Newbery and Caldecott winners announced

The 2014 winner of the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children is Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by K G Campbell, and published by Candlewick Press. DiCamillo received the Newbery Medal in 2004 for The Tale of Despereux; the new award makes her the sixth person to have won the medal twice. The Newbery Honor Books (ie, runners-up) are Doll Bones, by Holly Black; The Year of Billy Miller, by Kevin Henkes; One Came Home, by Amy Timberlake; and Paperboy, by Vince Vawter.

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 Locomotive, written and illustrated by Brian Floca, and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers. The Caldecott Honor Books are Journey, written and illustrated by Aaron Becker; Flora and the Flamingo, written and illustrated by Molly Idle; and Mr Wuffles!, written and illustrated by David Wiesner.

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: Midwinterblood, by Marcus Sedgwick.

The Coretta Scott King Book Award, recognizing an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: (author) P.S. Be Eleven, by Rita Williams-Garcia, and (illustrator) Knock Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me, illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Daniel Beaty.

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) Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina, and (illustrator) Nino Wrestles the World,, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales.

The Margaret A Edwards Award, for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: Markus Zusak.

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, for the most distinguished book for beginning readers: The Watermelon Seed, written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli.

The Robert F Sibert Informational Book Award, for the most distinguished informational book for children: Parrots Over Puerto Rico," written by Susan L Roth and Cindy Trumbore, and illustrated by Susan L Roth.

The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi, by Neal Bascomb.

The Mildred L Batchelder Award, for the most outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States: Mister Orange, originally written in Dutch (with the same title) by Truus Matti and translated by Laura Watkinson.

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!!