Caldecott Award Winners List

Michigan's west side a hot spot for writers

There's been a profusion of literary output from the west side of Michigan over the last few years. While Bonnie Jo Campbell and Jaimy Gordon have grabbed the biggest headlines for their National Book Award nominations -- while drawing national attention to Western Michigan University's creative writing program -- several other writers working on the west side of the state have also garnered critical acclaim. Here's a brief look at some of western Michigan's brightest literary talents:

Stuart Dybek: Though technically no longer a Michigander (he moved back to his hometown of Chicago a few years ago), Dybek still maintains a home in Kalamazoo and teaches in WMU's summer writing program in Prague. One of America's masters of short fiction, he has taught at WMU for more than 30 years and greatly influenced the development of the graduate program in creative writing.

Heather Sellers: A professor of English at Hope College in Holland, Sellers is the author of the 2010 memoir "You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know," about her rare neurological disorder that prevents her from recognizing people by face. The award-winning book was featured by O, the Oprah Magazine, "Good Morning America," Rachael Ray, NPR and the New York Times.

Rhoda Janzen: Another writer who teaches at Hope College, Janzen is the author of "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress," a 2009 New York Times best-seller. Janzen's memoir tells of her return to her family and their Mennonite faith after her husband left her for a man and she was horribly injured in an auto accident.

David Small: The 2001 winner of the Caldecott Medal, the nation's most prestigious award for the illustration of children's books, Small stunned the literary world in 2009 with "Stitches." The comic book-style memoir recounts his hellish upbringing in Detroit in the 1950s, including how Small's father, a doctor, subjected him to an overdose of radiation that left him unable to speak. Small lives in Mendon.

Melinda Moustakis: A graduate of WMU's doctoral program in creative writing, Moustakis' first book, "Bear Down Bear North," a collection of stories set in Alaska, won the 2010 Flannery O'Connor Award in Short Fiction. Five of her stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. A native of Alaska, Moustakis lives in Kalamazoo.

Adam Schuitema: Another product of the WMU PhD program, Schuitema's debut collection of short stories set in western Michigan, "Freshwater Boys," earned several awards, including being named one of the 20 books on the Library of Michigan's 2011 Michigan Notable Books list. A native of Jenison, Schuitema teaches creative writing, rhetoric and modern literature at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids.

Picture This!: Caldecott Award Winners and Honor Books

Many book stores and libraries have special sections that feature Caldecott-award winning books and honor books. To sit in this section of your local book store or library is to take a history course in American picture books. Many of the delightful books you will find there are still perennial favorites. Be aware that many of the titles might not even sell in today’s difficult market, but we still can learn from them. While the award is given for illustration, you will also find great literature within the pages of these books. This is a warm story of friendship between the zookeeper, Amos McGee, and the animals at the zoo. When Mr. McGee gets the sniffles, he receives a surprise visit from the animals. The illustrations are lovely and award-worthy, but the text is also memorable. The story is unique, uses great language choices, wonderful text features such as parenthetical phrases, and purposeful repetition. Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave written by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Bryan Collier was published by Little, Brown, and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc., © 2010. The realistic illustrations and poetic text are delightful and weave the reader through this non-fiction story. Even if you don’t think you would ever write historical fiction, you need to read this book and study the writing craft that went into the text. Rob Sanders is a writer who teaches and a teacher who writes. He has worked as a writer, educational consultant, editor, editorial manager, product manager, trainer, public speaker, and has served as a trainer and mentor to many writers. Rob currently writes with the 400+ kindergartners through fifth graders at Jackson Elementary School in Plant City, Florida. His first picture book, Cowboy Christmas, has been acquired by Golden Books/Random House and is slated for released in 2012.

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