Newbery Medal
The first and most prestigious awards in children's literature is the Newbery Medal, an award given annually since 1921. Each year, the American Library Association recognizes the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year. It also recognizes several honor books as other titles worthy of attention.
Officially, the award is "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."
Criteria/Terms
The recognized titles must be written in English and published the previous year in the United States. It must be original work that is truly distinguished. The Award may be given only to authors who are citizens or residents of the United States.
To determine if a book is significant, members of the judging committee must consider:
--Interpretation of a theme or concept
--How the information is presented: is it accurate, clear, and organized?
--Plot development
--Characterization
--Setting
--Style appropriateness
The decision should be based solely on the text unless such elements as illustrations or design distract from the text.
The books should appeal to children and have literary quality. Judges are directed to disregard didactic intent or popularity.
Application Process
Books must be submitted to the Association for Library Service for Children offices by December 31. A copy of the work must also be sent to the award committee chair. The addresses and contact details appear on the ALSC Web site.
