Newbery Medal

The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children".

[1] The Newbery and the Caldecott Medal are considered the two most prestigious awards for children's literature in the United States.

[2] Books selected are widely carried by bookstores and libraries, the authors are interviewed on television, and master's theses and doctoral dissertations are written on them.

[3][4]: 1  The physical bronze medal was designed by Rene Paul Chambellan and is given to the winning author at the next ALA annual conference.

The Newbery Medal was established on June 22, 1921, at the annual conference of the American Library Association (ALA).

[7] The award was administered by the ALA from the start, but Melcher provided funds that paid for the design and production of the medal.

[4]: 1  In 1932 the committee felt it was important to encourage new writers in the field, so a rule was made that an author would win a second Newbery only if the vote was unanimous.

[11]: 11  In 1924 the process was changed, and instead of using popular vote it was decided that a special award committee would be formed to select the winner.

"[4] : 4  Newbery winners are announced at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, held in January or February.

[4]: 8  In 2015, K. T. Horning of the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Cooperative Children's Book Center proposed to ALSC that old discussions of the Newbery and Caldecott be made public in the service of researchers and historians.

[3][16] Lucy Calkins, of the Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University's Teachers College, agreed with Silvey: "I can't help but believe that thousands, even millions, more children would grow up reading if the Newbery committee aimed to spotlight books that are deep and beautiful and irresistible to kids".

Grainy black and white picture of Melcher.
Frederic G. Melcher first proposed the idea for the Newbery Award.
An 18th century engraving showing Newbery in profile looking to the left.
John Newbery, called "The Father of Children's Literature ", was an English publisher of books who first made children's literature a sustainable and profitable part of the literary market. [ 10 ]
van Loon is sitting with his head resting on the thumbs of his clasped hands.
Hendrik Willem van Loon won the first Newbery Medal in 1922 for his book The Story of Mankind .
Portrait of Dhan Gopal Mukerji printed in the April 1916 issue of The Hindusthanee Student.
Dhan Gopal Mukerji was the first Indian American to win the Newbery Medal. [ 17 ]
A sepia portrait of Wilder from circa 1885
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote five books each named a Newbery Honor between 1938 and 1944.
Crown Prince Akihito and Elizabeth Gray Vining
Elizabeth Gray Vining (right) won the Newbery Medal in 1943 for Adam of the Road , which was illustrated by Robert Lawson , who won the Newbery Medal himself in 1945.
High school graduation photo of Lenski
Lois Lenski , who won two Newbery Honors and one Newbery Medal, wrote series that were connected by themes rather than characters.
EB White and his dog Minnie
E. B. White won a Newbery Honor for Charlotte's Web for which he also recorded an unabridged audiobook.
Jean Craighead George in Barrow, AK, 1994
Jean Craighead George won both a Newbery Medal and Honor.
Cleary at her desk writing, joined in the photo by her cat.
Beverly Cleary won two Newbery Honors for her Ramona series and the Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw .
Headshot of Fleischman in 2014
Paul Fleischman won the Newbery Medal in 1989, two years after his father Sid Fleischman won it.
Lowry at the 2016 Texas Book Festival
Lois Lowry won two Newbery Medals four years apart.
Spinelli signing one of his books
Jerry Spinelli is one of many authors to have been awarded both the Newbery Medal and Newbery Honor.
Author Karen Cushman at the 2016 Texas Book Festival.
Karen Cushman followed her 1995 Newbery Honor with a 1996 Newbery Medal.
Sharon Creech standing at a lectern giving a speech.
Sharon Creech has been both a winner and Honor recipient.
Sachar shown from the waist up, smiling, and holding a small box.
Louis Sachar won in 1999 for Holes .
Kate DiCamillo at the 2018 US National Book Festival smiling at the camera holding a pen with red glasses resting on top of her head.
Kate DiCamillo is one of six authors to have been a Newbery winner multiple times.
Smiling picture of Woodson.
Jacqueline Woodson has been a Newbery Honor recipient four times.
Curtis sitting and smiling.
Christopher Paul Curtis won a Newbery Honor and Newbery Medal for the first two books he published, The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 and Bud, Not Buddy .
Singer in 1988
Isaac Bashevis Singer's first Newbery Honor Book, Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories , also won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis . [ 20 ]
Jennifer Holm at the 2017 American Association of School Librarians conference
Jennifer Holm's first book, Our Only May Amelia , was sparked by her Great Aunt's diaries and won a Newbery Honor. [ 21 ]