Awards To Look For

The winners have been announced! Here's a brief list.

Newberry Medal Winner: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village

Newberry Honors Books: Elijah of Buxton; The Wednesday Wars; Feathers

Caldecott Medal Winner: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Caldecott Honors Books: Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad; First the Egg; The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain; Knuffle Bunny Too.

Theodore Seuss Geisel Award: There Is a Bird on Your Head!

Theodore Seuss Geisel Honors: First, the Egg; Hello, Bumblebee Bat!; Jazz Baby; Vulture View.

Libraries are an incredible resource. But did you know that the Association of Library Services for Children is valuable for yet another reason? It is the governing body that administers many of the awards that have come to be the lingua franca of great children's literature: The Newberry Medal; the Caldecott Medal; The Geisel Award(named for Doctor Seuss) and the Printz Award.

Here's a brief primer to all the awards, so you know what you're looking for, and a rundown of the winners of each award.

The Newberry Medal. The Newberry is the oldest award given for children's literature in the United States. First awarded in 1921, the medal is named for a British librarian, although only American books are eligible for the medal. The Newberry Medal is given to the most distinguished contribution to children's literature published the previous year. Past winners include The Power of Lucky; Island of the Blue Dolphins; Shiloh; A Single Shard; A Year Down Yonder; and The Tale of Despereaux.

The Caldecott Medal. Sixteen years after the creation of the Newberry Medal, it was obvious that illustrators needed some credit for the fine work they were turning out, as well. Thus was born the Caldecott Medal, awarded each year to the artist of the most distinguished picture book for children.. 2007's winner is Flotsam, by Davis Weisner; previous winners have included Officer Buckle and Gloria; The Hello Goodbye Window, and So You Want to Be a President?

The Theodore Seuss Geisel Award. Named for Dr. Seuss, this award is given to the author and illustrator of the most distinguished book for beginning readers published in the United States in the previous year. The award has only been given since 2006; winners are Henry and Mudge and the Great GrandPas (2006) and Zelda and Ivy (the Runaways) (2007).

Check back soon for more awards!