American Library Association Announces 2012 Youth Media Award Winners

Congratulations to All of This Year's
ALA Youth Media Award Winners,
Including Newbery Winner Jack Gantos and Caldecott Winner Chris Raschka!

The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. 

The 2012 award winners are:

The  John Newbery Medal, which recognizes the most outstanding contribution to children's literature was awarded to "Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos. The book is published by Farrar Straus Giroux. Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: "Inside Out & Back Again," written by Thanhha Lai and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; and "Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Jack Gantos is a contributor to the NCBLA's national reading and writing initiative The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. 

The  Randolph Caldecott Medal, which recognizes the most distinguished American picture book for children, was awarded to “A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka. The book is published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco, and published by Disney · Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group; "Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; and “Me … Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell, and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The Michael L. Printz Award, which recognizes excellence in literature written for young adults, was awarded to “Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Why We Broke Up,” written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group; “The Returning,” written by Christine Hinwood and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group Young Readers Group USA; “Jasper Jones,” written by Craig Silvey and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; and “The Scorpio Races,” written by Maggie Stiefvater and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

The Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award, which recognizes an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults, was awarded to Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Two King Author Honor Book recipients were selected: Eloise Greenfield, author of “The Great Migration: Journey to the North,” illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and Patricia C. McKissack, author of “Never Forgotten,” illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Patricia McKissack is a board member of the NCBLA. She is also a contributor to the NCBLA's interdisciplinary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, as well as a contributor to the NCBLA's national reading and writing initiative The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. 

The Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award was awarded to Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom." The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership. One King Illustrator Honor Book recipient was selected: Kadir Nelson, illustrator and author of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” published by Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

The Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Ashley Bryan. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

Storyteller, artist, author, poet and musician, Bryan created his first children’s book in first grade. He grew up in the Bronx and in 1962, he became the first African American to both write and illustrate a children’s book. After a successful teaching career, Bryan left academia to pursue creation of his own artwork. He has since garnered numerous awards for his significant and lasting literary contribution of poetry, spirituals and story.

The Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults was awarded to Susan Cooper. 

Cooper's books include: The Dark Is Rising Sequence: “Over Sea, Under Stone”; “The Dark Is Rising”; “Greenwitch”; “The Grey King”; and “Silver on the Tree.”

Susan Cooper is a board member of the NCBLA. She is also a contributor to the NCBLA's interdisciplinary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, as well as a contributor to the NCBLA's national reading and writing initiative The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.  Cooper's most recent book is "The Magic Maker: A Portrait of John Langstaff and His Revels."

To read the complete list of winners, click here.