Check out the American Library Association (ALA)'s links information on awarding winning authors,
illustrators and books!
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English
illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for
Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association,
to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
The 2009 Caldecott Medal winner is The House in the Night, illustrated by
Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Company)
Richly detailed black-and-white scratchboard illustrations expand this
timeless bedtime verse, offering reassurance to young children that there is
always light in the darkness. Krommes' elegant line, illuminated with touches
of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home and family, as
well as the joys of exploring the wider world.
Caldecott Medal Award Winners 1938-2009
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John
Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to
Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of
the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
The 2009 Newbery Medal winner is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman,
illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by HarperCollins Children's Books.
A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of
Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose. A child marked for death by
an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he
is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.
"A child named Nobody, an assassin, a graveyard and the dead are the perfect
combination in this deliciously creepy tale, which is sometimes humorous,
sometimes haunting and sometimes surprising," said Newbery Committee Chair
Rose V. Trevio.
Newbery Medal Award Winners 1922-2009
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award: Theodor Geisel is better known to the world as Dr. Seuss. This award is
given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished book for beginning readers.
The award recognizes the creativity of the winner(s) in promoting children's love of reading. "A person’s
a person no matter how small," Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, would say. "Children want the same
things we want: to laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted."
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
The Coretta Scott King Awards are presented annually by the American Library Association to
honor African-American authors and illustrators who create outstanding books for children and
young adults.
The Vassar-Kinry Schools have a personal connection to these awards as well! In 2008, a book
written by one of our parents was named as a Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book: Twelve
Rounds
to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier!
Coretta Scott King Award Winners