Newbery Medal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Newbery Medal
Presented by	Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association
Country	United States
First awarded	1922; 103 years ago (1922)
Currently held by	Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

The John Newbery Medal, often just called the Newbery, is a famous award for books. It is given each year to the author of the best book written for children in the United States. The award is presented by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), which is part of the American Library Association (ALA).

The Newbery Medal is one of the most important awards a children's book can receive in the U.S., along with the Caldecott Medal for illustrations. When a book wins the Newbery, many libraries and bookstores want to have it. The authors often get interviewed on TV, and their books are studied by experts.

The award is named after John Newbery, who was an English publisher of children's books in the 1700s. The idea for the medal came from Frederic G. Melcher in 1921. This made it the very first children's book award in the world. The winner receives a bronze medal designed by Rene Paul Chambellan.

Besides the main winner, the committee also names a few other great books as Newbery Honors. These books used to be called "runners-up." To be considered, a book must be written by a U.S. citizen or resident and published in the U.S. in English during the past year.

How the Award Began

Frederic G. Melcher had the idea for the Newbery Award in 1921.

The Newbery Medal was created on June 22, 1921, during a meeting of the American Library Association (ALA). Frederic G. Melcher, an editor at Publishers Weekly, suggested it. The children's librarians at the meeting loved the idea.

The ALA agreed to manage the award. Melcher himself paid for the medal's design and creation. The first Newbery Medal was given in 1922 to a book published in 1921. The goal was to celebrate high-quality, creative children's books. It also showed the public that children's literature is important.

Over the years, some rules have changed. For a while, an author could only win a second Newbery if everyone on the committee agreed. This rule was removed in 1958. In 1971, the name "Newbery Honor" was officially created for the runners-up.

The Newbery Medal

John Newbery was an English publisher who helped make children's books popular. He is sometimes called the "Father of Children's Literature."

The bronze medal was designed by Rene Paul Chambellan. One side shows a person giving a book to a boy and a girl. The other side has the words, "For the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children".

The medal is given out by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Each winning author gets their own copy of the medal with their name on it.

The Selection Committee

When the award first started, a group of librarians voted for the winner. The first book to win, The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon, won with 163 out of 212 votes.

In 1924, the process changed. A special committee was created to pick the winner instead of having a popular vote. Today, a new committee of fifteen people is formed every year. These members include librarians from different types of libraries, teachers, and book reviewers.

How a Book Is Chosen

The committee members read many books throughout the year. They then meet to discuss which book is the best. To be eligible, a book must be a great piece of writing for children. It also has to be published in the United States in the previous year.

The winners are announced in January or February. The committee's discussions are kept secret. The winning author gets a phone call just before the public announcement. This is always a very exciting moment for the author!

Famous Winners

Over the years, many amazing books have won the Newbery Medal or a Newbery Honor. Six authors have won the main medal twice. Many others have won multiple Honors. For example, Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House series, won five Honors but never the Medal.

Here are some of the authors and books that have received this special award.

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  Hendrik Willem van Loon won the first Newbery Medal in 1922 for The Story of Mankind.

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  Dhan Gopal Mukerji was the first Indian American to win the Newbery Medal.

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  Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote five books that were named Newbery Honors between 1938 and 1944.

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  Elizabeth Gray Vining (right) won the Newbery Medal in 1943 for Adam of the Road.

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  Lois Lenski won two Newbery Honors and one Newbery Medal.

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  E. B. White won a Newbery Honor for Charlotte's Web.

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  Jean Craighead George won both a Newbery Medal and an Honor for her books.

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  Beverly Cleary won two Newbery Honors for her Ramona books and the Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw.

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  Paul Fleischman won the Newbery Medal in 1989, two years after his father Sid Fleischman won it.

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  Lois Lowry won two Newbery Medals for her powerful stories.

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  Jerry Spinelli has won both a Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor.

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  Karen Cushman won a Newbery Honor in 1995 and then the Newbery Medal in 1996.

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  Sharon Creech has received both the Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor.

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  Louis Sachar won in 1999 for his famous book Holes.

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  Kate DiCamillo is one of only six authors to win the Newbery Medal more than once.

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  Jacqueline Woodson has received four Newbery Honors for her books.

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  Christopher Paul Curtis won a Newbery Honor and a Newbery Medal for his first two books.

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  Jennifer L. Holm's first book, Our Only May Amelia, won a Newbery Honor.

See also

In Spanish: Medalla Newbery para niños

• Carnegie Medal: An award for children's books in the UK.
• Michael L. Printz Award: An award for books for young adults in the US.
• Caldecott Medal: An award for the best illustrations in an American children's book.
• Children's Literature Legacy Award: An award for an author's or illustrator's entire body of work.
• Hans Christian Andersen Award: An international award for contributions to children's literature.