The Newbery Medal, and Newbery Honor Books
Winning the Newbery Medal is the greatest thrill and honor for an author of middle grade or young adult literature. It means that the chosen book has been read and enjoyed by experts in the field of children's literature, and that the book has lasting value.
The American Library Association (ALA) is the organization that chooses Newbery Medal winners. The Newbery Medal is one of many awards given by the ALA each year.
Contents
Newbery Medal History
History of the Newbery Medal
Frederic G. Melcher proposed his idea for the Newbery Medal to the Children's Librarians' Section of the American Library Association on June 21, 1921. The idea was accepted with enthusiasm and approved in 1922.
The original formal agreement stated that the Newbery Medal was intended "To encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. To give those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children's reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field."
The medal is named for John Newbery, a bookseller who lived in the 1800's.
Who Was John Newbery?
...the man behind the medal.
John Newbery was an English bookseller. He lived from 1713 to 1767.
At the age of 16 Newbery became a printer's apprentice. His master passed away and left half the business to him when he was 24.
About one-fifth of the books he printed were for children. His first big success was A Pretty Little Pocket Book, published in 1744.
Newbery's motto was Deluctando Monemus, meaning "instruction through delight".
Featured
Newbery Medal Winner
Carry on, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
The 1956 Newbery Medal winner was Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham.-
Book Study- Carry On Mr. Bowditch
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Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is about a young boy who dreams of navigating the sea (and then his journeys doing just that) in Salem in the 1700's. Here are resources to go along with studying that book.
How Newbery Books
Are Chosen
Newbery Medal Criteria
The Newbery Medal is given to one distinguished book annually. The book can be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry, but it must be original. Reprints and compilations don't qualify.
Each year ALA member librarians review all eligible books printed the previous year, and select winners based on the following criteria:
Interpretation of the theme or concept
Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization
Development of a plot
Delineation of characters
Delineation of setting
Appropriateness of style
Recent Newbery Medal Winners
2009 Newbery Winners
The Graveyard Book
Nobody Owens was a toddler when his family was murdered, an event that takes place at the beginning of the book, which is recommended for ages ten and up. He escaped by toddling out the door while the murderer was busy... straight into the loving arms of ghosts and ghouls in the nearby graveyard. There he was raised with the help of a night visitor, Silas. This book is highly recommended, despite the focus on the macabre.
Amazon Price: $10.31 (as of 11/08/2009) 
The Underneath (Ala Notable Children's Books. Middle Readers)
An abandoned, pregnant cat. An abused, lonely dog. They and other animals take center stage in an intriguing, compelling novel that focuses on the mysterious bayous of East Texas.
Amazon Price: $12.23 (as of 11/08/2009)
The Surrender Tree (Engle, Margarita)
A novel told in free-verse poetic style. Rosa, a healer, helps runaway slaves hide in caves while Lieutenant Death, a slave hunter, seeks to destroy them.
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 11/08/2009)
Savvy
Mibs is about to have her thirteenth birthday, a milestone for any normal child. But in Mibs' family each child is gifted with a unique "savvy" on that special day. For example, one of the older children can create storms, and another can create light in case the electricity fails. Just before Mibs' special birthday her father is in an automobile accident and her mother must leave to be with him. This calls for a drastic change in birthday plans.
Amazon Price: $11.04 (as of 11/08/2009)
After Tupac and D Foster (Newbery Honor Book)
D Foster showed up in the neighborhood before Tupac died. She and two other 12-year-old girls become friends and thrive on Tupac's music. D Foster is in foster care; her mother shows up to reclaim her and the girls have to deal with the tragedy of Tupac's death.
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 11/08/2009)
2008 Newbery Winners
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
This is the Newbery Medal winner for 2008. Come visit a medieval village in England. The year is 1255. Through a series of narratives you will hear the words of many town citizens.
Amazon Price: $10.66 (as of 11/09/2009)
Elijah of Buxton
Buxton is a town in Canada where escaped slaves built their colony. Elijah was the first boy born there in freedom.
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 11/09/2009)
The Wednesday Wars
Holling Underwood is doomed to spending time with a teacher who hates him enough to force him to study Shakespeare. Yet he learns to love Shakespeare and to respect his teacher who makes a definite positive impact on his life.
Amazon Price: $10.40 (as of 11/09/2009)
Feathers
Frannie, age 11, is intrigued by the new white boy in her all-black school. The story takes place in 1971 and touches on deafness, the Vietnam War, and racism.
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 11/09/2009)
2007 Newbery Winners
...the most recent winners.
The Higher Power of Lucky
This is the Newbery Medal winner for 2007. It's about a girl named Lucky, age 10, living in the California desert with her guardian. Her mother is dead and her father is absent. She eavesdrops on AA meetings and longs for the comfort of knowing her own Higher Power.
Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 11/09/2009)
Rules (Newbery Honor Book)
Cynthia, age 12, has a younger brother who is autistic. She is embarrassed by the way he acts, and makes up rules for him to follow. She is learning to accept him the way he is.
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 11/09/2009)
Penny from Heaven (Newbery Honor Book)
Penny is 11 and lives in Brooklyn with her mother. She often visits her dead father's large Italian family, hoping to find out more about the man she never knew. He died during WW2 at a time when non-naturalized Italians were declared "enemy aliens".
Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 11/09/2009)
Hattie Big Sky
Set during WW1, an orphaned teenager, Hattie, age 16, inherits 320 acres in Montana, and must cultivate 80 acres within a year, or lose her homestead. While working on her land she learns more about herself. A first-person narrative.
Amazon Price: $11.96 (as of 11/09/2009)
Newbery Lenses, 1922 through 2008
...find out who won.
- Newbery Winners, 1922-1929
- Great childrens books of the Twenties - most of them still readily available for us to enjoy.
- Newbery Winners, 1930-1939
- Children's books of the Thirties. Worth reading.
- Newbery Winners, 1940-1949
- Newbery books of the Forties. Check them out!
- Newbery Winners, 1950-1959
- Children's novels from the Fifties... that was when this lens owner was born.
- Newbery Winners, 1960-1969
- More great Newbery winners - these are from the Sixties.
- Newbery Winners, 1970-1979
- Newbery winning books of the Seventies.
- Newbery Winners, 1980-1989
- Great treasures of children's literature from the Eighties.
- Newbery Winners, 1990-1999
- The Nineties gave birth to a number of excellent Newbery winning novels.
- Newbery Winners, 2000-2009
- The most recent Newbery winning books.
Newbery Medal Acceptance Speeches
- Madeleine L'Engle: Newbery Award Acceptance Speech
- Madeline L'Engle won the Newbery Medal in 1963 for A Wrinkle in Time.
- Avi: Newbery Award Acceptance Speech
- Avi won the Newbery Medal in 2003 for Crispin: The Cross of Lead.
- Karen Hesse: Newbery Award Acceptance Speech
- Karen Hesse won the Newbery Medal in 1998 for Out Of The Dust.
- Lois Lowry: Newbery Medal Accptance Speech
- Lois Lowry won the Newbery Medal in 1994 for The Giver.
- Katherine Paterson: Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech
- Katherine Paterson won the Newbery Medal in 1978 for Bridge to Terabithia.
- Robin McKinley: Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech
- Robin McKinley won the Newbery Medal in 1985 for The Hero and the Crown.
Vote For Your Favorite
Newbery Medal Winners
Vote for Newbery Medal Winners You've Read
... you can vote them up or down.
