Last weekend in Chicago, a room full of children's and teen librarians erupted in cheers, gasps, and wild applause for the newest batch of books chosen for the Youth Media Awards, administered by the American Library Association's Association for Library Service to Children and Young Adult Library Services Association. This yearly event is often called "The Oscars for Children's Literature." You have most likely heard of the Caldecott and Newbery Awards, but have you heard of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award? Or the Pura Belpre Award? Or the enormously popular and influential Coretta Scott King Awards? Here are the mose recent winners of these presigious awards. Click on the titles to find a copy at a Free Library of Philadelphia location near you.
A complete listing of award winners, including young adult awards, can be found here.
Coretta Scott King Book Awards
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award 2015 Winner
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson, is the King Author Book winner.
Three King Author Honor Books were selected:
Kwame Alexander for “The Crossover”
Marilyn Nelson for “How I Discovered Poetry,” illustrated by Hadley Hooper
Kekla Magoon for “How It Went Down”
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award 2015 Winner
“Firebird,” illustrated by Christopher Myers, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Misty Copeland
Two King Illustrator Honor Book were selected:
Christian Robinson for “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” by Patricia Hruby Powell
Frank Morrison for “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone,” by Katheryn Russell-Brown
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award 2015 Winner
“When I Was the Greatest,” written by Jason Reynolds, is the Steptoe winner.
John Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
“The Crossover,” written by Kwame Alexander, is the 2015 Newbery Medal winner.
Two Newbery Honor Books also were named:
“El Deafo” by Cece Bell, illustrated by Cece Bell
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, and presented every two years.
The 2015 winner is Donald Crews, whose award-winning works include “Freight Train,” which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1979, and “Truck,” a Caldecott Honor Book in 1981. He has been consistently excellent with a wide range of titles, such as “Harbor,” “Parade,” “Shortcut” and “Bigmama’s”
Margaret A. Edwards Award
The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.
The 2015 winner is Sharon M. Draper, author of more than 20 books, including: “Tears of a Tiger” (1994), “Forged by Fire” (1997), “Darkness Before Dawn” (2001), “Battle of Jericho” (2004), “Copper Sun” (2006), and “November Blues” (2007).
Pura Belpré Awards
The Pura Belpré Award is presented annually 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.
Pura Belpré Illustrator Awards
“Viva Frida,” illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner.
Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were named:
“Little Roja Riding Hood,” illustrated by Susan Guevara, written by Susan Middleton Elya
“Green Is a Chile Pepper,” illustrated by John Parra, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong
“Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh
Pura Belpré Author Award
"I Lived on Butterfly Hill" is the 2015 Pura Belpré (Author) Award winner. The book is written by Marjorie Agosín, illustrated by Lee White.
One Belpré Author Honor Book was named:
"Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes," written by Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Raúl Colón
Randolph Caldecott Medal
The Randolph Caldecott Medal is awarded annually , to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
“The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” illustrated and written by Dan Santat, is the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner.
Six Caldecott Honor Books also were named:
“Nana in the City,” illustrated and written by Lauren Castillo
“The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art,” illustrated by Mary GrandPré, written by Barb Rosenstock
“Sam & Dave Dig a Hole,” illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett
“Viva Frida,” illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant
“This One Summer,” illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki
Schneider Family Book Award
The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
“A Boy and a Jaguar” written by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Catia Chien, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.
“Rain Reign” written by Ann M. Martin, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13).
The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Girls Like Us,” written by Gail Giles.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year.
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant, is the Sibert Award winner.
Five Sibert Honor Books were named:
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson
“The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia,” written by Candace Fleming
“Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” written by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson
“Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands,” written and illustrated by Katherine Roy
“Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award
Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award is given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.
"This Day in June,” written by Gayle E. Pitman, Ph.D., illustrated by Kristyna Litten is the 2015 Stonewall Book Award winner.
Three Honor Books were selected:
“Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out,” by Susan Kuklin, photographed by Susan Kuklin
“I’ll give you the sun,” written by Jandy Nelson
“Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” written by Christine Baldacchino, pictures by Isabelle Malenfant
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
The Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.
“You Are (Not) Small,” written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant, is the Geisel Award winner.
Two Geisel Honor Books were named:
“Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page,” written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard
“Waiting Is Not Easy!” written by Mo Willems, illustrated by Mo Willems