The Caldecott and Newbery Awards

Two of the most prestigious children's book awards in the United States are the John Newbery Medal and the Randolph Caldecott Medal. Although both are awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, they are bestowed based upon very different criteria.

The Newbery Medal, named in honor of British book publisher John Newbery, has been awarded annually since 1922 to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. This award was the first to recognize excellence in children's literature. The criteria for consideration is that the book must have been published in English in the United States the previous year and have been written by a citizen or resident of the United States. The book must also stand alone(not as a part of a multimedia presentation) as a contribution to children's literature. Since 1971 the runners-up for the Newbery Award have been named Newbery Honors Books, an honor that was retroactively afforded all Newbery Medal runners-up. In 2008 the award came under criticism for its choices as being to difficult for young readers and too dark in subject matter to appeal to most children(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/15/AR2008121503293.html).

The Caldecott Medal, on the other hand, is awarded to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Caldecott Honor citations are awarded to deserving runners-up. Awarded annually, the honor is named for Randolph Caldecott, an English artist and illustrator. The major criteria for consideration is that the book must have been published in English in the United States the previous year and the artist must be a citizen or resident of the United States. The illustrations must be original work that appropriately address the various needs of children. The illustrations should advance theme, plot, character, and setting of the text. Like the Newbery winners, the book must be able to stand alone as a piece of work.

A complete list of Newbery and Caldecott Medal and Honor winning books can be found at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/index.cfm.