Children's books are written for many different purposes. Some are written to entertain young children. Some are written to educate and fascinate children with facts. Children's books are read and commented on by various people and some win very prestigious awards for their content, illustrations, and other attributes of the book. Learn about the different awards a children's book can win and what it means.
John Newbery Medal: This award is given to the best children's author each year.
- Began: 1922
- Criteria: Author must be a U.S. citizen to receive the award.
- Presentation of Award: ALA Summer Conference
- Recent Recipients: The Higher Power of Lucky written by Susan Patron (2007); Criss Cross written by Lynne Rae Perkins (2006)
Randolph Caldecott Medal: This award is given to the best artist of a picture book each year.
- Began: 1938
- Criteria: Artist must be a U.S. citizen to receive the award.
- Presentation of Award: ALA Summer Conference
- Recent Recipients: Flotsam illustrated by David Wiesner (2007); The Hello, Goodbye Window illustrated by Chris Raschka (written by Norton Juster; 2006)
Michael L. Printz Award: This award is given to the author who demonstrates excellence in young adults literature each year.
- Began: 1999
- Criteria: The book must be designated by its publisher as being either a young adult book or one published for the age range that YALSA defines as young adult, i.e. ages 12 through 18.
- Presentation of Award: ALA Summer Conference
- Recent Recipients: American Born Chinese written by Gene Luen Yang (2007); Looking for Alaska written by John Green (2006)
Other Notable Children's Book Awards
Mildred L. Batchelder Award: Awarded to an American publisher who publishes an outstanding children's book that was originally published in a foreign language. The 2007 winner is The Pull of the Ocean written by Jean-Claude Mourlevat (France) and by Y. Maudet (U.S.), published by Random House Publishers.
Coretta Scott King Award: Awarded to African American authors and artists whose works encourage young children to learn about the culture of all people and their efforts toward the American dream. The 2007 author winner is Copper Sun written by Sharon Draper. The 2007 artist winner is Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom illustrated by Kadir Nelson (written by Carole Boston Weatherford).
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award: Awarded to the author or illustrator of a book that is published in the United States and exemplifies a long-lasting contribution to children's literature, over a period of years. It is a bronze medal. The 2007 winner is James Marshall. He wrote and illustrated such notable books as the George and Martha book series, the Fox easy reader series, The Cut-Ups and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which also holds honors as the Caldecott honor winner in 1989. James Marshall died in 1992.
