"Maggot Moon" by Sally Gardner outshone Booker prize-winner Roddy Doyle to win the Carnegie medal for a book starring dyslexic hero Standish, who takes on a sinister dictatorship while friends and family disappear.

Levi Pinfold won the Kate Greenaway award for his illustrations in "Black Dog" in which a little girl named Small Hope shows her family that there is nothing to be afraid of in the arrival of a seemingly fearsome stray dog.

Both prizes are awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the leading professional body for librarians and information specialists.

Once-branded an "unteachable" student, Gardner said that her own dyslexia was a "gift", but that the current British government's intention to introduce a curriculum focused on traditional learning methods would make school tougher for those with learning difficulties.

"(The government's) new curriculum excludes rather than embraces those like me, and millions of others, with a different way of seeing and thinking," she said.

The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are the oldest and most prestigious children's book awards in Britain, with a roll-call of past winners that includes "Chronicles of Narnia" author C.S. Lewis, fantasy writer Terry Pratchett and Philip Pullman, author of the trilogy "His Dark Materials".

Past Kate Greenaway winners include former Children's Laureates Quentin Blake -- best known for his illustrations in Roald Dahl books -- and Anthony Browne, who has also won the Hans Christian Andersen award.

(Reporting by Simon Falush, editing by Paul Casciato)

The two sides announced more cooperation on combating climate change and their plans to negotiate a bilateral investment treaty.

But Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said the U.S. was very disappointed how authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong handled Snowden's case by refusing to extradite him before he flew to Russia.

"China's handling of this case was not consistent with the spirit of Sunnylands and the new type of relationship that we both seek to build," Burns said, referring to the summit a month ago between President Barack Obama and China's new president, Xi Jinping, at a California resort.

Obama also expressed disappointment about the Snowden case when he met Thursday in the Oval Office with the two leaders of the Chinese delegation, a White House statement said.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi, who was sitting on the same dais as Burns as they closed the talks, retorted in his remarks that the handling of the case by authorities in semi-autonomous Hong Kong was "beyond reproach."

Yang also rejected U.S. criticism of China's rights record in the ethnic minority areas of Tibet and Xinjiang, saying people there are "enjoying happier lives and they enjoy unprecedented freedom and human rights."

He added: "We hope the U.S. will improve its own human rights situation."

About 120 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2011 to protest Chinese policies in Tibet and call for the return of the Dalai Lama, their exiled spiritual leader. In the far western region of Xinjiang, minority Muslims are also agitating against Beijing and clashes in recent months have killed at least 56 people.

The stark differences of opinion on those issues did not prevent kind words on both sides too.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew hailed the "personal approach" of China's new generation of leaders under Xi, who ascended to China's presidency in March in a once-in-a-decade power transition.

China's Vice Premier Wang Yang, whom U.S. officials say has demonstrated a keen sense of humor in this week's talks, quipped that Lew is smarter than he is and they've become good friends.

It's a sign of the importance the Obama administration puts on its relationship with China leaders that the president received the visiting officials and did so in the Oval Office, where more typically heads of government and state are hosted.

Obama welcomed China's commitment to open its economy to U.S. investment in the bilateral investment treaty a pact that Washington has been urging Beijing to negotiate in earnest on for years. The Chinese also agreed with him on the importance of cooperating to get North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons.

But Obama added that the United States would continue to speak out in support of international norms such as the protection of universal human rights, the White House statement said.

The Austrian parachutist known as "Fearless Felix" reached 843.6 mph, according to the official numbers released Monday. That's equivalent to Mach 1.25, or 1.25 times the speed of sound.

His top speed initially was estimated last October at 834 mph, or Mach 1.24.

Either way, he became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body. He wore a pressurized suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico.

Baumgartner was supersonic for a half-minute "quite remarkable," according to Brian Utley, the official record-keeping official who was present for the Oct. 14 feat. His heart rate remained below 185 beats a minute, and his breathing was fairly steady.

The leap was from an altitude of 127,852 feet. That's 248 feet lower than original estimates.

"He jumped from a little bit lower, but he actually went a little bit faster, which was pretty exciting," said Art Thompson, technical project director for the Red Bull-sponsored project.

"It's fun for us to see reaching Mach speeds and proving out a lot of the safety systems," Thompson said in a phone interview from his aerospace company in Lancaster, Calif.

