The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The award is given to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."[1] Named for John Newbery, an 18th-century English publisher of juvenile books, the Newbery was proposed by Frederic G. Melcher in 1921, making it the first children's book award in the world.[2]: 1 The medal was designed by Rene Paul Chambellan and depicts an author giving his work (a book) to a boy and a girl to read.
The Newbery and the Caldecott Medal are considered the two most prestigious awards for children's literature in the United States. Many bookstores and libraries have Newbery sections; popular television shows interview the winners; textbooks include lists of Newbery winners, and many master's and doctoral theses are written about them.[3]
Beside the one annual Medalist, the committee identifies a variable number of worthy runners-up as Newbery Honor Books. Though the Newbery Honor was initiated in 1938, specially cited runners-up for the Newbery Medal from previous years were retroactively named Newbery Honor books.[4]
As few as zero and as many as eight have been named, but from 1938 the number is one to five annual Honors. The Honor Books must be a subset of the runners-up on the final ballot, either the leading runners-up on that ballot or the leaders on one further ballot that excludes the winner.[5]: 37
Every book considered must be written by a US citizen or resident and must be published first or simultaneously in the US in English during the preceding year.[6]
History
The Newbery Medal was established June 22, 1921 at the American Library Association (ALA)'s annual conference. Proposed by Publishers Weekly editor Frederick Melcher, the idea was enthusiastically received by the children's librarians present. Though the award was organized by and voted on by the ALA, Melcher provided much needed funds, who paid for the design and creation of the medal. The first Newbery Award is in 1922 (it was as early as they could get it, see Newbery recipients below)[2]: 9–11
According to the American Library Association's The Newbery and Caldecott Awards, Melcher and the ALA board agreed to establish the award for several reasons that related to children's librarians. They wanted to encourage quality, creative children's books and to demonstrate to the public that children's books deserve recognition and praise.[2]: 1 In 1932 the committee felt it was important to encourage new authors in the field so a rule was made that an author who had already won a Newbery could only win again if the vote was unanimous. In 1958 the rule was felt unnecessary and was removed. Another change in 1963 made it clear that joint authors of a book were eligible for the award. Several more revisions and clarifications were added in the 1970s and 1980s.[2]: 2–3
This medal was named after John Newbery because he made it a priority to create books specifically for children. At that time, books were not being published with children as the main audience. Since John Newbery was a great help in creating these books, there is now an award named after him.
Selection process
As Barbara Elleman explained in The Newbery and Caldecott Awards, the original Newbery was based on votes by a selected jury of Children's Librarian Section officers. Books were first nominated by any librarian, then the jury voted for one favorite. Hendrik van Loon's non-fiction history book The Story of Mankind won with 163 votes out of 212.[2]: 11 In 1924 the process was changed, and instead of using popular vote it was decided that a special award committee would be formed to select the winner. The award committee was made up of the Children's Librarian Section executive board, their book evaluation committee and three members at large. In 1929 it was changed again to the four officers, the chairs of the standing committees and the ex president. Nominations were still taken from members at large.[2]: 13
In 1937 the American Library Association added the Caldecott Award, for "the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in the United States".[7] That year an award committee selected the medal and honor books for both awards.[5]: 7 In 1978 the rules were changed and two committees were formed of fifteen people each, one for each award. A new committee is formed every year,with "eight elected, six appointed, and one appointed Chair".[2]: 7 Committee members are chosen to represent a wide variety of libraries, teachers and book reviewers. They read the books on their own time, then meet twice a year for closed discussions. Any book that qualifies is eligible, it does not have to have been nominated. Newbery winners are announced at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, held in January or February. The results of the committee vote is kept secret, and winners are notified by phone shortly before the award is announced.[2]: 8
I can't help but believe that thousands, even millions, more children would grow up reading if the Newbery committee aimed to spotlight books that are deep and beautiful and irresistible to kids.[3]
But Pat Scales said,
The criterion has never been popularity. It is about literary quality. How many adults have read all the Pulitzer-prize-winning books and ... liked every one?[3]
Some question a quest for exclusivity, or "equating children's book habits with adults'."[9]
John Beach, associate professor of literacy education at St. John's University in New York, compared the books that adults choose for children with the books that children choose for themselves and found that in the past 30 years, there is only 5% overlap between the Children's Choice Awards (International Reading Association) and the Notable Children's Books list (American Library Association).[3] He has also stated that "the Newbery has probably done far more to turn kids off to reading than any other book award in children's publishing."[3]
Erica Perl responded:
For starters, the real reasons kids don't read don't have anything to do with the Newbery medal—or any award. It has to do with the declining role of the book in our streaming-media culture and with socioeconomic realities.[10]
Others argue that child appropriate books are important, not unpopular assignment of award winners.[11]
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ALSC (2007). The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books. ALA.
This book is updated annually from 1991. See also the ALA Editions webpage for the current edition ("Web Extra"): evidently an archive of "distinctive essays" from previous editions.
^McKellar, Sharon (December 18, 2008). "Washington Post Article". Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog. School Library Journal. About Strauss (2008) and Silvey (2008) in turn.
The Newbery Video (Part 2), written by Mona Kerby and funded by the International Reading Association highlights favorite Newbery Award books and authors.