The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle
An animal loving doctor takes a boy and some animals on a wild journey.7 points
Caddie Woodlawn
The story of an 11-year-old girl growing up in Wisconsin as a rural pioneer.5 points
Johnny Tremain
Johnny is injured while working as a silversmith, but helps during the US Revolutionary War.5 points
Island of the Blue Dolphins
A woman is left behind on an island when her tribe migrates to mainland California.4 points
Julie of the Wolves
An Eskimo girl relies on wolves to survive in the wilderness.4 points
Strawberry Girl
The life of a girl living in strawberry country, Central Florida.3 points
The Twenty-One Balloons
A man flies a balloon to Krakatoa from turn-of-the-century San Francisco.3 points
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
A girl moves in with relatives but has trouble adjusting to their puritanical ways.3 points
The Cat Who Went To Heaven
A cat residing with an artist wants recognition.2 points
Roller Skates
A 10-year-old girl visits neighbors on her roller skates in New York City.2 points
Secret of the Andes
A young boy who cares for llamas learns his destiny.2 points
The Story of Mankind
The first Newbery Medal winner; a thick history book.1 point
The White Stag
The legend of the founding of Hungary, starring Attila the Hun.1 point
Thimble Summer
A young girl believes all the luck coming to her family is the result of finding a thimble.1 point
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
True story of a maritime warehouse apprentice who succeeds.1 point
The Trumpeter of Krakow
A Polish family guards a treasure and plans to give it to the King.0 points
Waterless Mountain
A young Navajo boy chooses to become a medicine man.0 points
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze
A Chinese boy works to become a coppersmith.0 points
Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women
Biography of Louisa May Alcott.0 points
Dobry
A Bulgarian boy's choice to become an artist doesn't please his mother.0 points
Newbery Books on eBay
...for your reading pleasure
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Newbery Medal Links
...find out more.
- American Library Association
- The ALA sponsors the Newbery Medal awards.
- PDF List of Newbery Medal Winners and Honor Books
- A PDF e-book version of the Newbery winning book list.
- The Newbery Project
- A blog with reviews of Newbery Medal books.
- Newbery Ranking
- How one group of readers ranked the Newbery books.
Formerly Featured
Newbery Medal Winners
A Wrinkle In Time
by Madeline L'Engle
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A Wrinkle In Time
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A classic science fantasy written in 1962, A Wrinkle In Time is a favorite of mine to recommend to young adult readers. A story of time travel and the ever popular theme of good versus evil. This book was controversial and almost didn't get publ...
Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson
The 1978 Newbery Medal winner, The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.-
"Bridge to Terabithia" Movie Review
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Based on Katherine Paterson's young-adult novel and filmed in picturesque New Zealand, Bridge to Terabithia has lessons to impart about empathy and self-expression, but the tone is never heavy-handed. Jesse (sleepy-eyed Josh Hutcherson, Zathura), a f...
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Download Bridge to Terabithia The Movie And Burn To DVD
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Yes, you can Download Bridge to Terabithia today. Watch Bridge to Terabithia from the comfort of your home. It can be viewed during your leisure time. Stop worrying about having to go to the show. Simply Download Bridge to Terabithia & burn it to...
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Bridge to Terabithia
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Scroll down for information about the book, the movie and links to teacher resources.
The Tale of Despereaux
by Kate DiCamillo
Gratitude is a beautiful thing. Vanidiana is thankful for Kate di Camillo's 2004 Newbery Medal winner, The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread.-
Kate DiCamillo The Tale of Despereaux
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Read The Tale of Despereaux review, watch Despereaux trailer and find Despereaux collectibles. Despereaux: A Story of A Mouse, A Princess, A Castle with Music, A Girl with An Impossible Wish, and A Light... Shining On Forever, Even In the Darkest of...
King of the Wind
by Marguerite Henry
The 1949 Newbery Medal winner, King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry.-
King of the Wind
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King of the Wind, a children's novel that won the Newbery Medal in 1949, is a retelling of the classic story of the Godolphin Arabian, the renowned horse that fathered a line of outstanding race horses. Among those whose ancestry is traced back to th...
The Giver
by Lois Lowry
The 1994 Newbery Medal winner, The Giver by Lois Lowry.-
The Giver by Lois Lowry
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Lowry creates a perfect society...or so it seemed. In this future society everyone is happy. It is a society which has chosen to be ignorant of its past, blissfully ignorant. A society which has systematically chosen to give up individuality and free...
Out Of The Dust
by Karen Hesse
The 1998 Newbery Medal winner, Out Of The Dust by Karen Hesse.-
Out Of The Dust
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This great book, by Karen Hesse, is the story of how a girl overcame extremely difficult adversities during the dust bowl. It is quick read, as it is in free verse poetry, but for so few words, it can truly paint a mental picture. Out of The Dust was...
The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
The 1979 Newbery Medal winner, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.-
The Westing Game
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This was one of my favorite books as a child, and one that I bought a copy of as an adult so I could re-read it whenever I was feeling nostalgic for those more laid back days. I think adults would enjoy this book too - its only 192 pages and is...
