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2019 Youth Media Award Winners

Tina Lernø, Librarian, Digital Content Team,
2019 Youth Media Award Winners

Is there a collective name for a group of librarians? How about a Catalog of Librarians! Well, that was surely the case on a brisk Monday morning in Seattle Washington, where the librarian equivalent of the Oscar awards was held. If you were lucky enough to be in the audience, the excitement and joy were palpable, but even those having YMA (Youth Media Award) Pyjama Parties and watching the live stream were giddy with anticipation. The American Library Association (or ALA as acronym-loving librarians refer to it) was about to announce this year's top books, video, and audiobooks for children and young adults—including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpré, Newbery, and Printz awards. These awards are chosen by librarians across America and represent some of the top prizes that authors and illustrators in youth literature can achieve.

Though the cheers and clapping, one name stood out for us at the Los Angeles Public Library. That of our very own Mary McCoy, who is the Senior Librarian in the Central Library's Art, Music and Recreation Department. She received a Michael L. Printz Honor Book recognition for excellence in literature written for young adults for her book, I, Claudia. The honor is particularly meaningful as it was bestowed by her librarian peers.

Author Mary McCoy holding her book I Claudia

Pictured: Mary McCoy with her book, I, Claudia

Below is a list of all the winners and a hearty congratulations goes out to all of them and their contributions to providing excellent reading materials for our youth.


John Newbery Medal

Book cover for Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Medina, Meg

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.


Newbery Honor Books


Randolph Caldecott Medal

Book cover for Hello Lighthouse
Hello Lighthouse
Blackall, Sophie, author, illustrator.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. 


Caldecott Honor Books


Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award

Book cover for A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919
A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919
Hartfield, Claire,

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.


King Author Honor Books

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award

Book cover for The Stuff of Stars
The Stuff of Stars
Bauer, Marion Dane

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.


King Illustrator Honor Books

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award


Michael L. Printz Award

Book cover for The Poet X
The Poet X
Acevedo, Elizabeth

Printz Honor Books


Schneider Family Book Awards

Schneider Family Book Award - Young Children (Ages 0 - 10)

Book cover for Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship
Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship
Kensky, Jessica,

The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. The award is donated by Dr. Katherine Schneider. 


Honor Book for Young Children

Schneider Family Book Award - Middle Grades (Ages 11 - 13)

Book cover for The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
Connor, Leslie,

The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. The award is donated by Dr. Katherine Schneider. 


Honor Book for Middle Grades

Schneider Family Book Award - Teens (Ages 13 - 18)

Book cover for Anger is a Gift
Anger is a Gift
Oshiro, Mark.

The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. The award is donated by Dr. Katherine Schneider. 


Honor Book for Teens


Alex Awards

The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing.


Odyssey Award

Book cover for Sadie
Sadie
Summers, Courtney

The Odyssey Award is given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.


Odyssey Honor Audiobooks

  • Du Iz Tak, written by Carson Ellis and narrated by Eli and Sebastian D’Amico, Burton, Galen and Laura Fott, Sarah Hart, Bella Higginbotham, Evelyn Hipp and Brian Hull
  • Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist, written by Susan Wood and narrated by Brian Amador
  • The Parker Inheritance, written by Varian Johnson and narrated by Cherise Booth
  • The Poet X, written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo

Pura Belpré Awards

Pura Belpré Illustrator Award

Book cover for Dreamers
Dreamers
Morales, Yuyi

Belpré Illustrator Honor Books

Pura Belpré Author Award

Book cover for The Poet X
The Poet X
Acevedo, Elizabeth,

The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.


Belpré Author Honor Book


Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

Book cover for The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science
Sidman, Joyce

The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois.


Sibert Honor Books


Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award

Book cover for Julián is a Mermaid
Julián is a Mermaid
Love, Jessica

Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award is given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.


Book cover for Hurricane Child
Hurricane Child
Callender, Kacen

Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award is given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.


Stonewall Honor Books


Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

Book cover for Fox the Tiger
Fox the Tiger
Tabor, Corey R, author, illustrator.

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year. The winner(s), is (are) recognized for their literary and artistic achievements that demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading


Geisel Honor Books


William C. Morris Award

Book cover for Darius the Great is Not Okay
Darius the Great is Not Okay
Khorram, Adib

The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first awarded in 2009, honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.

The Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature is to honor and recognize individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit.


Morris Finalists


YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

Book cover for The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees
Brown, Don

YALSA Award winner for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. An award for the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year.


Excellence in Nonfiction Finalists


Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature

Picture Book

Book cover for Drawn Together
Drawn Together
Le, Minh, 1979-

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit. The award offers three youth categories including Picture Book, Children’s Literature and Young Adult Literature. 


Picture Book Honor Title

  • Grandmother’s Visit written by Betty Quan, illustrated by Carmen Mok

Children’s Literature

Book cover for Front Desk
Front Desk
Yang, Kelly

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit. The award offers three youth categories including Picture Book, Children’s Literature and Young Adult Literature.


Children's Literature Honor Title

Young Adult Literature

Book cover for Darius the Great is Not Okay
Darius the Great is Not Okay
Khorram, Adib

The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first awarded in 2009, honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.

The Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature is to honor and recognize individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit.


Young Adult Literature Honor Title


The Sydney Taylor Book Award

Book cover for All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah
All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah
Jenkins, Emily

Older Readers Category Winner

Book cover for Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
Auxier, Jonathan

Teen Readers Category Winner

Book cover for What the Night Sings
What the Night Sings
Stamper, Vesper


 

 

 

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