Okay, folks, listen up. We're giving out awards. Not to you, necessarily, but you might get to help us pick. Might, I say, because if you nominate a Dora- or Arthur tie-in book, I will have to come over there and hurt you.
Kelly at Big A little a has the details.
We need a name for the thing. Leave a suggestion for a contest name in the comments here so a secret cabal of kidlit bloggers can perform incantations and eldritch rituals over the names and select the right one by tonight.
Then I'll make the appropriate sacrifices to the domain gods, who will bless me with the sacred URL so that I may consecrate another blog for the contest. Very complicated stuff, these awards.
So far, Kelly's daughter has suggested the Belugas, which conjures up that Raffi song I like a lot, but others may think it silly or unlovely or already trademarked.
Have at it! If your contest name is chosen, you get a shout-out in our first post from the newly inaugurated contest blog later this week. We will also wave our magic wand so your hair doesn't fall out.
See? It's working already.
Oh, I could use that hair spell. Autumn always thins my hair out. I'll keep thinking...
Posted by: Kelly | October 16, 2006 at 08:08 AM
No really long names that no one can type in the URL! For example: www.thisisacontestforauthorsofkidlit.com is out.
Posted by: brettdl | October 16, 2006 at 08:40 AM
A Fuse #8 suggests the "Winnies," as opposed to the "Poohs" (which has a certain ring to it!)
Posted by: Kelly | October 16, 2006 at 09:02 AM
Two suggestions, both in honor of the incredible Bill Peet
1. The Kweeks
2. The Whindingdilly award (or possibly Der Dingdongdilli. See note, below.)
(References to the picture books "The Kweeks of Kooka Tumdee" and "The Whingdingdilly," respectively. The latter is "Der Dingdondilli" in German. What a hoot.)
Posted by: Susan | October 16, 2006 at 09:04 AM
Love this idea! LOVE IT!
For a name, how about the Wild Things? Or the Alices? Or the Aslans?
Posted by: eisha | October 16, 2006 at 10:00 AM
Since Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was, in many regards, the first children's book of its kind, might I humbly suggest a name like the Tinman awards or the Flying Monkeys?
Just a thought.
Posted by: Anne | October 16, 2006 at 10:04 AM
I love the Flying Monkeys as a name! I say this as a not-an-Oz-fan too.
Posted by: Kelly | October 16, 2006 at 11:29 AM
Someone already owns flyingmonkeys.com, though they're willing to sell it. Freaking domain profiteers.
Posted by: brettdl | October 16, 2006 at 11:39 AM
There's flyingmonkeys.net available.
But there are other possibilities. Something from Alice in Wonderland, like the Mad Hatter awards or something.
Posted by: Anne | October 16, 2006 at 11:53 AM
How about The Still Hots in honor of the last line of Sendak's masterpiece ("and it was still hot") . . . oh, and 'cause children' lit is hot, baby, hot. ;)
Posted by: jules | October 16, 2006 at 12:01 PM
Should the name itself be bloggish? (i.e., the Cyberbery and Caldeblog Awards ... or just "the bloggies" ... okay, those aren't so great, but you get my drift ...)
Posted by: Mitali Perkins | October 16, 2006 at 12:17 PM
The Bloggies has been running a while - it's awards for Blogs in general...
How about the Pixels, which is along similar lines to the Quills, but more appropriate since we all write and review electronically ?
Posted by: Michele | October 16, 2006 at 12:33 PM
Pixels has possibilities. Also the cursors.
Now we're getting someplace.
Posted by: Anne | October 16, 2006 at 12:46 PM
Oh, man, that Michele is smart! I love the Pixels. It fits with Mitali's suggestion. Maybe we can combine it with Jules' hot suggestion somehow (I also love that last line.) Brett, domain name check?
Posted by: Kelly | October 16, 2006 at 12:50 PM
Drat. There's already a pixel awards:
http://pixelawards.com/
Posted by: Anne | October 16, 2006 at 12:54 PM
pixelboox.com isn't taken however.
Any votes for pixelboox.com? We can call the awards the pixies, or is that too cutesy?
Posted by: Anne | October 16, 2006 at 01:02 PM
What about "The Best Darn Children's Book Awards Ever"? Or "Better Than the Quills"?
Posted by: | October 16, 2006 at 01:40 PM
Taking off on Mitali's idea, how about The Blogbery Awards? Both blogbery.com and blogberyawards.com are available.
Posted by: MotherReader | October 16, 2006 at 01:44 PM
Or, or the Anti-Quills Awards. anti-quills.com is also available.
Posted by: MotherReader | October 16, 2006 at 01:46 PM
Dunno yet about the name for the awards, but the trophy itself should be a kidlito-sphere shape.
And in terms of names, I'd think avoiding anything computer-y sounding would make sense. Cuz it's not an award to draw attention to us bloggers, but a WRITING (and illustrating) award. Bloggers Choice, I suppose, would do both, but you know what I mean.
Posted by: Gregory K. | October 16, 2006 at 02:29 PM
I was trying to come up with something web related (thinking, blog, charlotte's web, blog, charlotte's web, etc). Alas, all the ones I came up with were taken.
Perhaps The Charlottes?
Posted by: nrkii | October 16, 2006 at 02:36 PM
The keystrokes?
Posted by: Anne | October 16, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Trophy? Hahahaha! Like I have the money to hand out trophies.
That's very funny!
Posted by: Anne | October 16, 2006 at 03:28 PM
The Shout-Outs? "MOM? MY BOOK JUST WON A SHOUT-OUT. YEP. THAT'S RIGHT. A SHOUT-OUT AWARD. NOPE. IT DOESN'T COME WITH A CHECK."
The Rave Awards? "GEEZ! IT DIDN'T EVEN GET A RAVE NOM! CAN U BELIEVE IT?"
The Kudos? "OHMIGOSH! I WON A KUDO AWARD FOR MY PICTURE BOOK."
This is just like coming up with titles for a book. I'm lousy at that, too.
Posted by: Mitali Perkins | October 16, 2006 at 03:35 PM
If Der Dingdongdilli is out (wah, wah), how about the simple yet elegant Kidlitosphere Awards?
Posted by: Susan | October 16, 2006 at 03:50 PM