Every year, the American Library Association chooses the best books for young readers with its youth media awards! These include the best-known awards, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, as well as several others for readers of all ages. Check out one of 2017's honored books from MHL today!
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Newbery Honor Books:
- Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life, written by Ashley Bryan
- The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, written by Adam Gidwitz, illustrated by Hatem Aly
- Wolf Hollow, written by Lauren Wolk
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
Caldecott Honor Books:
- Leave Me Alone! illustrated and written by Vera Brosgol
- Freedom in Congo Square, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Carole Boston Weatherford
- Du Iz Tak? illustrated and written by Carson Ellis
- They All Saw a Cat, illustrated and written by Brendan Wenzel
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:
March: Book Three, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell
King Author Honor Books:
- As Brave as You, written by Jason Reynolds
- Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life, written by Ashley Bryan
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award recognizing an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:
King Illustrator Honor Books:
- Freedom in Congo Square, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Carole Boston Weatherford
- Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan
- In Plain Sight, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, written by Richard Jackson
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:
The Sun Is Also a Star, written by Nicola Yoon
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
March: Book Three, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell
Printz Honor Books:
- Asking for It, written by Louise O’Neill
- The Passion of Dolssa, written by Julie Berry
- Scythe, written by Neal Shusterman
- The Sun Is Also a Star, written by Nicola Yoon
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
- Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille, written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Boris Kulikov
- As Brave As You, written by Jason Reynolds
- When We Collided, written by Emery Lord
Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
- The Queen of Blood, by Sarah Beth Durst
- The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales
- In the Country We Love: My Family Divided, by Diane Guerrero with Michelle Burford
- Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded by Hannah Hart
- Arena, by Holly Jennings
- Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire
- Romeo and/or Juliet: A Choosable-Path Adventure, by Ryan North
- Die Young with Me: A Memoir, by Rob Rufus
- The Wasp that Brainwashed the Caterpillar, by Matt Simon
- The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko, by Scott Stambach
Pura Belpré (Author) Awards honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
Juana & Lucas. written by Juana Medina
Belpré (Author) Honor:
The Only Road, written by Alexandra Diaz
Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Awards honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
Lowriders to the Center of the Earth, illustrated by Raúl Gonzalez, written by Cathy Camper
Belpré (Illustrator) Honor:
- Esquivel!: Space-Age Sound Artist, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, written by Susan Wood
- The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes, illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:
March: Book Three, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell
Sibert Honor Books:
- Giant Squid, written by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann
- Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story, written by Caren Stelson
- Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II, written by Albert Marrin
- We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler, written by Russell Freedman
Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s book of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor, written by Rick Riordan
Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language young adult book of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:
If I Was Your Girl written by Meredith Russo
Stonewall Honor Books:
- When the Moon Was Ours, written by Anna-Marie McLemore
- Unbecoming, written by Jenny Downham
- Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community, written by Robin Stevenson
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:
We Are Growing: A Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Book, written by Laurie Keller.
Geisel Honor Books:
- Good Night Owl, written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
- Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! An Alphabet Caper, written and illustrated by Mike Twohy
- Go Otto Go! written and illustrated by David Milgrim
- The Infamous Ratsos, written by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Matt Myers
William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:
The Serpent King, written by Jeff Zentner
Morris Award Finalists:
- Girl Mans Up, written by M-E Girard
- Rani Patel in Full Effect, written by Sonia Patel
- The Smell of Other People’s Houses, written by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
- Tell Me Something Real, written by Calla Devlin
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
March: Book Three, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell
ENYA Award Finalists:
- Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History, by Karen Blumenthal
- In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives, by Kenneth C. Davis
- Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune, written by Pamela S. Turner, illustrated by Gareth Hinds
- This Land Is Our Land: A History of American Immigration, written by Linda Barrett Osborne