Secret of the Andes
by Ann Nolan Clark
The 1953 winner, Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark.-
Secret of the Andes
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The Secret of the Andes is a classic of children's literature. The Secret of the Andes won the Newbery Medal in 1953. Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark is a short, culturally rich novel about the life of a young boy who lived in the Andes Mount...
If you liked this lens, you might like...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 1922-1929
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Early Newbery Medal winners included short story collections, non-fiction, and novels. Many are out of print, difficult to locate, and rare. Books older than 1927 may now be in the public domain. This lens has links to Amazon pages for all the Newbe...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 1930-1939
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During the 1930s, Newbery winners were mainly fiction, with a few fictionalized biographies and non-fiction titles. The quality of children's literature started to improve though it was nowhere near the high standards expected of writers today. Still...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 1940-1949
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Every book on this list is a treasure in its own right. Each is unique, lovable, different. But if you only read two of them, don't miss Johnny Tremain and The Twenty-One Balloons. They are my two favorites for quality and originality. Of course, I'm...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 1950-1959
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At the beginning of this decade, children's books were still fairly simplistic, but by the end, we're favored with an outstanding historical novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, that sets a precedent for the increased quality of children's books in th...
Recommended Newbery Books
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Reading Novels To Children - Twenty-Five Recommendations
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I'd heard that some parents were reading books to their children - and not just picture books. They were reading long novels - not only children's novels but sometimes novels meant for adults as well. When I started reading to my youngest during his...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 1990-1999
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Writers are under a lot of pressure these days to produce high quality novels. The competition is enormous. Consequently the cream of the crop books on this list are excellent. My favorite novels from this list are Holes and Walk Two Moons. I'm als...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 1970-1979
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There are some outstanding novels in this collection of Newbery books, and I get excited when I remember reading and enjoying them. Some of my favorites are Sing Down the Moon, The Westing Game, and The Periolous Gard. There are other excellent novel...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 1960-1969
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There are some excellent novels in this, plus at least one great non-fiction reference book. My picks for best children's novels from this decade are From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, I, Juan de Pareja, A Wrinkle in Time, and Isla...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 2000-2009
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Amazing things are happening in the world of children's literature. Authors are striving to write outstanding novels and non-fiction for children. This can be directly attributed to award programs like the Newbery Medal. My favorite from this decade...
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Newbery Medal Winners, 1980-1989
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This was an amazing decade for Newbery Medal and Honor Books. During this period two of the winners were poetic. A non-fiction book won the medal for the first time in many years, and two others were honor books. Plus there were many excellent novels...
Thanks for visiting my Newbery Medal Lens
I'm very grateful for everyone who visits this lens. That means YOU! I love children's literature and love to share my joy with others who enjoy reading great books written for children and teens.
I'm Linda Jo Martin, a novelist living in the mountains of Northern California. My writing website is: Perspectives on Writing.
I've written a lens about how to write a middle grade novel like the ones you'll find on the Newbery Medal list: Tips For Writing A Middle Grade Novel.
Your comments are WELCOME
Evelyn_Saenz wrote...
When running through the plexo, I was surprised that I had read so many of the books. Of course these are some of my favorite chapter books for children. I can hardly wait to read many of the others. Thank you for creating this Newbery Award Winning Books Lens.
Do you know when the next Newbery Award will be anounced?
Posted October 18, 2009
tandemonimom wrote...
I love *so* many of these books! What a great list! Lensrolled to The Reader's Shop: T-shirts, Book Bags, Gifts for Book Lovers.
Posted October 02, 2009
mbgphoto wrote...
Excellent lens! I love Wrinkle in Time...one of my all time favorites! 5* and lensrolled to my Mentoring Children lens.
Posted September 19, 2009
macbytara wrote...
This is a wonderful lens. I love to read and two of my three children also love to read. If only I could get the third one to love it half as much as we do. This is a fabulous selction list, as well. I will come back often.
Posted September 15, 2009
More about me...
Lensmaster LindaJM, aka Linda Martin, has been a member since June 11 2007, has rated 1,555 lenses, favorited 669, and has created 108 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Drugging Foster Children". See all my lenses
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