And the Newbery Goes To . . . A Picturebook?

Authors

  • Mary Schreiber

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.15n2.29

Abstract

In 2016, the top prize for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children went to a picturebook: Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña. Previously, only one other picturebook had won the Newbery Medal.

As a member of the 2016 Newbery Award Committee, I had a voice in selecting a picturebook for the coveted Newbery Medal. But after the announcement, I started to wonder just how many picturebooks had received either the medal or the honor title in the past.

Author Biography

Mary Schreiber

Mary Schreiber is the Youth Collection Development Specialist for Cuyahoga County (OH) Public Library. Mary is a member of the ALSC Public Awareness Committee and co-convenes the ALSC Collection Management Discussion Group. The views expressed in this article are her own and do not necessarily represent the views of the library.

References

"Marantz Picturebook Research Symposium," Kent State University School of Library and Information Science, accessed October 9, 2016, www.kent.edu/slis/marantz-picturebook-research-symposium.

Martha V. Parravano,"'Alive and Vigorous': Questioning the Newbery," Horn Book Magazine 75, no. 4 (1999): 434.

'Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present," Association for Library Service to Children, accessed July 22, 2016, www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.

"Welcome to the Newbery Medal Home Page!" Association for Library Service to Children, accessed February 6, 2017, www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal.

"John Newbery Award Committee Manual," Association for Library Service to Children, last modified October 9, 2009, www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberycommittee/newbery_manual_9Oct2009.pdf.

"2016-Newbery-Orientation-Meeting-minutes-1_31_15," ALA Connect, last modified February 1, 2015, http://connect.ala.org/node/235068.

Kathleen T. Horning, From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books (New York: HarperCollins, 2010).

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Published

2017-06-15

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 2 (2017): Summer

Section

Features

License

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