The 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony
Saturday, October 21, 2023, 9 am - 12 pm
Our 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony took place on a sunny Saturday morning in Monterey Park, in the Luminarias Restaurant’s Posada room. Attendees listened to acceptance speeches by award winners Joe Cepeda, Benson Shum, and Nikki High, as well as video messages from Marie Arnold and Rex Ogle. Caroline Arnold and Masha Dyans, award winners from previous years, also joined us for the book signing portion of the day. Silent Auction bidders also raised over $400 for our cause.
Lastly, we announced the creation of the Caroline Gill Award for Distinguished Volunteer in the Field of Children’s Literature and briefly paid tribute to both Caroline and celebrated children’s author Eve Bunting.
Thanks to Luminarias, Once Upon a Time Bookstore, and photographer Josh Steichmann for their continuing support of our annual event. Our gratitude goes out to our silent auction sponsors: CVS, Mitchell Kamarck, and A Noise Within.
Application to join the CLCSC Board of Directors: https://bit.ly/clc23apply
If you attended the event and wish to share photos or comments with us, please email them to awardsceremonychair@childrensliteraturecouncil.org. Please include a description of each photo submitted. By submitting your images, you agree to allow CLCSC to share them on our website and social media channels. Check back on this page for any additions to our gallery.
Corrections/clarifications to captions may be emailed to websitemanager@childrensliteraturecouncil.org.
Author & Illustrator Joe Cepeda holds a copy of Rafa Counts on Papá, the 2023 CLCSC award winner of the Excellence in a Picture Book Award. (Josh Steichmann)
Author & Illustrator Benson Shum holds a copy of Anzu the Great Kaiju, the 2023 CLCSC award winner of the Outstanding Achievement in Social Emotional Literature Award. (Josh Steichmann)
Octavia's Bookshelf founder and owner Nikki High (right) is the 2023 CLCSC winner of the Dorothy C. McKenzie Award for Distinguished Service to the Field of Children's Literature. On the left is her mother, Marlene Narcisse. (Josh Steichmann)
Author/illustrator Joe Cepeda gives his acceptance speech at the 2023 CLCSC Awards. (Josh Steichmann)
Winner Joe Cepeda (left), holds up his award plaque. On the right is CLCSC Awards Committee Member Alejandra Reyes. (Josh Steichmann)
Winner Joe Cepeda holds his award plaque. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Awards Committee Chair Fin Lee, Awards Committee Member Alejandra Reyes, and Winner Joe Cepeda (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Awards Committee Chair Fin Lee, Awards Committee Member Alejandra Reyes, and Winner Joe Cepeda (Josh Steichmann)
Awards Committee Member Helen Fairman presents winner Benson Shum and his book, Anzu the Great Kaiju. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Award Winner Benson Shum and Award Committee Member Helen Fairman (Josh Steichmann)
Author/illustrator Benson Shum gives his acceptance speech at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony. (Josh Steichmann)
Author/illustrator Benson Shum holds up his award plaque. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Awards Committee Chair Fin Lee, Winner Benson Shum, and Awards Committee Member Helen Fairman (Josh Steichmann)
Awards Committee Member Amanda Santos holds Marie Arnold's award winner plaque and a copy of Arnold's winning novel, I Rise. (Josh Steichmann)
Awards Committee Member Amanda Santos holds Marie Arnold's award winner plaque and a copy of Arnold's winning novel, I Rise. (Josh Steichmann)
