Bryant ’99M Receives Sibert Medal for Children’s Book

By Christopher Sarachilli | February 10, 2015

Jen Bryant ’99M’s latest book, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, was awarded the 2015 Robert F. Sibert Medal for the most distinguished informational children’s book published in 2014. The award was announced on Feb. 3 by the Association for Library Service to Children.

The Right Word follows the life of Peter Mark Roget, the British physician who turned a passion for language into the creation of Roget’s Thesaurus, which classifies and organizes the English lexicon and has been in publication since 1852.

“With both lovely storytelling and intricate illustrations, this picture book biography of a life that had such a far-reaching impact takes the format to another level,” said Sibert Medal Committee Chair Deborah Taylor.

Bryant also has written A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin; A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams; and Abe’s Fish: A Boyhood Tale of Abraham Lincoln, among other books. In April 2014, she returned to Arcadia as a visiting writer for a celebration of her work.