Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winners

"This award honors Mildred L. Batchelder, a former executive director of the Association for Library Service to Children, a believer in the importance...more "This award honors Mildred L. Batchelder, a former executive director of the Association for Library Service to Children, a believer in the importance of good books for children in translation from all parts of the world. She began her career working at Omaha (NE) Public Library, then as a children's librarian at St. Cloud (MN) State Teachers College, and subsequently as librarian of Haven Elementary School in Evanston, IL. She eventually joined the ranks of the American Library Association in 1936. Batchelder spent 30 years with ALA, working as an ambassador to the world on behalf of children and books, encouraging and promoting the translation of the world's best children's literature. Her life's work was "to eliminate barriers to understanding between people of different cultures, races, nations, and languages."

This award, established in her honor in 1966, is a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States. ALSC gives the award to encourage American publishers to seek out superior children's books abroad and to promote communication among the peoples of the world.

As of 1979 the award has been given annually to a publisher for a book published in the preceding year. Before 1979, there was a lapse of two years between the original publication date and the award date; to convert to the new system, two awards were announced in 1979: one for 1978 and one for 1979. Beginning in 1994, honor recipients were selected and announced as well. In a year that the committee is of the opinion that no book of that year is worthy of the award, none is given. The award is decided on and announced at the Midwinter Meeting of ALA, and the winning publisher receives a citation and commemorative plaque. The presentation used to be made on April 2, International Children's Book Day, but is now given at the ALA Annual Conference held each summer."

-ALA Website(less)

Winners

	Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak 3.90 avg rating — 82 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2012)	My rating:
	A Faraway Island by Annika Thor 3.74 avg rating — 301 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2010)	My rating:
	Moribito: Guardian Of The Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi 3.92 avg rating — 628 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2009)	My rating:
	Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe 3.98 avg rating — 697 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2008)	My rating:
	The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat 3.77 avg rating — 299 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2007)	My rating:
	An Innocent Soldier by Josef Holub 3.60 avg rating — 68 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2006)	My rating:
	The Shadows of Ghadames by Joëlle Stolz 3.62 avg rating — 79 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2005)	My rating:
	Run, Boy, Run by Uri Orlev 3.99 avg rating — 165 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2004)	My rating:
	The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke 3.86 avg rating — 24,800 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2003)	My rating:
	How I Became an American by Karin Gundisch 3.36 avg rating — 14 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2002)	My rating:
	Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi 3.33 avg rating — 94 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2001)	My rating:
	Baboon King by Anton Quintana 3.24 avg rating — 25 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (2000)	My rating:
	Thanks to My Mother by Schoschana Rabinovici 4.35 avg rating — 251 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1999)	My rating:
	The Robber and Me by Josef Holub 3.56 avg rating — 18 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1998)	My rating:
	The Friends by Kazumi Yumoto 3.96 avg rating — 106 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1997)	My rating:
	The Lady with the Hat by Uri Orlev 3.81 avg rating — 16 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1996)	My rating:
	The Boys from St. Petri by Bjarne Reuter 3.41 avg rating — 82 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1995)	My rating:
	The Apprentice by Pilar Molina Llorente 3.62 avg rating — 104 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1994)	My rating:
	Man from the Other Side by Uri Orlev 3.45 avg rating — 49 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1992)	My rating:
	A Hand Full of Stars by Rafik Schami 4.06 avg rating — 80 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1991)	My rating:
	Buster's World by Bjarne Reuter 3.50 avg rating — 38 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1990)	My rating:
	Krücke by Peter Härtling 3.31 avg rating — 16 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1989)	My rating:
	If You Didn't Have Me by Ulf Nilsson 2.67 avg rating — 3 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1988)	My rating:
	No Hero for the Kaiser by Rudolf Frank 4.09 avg rating — 11 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1987)	My rating:
	Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti 4.17 avg rating — 293 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1986)	My rating:
	The Island on Bird Street by Uri Orlev 4.08 avg rating — 224 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1985)	My rating:
	Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren 4.25 avg rating — 4,116 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1984)	My rating:
	Hiroshima No Pika by Toshi Maruki 3.97 avg rating — 131 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1983)	My rating:
	Battle Horse by Harry Kullman 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1982)	My rating:
	De kinderen van het Achtste Woud by Els Pelgrom 4.00 avg rating — 8 ratings Mildred L. Batchelder Award (1981)	My rating: