If your kids enjoy informational books, you want to know about the Robert F. Sibert Medal, an annual award for children's informational books. The 2012 Sibert Medal winner and 2012 Sibert Honor books will appeal to a wide range of ages.

2012 Robert F. Sibert Medal

Melissa Sweet, author and illustrator of Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade is the winner of the 2012 Robert F.

Sibert Medal. (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2011. ISBN: 9780547199450) .
Balloons Over Broadway is the story of Tony Sarg, the man who invented the wondrous giant balloons that have been the centerpiece of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City since their debut in 1928. Sweet's mixed media illustrations are inspired and the story of Tony Sarg is a fascinating one.

Very young children will enjoy the illustrations while kids 7 to teenage will be intrigued with the Sarg's development of the big balloons. An Author's Note provides additional information about Tony Sarg and about Sweet's illustrations. There is also a bibliography and a source list.

According to Andrew Medlar who chaired the 2012 Sibert Committee, “Sweet’s book rose above all others this year by brilliantly showing and telling the story of one person’s ideas with passion and panache, demonstrating the very best of what an informational book can be." (Source: ALA Announcement, 1/23/12)

The 2012 Sibert Honor Books

There are four 2012 Sibert Honor Books. The quotations below come from the 1/23/12 ALA announcement cited above.
Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene ‘Bull’ Connor, written by Larry Dane Brimner
(Calkins Creek, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc., 2011. ISBN: 9781590787663) .

The authors of Black & White shed light on civil rights history by focusing on two men on opposing sides in Birmingham, Alabama, and the local and national impact of their confrontation. The author's used oral histories, FBI records, court documents and more to compile the story. The striking design and dramatic historical photographs in Black & White add to the informational book's impact. "This powerful examination of a crucial dichotomy in the civil rights movement focuses on two polar opposites—one man committed to ending segregation, and one just as determined to see it maintained—with visual elements as arresting as the stimulating words."

Drawing from Memory, written and illustrated by Allen Say
(Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2011. ISBN: 9780545176866) .

Allen Say's Drawing from Memory is the poignant, yet positive, story of his development as an artist against the wishes of his father and with the help of a mentor. The book's format and illustrations reflect the impact comics had on Say's development as an artist. The book will be of particular interest to tweens, teens and adults who have enjoyed Say's picture books about the immigrant experience and to young artists finding their own way.

The Elephant Scientist, written by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson, photographs by Caitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwell
(Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2011. ISBN: 9780547053448) .

The Elephant Scientist is part of the Scientists in the Field series, an excellent series for middle grade readers. In less than 75 pages, illustrated with striking photographs, the authors provide the fascinating story of one scientist in the field in Africa, Caitlin O'Connell. Extras include maps, a Pachyderm Terms glossary, a bibliography and an index.

Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer
(National Geographic Society, 2011. ISBN: 9781426308697) .

"Whether being introduced or reintroduced to the topic, readers will be stunned by the research and accusations in this pivotal drama of American history. With a size reminiscent of a prayer book and startling scratchboard-style illustrations, this work of art presents an account of our past and asks questions of our future."

For more good informational books, check the Sibert award winners from previous years also. They include Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot, another book from the Scientists in the Field Series, which was the 2011 Sibert Medal winner.