The American Library Association (ALA) awards the Newbery Medal annually to the “most distinguished contribution to American literature for children” published in the previous year. First awarded in 1922, it was the first children’s book award established in the world.
In addition to the Newbery Medal, the ALA confers Newbery Honors awards to leading contenders every year. To be eligible for a Newbery award, the author must be a United States citizen or resident and their book must be published first or simultaneously in the United States in English.
Honored titles are representative of the times they were written and the list includes many works that we now find problematic. However, the list of award winning books also shows the growth in children’s literature toward inclusivity, highlighting works that reflect diverse characters and experiences.
The Newbery Award is only one of several awards given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the ALA. The Newbery Award and the Caldecott Award (given for most distinguished American picture book) are considered the most prestigious awards in the field of children’s literature in the United States.
Celebrate 100 years of the Newbery Award by browsing our collection of Newbery Medal and Honor Books. To see the full list of Newbery Award and Honor books, along with other awards given by the ALSC, visit the ALA’s Book & Media Awards webpage.
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