The John Newbery Medal, often called the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a part of the American Library Association (ALA). It is awarded to the author of "the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children." The Newbery and the Caldecott Medal are the two most respected awards for children's books in the United States. Books that win are often very popular and widely available in bookstores and libraries. Their authors are sometimes interviewed on television, and some books have been studied in master's and doctoral programs. The medal is named after John Newbery, an 18th-century English publisher of books for children. A committee of fifteen people selects the winner at the ALA's Midwinter Conference. The Newbery was first proposed in 1921 by Frederic G. Melcher, making it the world's first children's book award. The bronze medal was designed by Rene Paul Chambellan and is given to the winning author at the next ALA annual meeting. Over time, the selection committee has changed in composition, but the medal itself has remained the same.

In addition to the Newbery Medal, the committee may also recognize other strong books with citations called Newbery Honors or Newbery Honor Books. Before 1971, these were called runners-up. Between zero and eight books have been named Honors each year, though from 1938, the number was usually between one and five. To qualify, a book must be written by a U.S. citizen or resident and published in the United States in English the year before the award. Six authors have won the Newbery Medal twice. Some have won both a Medal and an Honor, while others have won multiple Honors. Laura Ingalls Wilder received five Honors but never won the Medal.

History

The Newbery Medal was created on June 22, 1921, during a meeting of the American Library Association (ALA). Frederic G. Melcher, an editor from Publishers Weekly, proposed the idea. The children's librarians present supported it, and the ALA Executive Board approved it. The ALA managed the award from the beginning, but Melcher provided money to design and make the medal. The Newbery Medal was first given in 1922 for books published in 1921. Melcher and the ALA Board created the award to encourage high-quality, creative children's books and to show the public that children's books are important and deserve praise. In 1932, a rule was added to support new writers: an author could only win the Newbery twice if all voters agreed. This rule lasted until 1958. Joseph Krumgold became the first person to win the Newbery twice in 1960. In 1963, the rules changed to allow joint authors to be considered for the award. More changes were made in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1971, the term "Newbery Honor" was introduced to recognize runners-up. These runners-up had been named each year since the award began, except during the 1920s. All those runners-up were later called Newbery Honor Books.

The medal was designed by Rene Paul Chambellan. One side shows an author giving a book to a boy and a girl to read. The other side has the words, "For the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." The bronze medal still includes the name "Children's Librarians' Section," the original group responsible for the award, even though the committee has changed names four times and now includes both school and public librarians. Each winning author receives a medal with their name engraved on it. Today, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) manages the award.

As Barbara Elleman explained in The Newbery and Caldecott Awards, the first Newbery winner was chosen by a jury of officers from the Children's Librarians' Section. Any librarian could nominate books, and the jury picked one favorite. Hendrik van Loon's nonfiction book The Story of Mankind won with 163 votes out of 212. In 1924, the selection process changed. Instead of using a vote, a special award committee was formed. This committee included the Children's Librarians' Section executive board, their book evaluation committee, and three members chosen from various groups. In 1929, the committee was changed again to include four officers, the chairs of standing committees, and the former president. Nominations still came from librarians across the country.

In 1937, the American Library Association added the Caldecott Award, which honors the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in the United States. That year, the same award committee selected both Newbery and Caldecott Medal and Honor books. In 1978, the rules changed again. Two separate committees, each with 15 members, were formed—one for each award. Each year, a new committee is created, with eight members elected, six members appointed, and one person chosen as the chair. The Newbery Medal is named after John Newbery, an eighteenth-century British bookseller. It is given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Selection process

Committee members are selected to represent different libraries, teachers, and book reviewers. They read books on their own time and meet twice a year for private discussions. Any book that meets the criteria is eligible, even if it was not nominated. The Newbery Medal is awarded to the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year." Winners are announced at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, which happens in January or February. Honor Books must be some of the top runners-up on the final ballot, either the leading runners-up or the top choices on a separate ballot that excludes the winner. The committee's voting results are kept secret, and winners are informed by phone shortly before the award is announced. In 2015, K. T. Horning of the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Cooperative Children's Book Center suggested to ALSC that past discussions about the Newbery and Caldecott Medals be made public to help researchers and historians. This idea received both support and criticism from former committee members and well-known authors.

Criticism

In October 2008, Anita Silvey, an expert in children's literature, wrote an article in the School Library Journal pointing out that the Newbery Medal committee sometimes selects books that are too difficult for children to read. Lucy Calkins, from the Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University's Teachers College, supported Silvey's view. She stated, "I believe that many more children would enjoy reading if the Newbery committee focused on books that are meaningful, beautiful, and appealing to young readers." Pat Scales, who was then the president of the American Library Association's ALSC division, replied that the committee's goal has always been to choose books based on their literary quality, not their popularity. She asked, "How many adults have read all the Pulitzer Prize-winning books and liked every one?" John Beach, a professor of literacy education at St. John's University in New York, studied the books that adults and children choose. He found that between 1978 and 2008, only 5% of the books on the Children's Choice Awards list (from the International Reading Association) were also on the Notable Children's Books list (from the American Library Association). He also said, "The Newbery Medal may have discouraged more children from reading than any other book award in children's publishing."

Multiple award winners

The list below shows authors who have received two or more Newbery Medals or two or more Newbery Medals and/or Honors. Some authors have received both a Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor.