The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video, and audiobooks for children and young adults at the Youth Media Awards at the Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Atlanta.
A list of the 2017 award winners follows:
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:
The Girl Who Drank the Moon, written by Kelly Barnhill, is the 2017 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing.
Three Newbery Honor Books were named:
- Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan, written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
- The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, written by Adam Gidwitz, illustrated by Hatem Aly, and published by Dutton Children’s Books, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House
- Wolf Hollow, written by Lauren Wolk and published by Dutton Children’s Books, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe is the 2017 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Javaka Steptoe and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group.
Four Caldecott Honor Books were named:
- Leave Me Alone! illustrated and written by Vera Brosgol and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership
- Freedom in Congo Square, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Little Bee Books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing Group
- Du Iz Tak? illustrated and written by Carson Ellis and published by Candlewick Press
- They All Saw a Cat, illustrated and written by Brendan Wenzel and published by Chronicle Books
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:
March: Book Three, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, is the King Author Book winner. The book is illustrated by Nate Powell and published by Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works.
Two King Author Honor Books were selected:
- As Brave as You, written by Jason Reynolds, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
- Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan, written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Javaka Steptoe and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group.
Three King Illustrator Honor Book were selected:
- Freedom in Congo Square, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Little Bee Books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing Group
- Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan, illustrated and written by Ashley Bryan, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
- In Plain Sight, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, written by Richard Jackson, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:
The Sun Is Also a Star, written by Nicola Yoon, is the Steptoe author award winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.
Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Rudine Sims Bishop 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. Bishop is a winner of numerous awards and has served as a respected member of many book awards committees over the course of her long and distinguished career. Her influential writing, speaking, and teaching articulates the history and cultural significance of African-American children’s literature. Her globally cited work, “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors,” has inspired movements for increased diversity in books for young people, and provides the basis for the best multicultural practice and inquiry for students, teachers, writers and publishing houses.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
March: Book Three, created by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, is the 2017 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing.
Four Printz Honor Books were named:
- Asking for It, by Louise O’Neill and published by Quercus, a Hachette Company
- The Passion of Dolssa, by Julie Berry and published by Viking Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers
- Scythe, by Neal Shusterman and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Publishing
- The Sun Is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille, written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Boris Kulikov and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, wins the award for young children (ages 0–10).
as brave as you, written by Jason Reynolds and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, is the winner for middle grades (ages 11–13).
When We Collided, written by Emery Lord and published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books is the winner for teens (ages 13–18).
Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
The Queen of Blood, by Sarah Beth Durst, published by Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales, published by Riverhead, an imprint of Penguin Random House
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided, by Diane Guerrero with Michelle Burford, published by Henry Holt and Co.
Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded, by Hannah Hart, published by Dey Street, an imprint of William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins Publishers
Arena, by Holly Jennings, published by Ace Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire, a Tor Book published by Tom Doherty Associates
Romeo and/or Juliet: A Choosable-Path Adventure, by Ryan North, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Die Young with Me: A Memoir, by Rob Rufus, published by Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
The Wasp that Brainwashed the Caterpillar, by Matt Simon, published by Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House
The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko, by Scott Stambach, published by St. Martin’s Press
Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video:
Ryan Swenar of Dreamscape Media, producer of Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music, is the Carnegie Medal winner. Adapted from Margarita Engle’s book, a girl in 1930s Cuba aspires to play the drums, a privilege afforded only to boys. Based on the life of Chinese-African-Cuban Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, this story demonstrates how the power of persistence can break barriers, shatter expectations, and make one’s dreams a reality.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award:
The 2017 winner is Nikki Grimes. The award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. Grimes’s award-winning works include Bronx Masquerade, which won the 2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Words with Wings, the recipient of a 2014Coretta Scott King Author Honor. In addition, she received the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award in 2016 and the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 2006.
Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:
The 2017 winner is Sarah Dessen. Her books include: “Dreamland,” “Keeping the Moon,” “Just Listen,” “The Truth about Forever,” “Along for the Ride,” “What Happened to Goodbye?” and “This Lullaby,” all published by Viking Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, a Penguin Random House Company.
