2015 Newbery, Caldecott and Printz awards announced

The American Library Assn. announced the winners of its slate of book prizes, including the Newbery, Caldecott and Printz awards, at its annual meeting Monday. The awards are for books for children and young adults, and the medallions that adorn the winners’ book covers (and their runners-up) help guide libraries and parents to looking for new books for kids.

The John Newbery Medal for outstanding contribution to children’s literature went to Kwame Alexander’s book “The Crossover.” The novel in verse, about a basketball-playing teen, is the first book for middle-graders from Alexander, a veteran author who has published more than 20 books.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished picture book for children was awarded to “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend” by Dan Santat. Santat, who lives in Southern California, is the creator of “The Replacements,” a Disney Channel series.

The Coretta Scott King Award for an author went to Jacqueline Woodson for “Brown Girl Dreaming.” The book is also the recipient of a Newbery honor and won the National Book Award in the young adult category.

The Printz Award for young adult novel went to “I’ll Give You The Sun” by Jandy Nelson, a book about fraternal twins whose lives have diverged. It’s the second book by Nelson, who also works as a literary agent.

The complete list of prize winners and runner-up honorees is below.

John Newbery Medal winner: “The Crossover,” by Kwame Alexander (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

2 Newbery honor books: “El Deafo” written and illustrated by Cece Bell (Amulet Books) and “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books)

Randolph Caldecott Medal: “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” written and illustrated by Dan Santat (Little, Brown and Co.)

6 Caldecott honor books: “Nana in the City,” written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (Clarion Books); “The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art,” written by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Mary GrandPré (Alfred A. Knopf); “Sam & Dave Dig a Hole,” written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press); “Viva Frida,” written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Roaring Brook Press); “The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers); “This One Summer” written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki (First Second)

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: “Brown Girl Dreaming,” by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books)

3 King author honor books were selected: Kwame Alexander for “The Crossover,” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); Marilyn Nelson for “How I Discovered Poetry,” illustrated by Hadley Hooper and (Dial Books); Kekla Magoon for “How It Went Down” (Henry Holt)

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award: “Firebird,” illustrated by Christopher Myers, written by Misty Copeland (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)

2 King illustrator honor books were selected: Christian Robinson for “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker” written by Patricia Hruby Powell (Chronicle Books); Frank Morrison for “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone” written by Katheryn Russell-Brown (Lee and Low Books)

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: “When I Was the Greatest,” written and illustrated by Jason Reynolds (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement: Deborah D. Taylor, librarian and educator in Baltimore

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: “I’ll Give You the Sun,” written by Jandy Nelson (Dial Books)

4 Printz honor books also were named: “And We Stay,” by Jenny Hubbard (Delacorte Press); “The Carnival at Bray,” by Jessie Ann Foley (Elephant Rock Books); “Grasshopper Jungle,” by Andrew Smith (Dutton Books); “This One Summer,” written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki (First Second)

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: for children 10 and younger, “A Boy and a Jaguar” written by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Catia Chien Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); for ages 11-13, “Rain Reign” by Ann M. Martin (A Feiwel and Friends Book); for ages 13-18, “Girls Like Us” by Gail Giles (Candlewick Press)

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr (Scribner)

“Bellweather Rhapsody” by Kate Racculia (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

“Bingo’s Run” by James A. Levine (Spiegel & Grau)

“Confessions” by Kanae Minato, translated by Stephen Snyder (Mulholland Books)

“Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng (The Penguin Press)

“Lock In” by John Scalzi (Tor)

“The Martian” by Andy Weir (Crown)

“The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice” by Zak Ebrahim with Jeff Giles (TED Books)

“Those Who Wish Me Dead” by Michael Koryta (Little, Brown and Company)

“Wolf in White Van” by John Darnielle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video: Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard, Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Me ... Jane”

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honoring an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children: Donald Crews, whose works include “Freight Train,” a Caldecott honor book in 1979, and “Truck,” a Caldecott honor book in 1981, as well as “Harbor,” “Parade,” “Shortcut” and “Bigmama’s,” all published by Greenwillow Books.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: Sharon M. Draper, author of more than 20 books, including: “Tears of a Tiger” (1994), “Forged by Fire” (1997), “Darkness Before Dawn” (2001), “Battle of Jericho” (2004), “Copper Sun” (2006), and “November Blues” (2007), all published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2016 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature: Pat Mora.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States: “Mikis and the Donkey,” written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)

2 Batchelder honor books also were selected: “Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust,” written by Loic Dauvillier, illustrated by Marc Lizano, color by Greg Salsedo, translated by Alexis Siegel (First Second); “Nine Open Arms,” written by Benny Lindelauf, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen (Enchanted Lion Books)

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States: “H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination,” by Christopher Myers, narrated by Dion Graham and Christopher Myers (Live Oak Media)

3 Odyssey honor recordings: “Five, Six, Seven, Nate!” written and narrated by Tim Federle (Audioworks); “The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place,” written by Julie Berry, narrated by Jayne Entwistle (Listening Library); “A Snicker of Magic,” written by Natalie Lloyd and narrated by Cassandra Morris (Scholastic Audiobooks)

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: “Viva Frida,” written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Roaring Brook Press)

3 Belpré illustrator honor books: “Little Roja Riding Hood,” illustrated by Susan Guevara, written by Susan Middleton Elya (G.P. Putnam’s Sons); “Green Is a Chile Pepper,” illustrated by John Parra, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong (Chronicle Books); “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring Latino authors whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience: “I Lived on Butterfly Hill” by Marjorie Agosín, illustrated by Lee White (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

1 Belpré author honor book was named: “Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes,” written by Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Raúl Colón (Dial Books for Young Readers)

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children: “The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)

5 Sibert honor books: “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books); “The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia” by Candace Fleming (Schwartz & Wade Books); “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” written by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson (Chronicle Books); “Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands,” written and illustrated by Katherine Roy (David Macaulay Studio); “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

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: “This Day in June,” written by Gayle E. Pitman, Ph.D., illustrated by Kristyna Litten (Magination Press);

3 Stonewall honor books: “Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out,” by Susan Kuklin, photographed by Susan Kuklin (Candlewick Press); “I’ll Give You the Sun,” written by Jandy Nelson (Dial Books); “Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” written by Christine Baldacchio, pictures by Isabelle Malenfant (Groundwood Books)

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book: “You Are (Not) Small,” written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant (Two Lions)

2 Geisel honor books: “Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page,” written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); “Waiting Is Not Easy!” written and illustrated by Mo Willems (Hyperion Books for Children)

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens: “Gabi, a Girl in Pieces” by Isabel Quintero (Cinco Puntos Press)

4 William C. Morris Award finalists: “The Carnival at Bray” by Jessie Ann Foley (Elephant Rock Books); “The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim” by E.K. Johnston (Carolrhoda Lab); “The Scar Boys” by Len Vlahos (Egmont Publishing); “The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender” by Leslye Walton (Candlewick Press)

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: “Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek,” by Maya Van Wagenen (Dutton)

4 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction finalists: “Laughing at My Nightmare” by Shane Burcaw (Roaring Brook Press); “The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia” by Candace Fleming (Schwartz & Wade); “Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business—and Won!” by Emily Arnold McCully (Clarion Books); “The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights” by Steve Sheinkin (Roaring Brook Press)

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