The 2020 winners of the Caldecott, Newbery & Printz awards
The American Library Association (ALA) has announced its top books for children and young adults, including the influential Caldecott, Newbery and Printz awards.
The winners include…
Winner of the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:
New Kid by Jerry Craft
This timely and honest graphic novel is about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds - and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
The Undefeated, illustrations by Kadir Nelson (written by Kwame Alexander)
This is for the unforgettable. The unafraid. The undefeated. The Undefeated is a powerful and important ode to black history: the strength and bravery of everyday people and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest artists, athletes, and activists. With references to lyrics and lines originally shared by our most celebrated heroes, Kwame Alexander’s poem digs into the not-so-distant past to underline the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Kadir Nelson’s dramatic photo-realist oil paintings are the perfect accompaniment, illustrating generations of black American heroes “emerging from the shadows.”
Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
Dig by A.S. King
Property developers Gottfried and Marla Hemmings sit atop a seven-figure bank account - wealth they’ve declined to pass on to their adult children or teenage grandchildren. This beguiling novel follows five teenagers lost in the Hemmings family’s maze of secrets. Malcolm takes care of his terminally-ill dad, David shovels snow and paints houses to save for a car, The Freak flickers through space and time, sexually frank Loretta imagines her life as a performance and Katie deals drugs through a drive-by window. With inimitable surrealism and insight into the teenage experience, this unique novel explores how a corrosive culture of polite, affluent white supremacy tears a family apart and how one determined generation can save themselves.
