Award Winning Books for Kids and Teens
From GRPLpedia
The Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. For a complete list of past winners, visit Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-present.
2009 Winner - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
" Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . . Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
Honor Books
The Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. For a complete list of past winners, visit Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor Books, 1938-present.
2009 Winner - The House in the Night written by Susan Marie Swanson and illustrated by Beth Krommes
"A spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers—a key, a bed, the moon—this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
Honor Books
The Michael L. Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association. For a complete list of past winners, visit Previous Michael L. Printz Winners.
2009 Winner - Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta
" Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all. In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
Honor Books
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, established in 2004, is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers. The winner(s) receive a bronze medal for their creativity and imagination and ability to "engage children in reading." The award is named for Theodor Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, who championed children's literacy and told the world, "a person's a person, no matter how small."
2009 Medal Winner - Are You Ready to Play Outside?, by Mo Willems
Honor Books
Coretta Scott King Awards
Given to African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions, the Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream. The award is designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood. For a complete list of past winners, visit Past Winners.
2009 Author Award - We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
"The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball. Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The voice is so authentic, you will feel as if you are sitting on dusty bleachers listening intently to the memories of a man who has known the great ballplayers of that time and shared their experiences." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
Author Honor Books
2009 Illustrator Award - The Blacker the Berry, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
"Black is dazzling and distinctive, like toasted wheat berry bread; snowberries in the fall; rich, red cranberries; and the bronzed last leaves of summer. In this lyrical and luminous collection, Coretta Scott King honorees Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper celebrate these many shades of black beautifully." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
Illustrator Honor Books
2009 John Steptoe New Talent Award - Bird, written by Zetta Elliott and illustrated by Shadra Strickland
"Bird, an artistic young African American boy, expresses himself through drawing as he struggles to understand his older brother's drug addiction and death, while a family friend, Uncle Son, provides guidance and understanding." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
The Pura Belpré Award
The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking (REFORMA), an ALA Affiliate. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. For a complete list of past winners, visit The Pura Belpré Award Winners.
2009 Narrative Award - The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom, written by Margarita Engle
"It is 1896. Cuba has fought three wars for independence and still is not tree. People have been rounded up in reconcentration camps with too little food and too much illness. Rosa is a nurse, but she dares not go to the camps. So she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her. Black, white, Cuban, Spanish—Rosa does her best for everyone. Yet who can heal a country so torn apart by war? Acclaimed poet Margarita Engle has created another breathtaking portrait of Cuba." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
Narrative Honor Books
2009 Illustration Award - Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
"Yuyi Morales takes us on a new journey with Señor Calvera, the skeleton from Day of the Dead celebrations. Señor Calvera is worried. He can’t figure out what to give Grandma Beetle for her birthday. Misunderstanding the advice of Zelmiro the Ghost, Señor Calvera decides not to get her one gift, but instead one gift for every letter of the alphabet, just in case. Una Acordéon: An accordion for her to dance to. Bigotes: A mustache because she has none. Cosquillas: Tickles to make her laugh…only to find out at the end of the alphabet that the best gift of all is seeing her friends. Morales’s art glows in this heart-warming original tale with folklore themes, a companion book to her Pura Belpré-winning JUST A MINUTE." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
Illustration Honor Books
The Mildred L. Batchelder Award
This award, established in 1966, is a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States. The award honors Mildred L. Batchelder, a former executive director of the Association for Library Service to Children, a believer in the importance of good books for children in translation from all parts of the world. For a complete list of past winners, visit ALSC Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winners 1968-Present.
2009 Award Winner - Arthur A. Levine Books for Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, written by Nahoko Uehashi and translated from the Japanese by Cathy Hirano
"Balsa was a wanderer and warrior for hire. Then she rescued a boy flung into a raging river -- and at that moment, her destiny changed. Now Balsa must protect the boy -- the Prince Chagum -- on his quest to deliver the great egg of the water spirit to its source in the sea. As they travel across the land of Yogo and discover the truth about the spirit, they find themselves hunted by two deadly enemies: the egg-eating monster Rarunga . . . and the prince's own father." -- BOOK DESCRIPTION
Honor Books
Michigan Library Association's Thumbs Up Award
The Thumbs Up! Award was established in 1986 to recognize the excellence, and to celebrate the uniqueness of Teen/Young Adult literature. A committee, consisting of Teen Librarians, meets several times during the year to determine the winner. Beginning in 2001, the Thumbs Up! Committee has included a teen vote. The Thumbs Up! Award is given annually by the Teen Services Division to an author for an outstanding contribution to teen literature having both literary quality and teen appeal. "Teen" for the award's purpose is someone between 12-18 years of age. The book must appeal to this age group, both in respect to its characters and setting, as well as in terms of subject and theme. Books may be hardcover or original paperback. Books may be either fiction or nonfiction. For a complete list of past winners and award guidelines, visit the Thumbs Up award page.
2008 Award Winner - Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
"Following her conscience leads high school freshman Mena to clash with her parents and former friends from their conservative Christian church, but might result in better things when she stands up for a teacher who refuses to include "Intelligent Design" in lessons on evolution."
Honor Books
Michigan Library Association's Mitten Award
The Mitten Award is an annual award presented through the Michigan Library Association's Children's Services Division. The mission of the Mitten Award is "To recognize one children's book published in the United States within the calendar year that has captured the attention of the children's librarians throughout the State of Michigan for its ability to communicate through literature to an intended audience." For a list of past award winners and award guidelines, visit the Mitten Award page.
2007 Award Winner - A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
"Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ, instead, finds that her musicianship has a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life."
Honor Books
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
The Sibert Medal, established in 2001, is named for Robert Sibert, long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books. It recognizes the distinguished nonfiction, informational book of the year, the one that does best to "present, organize and interpret documentable, factual material for children."
2009 Award Winner - We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Honor Books
