Messages in a Bottle: The 2007 Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry

Abstract

The third annual Lion and Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry essay evaluates the books of verse published for children in 2006. It celebrates the winner, JonArno Lawson, for his second book of children's poetry, Black Stars in a White Night Sky, and three honor books, while noting that this year's offerings include several important reprints. Thus the books submitted for this year's award are discussed in the context of their distinguished predecessors. The winning books compare favorably, reading, as the title of the essay suggests, as "messages in a bottle"-love letters from the past to the future.