American Library Association's 2019 Youth Media Award Winners
The American Library Association (ALA) recently announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, Washington.
A list of most of the 2019 award winners follows:
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:
“Merci Suárez Changes Gears,” written by Meg Medina, is the 2019 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Candlewick.
Two Newbery Honor Books also were named:
“The Night Diary,” written by Veera Hiranandani and published by Dial/Penguin Random House.
“The Book of Boy,” written by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, illustrated by Ian Schoenherr and published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins.
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
“Hello Lighthouse,” illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall is the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was published by Little, Brown/Hachette.
Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named:
“Alma and How She Got Her Name,” illustrated and written by Juana Martinez-Neal, published by Candlewick;
“A Big Mooncake for Little Star,” illustrated and written by Grace Lin and published by Little, Brown/Hachette;
“The Rough Patch,” illustrated and written by Brian Lies and published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins
“Thank You, Omu!” illustrated and written by Oge Mora and published by Little, Brown/Hachette.
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:
“A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919,” written by Claire Hartfield, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Three King Author Honor Books were selected:
“Finding Langston,” written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and published by Holiday House;
“The Parker Inheritance,” written by Varian Johnson and published by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic;
“The Season of Styx Malone,” written by Kekla Magoon and published by Wendy Lamb/ Random House/Penguin Random House.
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
“The Stuff of Stars,” illustrated by Ekua Holmes, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Marion Dane Bauer and published by Candlewick.
Three King Illustrator Honor Book were selected:
“Hidden Figures,” illustrated by Laura Freeman, written by Margot Lee Shetterly and published by HarperCollins;
“Let the Children March,” illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Monica Clark-Robinson and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt;
“Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop,” illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Alice Faye Duncan and published by Calkins Creek/ Highlights.
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:
“Monday’s Not Coming,” written by Tiffany D. Jackson, is the Steptoe author award winner. The book is published by Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins.
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award:
“Thank You, Omu!,” illustrated and written by Oge Mora and published by Little, Brown.
Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Dr. Pauletta Brown Bracy is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.
Dr. Bracy is Professor of Library Science and Director of the Office of University Accreditation at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). She successfully merged scholarship and service with publications such as “Libraries, Literacy and African American Youth” (co-edited with Sandra Hughes Hassell and Casey H. Rawson), her work with the Coretta Scott King Book Awards and with workshops and conferences dedicated to promoting African American books for children and teens. She recently served as co-organizer for Celebrating Our Voices: Black Children’s Literature Symposium and Book Festival held at NCCU.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
“The Poet X,” written by Elizabeth Acevedo, is the 2019 Printz Award winner. The book is published by HarperTeen/HarperCollins.
Three Printz Honor Books also were named:
“Damsel,” written by Elana K. Arnold and published by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins
“A Heart in a Body in the World,” written by Deb Caletti and published by Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
“I, Claudia,” written by Mary McCoy and published by Carolrhoda/Lerner.
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
“Rescue & Jessica A Life-Changing Friendship,” written by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, illustrated by Scott Magoon and published by Candlewick (ages 0 to 10).
One honor book for young children was selected:
“The Remember Balloons,” written by Jessie Oliveros, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte and published by Simon & Schuster.
“The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle,” written by Leslie Connor and published by Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins, is the winner for middle grades (ages 11-13).
One honor book for middle grades was selected:
“The Collectors,” written by Jacqueline West and published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins.
“Anger Is a Gift,” written by Mark Oshiro and published by Tor Tom Doherty Associates, is the winner for teens (ages 13-18).
One honor book for teens was selected:
“(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health,” edited by Kelly Jensen and published by Algonquin/Workman.
Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
“The Black God’s Drums,” by P. Djèlí Clark, published by Tor.com/Tom Doherty Associates/ Macmillan.
“The Book of Essie,” by Meghan MacLean Weir, published by Knopf/ Random House/ Penguin Random House.
“Circe,” by Madeline Miller, published by Little, Brown/Hachette.
“Educated: A Memoir,” by Tara Westover, published by Random House/Penguin Random House
“The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After,” by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil, published by Crown/Penguin Random House.
“Green,” by Sam Graham-Felsen, published by Random House/ Penguin Random House.
“Home After Dark,” by David Small, illustrated by the author, published by Liveright/ of W.W. Norton.
“How Long ’Til Black Future Month?” By N. K. Jemisin, published by Orbit/ Hachette.
“Lawn Boy,” by Jonathan Evison, published by Algonquin/Walker.
“Spinning Silver,” by Naomi Novik, published by Del Rey/Penguin Random House.
Children’s Literature Legacy Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the U.S., have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences.
The 2019 winner is Walter Dean Myers, whose award-winning works include “Somewhere in the Darkness,” published by Scholastic (a 1993 Newbery Honor Book), and “Monster,” published by HarperCollins ( a 2000 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book). In addition, Myers received the first Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010.
Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:
The 2019 winner is M.T. Anderson. His books include: “Feed;” “The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party;” and “The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves,” all published by Candlewick Press.
2020 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.
Neil Gaiman will deliver the 2020 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Born in England, Gaiman is a U.S resident. His work has been honored with many awards internationally, including the Newbery Medal. He is credited with being one of the creators of modern comics, as well as an author whose work crosses genres and reaches audiences of all ages. Gaiman is a prolific creator of works of prose, poetry, film, journalism, comics, song lyrics, and drama and a vocal defender of the freedom to read.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the U.S, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the U.S.:
“The Fox on the Swing” is the 2019 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Lithuanian as “Laime Yra Lape,” the book was written by Evelina Daciūtė, illustrated by Aušra Kiudulaitė, translated by The Translation Bureau and published by Thames & Hudson.
