinda. Just as Anderson developed a protagonist who, after a traumatic event that leaves her mute, finds her way to communicating again, through art, Carroll’s grayscale images do indeed speak to readers. Melinda’s posture, expressions, and experiences are faithful to the original text while expanding Anderson’s verbal descriptions to show us exactly how Melinda’s world presents itself to her and through her recovery of voice.”
Developed by EBSCO and the Children’s Book Council, the SEE-IT Award recognizes the cultural and literary impacts of youth graphic novels and was designed to celebrate the year’s most distinguished graphic novels for young readers. Finalists, announced in April 2019, included:
- Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Ari Folman and illustrated by David Polonsky (Pantheon)
- The Cardboard Kingdom, written and illustrated by Chad Sell (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
- Hey, Kiddo, written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Scholastic/Graphix)
- Illegal, written by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin and illustrated by Giovanni Rigano (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky)
- The Prince and the Dressmaker, written and illustrated by Jen Wang (First Second)
EBSCO Information Services Vice President of Product Management for Books, John Brennan, says the SEE-IT Award recognizes the impact that youth graphic novels have on young readers of all levels. “Due to their visual nature, graphic novels have the ability to immerse young readers in a way that other mediums may not. We are proud to support an award that celebrates the rise of this unique literary art form and its positive influence on readers of all ages.”
A total of 168 submissions from 42 publishers were evaluated by a panel of ten librarian jurors, with each submission weighted against the following criteria:
- Literary quality
- Interweaving of art and story
- Lasting impact and distinguished contributions to youth literature
- An audience range of K-12, or young readers through young adults
For more information on the SEE-IT Award, visit the SEE-IT website at: https://www.ebsco.com/see-it.
About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the leading discovery service provider for libraries worldwide with more than 11,000 discovery customers in over 100 countries. EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) provides each institution with a comprehensive, single search box for its entire collection, offering unparalleled relevance ranking quality and extensive customization. EBSCO is also the preeminent provider of online research content for libraries, including hundreds of research databases, historical archives, point-of-care medical reference, and corporate learning tools serving millions of end users at tens of thousands of institutions. EBSCO is the leading provider of electronic journals & books for libraries, with subscription management for more than 360,000 serials, including more than 57,000 e-journals, as well as online access to more than 1,000,000 e-books. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., a family owned company since 1944.
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For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Vice President of Communications
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebsco.com
