On January 26th, the American Library Association announced the winners of its Youth Media Awards. Meant to honor the best books and media for children and young adults, awards given included the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Book Award.
John Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal is given to the title deemed the year’s most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. This year’s award was given to All the Blues in the Sky, by Renee Watson. In this moving novel, bestselling author Watson deals with friendship, loss, and life, as thirteen-year old Sage faces an unimaginable tragedy.
Several additional books were also awarded a Newbery Honor. These included The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli, by Karina Yan Glaser; A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez, by Maria Dolores Águila; The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story, by Daniel Nayeri; and The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest, by Aubrey Hartman.
Randolph Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to the most distinguished American picture book for a child audience. This year the award was given to Fireworks, illustrated by Cátia Chien, with text by Matthew Burgess. This joyful picture book spotlights the well known pleasures of a hot July day, as two siblings await the city’s fireworks display that evening.
Other titles were awarded a Caldecott Honor in recognition of their achievement and quality. These include Every Monday Mabel, illustrated and written by Jashar Awan; Our Lake, illustrated and written by Angie Kang; Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave, illustrated and written by Drew Beckmeyer; and Sundust, illustrated and written by Zeke Peña.
Coretta Scott King Book Awards
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards recognize African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for youth audiences.
The winner of this year’s King Author Award Book is Will’s Race for Home, by Jewell Parker Rhodes. The Library in the Woods, illustrations by R. Gregory Christie and written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, is the King Illustrator Book award winner.
For a full list of this year’s ALA Youth Media Award winners and honorees, visit the website of the American Library Association. Staff at your library will be happy to help you locate these best titles of the year within the Menomonee Falls’ collection.