Carmen Tafolla Wins Charlotte Zolotow Award

Author Carmen Tafolla has been named this year's winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book for What Can You Do with a Paleta? (illustrated by Magaly Morales).

The award, given by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, also named three honor books: Birds, written by Kevin Henkes and illustrated by Laura Dronzek, Pouch! by David Ezra Stein, and Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated, written by Florence Parry Heide and illustrated by Lane Smith.

The Charlotte Zolotow Award was established in 1998, to honor the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a children's book editor for 38 years and the author of more than 70 picture books.

The Storm in the Barn Wins 2010 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

Our congratulations go out to author Matt Phelan. His book, The Storm in the Barn, has been named winner of the 2010 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. It is the first time a graphic novel has won the annual award, which was established by historical fiction writer Scott O’Dell in 1982. The award is given to a distinguished work of historical fiction written for young people.

Author William J. Lederer Dies at 97

William J. Lederer, co-author of The Ugly American, has passed away from respiratory failure at age 97. Lederer died on December 5 in Baltimore, Maryland, but the family delayed reporting the news of his death until arrangements could be made for a military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.

Lederer was the author of several books, including All the Ship’s at Sea, Ensign O’Toole and Me, A Nation of Sheep, and Our Own Worst Enemy, but was best known for The Ugly American, which was made into a movie starring Marlon Brando in 1963.

Lederer was born March 31, 1912.

Author Katherine Paterson Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

Two-time National Book Award winner Katherine Paterson has been named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress.

Paterson is perhaps most famous for her Newbery Medal award-winning books Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved. She has also won the National Book Award twice, once for The Great Gilly Hopkins and once for The Master Puppeteer.

Her most recent book is The Day of the Pelican, which tells story of a refugee family's trek from Kosovo to the United States.

New Book Out by Mean Girls Author

Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees & Wannabes, the inspiration for the 2004 hit movie Mean Girls (which starred Lindsay Lohan), has written a new book for young adults. The book, Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials comes out this week.

To view Wiseman's interview on the TODAY show, click here.