And the Winner Is...

This week, the American Library Association (ALA) and its subdivision the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) announced the 2010 winners of many literary awards. This week, we’ll focus on the 2010 Newbery Medal winner and Honor Books.

The Newbery Medal began in 1922 when Frederic G. Melcher proposed an annual award that would honor the “most distinguished children’s book published the previous year.” [source] Melcher decided to name the award after John Newbery, who was an 18th century English children’s book publisher. Since the first award year, the Newbery Medal has become one of the most prestigious awards for a children’s book in the United States. In addition to naming an annual Newbery Medal winner, the ALSC also names several books as Newbery Honor Books, which are runners-up for the Newbery Medal.

Without further ado, here are the books that won this distinguished honor in 2010:

2010 Newbery Medal Winner

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Meet twelve-year-old Miranda whose life in the late 1970s in New York is really exciting. She receives mysterious notes, jumps back and forth in time, tries to figure out what’s going on with an odd homeless man. Read this science fiction book to take your mind on an adventure.



2010 Newbery Honor Books

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
[on order at Santa Clara City Public Library, but available now through Link+]

Did you know that Rosa Parks wasn’t the only person to protest segregation by refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger in Alabama back in 1955? Claudette Colvin was fifteen years old when she attempted the same thing at the same time. Read this book to learn more about the difference that Colvin made in our country.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Calpurnia (Callie) Tate is a twelve-year-old girl who is interested in science more than needlepoint or other activities that girls in 1899 normally did. Follow Callie as she bonds with her nature-loving grandfather and discovers who she really is.




Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Join Minli on her quest with a dragon and a goldfish and enjoy some traditional Chinese folktales mixed into Minli’s adventures.





The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Set in the time of the Civil War, this mostly humorous novel follows Homer P. Figg’s not-so-true stories about his adventures while trying to rescue his older brother from having to join the Union Army against his will. Humor balances out any potentially tense situations.



Santa Clara City Public Library recently ordered more copies of these books so that you may become familiar with the newest Newbery Medal and Honor Books. For the list of all previous winners, please visit the American Library Association's website.

Next week, we’ll feature the Caldecott Medal winner and Honor Books.

Posted by wk