Yesterday was a massive day for US children’s and YA literature prizes - so let’s all celebrate this year’s winners of the 2016 Newbery medal, Caldecott illustration medal (awarded by the the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)) and the Printz award for YA lit (awarded by the Young Adult Library Service (YALSA). Both award giving groups are part of the American Library Association and it’s a VERY big deal to win.
First up we have Matt de la Peña who has won the Newbery for his book Last Stop on Market Street, illustrated by Christian Robinson and published by GP Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group in the US. We hope it’s going to be available to buy in UK bookshops soon too.
Last Stop on Market Street tells the story of CJ’s journey with his Nana. It’s not just a simple bus ride; but a multi-sensory experience through which he discovers that beautiful music, nature and people surround him.
“Read it aloud to someone. The use of language to elicit questions, to spark imagination and to make us laugh is at its best when spoken,” said Newbery medal committee chair Ernie J Cox.
Sophie Blackall won the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book in 2016, with her beautiful pictures in Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear written by Lindsay Mattick and published by Little, Brown and Company, part of Hachette in the UK.
It’s the gorgeous story of the friendship between a soldier (Harry Colebourn, who is the great grandfather of the author Lindsay Mattick) and the real bear who inspired Winnie the Pooh. If you want to know more about the story and see more pictures check out our gallery The story of how Winnie the Pooh was inspired by a real bear.
Sophie Blackall is an Australian-born illustrator based in New York. She first learned to draw in the sand with a stick at the beach and has illustrated over 30 books.
The biggest prize in America for YA literature, The Printz award went to Laura Ruby for her book Bone Gap (published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers). The book follows the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap in a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness. Sounds great!
There were also three Newbery Honor books: The War that Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Roller Girl a graphic novel written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson (both published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group in the US), and Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
Four Caldecott Honor Books were named: Trombone Shorty with pictures by Bryan Collier and words by Troy Andrews (published by Abrams Books), Waiting which was illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes (published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.) and Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, illustrated by Ekua Holmes and written by Carole Boston Weatherford (Candlewick Press).
Congratulations to all the winners!
