The Newbery Medal

First-time Newbery winner Amina Luqman-Dawson won the top prize for the year’s best children’s book for Freewater, her inspiring middle-grade novel about two courageous siblings escaping from a slave plantation. This book also won the prestigious Coretta Scott King Author Award.

In an interview with The Washington Post following her win, Luqman-Dawson said, “The best feeling is that hopefully Freewater will give teachers, parents and especially kids a new way of talking about history, [about] the terrible hardship of slavery — and also the resistance to it, the strength and love of Black people back then.”

The ALA also singled out three Newbery Honor Books:

Andrea Beatriz Arango's moving novel in verse follows a 7th grade girl with mental health challenges in Iveliz Explains It All.

Christina Soontornvat, who has previously published two Newbery Honor books, was honored again for this high-seas adventure set in a Thai-inspired fantasy land, The Last Mapmaker.

Lisa Yee's celebration of food and family, Maizy Chen's Last Chance, was also a National Book Award finalist.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal

The Caldecott Medal for the top kids' picture book went to Doug Salati for his tale, Hot Dog, about a canine companion. Salati both wrote and illustrated the playful picture book about an urban puppy’s joyful beach adventures.

Four other books were named as Caldecott Honor Books:

Ain't Burned All the Bright, illustrated by Jason Griffin and written by best-selling author Jason Reynolds

Berry Song, a lyrical ode to author and illustrator Michaela Goade's native Alaska

Christopher Denise's charming bird epic Knight Owl

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement, illustrated by Janelle Washington and written by Angela Joy

Previous winners of the Newbery Medal include E.B. White, Madeleine L'Engle and Lois Lowry. Previous Caldecott recipients of note include Chris Van Allsburg, Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak. Congratulations to the authors, and good luck to all the parents trying to get their young readers to put these books down after it's well past bedtime.