The 2016 Youth Media Awards will be announced at 8 a.m. Eastern time on Monday, January 11, 2016, during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibition in Boston. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. local time. The Pura Belpré Award marks its 20th anniversary in 2016.
My predictions for the Caldecott and Newbery this year are here. I totally missed the mark for the Caldecott but the pundits that I follow were right about the Newbery.
Caldecott Medal and Honor Books 2016
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It honors the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
2016 Caldecott Winner
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
2016 Caldecott Honor Books
Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Waiting by Kevin Henkes
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
Asian/Pacific American Award For Literature (APALA Awards)
The goal is to honor and recognize individual works related to Asian/Pacific American experiences (either historical or contemporary) or Asian/Pacific American cultures.
Asian/Pacific American Award Picture Book Winner
Juna’s Jar by Jane Bahk, illustrated by Felicia Hoshino
Juna’s Jar celebrates imagination, while also showcasing cross-racial best friends in modern day Los Angeles. It charmingly captures the adventures and heartache of a little girl—who just happens to be a Korean American.
Asian/Pacific American Award Picture Book Honor
Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Millo Castro Zaldarriaga is a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who dreamed of drumming at a time when only boys were allowed to drum. Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music celebrates music, culture, gender, and the right to dream.
Asian/Pacific American Award Children’s Winner
Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton
The committee was especially impressed with Full Cicada Moon, praising Hilton’s engaging examination of racial (and particularly, biracial), gender, and social issues, as well as the powerful verse in which it was elegantly told. The portrayal of the remarkable Mimi—a strong protagonist whose memorable journey is both stirringly and gracefully developed.
Asian/Pacific American Award Children’s Honor
Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly
Kelly’s entertaining and refreshing debut novel was enjoyed by the committee. Of one particular note was the sensitive development of its believable protagonist, the smooth detailing of Apple’s ethnic heritage and her struggles to embrace it, and overall, the hopeful yet not overly didactic message it presents on exploring one’s identity and the adolescent experience.
Asian/Pacific American Award Young Adult Winner
PS I Still Love You! by Jenny Han
PS I Still Love You was a contemporary and relatable story to many teens that we as a committee even wished we had a book like this to read and refer to during our teenage years. Furthermore, Han is able to depict Lara Jean, the protagonist in a very positive and relatable light for not only for other Asians but people in general as well. Lara Jean is able to be both Korean and “normal,” and avoids being typecasted into certain tropes.
Asian/Pacific American Award Young Adult Honor
Ink and Ashes by Valynne E. Maetani
Ink and Ashes was very interesting and different than what we had read. It was contemporary, but yet the readers will learn a lot about the Japanese histories and superstitions through Claire and her research into her family history which contains links to the Yakuza – the Japanese Mafia. With suspense, mystery, and a dash of romance, this book has teen appeal and would be suitable for a movie adaptation.
Newbery Medal and Honor Books 2016
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It honors the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
2016 Newbery Winner
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
2016 Newbery Honor Books
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Printz Award and Honor Books 2016
Michael L. Printz Award honors excellence in literature written for young adults.
2016 Printz Award Winner
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
2016 Printz Award Honor Books
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick
Geisel Medal and Honor Books 2016
The Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States.
2016 Geisel Award Winner
Don’t Throw It to Mo! by David A. Adler, illustrated by Sam Ricks
2016 Geisel Honor Books
A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske
Supertruck by Stephen Savage
Waiting by Kevin Henkes
Pura Belpré Winner and Honor Books 2016
The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.
2016 Belpré Author Award Winner
Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle
2016 Belpré Author Honor Books
The Smoking Mirror by David Bowles
Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina, illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.
2016 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner
The Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael López
2016 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Books
My Tata’s Remedies = Los remedios de mi tata by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford, illustrated by Antonio Castro L.
Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina, illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh
Batchelder Winner and Honor Books 2016
The Batchelder Award is given to the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.
2016 Batchelder Award Winner
The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy
Originally published in French in 2014 as “Le merveilleux Dodu-Velu-Petit,” the book was written and illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna, translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick
2016 Batchelder Honor Books
Adam and Thomas by Aharon Appelfeld, illustrated by Philippe Dumas and translated from Hebrew by Jeffrey M. Green
Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village by Fang Suzhen, illustrated by Sonja Danowski and translated from Chinese by Huang Xiumin
Written and Drawn by Henrietta written, illustrated and translated from Spanish by Liniers
Carnegie Winner 2016
The Andrew Carnegie Medal honors the most outstanding video productions for children released during the previous year.
Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producer of “That Is NOT a Good Idea,” is the Carnegie Medal winner. In an innovative adaptation of this read-aloud favorite, Goose accepts an invitation to accompany Fox on a simple stroll – or is it? Watch along with a comical chorus of goslings as they react to this cautionary tale.
2017 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
The Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.
The 2016 winner is Jerry Pinkney, whose award-winning works include “The Lion and the Mouse,” recipient of the Caldecott Award in 2010. In addition, Pinkney has received five Caldecott Honor Awards, five Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards, and four Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors.
Odyssey Winner and Honor Audiobooks 2016
This annual award is given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.
2016 Odyssey Award Winner
The War that Saved My Life is the 2016 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and narrated by Jayne Entwistle.
2016 Odyssey Honor Recordings
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan and narrated by Mark Bramhall, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews and Rebecca Soler.
Robert F. Silbert Informational Book Award 2016
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois. ALSC administers the award.Silbert Informational Winner and Honor Books 2016
2016 Sibert Award Winner
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh
2016 Sibert Honor Books
Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown
The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery as told to Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley, illustrated by PJ Loughran
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Coretta Scott King Winner and Honor Books 2016
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults.
2016 King Author Book Winner
Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia
2016 King Author Honor Books
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon
2016 Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award
2016 King Illustrator Book Winner
Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier
2016 King Illustrator Honor Book
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
2016 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
2016 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes
2016 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
Jerry Pinkney is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award is presented in even years to an African American author, illustrator or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults, and who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution.
Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations detail a world that resonates with readers long after the pages of a book have been turned. His five decades of work offer compelling artistic insights into the legacy of African American storytelling and experience. Beyond Pinkney’s technical brilliance, his support of differentiated learning through art and of young illustrators sets him apart as both artist and educator. His powerful illustrations have redefined the scope of the sophisticated picture book and its use with multiple levels of learners.
Schneider Family Book Award Winner and Honor Books 2016
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.
2016 Schneider Family Book Award for children ages 0 to 10
Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls
2016 Schneider Family Book Award for middle-school ages 11-13
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
2016 Schneider Family Book Award for Teens ages 13-17
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten
2016 Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences
All Involved by Ryan Gattis
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong
Girl at War by Sara Novic
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie
Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton
Sacred Heart by Liz Suburbia
Undocumented: A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League by Dan-el Padilla Peralta
The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen
2016 Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults
David Levithan is the 2016 Edwards Award winner. His books include: The Realm of Possibility, Boy Meets Boy, Love is the Higher Law, How They Met, and Other Stories, Wide Awake and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, all published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Stonewall Book Winner and Honor Books 2016
Stonewall Book Award – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.
2016 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award
George by Alex Gino
The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg
2016 Stonewall Award Honor Books
Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak
Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
William C. Morris Award Winner and Honor Books 2016
William C. Morris Award is for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.
2016 Morris Award Winner
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
2016 Morris Award Winner Finalists
Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
YALSA Award Winners and Honor Books 2016
YALSA Award is for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.
2016 YALSA Nonfiction Award Winner
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin
2016 YALSA Nonfiction Award Finalists
Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle
First Flight Around the World: The Adventures of the American Fliers Who Won the Race by Tim Grove
Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson
This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon by Nancy Plain
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BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
Was thrilled with many of the winners — particularly THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE. I’ve read some of the books, but have many to check out.
Hi Patricia,
I’m glad it won but it was a hard book for me to read; I hate it when kids are abused or neglected by their parents! I hoped Circus Mirandus would win … but sadly, it didn’t! I hope it wins other book awards!
Thanks so much for this, All of the winners in one place that I can easily access. Now to add these books to our reading list!
Thanks so much Erin!!
Very impressive list of all the winners thanks so much for sharing all this information with your readers. Just to compile this list with accompanying book images takes a lot of time and shows your dedication to promoting high quality literature.
Thanks so much for your kind words Sue! I like to see the covers so when I buy a few books, I don’t get confused; sometimes there are more than one book with a similar or even exact title.
This is wonderful and I am pinning it for my future references. Thanks for the great compilation.
Thanks so much Ambika!
Thrilled about so many of these titles, especially Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Thompson!! Thanks, Mia!
Hi Maria,
Yes, Emmanuel’s Dream is a great picture book!! I love those success stories set in Africa!
awesome breakdown of all of the winners! good work! so glad that Last Stop on Market Street won. it is such a good book.
Hi Ashley,
I’m excited too that so many books that won have diversity themes or were written by authors of color!
I spy a lot of great books here! Several I read and enjoyed and many I want to read!
I’m in the same boat MaryAnne. So many that I want to read; a few I even have on my nightstand and have to make time to read!
There are so many great choices here. I’ve read many of them. I wish there was more time in my week to read more!
Hi Erik,
I feel the same way!!! If only we didn’t need to sleep!!! 🙂
Another great list! I have seen Echo around the blogsphere. I am going to have to get that one I suppose.
Naila Moon
Hi Naila,
Echo is on my list to read too!
Thank you for all you are doing to promote outstanding literature for children!
Thanks so much for your kind words Krista!