Octavia's Bookshelf owner Nikki High gives her acceptance speech at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Winner Nikki High and Award Committee Member Yvette Casillas (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Awards Committee Chair Fin Lee, Award Winner Nikki High, and Award Committee Member Yvette Casillas (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Winners Benson Shum, Joe Cepeda, and Nikki High (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Winners Benson Shum, Joe Cepeda, and Nikki High (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Awards Committee Chair Fin Lee and 2020 CLCSC Award Winner Caroline Arnold (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Award Winners Caroline Arnold (2020), Access Books representative Claudia Magana (standing in for Winner Dr. Rebecca Constantino, Ph.D, 2020 Dorothy C. McKenzie winner), and Masha D'yans (2021). (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Award Winners Caroline Arnold (2020), Access Books representative Claudia Magana (standing in for Winner Dr. Rebecca Constantino, Ph.D, 2020 Dorothy C. McKenzie winner), and Masha D'yans (2021). (Josh Steichmann)
A candid photo shows a moment from the 2023 CLCSC Awards gathering in the Posada Room at Luminarias. On the left stands Awards Ceremony Chair Alethea Allarey. At the table in the center (L to R) are volunteer Kate Grieco, guest Marlene Narcisse, and Narcisse's daughter, Award Winner Nikki High. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Awards Committee Chair Fin Lee and Awards Committee Member Yvette Casillas (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: CLCSC Board Members and authors Dana Middleton and Andrea J. Loney (Josh Steichmann)
CLCSC Board Member Dana Middleton (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: CLCSC Board Member Charmetria Marshall and CLCSC Secretary Katherine Adams (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Diane Estrella and CLCSC Treasurer Joanna Fabicon share a hug (Josh Steichmann)
CLCSC Board Member Judith Kantor announces the Caroline Gill Award for Distinguished Volunteer in the Field of Children's Literature. Those gathered held a moment of reverence in memory of both Caroline Gill and beloved children's author Eve Bunting. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: CLCSC Board Member Annalisa Engh and Awards Committee Member Kadria Simons converse with others at their table. (Josh Steichmann)
Guests at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony peruse the Silent Auction baskets and bidding sheets. (Josh Steichmann)
A contemporary YA romance basket included 2 tickets donated by A Noise Within (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Guests Emmarose Alef and Andy Greene pose for a photo at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony. (Josh Steichmann)
Guest Danica Sheridan chats with other guests at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony. (Josh Steichmann)
A guest and her toddler peruse books sold by Once Upon a Time Bookstore. (Josh Steichmann)
Once Upon a Time Bookstore's display included CLCSC Book Award Winners past and present.
The CLCSC Board: Back Row, L to R: Diane Middleton, Dr. Majorie Arnett, Helen Moses, Kyle Horne, Alyson Beecher, Charmetria Marshall, Andrea J. Loney, Fin Lee. Front Row, L to R: Joanna Fabicon, Judith Kantor, Katherine Adams, Alethea Allarey, Annalisa Engh (Josh Steichmann)
The CLCSC Board. Back Row, L to R: Diane Middleton, Dr. Majorie Arnett, Helen Moses, Kyle Horne, Alyson Beecher, Charmetria Marshall, Andrea J. Loney, Fin Lee. Front Row, L to R: Joanna Fabicon, Judith Kantor, Katherine Adams, Alethea Allarey, Annalisa Engh (Josh Steichmann)
The 2023 CLCSC Awards Committee, L to R: Helen Fairman, Alejandra Reyes, Fin Lee, Yvette Casillas, Kadria Simons, Amanda Santos (Josh Steichmann)
Winner Benson Shum signs a copy of Anzu the Great Kaiju (Josh Steichmann)
Former CLCSC Board Member Megan Panatier chats with a young guest and their mother at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Awards Committee Chair Fin Lee and guest (Josh Steichmann)
Guests Diane Estrella, Kristen Valenzuela, and Angy Greene wait in line to get their books signed. (Josh Steichmann)
Authors Caroline Arnold and Joe Cepeda sign books for attendees at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony. (Josh Steichmann)
Author/illustrator Benson Shum signs a book and chats with attendee Kristen Valenzuela at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Librarian Gail Kim converses with author Caroline Arnold at the signing table. (Josh Steichmann)
Author/illustrator Joe Cepeda meets a young reader at the signing table. (Josh Steichmann)
A view of the signing table at the 2023 CLCSC Awards (Josh Steichmann)
At the end of the signing table, author-illustrator Benson Shum chats with CLCSC Board Member Helen Moses. (Josh Steichmann)
Author-illustrator Benson Shum signs a book while chatting with CLCSC Board Member Annalisa Engh. (Josh Steichmann)
An Anzu "Read" tote bag lies on the book signing table at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Author Caroline Arnold listens as she signs a book for Kristen Valenzuela, author-illustrator Joe Cepeda signs a book for Emmarose Alef. (Josh Steichmann)
Guest Kristen Valenzuela speaks with author Caroline Arnold at the signing table. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Former CLCSC Board Member Megan Panatier and her mom Gail Panatier at the 2023 CLCSC Awards Ceremony (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Guest Kristen Valenzuela and author Caroline Arnold smile for a selfie. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Attendees Gail Panatier and Megan Panatier (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Guest Andy Greene and CLCSC Treasurer Joanna Fabicon (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Kristen Valenzuela and CLCSC Board Member Dana Middleton (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Author/illustrator Benson Shum chats with librarian Ziba Perez. Behind them (F to B), Joe Cepeda and Caroline Arnold sign books for Kyle Horne and Annalisa Engh. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: CLCSC Board Member Charmetria Marshall and Awards Committee Member Helen Fairman wait in line at the signing table. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: CLCSC Board Members Charmetria Marshall and Kyle Horne (Josh Steichmann)
Maureen Palacios, owner of Once Upon a Time Bookstore (Josh Steichmann)
Three LAPL librarians pose for a photo in front of the CLCSC backdrop. (Josh Steichmann)
Danica Sheridan smiles and holds up her Anzu the Great Kaiju "Read" tote bag (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Guest Carolyn Gruss and author Nicole Mainardi (Josh Steichmann)
Author/illustrator Benson Shum chats with attendees at the signing table. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Authors Caroline Arnold and Dana Middleton (Josh Steichmann)
Author Naz Kutub (Josh Steichmann)
A cup of pens nestles next to a silent auction basket including picture books by Southern California creators Rebecca Jordan-Glum (Kitty), Kirsten W. Larson (The Fire of Stars), and Jon Klassen (The Skull). These titles were all recent CLCSC Book Club picks. (Josh Steichmann)
A food-themed picture book basket for the silent auction includes Ramen for Everyone, written by Patricia Tanumihardja and illustrated by Shiho Pate. (Josh Steichmann)
A mix of middle-grade and YA book basket for the silent auction includes titles like A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat and Not a Unicorn by Dana Middleton. (Josh Steichmann)
Silent auction winner Cathy Blackler displays a PAW Patrol jersey and an "ecolodeon"-branded backpack from Nickelodeon Animation Studio. (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: CLCSC Board Member Kyle Horne and Award Winner Benson Shum (Josh Steichmann)
L to R: Kyle Horne helps silent auction winner Kadria Simons show off two picture book baskets. (Josh Steichmann)
Gail Panatier holds up a basket with Masha D'yan's 2024 calendar prominently displayed. (Josh Steichmann)
Megan Panatier poses with two silent auction baskets (Josh Steichmann)
R to L: Award-winning author/illustrator Masha D'yans poses with her mother who is holding a marigold floral centerpiece. (Josh Steichmann)
R to L: Award-winning author/illustrator Masha D'yans holds up her 2024 calendar beside her mother who is holding a marigold floral centerpiece. (Josh Steichmann)
R to L: Award-winning author/illustrator Masha D'yans holds up her 2024 calendar beside her mother who is holding a marigold floral centerpiece. (Josh Steichmann)
Silent auction winner Ziba Perez poses with the YA mystery-thriller basket, which includes Three Drops of Blood by Gretchen McNeil, Teen Killers Club by Lily Sparks, and Pest by Elizabeth Foscue. (Josh Steichmann)