Newbery Medal Winners

In June 1921, Frederic G. Melcher proposed to the American Library Association that an award be given to the most distinguished children's book published in the previous year. He suggested that the award be named after the eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery. The proposal was enthusiastically accepted, and in 1922, the ALA board approved and chose the first Newbery Medal winner and runners up. This award became the first children's book award in the world, and continues to be the best known and most discussed one in this country. Although only one medal winner is named each year, several noteworthy books are also named as "Honor books."

The continuing purpose of the Newbery Medal is "to encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. To give those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children's reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field."

2011 Newbery Honor Book

Weaving together traditional folkloric stories with Minli's quest to bring her family fortune, this captivating tale will engage readers of all ages and backgrounds. When Minli decides to use one of her two gold coins to buy a goldfish, her mother is not happy-they barely have enough rice to feed themselves, and even the few grains required by the fish are a sacrifice. Minli decides to let the fish go, but before the fish leaves, he tells her how to find the Old Man of the Moon who figures into so many of the stories she hears from her father. She leaves to begin her quest, meeting many new friends, and hearing many new stories along the way, as she tries to learn how to change her family's fortune. Full-color illustrations included. 278 pages, hardcover with dust jacket.

2010 Honor Book

On March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Instead of being celebrated as Rosa Parks would be just nine months later, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin found herself shunned by her classmates and dismissed by community leaders. Undaunted, a year later she dared to challenge segregation again as a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery and swept away the legal underpinnings of the Jim Crow South.

Based on extensive interviews with Claudette Colvin and many others, Phillip Hoose presents the first in-depth account of an important yet largely unknown civil rights figure, skillfully weaving her dramatic story into the fabric of the historic Montgomery bus boycott and court case that would change the course of American history.

Excerpt

2007 Honor Book

Hattie has been from family member to family member so often she calls herself "Hattie Here-and-There." So when a land-claim is passed to her from her late uncle, she jumps at the chance to prove up on her own claim and finally have a home to belong to. Living under the big sky for a year, Hattie struggles to complete the terms of the claim-adding 480 rods of fence, and cultivating 1/8th of her claim--forty acres--but gets a load of help and companionship from her "neighbors" Perilee Mueller and her German husband Karl. However, as WWII continues, all Germans come under suspicion of a local "council of defense" patriotism force, and Hattie must face even more trials as she keeps loyal to her friends while attempting to keep her claim secure.

Loosely based upon the author's grandmother's experiences homesteading in Montana, this New York Times bestseller will keep readers engaged until the very end. 289 pages, softcover. Grade 5 reading level. Ages 9-12.

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt

Kids' Store | Back to Top