Thompson said everything pretty much unfolded as anticipated, with no surprises in the final report. The updated records were provided by Utley, official observer for the National Aeronautic Association's contest and records board. Utley was in Roswell, N.M., for Baumgartner's grand finale jump.

In the foreword of the 71-page report, Baumgartner said he never imagined how many people would share in his dream to make a supersonic free fall from so high.

Some 52 million people watched You Tube's live stream of the exploit.

The scientific and engineering experts who helped bring him back alive "broke boundaries in their own fields just as surely as I broke the sound barrier," Baumgartner wrote.

Baumgartner shattered the previous record for a free fall plunge, made by Joe Kittinger, an Air Force officer, in 1960. Kittinger did not quite reach supersonic speed during his jump from 19.5 miles up.

Nina Agdal agreed to step in as Jake Davidson's date Thursday night after he got turned down for prom by supermodel Kate Upton.

The Sherman Oaks teen appeared in a YouTube video that was viewed more than 2.5 million times asking Upton to be his date.

After Upton declined because of a scheduling conflict, Agdal volunteered to go, saying she never got to attend her own prom.

The Danish model is better known as the bikini-clad sunbather in a Carl's Jr. ad.

Davidson told the Los Angeles Daily News (http://bit.ly/173eVPS) he had an incredible night and said Agdal was down to earth.

LOS ANGELES, July 9 (Reuters) - Still reeling after Dwight Howard's decision to leave Los Angeles for Houston last week, the Lakers were hastily installing backup plans on the eve of the National Basketball Association's free-agent signing period.

Long handicapped in their bid to recruit new players because of a hefty payroll, the 16-times NBA champions have lined up former Clippers center Chris Kaman on a one-year deal to help fill the gap left by Howard's departure.

Given the addition of Kaman will soak up virtually all of the Lakers' "mini" mid-level salary exception, speculation has heightened that former defensive player of the year Metta World Peace will likely released by the franchise.

"Personally I'd keep Metta and make a run with the unit we have and just add a few pieces #keepthepeace #lakersstilldeciding," tweeted Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion.

"No game 7 win without Metta! This is a tough day for laker nation."

Bryant was referring to the Lakers' victory over the Boston Celtics in the concluding Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals when World Peace, then named Ron Artest, contributed 20 points in a superb all-round performance.

While World Peace was initially a significant factor after joining the Lakers in July 2009 on a lucrative five-year contract, his defensive abilities have waned and he blew hot and cold last season before his team lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Though he flourished at first under new coach Mike D'Antoni's system, he failed to shine in the latter part of the season after returning from knee surgery, averaging only six points on 25 percent shooting in three playoff games.

LUXURY TAX SAVING

Should World Peace be cut during the one-week window to amnesty players, starting on Wednesday, the Lakers would save around $11 million in luxury taxes.

However, they would also be left without any small forwards, though the versatile Bryant has occasionally played that position.

With seven-time All-Star center Howard opting to join the Rockets despite a substantial paycut, the Lakers will field a likely starting lineup next season hinging around Kaman, Bryant, Pau Gasol, veteran point guard Steve Nash and Steve Blake.

The inspirational Bryant, who averaged 27.3 points and six assists per game last season, is expected to make a belated return to the lineup as he continues to recover from surgery on a torn Achilles' tendon.

Bottom line, the Lakers will have to make the best of a bad situation next season before they can enjoy a financial windfall heading into their 2014-15 campaign, when they will have an estimated $50 million to spend due to increased salary-cap room.

At present, the Lakers have nine players under contract for a total of $81.6 million, including Metta World Peace, but only the 39-year-old Nash will be under contract after next season.

By that time, players such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Zach Randolph could all be free agents. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Gene Cherry)

Supplies recently shipped up to anresearch base include (but are not limited to): 4 lbs (1.8 kilograms) of coffee and two coffeemakers; 8 lbs (3.6 kg) of hard cheese; five bottles of hot sauce; plenty of candy, dried fruit, nuts and nutrition bars; bags of dry ingredients for chili, pasta and other dinners; dishwashing equipment; a new tent to replace one ripped up by a windstorm; and 37 rolls of toilet paper.

These supplies are meant for the team of four researchers, plus a film crew of four accompanying them for half the expedition on .

Then there are the paleontological supplies, which include an electric jackhammer, five bottles of paleobond adhesive used for gluing fossils and a plastic cast of one of the prehistoric creatures, known as Tiktaalik roseae, whose fossils they are seeking. (The film crew requested the latter.) []

Come prepared

After seven previous expeditions to the , the team has packing down to a science, said Ted Daeschler, one of the paleontologists and an associate curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

"We are really good at it now," Daeschler said of packing. "As remote and difficult a place as it is, Ive got no worries aside from polar bears whether we have the right stuff or not."

Because of the polar bears, some team members must carry loaded shotguns. "Geeks with guns" are his wife's biggest fear, Daeschler told LiveScience's OurAmazingPlanet.

The shotguns and ammunition are among the supplies that remain at the research base at Resolute Bay. Other items, including those listed above, are shipped from the United States by air cargo. The team assembles at Resolute Bay, then, if all goes well, they take a small airplane, then a helicopter to their first field site.

Paleontological paradise

The landscape of Ellesmere Island is dominated by rock, ice and water, along with some tundra and mud, Daeschlersaid. While not ideal for human survival, the landscape is great for paleontology.

"It is a very geologically exposed place. That is great for what we do, (since) we need to see rock," he said.

Daeschler and his colleagues, including Neil Shubin from the University of Chicago, are interested in rocks laid down about 370 million to 390 million years ago during the Devonian Period. The researchers are looking for fossils of fish whosethat would allow later descendents to emerge onto land. The first limbs appear to be adaptations for pushing around shallow aquatic habitats, Daeschler said.

"We are finding some very unique fossils that are helping us to understand that transition," he said.

The most prominent of these is the , a 375-million-year-old fossil fish. Dubbed a "fishapod," it represents an intermediate step between fish and land animals.

On the frontier

Prior to Daeschler and Shubin's first expedition to the area in 1999, the only time fossils were collected from these Devonian rocks was a century earlier, when a Norwegian expedition picked up some while exploring. But no focused paleontological research had taken place here until these modern expeditions began.

"You think, 'Oh its a small world, it's all been done,'" Daeschler said. "There definitely are frontiers that still need ."

On this expedition, Daeschler, Shubin and two other researchers, Josh Miller of the University of Cincinnati and Marcus Davis from Georgia's Kennesaw State University, are returning to the site where the first Tiktaalik fossils were found, accompanied by a British documentary crew. The researchers then plan to travel alone to a second, new site to see what they might find.

Follow OurAmazingPlanet, and . Original article at.

I have two daughters, both in their 20s. They are well-educated and happy. I adore them. My wife and I consider ourselves lucky to be their parents. We never pushed them toward goals or to succeed, but they are self-motivated and confident.

I have come to the conclusion that some of us are quite blessed. I'd like you to know that at least two parents in this world realize that we are, and that we count our blessings. I am older now, and my relationship with my daughters continues to mature and grow. Older age has its joys, too -- some far deeper than I had ever imagined. -- AN APPRECIATIVE FATHER IN OREGON

DEAR APPRECIATIVE FATHER: Thank you for writing an "upper" of a letter. Your daughters didn't turn out so well by magic, and congratulations to you and your wife for what was obviously successful parenting. I would like to wish you a very happy Father's Day and offer the same to fathers everywhere -- birth fathers, stepfathers, adoptive fathers, foster fathers, and those caring men who mentor children and fill the role of absent fathers.

DEAR ABBY: My son is married to a wonderful young woman, "Dana," and they have a small baby. Dana suffered a brain injury years ago that left her somewhat developmentally delayed. Until the baby was born, it wasn't much of an issue, but it is becoming apparent that Dana is not always able to parent the child appropriately. (She will leave her on a table to get a diaper, doesn't feed her according to schedule and doesn't dress her warmly in cold weather.)

My son takes care of things when he's home, but he works every day. When I think of my own daughter's development, I see that Dana is operating at approximately a middle-teen level even though she's 28. Can you advise what I can do to ensure my granddaughter is safe and secure without making my daughter-in-law feel inadequate? I don't want to seem like a meddling M-I-L. -- LOVES DANA

DEAR LOVES DANA: If Dana would leave the baby on a table while she went to get a diaper, would she also leave the baby in a tub while she went to answer a phone? If you haven't voiced your concerns to your son, please do because your granddaughter could be seriously injured. Parenting classes might help your daughter-in-law, or involving a social worker or arranging for day care for the baby could also solve this problem.

