Distinguished Lit

"Distinguished" is a very subjective word, I think. However, there are still some awards I think are pretty great. I've been following some of the Newbery news and speculating on what will win. Well, speculation is over now!

2009 Newbery Winner:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Honor Books:

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
Savvy by Ingrid Law
After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

I am super excited about the choices, mostly because I have Graveyard at the very top of my stack (stay tuned for a review soon)! I also have several of the others on hold at the library. Guess I should have gotten more of a head start.

2009 Printz Award Winner (a YA distinguished lit award):

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Honor Books:

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (reviewed here)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson (reviewed here)
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

I did a little better on this one...having already read two of the honors (though, I haven't even heard of the winner).

Any thoughts on the winners or who you think should have won? (Personally, I thought The Hunger Games (review) would be chosen...)