The Newbery and Caldecott Awards

While the Newbery Award is eighty-one years old this year and the Caldecott is sixty-five, retirement is hardly an option. Still going strong, these honored awards recognize exemplary works of literature for children published each year, selected by annual panels of dedicated librarian members of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). In this annual annotated reference, children's and youth librarians, educators, teachers, parents, and others can access easy-to-use summaries of the winning books over the decades. These pre-eminent award-winning works of literature for children are core lists for developing curricula and library collections, creating reader advisories, and quick reference for a ""good read.'"" The 2003 edition features an essay, ""That Big Gold Sticker: Children Talk about the Newbery Award,"" by children's literature expert Kathleen Horning. In it, she shares surprising guesses and insights, revealing what third, fourth, and fifth graders from Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin, think about these awards, as well as sharing their favorite winners. The essay addresses such questions as: Do all kids like Newbery Medal books? What does the book with the gold medal on it make you think of? What do you think the judges are looking for when they read? If kids chose the Newbery winners, would they come up with the same list? For all those professionals committed to introducing literature to young people, this is an indispensable guide. For more than eight decades, librarians from the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) have intensely scrutinized the children's books published each year, selecting the winning and honor books for the Newbery and Caldecott Awards. In addition, the ALSC division of the ALA is committed to creating a nation of readers, starting with the youngest. ALSC supports all those providing library services to children, including youth librarians, teachers, families, literature experts, publishers, and child advocates.