And the winners are...

On Maud Hart Lovelace's birthday, the Red Balloon Bookshop hosted a party for her where the winners of the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award were announced!

Here's Maud, welcoming us to her party. She told us about life in Mankato in the early 1900s, and invited kids to help her tell a story.

And here is Mr. Saulpaugh, owner of the first horseless carriage in Mankato. (Do you recognize him? He's a member of our book club!)

Here he is again, driving with Mrs. Saulpaugh and Maud's friend, Midge, who got the first ride. Maud says, "Wave, everyone!"














And now, the winners! For Division I, grades 3-5:

Third Place: Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings!

Second Place: Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret!

First Place: Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs!











For Division II, grades 6-8:

Third Place: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen!

Second Place: Cinder by Marissa Meyer!

First Place: Breathing Room by Marsha Hayles!












And here's a sneak peak at the new nominees. (You can see a list of them all on the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award website.)

Maud Hart Lovelace Award: Upcoming Events

It's time to celebrate our reading and voting! Winners of this year's Maud Hart Lovelace Award will be announced on Saturday, April 25 -- Maud's birthday! New nominees for 2015-16 will also be announced.

Please join us at one or both of these events:

Saturday, April 25 at 2:00 p.m.

Red Balloon Bookshop

Happy Birthday, Maud Hart Lovelace! Red Balloon Bookshop will celebrate by hosting the live announcement of the Maud Hart Lovelace Awards for 2015-2016! Celebrate this year’s winners, hear the announcement of next year’s nominees, enjoy a presentation by Maud from the History Players, register to win Red Balloon gift cards, take home a bag of book-related goodies, and celebrate with birthday cake! For more information, click here.

Sunday, April 26 from 2-4 p.m.

George Latimer Central Library

Hey kids, don't miss the final party for I Read! I Vote! Join us to celebrate the book winners and learn about next year's nominees. Games, treats, and fun! All bookmark design contest entries will be on display, and winners will be announced. For more information, click here.

Next meeting: Saturday, April 11!

Our book club meets this Saturday, April 11, at the Hamline Midway Library from 1:30-2:30 p.m. New members are always welcome!

We want to hear about the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees that got your vote. We'll also have a selection of the best kids' books of 2014 for you to check out. We'll share recommendations, have snacks, and enjoy a book or two together.

Feel free to post your thoughts on the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees here on our blog! You can see a list of the Division I nominees in the right sidebar, under "March" in the "Blog Archive." Just click on the title of the book you'd like to post about. Remember to follow online safety guidelines. Never share any personal information online.

We hope to see you on Saturday!

~ Caryl & Jean