The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Chicago.
If you write and illustrated books or hope to one day you need to know what the industry feels are the best books. Besides, that you can learn a lot by reading the winning books. Doing this will move you closer to your goal of being published.
How many books from below have you read? I only have read two, but now have put quite a few on my “To Read” List.
I did not include all the book awards, since it is a long list. I have provided the link for all at the bottom:
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:
THE CROSSOVER, written by Kwame Alexander, is the 2015 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Two Newbery Honor Books also were named:
EL DEAFO by Cece Bell, illustrated by Cece Bell and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS.
BROWN GIRL DREAMING written by Jacqueline Woodson and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
THE ADVENTURES OF BEEKLE: The Unimaginary Friend, illustrated by Dan Santat, is the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Dan Santat and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Six Caldecott Honor Books also were named:
1. NANA IN THE CITY, illustrated by Lauren Castillo, written by Lauren Castillo and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
2. THE NOISY PAINT BOX: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art, illustrated by Mary GrandPre, written by Barb Rosenstock and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
3. SAM & DAVEDIG A HOLE, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett and published by Candlewick Press.
4. VIVA FRIDA, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Yuyi Morales and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter Book.
5. THE RIGHT WORD: Roget and His Thesaurus, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
6. THIS ONE SUMMER, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki and published by First Second.
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award
recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:
BROWN GIRL DREAMING, written by Jacqueline Woodson, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
Three King Author Honor Books were selected:
1. Kwame Alexander for “The Crossover,” published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.
2. Marilyn Nelson for “How I Discovered Poetry,” illustrated by Hadley Hooper and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Books (USA) LLC.
3. Kekla Magoon for “How It Went Down,” published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
FIREBIRD, illustrated by Christopher Myers, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Misty Copeland and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
TWO KING Illustrator Honor Book were selected:
Christian Robinson for “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” by Patricia Hruby Powell, published by Chronicle Books LLC.
Frank Morrison for “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone,” by Katheryn Russell-Brown, published by Lee and Low Books, Inc.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
1. I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN, written by Jandy Nelson, is the 2015 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, a Penguin Random House Company.
Four Printz Honor Books also were named:
2. AND WE SYAY, by Jenny Hubbard, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., a Penguin Random House Company.
3. THE CATNIVAL AT BRAY, by Jessie Ann Foley, and published by Elephant Rock Books.
4. GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE, by Andrew Smith, and published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, a Penguin Random House Company.
5. THIS ONE SUMMER, by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, and published by First Second.
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
1. A BOY AND A JAGUAR, written by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Catia Chien and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.
2. RAIN REIGN, written by Ann M. Martin and published by A FEIWEL AND FRIENDS BOOK, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13).
3. The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is GIRLS LIKE US, written by Gail Giles and published by Candlewick Press.
Alex Awards
for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
1. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, by Anthony Doerr, published by Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
2. BELLWEATHER RHAPSODY, by Kate Racculia, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
3. BINGO’S RUN, by James A. Levine, published by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.
4. CONFESSIONS, by Kanae Minato, translated by Stephen Snyder, published by Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
5. EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU, by Celeste Ng, published by The Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.
6. LOCK IN, by John Scalzi, a Tor Book published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
7. THE MARTIAN, by Andy Weir, published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.
8. THE TERRORIST’S SON: A Story of Choice, by Zak Ebrahim with Jeff Giles, published by TED Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
9. THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD, by Michael Koryta, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
10. WOLF IN WHITE VAN, by John Darnielle, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
HERE IS THE LINK TO WATCH THE LIVE PRESENTATION OF THE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT FROM CHICAGO:http://live.webcastinc.com/ala/2015/live/
READ the Press Release: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-library-association-announces-2015-youth-media-award-winners-300028995.html
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
Filed under: awards, Book, Publishing Industry Tagged: Alex Awards, American Library Association Award Winning Books, Caldecott Medal, Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Michael L. Printz Award, Newbery Award, Schneider Family Book Award 
