The American Library Association announces:
2020 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
AWARD WINNERS
Newbery Medal
WINNER: New Kid, by Jerry Craft
HONOR BOOK: The Undefeated, by Kadir Nelson
HONOR BOOK: Scary Stories for Young Foxes, by Christian McKay Heidicker
HONOR BOOK: Other Words for Home, by Jasmine Warga
HONOR BOOK: Genesis Begins Again, by Alicia D. Williams
Caldecott Medal
WINNER: The Undefeated, by Kadir Nelson
HONOR BOOK: Bear Came Along, by Richard T. Morris
HONOR BOOK: Double Bass Blues, by Andrea J. Loney
HONOR BOOK: Going Down Home with Daddy, by Kelly Starling Lyons
Coretta Scott King Author Book Award
WINNER: New Kid, by Jerry Craft
HONOR BOOK: The Stars and the Blackness Between Them, by Junauda Petrus
HONOR BOOK: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, by Kwame Mbalia
HONOR BOOK: Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks, by Jason Reynolds
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award
WINNER: The Undefeated, by Kadir Nelson
HONOR BOOK: The Bell Rang, illustrated and written by James E. Ransome
HONOR BOOK: Infinite Hope: A Black Artist’s Journey from World War II to Peace, illustrated and written by Ashley Bryan
HONOR BOOK: Sulwe, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, written by Lupita Nyong’o
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
WINNER: Genesis Begins Again, by Alicia D. Williams
WINNER: Dig, by A.S. King
HONOR BOOK: The Beast Player, by Nahoko Uehashi,
HONOR BOOK: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, by Mariko Tamaki
HONOR BOOK: Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir, by Nikki Grimes
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience
WINNER (Young Children): Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You, by Sonia Sotomayor
HONOR BOOK: A Friend for Henry, by Jenn Bailey
WINNER (Middle Grades): Song for a Whale, by Lynne Kelly
HONOR BOOK: Each Tiny Spark, by Pablo Cartaya
WINNER (Teens): Cursed, by Karol Ruth Silverstein
HONOR BOOK: The Silence Between Us, by Alison Gervais
Pura Belpre Illustrator Award honoring a Latinx illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
WINNER: Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln, illustrated by Rafael López
HONOR BOOK: Across the Bay, illustrated and written by Carlos Aponte
HONOR BOOK: My Papi Has a Motorcycle, illustrated by Zeke Peña, written by Isabel Quintero
HONOR BOOK: ¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market, illustrated and written by Raúl Gonzalez
Pura Belpre Author Award honoring a Latinx writer whose children’s books best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
WINNER: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, written by Carlos Hernandez
HONOR BOOK: Lety Out Loud, written by Angela Cervantes
HONOR BOOK: The Other Half of Happy, written by Rebecca Balcárcel
HONOR BOOK: Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, written by Anika Aldamuy Denise
HONOR BOOK: Soldier for Equality: José de la Luz Sáenz and the Great War, written by Duncan Tonatiuh
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:
WINNER: Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, by Kevin Noble Maillard
HONOR BOOK: All in a Drop: How Antony van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible World, by Lori Alexander
HONOR BOOK: This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality, by Jo Ann Allen Boyce
HONOR BOOK: Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir, by Nikki Grimes
HONOR BOOK: Hey, Water!, written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis
STONEWALL BOOK AWARD—MIKE MORGAN & LARRY ROMANS CHILDREN’S & YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE AWARD given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience:
WINNER: When Aidan Became a Brother, written by Kyle Lukoff
WINNER: The Black Flamingo, written by Dean Atta
HONOR BOOK: Pet, written by Akwaeke Emezi
HONOR BOOK: Like a Love Story, written by Abdi Nazemian
HONOR BOOK: The Best at It, by Maulik Pancholy
THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL AWARD for the most distinguished beginning reader book:
HONOR BOOK: Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot!, written and illustrated by Cece Bell
HONOR BOOK: Flubby Is Not a Good Pet!, written and illustrated by J. E. Morris
HONOR BOOK: The Book Hog, written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:
WINNER: The Field Guide to the North American Teenager, by Ben Philippe
FINALIST: The Candle and the Flame, by Nafiza Azad
FINALIST: Frankly in Love, by David Yoon
FINALIST: Genesis Begins Again, by Alicia D. Williams
FINALIST: There Will Come a Darkness, by Katy Rose Pool
YALSA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS:
WINNER: Free Lunch, by Rex Ogle
MILDRED L. BATCHELDER AWARD for an 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:
WINNER: Brown, by Håkon Øvreås, translated by Kari Dickson
ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR LITERATURE
The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit:
PICTURE BOOK WINNER: Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom, by Teresa Robeson, illustrated by Rebecca Huang
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE WINNER: Stargazing, written by Jen Wang
YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE WINNER: They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei
THE SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience:
PICTURE BOOK WINNER: The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come, by Sue Macy, illustrated by Stacy Innerst
MIDDLE GRADE WINNER: White Bird: A Wonder Story, by R. J. Palacio
YOUNG ADULT WINNER: Someday We Will Fly, by Rachel DeWoskin
AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD in even years and established to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians:
PICTURE BOOK WINNER: Bowwow Powwow: Bagosenjige-niimi’idim, by Brenda J. Child (Red Lake Ojibwe)
MIDDLE GRADE WINNER: Indian No More, by Charlene Willing McManis (Umpqua/Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde)
YOUNG ADULT WINNER: Hearts Unbroken, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee)