Newbery Award Winners At the Library

--by Hanje Richards

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The award, given since 1922, is named for John Newbery, an 18th century English publisher of juvenile books. Together with the Caldecott Medal, the Newbery is considered one of the two most prestigious awards for children's literature in the United States. The winner is announced each January.

The criteria for the award:

--The book must be published in English in the United States the previous year.
--The author must be a citizen or resident of the United States.
--The book must be considered for its theme, presentation (clarity, accuracy and organization), plot, characters, setting, and style.
--The book must relate to a child audience.
--The book must contribute to literature.
--The book must stand alone and not as a part of a multimedia presentation.

The Copper Queen Library now features a section comprised of the Newbery Medal Winners. Any library employee will be happy to show you where it is.

Some of our Newbery titles include Holes by Louis Sachar, King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien, as well as the 2009 winner, Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book.

We invite you to come browse the section or do an online catalog search under “words or phrase” for “Newbery” in the Copper Queen Library.