Published on May 19, 2022 at 11:09 am
Press release, author’s note
Photo provided: Kate (Schirmer) Messner recently received the Empire State Award for Excellence In Literature for Young People.
MEDINA – Kate (Schirmer) Messner, acclaimed children’s author and native of Medina, has won the prestigious Empire State Award for Excellence In Literature for Young People presented by the New York Library Association.
The Empire State Award is given annually and was first awarded in 1990. It is a one-time award given to a living author or illustrator currently residing in New York State.
The award honors a body of work that represents excellence in children’s or young adult literature and has made a significant contribution to literature for young people. Youth Services librarians across the state submit nominations to an awards committee. The committee makes a decision which is then approved by the YSS Board of Directors.
Messner, who lives on Lake Champlain with her family, will travel to Medina on May 24 at 7 p.m. for a dedication and in-person discussion at Author’s Note Bookstore, 519 Main St. Prior to her visit, she provided a registered school free tours for K-3 and 4-8 students that schools can use to share Messner’s presentations with their students.
The author grew up in Medina and graduated from Medina High School in 1988. She has written many titles for young readers, including award-winning picture books like Over and Under the Pond, The Brilliant Deep and Rolling Thunder; novels that tackle real-world issues like Chirp, Breakout, and The Seventh Wish; mysteries and thrillers like Capture the Flag, Eye of the Storm and Waking Up Missing; the Fergus and Zeke series of easy readers; and the popular Ranger in Time chapter book series about a time-traveling search and rescue dog and History Smashers, books with a fun, well-researched quick story for kids who want the truth in an engaging and entertaining.
Messner’s books are often selected for community-wide readings like the One School, One Book program. His books are often featured on prestigious Notable and Best Books lists such as The New York Times Notable, Junior Library Guild, IndieBound, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books. Her novel The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. won the EB White Read Aloud Medal and her science picture books were finalists for the American Academy for the Advancement of Sciences/Subaru SB&F Award for Excellence in Science Writing.
