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Renée Watson’s ‘All the Blues in the Sky’ wins Newbery Medal for best children’s book

NEW YORK (AP) — Renée Watson’s “All the Blues in the Sky,” in which the author blends poetry and prose to tell the story of a teen confronting the death of her best friend, has won the John Newbery Medal for the year’s best children’s book.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal, for outstanding illustration, was given to Cátia Chien for the summertime picture book “Fireworks,” written by Matthew Burgess.

The Caldecott and Newbery awards, along with dozens of other prizes for children’s literature, were announced Monday by the American Library Association.

Jewell Parker Rhodes’s adventure story “Will’s Race for Home” won the Coretta Scott King Award for best book by a Black author, and R. Gregory Christie won the King illustration award for the book he worked on with author Calvin Alexander Ramsey, “The Library in the Woods.” Author-illustrator Kadir Nelson, whose dozens of credits include the Caldecott-winning picture book “The Undefeated,” received the King-Virginia Hamilton lifetime achievement award.

“The Pecan Sheller,” written by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, won the Pura Belpré author award for Latino literature, and Abraham Matias won the Belpré illustration prize for “Popo the Xolo.” Janelle Brown’s ”What Kind of Paradise,” Daniel H. Wilson’s “Hole in the Sky” and Leila Mottley’s “The Girls Who Grew Big” were among 10 winners of the Alex Award for adult books that appeal to teen readers.

“Halfway to Somewhere,” written and illustrated by Jose Pimienta, won the Stonewall prize for a work of “exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.”

Glen Hansard, Irish musician who won Oscar for ‘Once,’ dies in motorcycle crash

LONDON (AP) — Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who won an Academy Award for the 2007 film “Once,” died in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin early Wednesday, his management said. He was 56. ATC Management told broadcaster RTE Hansard's family was “deeply shocked and heartbroken.” News of his death brought tributes from fellow musicians including Bruce Springsteen, who said on Instagram he was “heartbroken” at the loss of “a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man.” Irish police said a man in his 50s died in single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, on the western outskirts of the Irish capital, before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. The man, who they did not name, was treated at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later.
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