2018 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award:
Naomi Shihab Nye will deliver the 2018 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. The award recognizes an author, critic, librarian, historian, or teacher of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site. The daughter of a Palestinian father and an American mother, Shihab Nye grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas. The author and/or editor of more than 30 books for adults and children, her latest for young people, The Turtle of Oman, was chosen as a 2015 Notable Children’s Book by ALA. She has received four Pushcart Prizes, was a National Book Award finalist, and has been named a Guggenheim Fellow, among her many honors.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award:
Cry, Heart, But Never Break is the 2017 Batchelder Award winner, which is given to an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States. Originally published in Danish in 2001 as Græd blot hjerte, the book was written by Glenn Ringtved, illustrated by Charolotte Pardi, translated by Robert Moulthrop, and published by Enchanted Lion Books.
Three Batchelder Honor Books were selected:
- Over the Ocean, published by Chronicle Books LLC, written and illustrated by Taro Gomi and translated from the Japanese by Taylor Norman
- As Time Went By, published by NorthSouth Books, written and illustrated by José Sanabria, and translated from the German by Audrey Hall
- The Ballad of a Broken Nose, published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, written by Arne Svingen, and translated from the Norwegian by Kari Dickson
Odyssey Award:
Anna and the Swallow Man, produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Groups, is the 2017 Odyssey Award winner, which recognizes the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States. The book is written by Gavriel Savit and narrated by Allan Corduner.
Three Odyssey Honor Audiobooks were selected:
- Ghost, produced by Simon and Schuster Audio, written by Jason Reynolds, and narrated by Guy Lockard
- Dream On, Amber, produced by Recorded Books, written by Emma Shevah, and narrated by Laura Kirman
- Nimona, produced by HarperAudio, written by Noelle Stevenson, and narrated by Rebecca Soler, Jonathan Davis, Marc Thompson, January LaVoy, Natalie Gold, Peter Bradbury, and David Pittu
Pura Belpré Awards:
Lowriders to the Center of the Earth, illustrated by Raúl Gonzalez, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. It was written by Cathy Camper and published by Chronicle Books. Juana & Lucas, written by Juana Medina, is the Pura Belpré Author Award winner. The book is illustrated by Juana Medina and published by Candlewick Press. The awards honor a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.
Two Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were named:
- Esquivel!: Space-Age Sound Artist, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, written by Susan Wood and published by Charlesbridge
- The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes, illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.
One Belpré Author Honor Book was named:
- The Only Road, written by Alexandra Diaz and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/A Paula Wiseman Book
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:
March: Book Three, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works.
Four Sibert Honor Books were named:
- Giant Squid, written by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership
- Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story, written by Caren Stelson and published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group
- Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II, written by Albert Marrin and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House
- We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler, written by Russell Freedman and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Stonewall Book Award—Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award:
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor, written by Rick Riordan and published by Disney Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group, and If I Was Your Girl written by Meredith Russo and published by Flatiron Books, are the 2017 recipients of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award, respectively. The annual awards recognize English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience.
Three Honor Books were selected:
- When the Moon Was Ours, written by Anna-Marie McLemore and published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press
- Unbecoming, written by Jenny Downham and published by Scholastic, by arrangement with David Fickling Books
- Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community, written by Robin Stevenson and published by Orca Book Publishers
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:
We Are Growing: A Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Book, written by Laurie Keller. The book is published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group.
Four Geisel Honor Books were named:
- Good Night Owl, written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli and published by Disney Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group
- Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! An Alphabet Caper, written and illustrated by Mike Twohy and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
- Go Otto Go! written and illustrated by David Milgrim and published by Simon Spotlight, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
- The Infamous Ratsos, written by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Matt Myers and published by Candlewick Press
William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:
The Serpent King, written by Jeff Zentner, is the 2017 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a Penguin Random House Company.
Four books were finalists for the award:
- Girl Mans Up, written by M-E Girard, published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
- Rani Patel in Full Effect, written by Sonia Patel, published by Cinco Puntos Press
- The Smell of Other People’s Houses, written by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a Penguin Random House Company
- Tell Me Something Real, written by Calla Devlin, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
March: Book Three, created by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, is the 2017 Excellence winner. The book is published by Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing.
Four books were finalists for the award:
- Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History, by Karen Blumenthal and published by Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
- In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives, by Kenneth C. Davis, and published by Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
- Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune, written by Pamela S. Turner, illustrated by Gareth Hinds and published by Charlesbridge
- This Land Is Our Land: A History of American Immigration, written by Linda Barrett Osborne and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.
For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit ala.org/yma.
Video from the awards announcements:
