The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, established by the ALSC in 2001, is awarded annually to the author (American or US resident) of the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year.

14 Cows For America by Carmen Agra Deedy
Presents an illustrated tale of a gift of fourteen cows given by the Maasai people of Kenya to the U.S. as a gesture of comfort and friendship in the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Alive in the Killing Fields: The True Story of Nawuth Keat, a Khmer Rouge Survivor
by Nawuth Keat Nawuth Keat
A survivor of the Khmer Rouge invasion of Cambodia, describes his experiences, discussing the killings of his family members, his enslavement, the relationships that were formed between people from his community, and more.

Almost Astronauts : 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone
Profiles thirteen women who challenged social norms and government policies to prove they could be exceptional astronauts.

The Anne Frank Case: Simon Weisenthalís Search For the Truth by Susan Goldman Rubin After witnessing a group of demonstrators halt a performance of "The Diary of Anne Frank," claiming that the girl never existed, Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, goes on a personal quest in 1958 to track down the Gestapo officer who had arrested the Frank family.

Ashley Bryan: Words to My Lifeís Song by Ashley Bryan
An illustrated biography in which African-American author Ashley Bryan describes his life.

The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth by Kathleen Krull
A picture-book biography of Philo Farnsworth, who created the world's first television image in 1928.

Bylines: A Photobiography of Nellie Bly by Sue Macy
A photo-illustrated biography of American journalist, author, industrialist, and charity worker Nellie Bly.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose Presents an account of fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin, an African-American girl who refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, nine months before Rosa Parks, and covers her role in a crucial civil rights case.

Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories From the Dark Side of American Immigration
by Ann Bausum
Cases from the history of immigration in the U.S. in which immigrants are denied, such as the people aboard "The St. Louis" who were sent back to Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, the detained, such as Japanese Americans during WWII, and the deported, such as Emma Goldman, who was sent back to Russia in 1919 after living in the U.S. for thirty years.

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins
Illustrations explore the ocean from the birds and waves down to the deepest, darkest bottom; and feature jellyfish, squid, whales, and more.

Eleanor, Quiet No More: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt by Doreen Rappaport A biographical tribute to the upbringing and career of Eleanor Roosevelt, who taught children in poor neighborhoods in New York City and worked as an ambassador, activist, and champion of civil rights.

The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turner
Discusses the work of Tyrone Hayes and his efforts to study and protect frogs, and follows Hayes into the field with his students to perform experiments with various types of frogs.

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum by Candace M. Fleming
Chronicles the life of showman P. T. Barnum, discussing how he created his legendary circus, the people and events that shaped his life, and the impact Barnum had on the entertainment industry.

Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From by Catherine Thimmesh
Provides an account of the discovery of Lucy, a pile of forty-seven bones found in Hadar, Ethiopia, that was eventually revealed to be a new species of hominid.

Marching For Freedom: Walk Together Children and Donít You Grow Weary
by Elizabeth Partridge
Recounts the three months of protest that took place before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s landmark march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery to promote equal rights and help African-Americans earn the right to vote.

Mr. Lincolnís High-tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Iron-clads, High-powered Weapons and More to Win the Civil War
by Thomas B. Allen
Examines how Abraham Lincoln's interest in technology played a role in the outcome of the Civil War; and explains how the telegraph, railroads, surveillance balloons, and other inventions helped the North win the war and rebuild the economy.

Nevermore: A Photobiography of Edgar Allan Poe by Karen Lange
A photographic biography chronicling the life of Romantic author and poet Edgar Allan Poe, with images capturing key moments and phases in his life and highlighting his literary influence.

Pharaohís Boat by David L. Weitzman Provides
An illustrated account of the construction of Egyptian pharaoh Cheops' funeral boat, and discusses its discovery centuries later during an archaeological dig.

Savage Thunder: Antietam and the Bloody Road to Freedom by Jim Murphy
Discusses the bloody battle of Antietam, in which General George B. McClellan faced off against General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in Maryland in September of 1862.

The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing by Suzanne Jurmain
Tells the story of the doctors and researchers who worked to track down the cause of yellow fever and find a way to eliminate the disease.

Secret Subway: The Fascinating Tale of an Amazing Feat of Engineering
by Martin W. Sandler
An illustrated overview of the history of New York's first subway that discusses why it was necessary to build, Alfred Beach's vision for the system and efforts to see it through, resistance to its construction, and other related topics.

Traveling the Freedom Road: From Slavery and the Civil War Through Reconstruction
by Linda Barrett Osborne
Collects accounts from slave narratives, journals, diaries, and other sources to provide a first-person perspective on the antebellum South, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker
Reports on the work of forensic scientists who are excavating grave sites in James Fort, in Jamestown, Virginia, to understand who lived in the Chesapeake Bay area in the 1600s and 1700s; and uncovers the lives of a teenage boy, a ship's captain, a colonial officer, an African slave girl, and others.

Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl by Albert Marrin
Examines the causes of the Dust Bowl, discusses its effects, and provides primary source quotes and photographs.

You Are the First Kid on Mars by Patrick Oí Brien
An illustrated introduction to what it might be like to live on Mars, covering a boy's journey into orbit, across the solar system, and into an inhabitable station on the red planet; and includes facts about Mars.

Voting Instructions:

~Send an email request for a voting ballot or copy it from our website. Vote tallies should be faxed to Andersonís Bookshop (attn: Jan) before Wednesday, Jan. 13th, 2010 (630-355-3470).

Please include the following information:

1. An estimate of the total number of books read by your ENTIRE VOTING BODY

2. The total number of participating voters.

3. Vote tallies that include your top 5 - 10 highest scoring titles, along with their scores.

We will announce our overall Mock Sibert winner and five honor books before the official Sibert is announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston the following week. Please direct questions to jan.dundon@andersonsbookshop.com.