DEAR ABBY: My wife of 37 years is calling out another man's name and moving her lips in her sleep. I don't recognize the name and I believe it might be someone she works with. Should I be concerned? -- SLEEPLESS IN TEXAS

DEAR SLEEPLESS: You should be curious, but sleep-talking is not necessarily indicative of romance. If you haven't already, ask her who the man of her dreams is. She could be mumbling the name of an old boyfriend from high school or that of a beloved pet from childhood.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in "What Every Teen Should Know." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

The British capital's second largest airport said earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation rose 2.5 percent to 227.1 million pounds for the year to the end of March. Revenues increased by 4.2 percent to 538.9 million pounds.

Gatwick, owned by Global Infrastructure Partners - an investment fund founded by Credit Suisse and General Electric - said overall it made a loss of 29.1 million pounds, due to the asset-intensive nature of its business and continued investment made across the airport.

The company invested 226.7 million pounds as part of plans to invest 1 billion pounds over the next five years in a bid to grow to 37 million passengers by 2020. Passenger traffic rose modestly by 1.2 percent to 34.2 million.

"Although economic headwinds have remained strong, Gatwick has delivered stable financial results in line with expectations," said Chief Executive Stewart Wingate.

"It has also been a positive year for welcoming new airlines to Gatwick and attracting new links to key growth markets including China, Russia, Indonesia and Turkey, adding to existing routes which have been expanded such as our services to Vietnam," he said.

Gatwick, which mainly operates as a point-to-point airport unlike rival Heathrow airport that tends to function as a hub for transfer passengers, has begun detailed work on the options for a new runway although a long-standing local agreement that runs to 2019 disallows it from doing so.

The company also said it had submitted a revised offer of its business plan for the next 10 years to aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; editing by Kate Holton)

The Joe Gibbs Racing duo is determined not to let that happen Saturday night in their return to Daytona International Speedway.

Busch and Kenseth swept the front row in Friday qualifying, with Busch turning a lap at 193.723 mph to win the pole. Kenseth was second at 193.299.

It's Busch's third pole of the season, 13th of his career, but first ever for a restrictor plate race.

"I've not had many opportunities for me to win poles at restrictor plate races, so I've got to thank the team, all the guys at Joe Gibbs Racing that did such a good job building a slick race car," Busch said. "It's a team effort coming to these places and having great race cars. I'm really excited to be starting up front, especially with my teammate Matt Kenseth on the front row with us."

Kenseth led 86 laps at Daytona in February and was out front with teammates Busch and Denny Hamlin right behind him when his engine failed. Two laps later, Busch was headed to the garage with his own race-ending failure.

"We were lined up 1-2-3 when I broke and Kyle broke shortly after that," said Kenseth. "Our plate stuff has been really fast this year. Qualifying doesn't always mean a lot at a superspeedway, but it's nice to start up front. Hopefully we can keep it up and stay in front of any potential trouble."

Clint Bowyer qualified third and Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. was fifth as Toyota drivers took four of the first five spots. MWR team co-owner Michael Waltrip was seventh.

It was a strong showing for the Toyota drivers, who have battled various engine woes all season as manufacturer Toyota Racing Development has struggled to find the right balance of speed and durability.

Kenseth was pleased with the showing.

"They are always looking to get more power and you are always trying to get better reliability," Kenseth said. "A huge part of our success all year has obviously been our engines and TRD. They are a very important piece not only to our success at Joe Gibbs Racing but also Michael Waltrip Racing."

Bowyer then interrupted Kenseth.

"It's not really fair. Yours was better than mine," Bowyer said of being outqualified by the JGR duo.

Kasey Kahne prevented a Toyota sweep by wedging his Chevrolet in at fourth. He's had terrible results at plate tracks this year because he was wrecked in the Daytona 500 and at Talladega by Busch.

On Saturday, Kahne will start in the row behind Busch. But Busch wasn't expecting intentional payback.

"That's a real legitimate question?" Busch said when asked if he was concerned about Kahne. "I think we know that Kasey is a lot better than that. No, it doesn't have any worry or concern on me."

Paul Menard was sixth in a Chevrolet, and MWR co-owner Michael Waltrip was seventh in another Toyota.

Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson was eighth, followed by rookie Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and his Roush-Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle as the highest-qualifying Fords.

