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.
2011 Winner
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpoole
"Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter who, in the summer of 1936, sends her to stay with an old friend in Manifest, Kansas, where he grew up, and where she hopes to find out some things about his past." -- 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.
2011 Winner
A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead
"Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper, always made time to visit his good friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl. But one day--'Ah-choo!'--he woke with the sniffles and the sneezes. Though he didn't make it into the zoo that day, he did receive some unexpected guests" -- 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.
2011 Winner -
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
"In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl." -- 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." For a complete list of past winners, visit Past Winners
2011 Medal Winner
Bink and Gollie by Kate Dicamillo and Alison McGhee
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.
2011 Author Award -
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
Author Honor Books
2011 Illustrator Award
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave- illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Laban Carrick Hill
"Chronicles the life of Dave, a nineteenth-century slave who went on to become an influential poet, artist, and potter."-Book Description
Illustrator Honor Book
2011 John Steptoe New Talent Award -
Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simmons.
"A fictionalized account of Zora Neale Hurston's childhood with her best friend Carrie, in Eatonville, Florida, as they learn about life, death, and the differences between truth, lies, and pretending. Includes an annotated bibliography of the works of Zora Neale Hurston, a short biography of the author, and information about Eatonville, Florida."
Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson
A biography of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner and environmentalist Wangari Maathai, a female scientist who made a stand in the face of opposition to women's rights and her own Greenbelt Movement, an effort to restore Kenya's ecosystem by planting millions of trees--Provided by publisher.
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.
2011 Author Award -
The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan, drawings by Peter Sis
"A fictionalized biography of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who grew up a painfully shy child, ridiculed by his overbearing father, but who became one of the most widely-read poets in the world. "
Author Honor Books
2011 Illustration Award -
Grandma's Gift by Eric Velasquez
"The author describes Christmas at his grandmother's apartment in Spanish Harlem the year she introduced him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Diego Velazquez's portrait of Juan de Pareja, which has had a profound and lasting effect on him."
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.
2011 Award Winner
A Time of Miracles by Anne-Laure Bondoux
"In the early 1990s, a boy with a mysterious past and the woman who cares for him endure a five-year journey across the war-torn Caucasus and Europe, weathering hardships and welcoming unforgettable encounters with other refugees searching for a better life."
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.
2010 Award Winner - Hate List by Jennifer Brown
"Sixteen-year-old Valerie, whose boyfriend Nick committed a school shooting at the end of their junior year, struggles to cope with integrating herself back into high school life, unsure herself whether she was a hero or a villain. " --BOOK DESCRIPTION
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.
2009 Award Winner - The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
"Twelve-year-old Homer, a poor but clever orphan, has extraordinary adventures after running away from his evil uncle to rescue his brother, who has been sold into service in the Civil War. " --BOOK DESCRIPTION
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."
2011 Award Winner
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot text by Sy Montgomery & photographs by Nic Bishop
"On remote Codfish Island off the southern coast of New Zealand live the last 91 kakapo parrots on earth. Originally this bird numbered in the millions before humans brought predators to the islands. Now on the isolated island refuge, a team of scientists is trying to restore the kakapo population."
Honor Books
National Book Awards
Since 1950, the National Book Foundation has recognized the best of American literature, raising the cultural appreciation of great writing in the country while advancing the careers of both established and emerging writers. Following are the award winner and finalists in the Young People's Literature division. For a list of past award winners, visit the National Book Awards page.
2010 Award Winner - Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine
"Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father." --BOOK DESCRIPTION
Finalists
