Peoria Public Library
Every year, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, honors and bestows prestigious awards for outstanding children’s books. The three main awards are the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Book Award.
The Newbery is named for the 18th century bookseller John Newbery and is awarded to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. 2018’s winner is Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly. The synopsis is “Filipino folklore and real life converge at the bottom of a well. Even while following signs and portents, the characters are the definition of creative agency. Masterfully told through shifting points of view, this modern quest tale shimmers with humor and authentic emotion.” Three other books got Newbery honors this year: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes; Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds; Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson.
The Caldecott is named in honor of 19th century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awards to the artist of the most distinguished picture book for children. 2018’s winner is Wolf in the Snow written and illustrated by Matthew Cordel. The synopsis is “In this spare, nearly wordless picture book, a girl and a wolf cub each get lost in the snow and rescue each other. Cordell uses pen and ink and watercolor wash to capture the frenzied snowfall and the brave girl’s frantic, frightful journey. Fairy tale elements and a strong sense of color and geometry offer an engrossing, emotionally charged story.” Four other books received Caldecott honors: Cat, Little Cat illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper; Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut illustrated by Gordon C. James; A Different Pond illustrated by Thi Bui; Grand Canyon illustrated and written by Jason Chin.
The Coretta Scott King Book Award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and honors his wife for her courage and determination to continue the world for peace and world brotherhood. The award is given to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. 2018’s author winner is to Renee Wilson who wrote “Piecing Me Together.” The story is “an inspiriting tale in which Watson pulls the reader into Jade’s world by sharing Jade’s love for the Spanish language and providing a different, yet necessary story of Black womanhood.” 2018’s illustrator award winner is Euka Holmes, illustrator of “Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets.” In the book, Holmes’ “mixed-media collage images balance the tone and tenor of the new poems created by the authors, while paying homage to each of the featured poets in the subtle details extracted from various aspects. “
Peoria Public Library always waits with excitement to see the winners of each year. We have current award winners and many, many past years’ winning books as well.
To see past winners of these awards and more, check out ALSC’s website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia
Check out our online catalogue to see our selection of award winners: www.peoriapubliclibrary.org
*Award information and synopsis found: http://www.ala.org
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