Four Honor Books also were selected:
“Run for Your Life,” published by Yonder/Restless Books, written by Silvana Gandolfi and translated from the Italian by Lynne Sharon Schwartz;
“My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder,” published by Graphic Universe/Lerner, written and illustrated by Nie Jun, originally published in Mandarin and translated from the French by Edward Gauvin;
“Edison: The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure,” published by NorthSouth, written and illustrated by Torben Kuhlmann and translated from the German by David Henry Wilson;
“Jerome By Heart,” published by Enchanted Lion Books, written by Thomas Scotto, illustrated by Olivier Tallec and translated from the French by Claudia Zoe Bedrick and Karin Snelson.
Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:
“Sadie,” produced by Macmillan Audio, is the 2019 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Courtney Summers, narrated by Rebecca Soler, Fred Berman, Dan Bittner, Gabra Zackman, and more and published by Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press.
Four books Odyssey Honor Audiobooks also were selected:
“Du Iz Tak” produced by Weston Woods Studio/Scholastic, written by Carson Ellis and narrated by Eli and Sebastian D’Amico, Burton, Galen and Laura Fott, Sarah Hart, Bella Higginbotham, Evelyn Hipp and Brian Hull;
“Esquivel! Spaace-Age Sound Artist,” produced by Live Oak Media, written by Susan Wood and narrated by Brian Amador;
“The Parker Inheritance,” produced by Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Varian Johnson and narrated by Cherise Booth;
“The Poet X,” produced by HarperAudio/HarperCollins and written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo.
Pura Belpré Awards honoring a Latinx writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
“Dreamers,” illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was published by Neal Porter/Holiday House.
Two Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were named:
“Islandborn,” illustrated by Leo Espinosa, written by Junot Díaz and published by Dial/Penguin Young Readers Group/Penguin Random House
“When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana,” illustrated by Jose Ramirez, written by Michael Mahin and published by Atheneum/Simon & Schuster.
"The Poet X,” written by Elizabeth Acevedo, is the Pura Belpré Author Award winner. The book is published by HarperTeen/HarperCollins.
One Belpré Author Honor Book was named:
"They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems," written by David Bowles and published by Cinco Puntos Press.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:
“The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science,” written by Joyce Sidman, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Five Sibert Honor Books were named:
“Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild,” written by Catherine Thimmesh and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt;
“Spooked! How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America,” written by Gail Jarrow and published by Calkins Creek/ Highlights;
“The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees,” written and illustrated by Don Brown and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt;
“We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga,” written by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac and published by Charlesbridge;
“When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana,” written Michael Mahin, illustrated by Jose Ramirez and published by Atheneum/Simon & Schuster.
The Inaugural Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award is being given in 2019 to a digital media producer that has created distinguished digital media for an early learning audience.
The 2019 in Early Learning Digital Media Award winner is Play and Learn Science, produced by PBS Kids.
The committee selected two honor recipients:
Coral Reef, produced by Tinybop Inc.
Lexi’s World, produced by Pop Pop Pop LLC.
Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award is given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.
The 2019 recipients are respectively:
“Julián Is a Mermaid,” written by Jessica Love and published by Candlewick
“Hurricane Child,” written by Kheryn Callender and published by Scholastic
Two Honor Books were selected:
“Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World,” written by Ashley Herring Blake and published by Little, Brown/Hachette
“Picture Us in the Light,” written by Kelly Loy Gilbert and published by Hyperion/ Disney.
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book is:
“Fox the Tiger,” written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor and published by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins.
Four Geisel Honor Books were named:
“The Adventures of Otto: See Pip Flap,” written and illustrated by David Milgrim and published by Simon Spotlight/Simon & Schuster;
“Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories,” written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier and published by Chronicle;
“King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth,” written by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers and published by Peachtree;
“Tiger vs. Nightmare,” written and illustrated by Emily Tetri and published by First Second/Roaring Brook/Holtzbrinck.
The William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens is:
“Darius the Great Is Not Okay,” written by Adib Khorram, published by Dial/Penguin Random House.
Four William C. Morris Award Honor Books were named:
“Blood Water Paint,” written by Joy McCullough and published by Dutton/Penguin
“Check, Please!: #Hockey,” written and illustrated by Ngozi Ukazu and published by First Second/Macmillan
“Children of Blood and Bone,” written by Tomi Adeyemi and published by Henry Holt/ Macmillan;
“What the Night Sings,” written and illustrated by Vesper Stamper and published by Knopf/Penguin Random House.
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
“The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees,” written and illustrated by Don Brown, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is the 2019 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.
Four books were finalists for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
“The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor,” written by Sonia Sotomayor and published by Delacorte/ Penguin Random House;
“Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam,” written by Elizabeth Partridge and published by Viking/Penguin Random House;
“The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler,” written and illustrated by John Hendrix and published by Amulet Books/Abrams;
"Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction," written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka and published by Graphix/Scholastic.
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit. The award offers three youth categories including Picture Book, Children’s Literature and Young Adult Literature. The award is administered by the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), an affiliate of the American Library Association. Here are this year’s winners:
The Picture Book winner is “Drawn Together,” written by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat and published by Hyperion/Disney;
The Children’s Literature winner is “Front Desk,” written by Kelly Yang and published by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic;
The Young Adult Literature is “Darius the Great is Not Okay,” written by Adib Khorram and published by Dial/Penguin Random House.
The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature.
Here are this year’s winners:
The Younger Readers winner is “All-of-a-Kind-Family Hanukkah,” by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul Zelinsky, published by Schwartz & Wade/Random House
The Older Readers winner is “Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster,” by Jonathan Auxier, published by Amulet/Abrams;
The Teen Readers winner is “What the Night Sings,” by Vesper Stamper, illustrated by the author, published by Knopf/Random House.
Please join us in congratulating all the winners!
