Newbery and Caldecott winners announced

The 2012 winner of the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children is Dead End in Norvelt, written by Jack Gantos and published by Farrar Straus Giroux. The Newbery Honor Books (ie, runners-up) are Inside Out & Back Again, by Thanhha Lai and Breaking Stalin's Nose, by Eugene Yelchin.

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 A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka, and published by Schwartz & Wade Books. The Caldecott Honor Books are Blackout, written and illustrated by John Rocco; Grandpa Green, written and illustrated by Lane Smith; and Me … Jane, written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell.

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: Where Things Come Back, by John Corey Whaley.

The Coretta Scott King Book Award, recognizing an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: (author) Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, by Kadir Nelson, and (illustrator) Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, written and illustrated by Shane W Evans.

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) Under the Mesquite, by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, and (illustrator) Diego Rivera: His World and Ours, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh.

The Margaret A Edwards Award, for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: Susan Cooper.

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, for the most distinguished book for beginning readers: Tales for Very Picky Eaters, written and illustrated by Josh Schneider.

The Robert F Sibert Medal, for the most distinguished informational book for children: Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade," by Melissa Sweet.

The YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award: The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery, by Steve Sheinkin.

The Mildred L Batchelder Award, for the most outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States: Soldier Bear, originally written in Dutch (as Soldaat Wojtek) by Philip Hopman and translated by Laura Watkinson.

No ALA press release yet (that I can find, anyway), but PR Newswire has the complete list of awards, winners, and Honor Books here.


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