The American Library Association has announced the winners of the 2018 Youth Media Awards, including the Newbery and Caldecott Medals. These awards recognize outstanding books for young readers in a variety of categories. View the full list and find you or your family's next great read!
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:
Hello, Universe written by Erin Entrada Kelly, is the 2018 Newbery Medal winner.
Three Newbery Honor Books also were named:
- Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, written by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
- Long Way Down, written by Jason Reynolds
- Piecing Me Together, written by Renée Watson
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
Wolf in the Snow, illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell is the 2018 Caldecott Medal winner.
Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named:
- Big Cat, little cat, illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper
- Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James, written by Derrick Barnes
- A Different Pond, illustrated by Thi Bui, written by Bao Phi
- Grand Canyon, illustrated and written by Jason Chin
Coretta Scott King Book Awards recognizing African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults:
Piecing Me Together, written by Renée Watson, is the King Author Award winner.
Three King Author Honor Books also were named:
- Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, written by Derrick Barnes
- Long Way Down, written by Jason Reynolds
- The Hate U Give, written by Angie Thomas
Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, is the King Illustrator Award winner. The book is written by Kwame Alexander with Chris Colderly and Marjory Wentworth.
Two King Illustrator Honor Books also were named:
- Crown: An Ode to a Fresh Cut, illustrated by Gordon C. James, written by Derrick Barnes
- Before She Was Harriet: The Story of Harriet Tubman, illustrated by James E. Ransome, written by Lesa Cline-Ransom
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award to affirm new talent:
The Stars Beneath Our Feet, written by David Barclay Moore, is the Steptoe Author Award winner.
Mama Africa! How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with Her Song, illustrated by Charly Palmer, is the Steptoe Illustrator Award winner. The book is written by Kathryn Erskine.
Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Eloise Greenfield is the winner of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.
Eloise Greenfield was born in Parmele, North Carolina, and currently resides in Washington, D.C. Early in life, she discovered a love of reading and writing and realized there were few books that showed the fullness of African American life. She published her first book in 1972 and went on to write and publish more than 40 books. From “Honey, I Love” to “The Great Migration,” this multiple award-winning author has captivated audiences through the years.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
We Are Okay, written by Nina LaCour, is the 2018 Printz Award winner.
Four Printz Honor Books also were named:
- The Hate U Give, written by Angie Thomas
- Long Way Down, written by Jason Reynolds
- Strange the Dreamer, written by Laini Taylor
- Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers, written by Deborah Heiligman
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
- Silent Days, Silent Dreams, written and illustrated by Allen Say, wins the award for young children (ages 0 to 8).
- Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess, written by Shari Green, is the winner for middle grades (ages 9-13).
- You’re Welcome, Universe, written and illustrated by Whitney Gardner, is the winner for teens (ages 14-18).
Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
- All Systems Red, by Martha Wells
- The Clockwork Dynasty, by Daniel H. Wilson
- Down Among the Sticks and Bones, by Seanan McGuire
- Electric Arches, by Eve L. Ewing
- A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea, by Melissa Fleming
- Malagash, by Joey Comeau
- Roughneck, by Jeff Lemire
- She Rides Shotgun, by Jordan Harper
- Things We Have in Common, by Tasha Kavanagh
- An Unkindness of Magicians, by Kat Howard
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.
The 2018 winner is Jacqueline Woodson, whose award-winning works include Brown Girl Dreaming, After Tupac & D Foster, Locomotion, and Show Way.
Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:
The 2018 winner is Angela Johnson. Her books include Heaven, Looking for Red, The First Part Last, and Sweet, Hereafter.
2019 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.
Debbie Reese will deliver the 2019 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Dr. Reese is a longtime advocate for Native representation and is a former teacher and university professor. She earned her PhD in Education from the University of Illinois, where she also helped establish the Native American House and American Indian Studies program. Dr. Reese also holds an M.Ed degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She is tribally enrolled at Nambe Owingeh Pueblo in New Mexico.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States:
The Murderer’s Ape is the 2018 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Sweden as Mördarens Apa, the book was written and illustrated by Jakob Wegelius, translated from Swedish by Peter Graves.
Three Batchelder Honor Books also were named:
- Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education, written by Raphaële Frier, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty and translated from French by Julie Cormier
- When a Wolf is Hungry, published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, written by Christine Naumann-Villemin, illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo and translated from French by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
- You Can’t Be Too Careful!, written and illustrated by Roger Mello, and translated from Portuguese by Daniel Hahn
Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:
The Hate U Give, produced by HarperAudio, is the 2018 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Angie Thomas and narrated by Bahni Turpin.
Five Odyssey Honor Audiobooks also were named:
- The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, written by Philip Pullman and narrated by Michael Sheen
- A Boy Called Christmas, written by Matt Haig and narrated by Stephen Fry
- Long Way Down, written and narrated by Jason Reynolds
- Trombone Shorty, written by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and narrated by Dion Graham
- The Wizards of Once, written by Cressida Cowell and narrated by David Tennant
Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latino writers and illustrators whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
Two Belpré Illustrator Honor Books also were named:
- All Around Us illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia, written by Xelena González
- Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, illustrated by John Parra, written by Monica Brown
Lucky Broken Girl, written by Ruth Behar, is the Pura Belpré Author Award winner.
Two Belpré Author Honor Books also were named:
- The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, written by Pablo Cartaya
- The First Rule of Punk, written by Celia C. Pérez
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:
Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961, written by Larry Dane Brimner, is the Sibert Award winner.
Four Sibert Honor Books also were named:
- Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee, illustrated by Man One
- Grand Canyon, written and illustrated by Jason Chin
- Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask about Having a Disability, written by Shane Burcaw, illustrated by Matt Carr
- Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem, written by Patricia Newman
Stonewall Book Award–Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:
Little & Lion, written by Brandy Colbert and The 57 Bus, written by Dashka Slater are the 2018 recipients of the Stonewall Book Awards–Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award.
Two Stonewall Honor Books were also named:
- As the Crow Flies, written and illustrated by Melanie Gillman
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, written by Mackenzi Lee
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers is
Charlie & Mouse, written by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Emily Hughes.
Five Geisel Honor Books also were named:
- I See a Cat, written and illustrated by Paul Meisel and published by Holiday House
- King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats, written by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers
- My Kite Is Stuck! And Other Stories, written and illustrated by Salina Yoon
- Noodleheads See the Future, written by Tedd Arnold, Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, illustrated by Tedd Arnold
- Snail & Worm Again, written and illustrated by Tina Kügler
William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:
The Hate U Give, written by Angie Thomas, is the 2018 Morris Award winner.
- Dear Martin, written by Nic Stone
- Devils Within, written by S. F. Henson
- Saints and Misfits, written by S. K. Ali
- Starfish, written by Akemi Dawn Bowman
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
Four other books were finalists for the award:
- #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women, edited by Mary Beth Leatherdale and Lisa Charleyboy
- Eyes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and the Invention of Modern Photojournalism, written by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos
- The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives, written by Dashka Slater
- The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found, written by Martin W. Sandler
Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma.