At this time of year we are often talking about awards—the Super Bowl trophy, Grammy Awards, Academy Awards are all on the radar. But book lovers know there is another set of awards given out. The American Library Association announced a slew of awards last week for children and young adult books published in 2018. We’ve put together a list of winners that have been reviewed for The Banner this year; follow the links to read the reviews to find some excellent books for young people.
John Newbery Medal for “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children”: Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina.
Newbery Honor: The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani.
Caldecott Honor, awarded to runners-up for the Randolph Caldecott Medal for “most distinguished American picture book for children”: Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal.
Schneider Family Book Award “for the excellence of portrayal of the disability experience in literature for youth” for middle grades: The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor.
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults finalist: The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix.
Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature: Front Desk by Kelly Yang.
About the Author
Kristy Quist is Tuned In editor for The Banner and a member of Neland Ave. CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich.