Caldecott and Newbery Award Winners Announced!

February 1, 2019

The announcement of the Caldecott, Newbery, and other recipients of the American Library Association (ALA) Youth Media Awards is a cause for celebration! Did your favorites win? Or what books will now be on your reading list? Check out our round-up (with links to our collection) below

On Monday, January 28, the Youth Media Awards were announced. Comprising the Caldecott, Newbery, and other major awards, these awards honor the best books published for children and young adults. So who are the winners for this year?

Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

Hello Lighthouse

By Sophie Blackall

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Caldecott Honor Books

Thank You, Omu!

By Oge Mora

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(One of our bloggers named this one of their favorite picture books of 2018!)

The Rough Patch

By Brian Lies

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A Big Mooncake for Little Star

By Grace Lin

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[[nid:3939]] (Check out our review of Alma and How She Got Her Name!)

Newberry Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:

Merci Suárez Changes Gears

By Meg Medina

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(Meg Medina is only the second writer of Latinx background to have won the Newberry Medal since it was established in 1922.)

Newbery Medal Honor Books

The Night Diary

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(One of our librarians named this one of her favorite YA books of 2018!)

The Book of Boy

By Catherine Gilbert Murdock

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Also of note are the Coretta Scott King Awards and the Pura Belpré medal, which recognize African-American and Latinx authors and illustrators. Diverse books are vital; I for one am very glad to see that Latinx and African American writers are among among the major medal winners noted above.

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

The Stuff of Stars

By Ekua Holmes, Marion Dane Bauer

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Coretta Scott King Author Award

A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riots of 1919

By Claire Hartfield

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Pura Belpré Medal for Illustrator

Dreamers

By Yuyi Morales

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For a review of Dreamers, and other books by Yuyi Morales, check out our library blog. Included among the Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor books is Islandborn, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz. I will admit that I am very excited about these particular winners. :)

Pura Belpré Medal for Author

The Poet X

By Elizabeth Acevedo

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Although I have not written about it for our library blog, this was perhaps the best book I read in 2018. I had not felt so seen by a book in a long time. Therein lies one of the most powerful things about books: they help us to see and be seen. What will you find in one of these books? For a complete list of all Youth Media Award winners, check out this link.

Klem-Mari

In a former life, Klem-Marí was a Religious Studies scholar. She much prefers being the Family Literacy Coordinator for Bringing Books to Life! She wants you to read and share books with the children in your life, and for those children to see you to read as well. Originally from Puerto Rico, Klem-Marí also enjoys her cat, baking, yoga, and the works of Octavia Butler.