Danica Patrick wound up 11th in in her return to Daytona, where she became the first woman to start from the pole in the season-opening Daytona 500.

"Wind definitely plays a factor even from qualifying here at the beginning of the year for the 500 when we were on the pole there was certain spots that I gained and lost on that lap," Patrick said. "We kind of figured it was probably a wind thing."

One day five years ago, then-new CEO Blake Young had an epiphany: "I kept seeing people coming through the line and they were getting fatter and fatter. I realized we were killing them."

So Young set about to remake how food banks operate, taking advantage of Sacramento's location in California's rich agricultural heart.

He and his staff forged partnerships with local farmers, most of them organic, and upped the amount of fresh produce to more than half of clients' food allotment. Then knowing that most of them live in food deserts without transportation to grocery stores and the region's many farmers' markets, they moved distribution sites to about two dozen neighborhood schools and churches they visit once a month.

Just like at farmers' markets, the produce is laid out on tables, and clients can "shop" for fresh carrots, kale, tomatoes, spinach, cabbage, squash or whatever else is in season. Background music lends a festive air, and informational booths offer clinics on smoking cessation and health screening.

The number of families served has grown from 8,000 to 20,000 over the two years since it has taken off.

"My health has improved, I have more energy now," said Marlene Hill, 57, at a recent event the Sacramento community of Del Paso Heights. "What we don't eat we juice up in a blender, and that's something I'd never done before."

The movement toward healthier food banks, which a handful of other cities recently have adopted, pleases food and nutrition guru Michael Pollan, who has written books encouraging people to eat fresh, seasonal produce grown locally.

"For too long, America's food banks have been giving out the worst kind of food-- precisely the sort of highly processed food-like substances that contribute to obesity and chronic disease," he said in an email. "'Better than nothing,' is the best you can say about it. But in recent years, there has been an encouraging effort to improve the food in food banks, adding significant amounts of fresh produce, and focusing on the quality, not just quantity, of calories."

A number of food banks in California, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, also are working to deliver more fresh produce to clients, as the trend grows. The Sacramento bank distributes $5.5 million worth of food annually, but because of partnerships with local farmers it spends only $175,000 for it.

Now the Sacramento Food Bank is upping the ante as Young and his crew set out to create one of the nation's first farm-to-fork food banks by using 100 percent local growers, up from three-quarters. One of the biggest partners now is Capay Organic family farm in neighboring Yolo County, which donated 142,732 pounds of local produce to the food bank last year and sold it another 51,858 pounds.

"Sometimes the market can't handle all of the products we've picked, which is why our relationship with the Sacramento Food Bank is so good for us," said co-owner Thaddeus Barsotti, whose farm also supplies some of the region's best restaurants. "Sometimes they buy it from us and sometimes we give it to them. It's a cool relationship. They contribute to year-round work for our farmworkers."

The aim of all involved is to improve the health of clients like Johnny Bunyard, who said he lost 100 pounds when he started eating healthily. He also quit smoking.

"Now I'm a lot more active than I was," he said. "It's all from the healthy food I get here, plus determination."

Bunyard, once homebound, rides his bike to the distribution center at a local church to select exotic, fresh produce that has broadened his palate along with recipe cards for preparing it.

"My friend cooked the kale for me one time and said 'This is that kale you didn't think you liked.' Well, I was wrong," Bunyard said.

Young hopes to open new markets for local farmers as clients buy more healthy food. He believes a true farm-to-fork movement must include socioeconomics groups not inclined to shop at farmers markets or Whole Foods.

"A community is better off if farm-to-fork includes folks who struggle to put nutritional food on the table," Young said.

Client Laura Poree, who lives on her Social Security income, switched to a vegan diet and enrolled in the food bank's twice weekly home gardening seminars, which educate about 30 clients a week. She lost 27 pounds and no longer needs blood pressure medication.

In containers behind her duplex she grows zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, beets, kale and okra, all of her favorite vegetables. The food bank provides the soil, plants and tools for growing organically. She harvests enough to share with her neighbors.

"You know the saying 'Teach a man to fish and they can fish for a lifetime,'" she said. "I've really cut back on my grocery bill and my health is better. I'm eating out of my yard and I'm sharing with others. It's a wonderful feeling."

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Reach Tracie Cone: www.twitter.com/TConeAP