The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Recent Winners: 
2008 Schlitz, Laura Amy / Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village Grades 5 and up
Thirteenth-century England springs to life, using 21 dramatic individual narratives that introduce young inhabitants of a village and manor, from Hugo, the lord's nephew, to Nelly, the sniggler.
2007 Patron, Susan / The Higher Power of Lucky / Grades 4-6
Ten-year-old Lucky eavesdrops on 12-step program meetings from her hiding place behindard Pan's Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center. Eccentric characters and quirky details spice up Lucky's life just as her guardian Brigitte's fresh parsley embellishes her French cuisine.
 2006 Perkins, Lynne Rae / Criss Cross / Gr 5-8
Follows the lives of four 14-year-olds in a small town, each at their own crossroads. This ensemble cast explores new thoughts and feelings in their quest to find the meaning of life and love.
2005 Kadohata, Cynthia / Kira-Kira / Grades 6-8
Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one becomes terminally ill.
2004 DiCamillo, Kate / The Tale of Despereaux / Grades 4-7
The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
2003 Avi / Crispin: The Cross of Lead / Grades 4-7
Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret.
 2002 Park, Linda Sue / A Single Shard / Grades 4-8
Tree-ear, an orphan who lives under a bridge with his wise friend Crane-man, becomes fascinated with a nearby community of potters. Drawn by their exquisite craftsmanship, the adolescent boy begins to assist the master potter Min.
2001 Peck, Richard / A Year Down Yonder / Grades 4-7
These carefully crafted vignettes are set in rural Illinois during the Depression, when fifteen-year-old Mary Alice leaves Chicago to spend a year with Grandma Dowdel. Her initial apprehension at life in a small town gradually gives way to admiration and love as she recognizes the warm heart behind Grandma's shenanigans.
See the Complete List: Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present |
