Newbery and Caldecott winners announced

The 2010 winner of the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children is When You Reach Me, written by Rebecca Stead and published by Wendy Lamb Books. The Newbery Honor Books (ie, runners-up) are Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip Hoose; The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly; Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin; and The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, by Rodman Philbrick.

Amazon and Barnes & Noble both have it, of course.*

The Randolph Caldecott Medal, for the most distinguished American picture book for children, was awarded to The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney and published by Little, Brown and Company. The Caldecott Honor Books are All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee and written by Liz Garton Scanlon, and Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski and written by Joyce Sidman.

Amazon and Barnes & Noble both have this one, too.*

(I'll let you do your own searches for the Honor Books.)

The American Library Association (ALA), who give both of the above awards, also announced a few others, including:

The Michael L Printz Award, for excellence in young-adult literature: Going Bovine, by Libba Bray.

The Coretta Scott King Book Award, recognizing an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: (author) Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, and (illustrator) My People, illustrated by Charles R Smith Jr and written by Langston Hughes.

The Pura Belpré Awards, for Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children's books: (author) Return to Sender, by Julia Alvarez, and (illustrator) Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros, illustrated by Rafael López and written by Pat Mora.

The Margaret A Edwards Award, for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: Jim Murphy.

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, for the most distinguished book for beginning readers: Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!, written and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes.

The Robert F Sibert Medal, for the most distinguished informational book for children: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, by Tanya Lee Stone.

The YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith, by Deborah Heiligman.

The Mildred L Batchelder Award, for the most outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States: A Faraway Island, originally written in Swedish (as En ö i havet) by Annika Thor, and translated by Linda Schenck.

The ALA press release, with the complete list of awards, winners, and Honor Books, is here.

Update 1806 20 Jan: Got to the library's copy of When You Reach Me before anyone else did, and stayed up until almost 0100 finishing it. Excellent book - I'm adding it to my list of favourite Newbery winners!


* Amazon and B&N links are provided for information. Buying from your local independent bookseller is of course strongly recommended!!