American Library's Best Youth Books Award Winners Announced

A list of all the 2015 award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:
“The Crossover,” written by Kwame Alexander, is the 2015 Newbery Medal winner. 

Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: 
“El Deafo” by Cece Bell
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson 

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
“The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” by Dan Santat, is the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner. 

Six Caldecott Honor Books also were named: 
“Nana in the City,” written by Lauren Castillo 
“The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art,” written by Barb Rosenstock.  
“Sam & Dave Dig a Hole,” written by Mac Barnett. 
“Viva Frida,” written by Yuyi Morales.
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant.
“This One Summer,” written by Mariko Tamaki.

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

Three King Author Honor Books were selected: 
Kwame Alexander for “The Crossover,” 

Marilyn Nelson for “How I Discovered Poetry,”
Kekla Magoon for “How It Went Down,” 

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
“Firebird,” illustrated by Christopher Myers, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Misty Copeland. 

Two King Illustrator Honor Book were selected:
Christian Robinson for “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” by Patricia Hruby Powell.
Frank Morrison for “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone,” by Katheryn Russell-Brown. 

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:
“When I Was the Greatest,” written by Jason Reynolds, is the Steptoe winner. 

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
“I’ll Give You the Sun,” written by Jandy Nelson, is the 2015 Printz Award winner. 

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: 
“And We Stay,” by Jenny Hubbard.
“The Carnival at Bray,” by Jessie Ann Foley.
“Grasshopper Jungle,” by Andrew Smith. 
“This One Summer,” by Mariko Tamaki.  

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
“A BOY AND A JAGUAR” written by Alan Rabinowitz, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10. 
“RAIN REIGN” written by Ann M. Martin, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13). 
The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Girls Like Us,” written by Gail Giles. 

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
“All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr. 
“Bellweather Rhapsody,” by Kate Racculia.
“Bingo’s Run,” by James A. Levine
“Confessions,” by Kanae Minato. 
“Everything I Never Told You,” by Celeste Ng.
“Lock In,” by John Scalzi.
“The Martian,” by Andy Weir. 
“The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice,” by Zak Ebrahim with Jeff Giles. 
“Those Who Wish Me Dead,” by Michael Koryta 
“Wolf in White Van,” by John Darnielle.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video:
“Me…Jane,” are the Carnegie Medal winners. This transcendent adaptation of Patrick McDonnell’s 2012 Caldecott Honor draws viewers into the childhood of a young Jane Goodall who, with beloved stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, is transformed by what she observes in her own backyard, a “magical world full of joy and wonder.” 

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors 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. 
The 2015 winner is Donald Crews, whose award-winning works include “Freight Train,” which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1979, and “Truck,” a Caldecott Honor Book in 1981. He has been consistently excellent with a wide range of titles, such as “Harbor,” “Parade,” “Shortcut” and “Bigmama’s,” all published by Greenwillow Books.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:
The 2015 winner is 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, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

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” is the 2015 Batchelder Award winner. The book was written by Bibi Dumon. 

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: 
“Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust,” written by Loic Dauvillier.
“Nine Open Arms,” written by Benny Lindelauf.

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,” produced by Live Oak Media, is the 2015 Odyssey Award winner. 

Three Odyssey Honor Recordings also were selected: 
“Five, Six, Seven, Nate!” produced by AUDIOWORKS (Children’s) an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc., written by Tim Federle, and narrated by Tim Federle;
“The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Julie Berry, and narrated by Jayne Entwistle;
“A Snicker of Magic,” produced by Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Natalie Lloyd, and narrated by Cassandra Morris.

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,” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Yuyi Morales.

Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were named:
“Little Roja Riding Hood,” illustrated by Susan Guevara, written by Susan Middleton Elya.
“Green Is a Chile Pepper,” illustrated by John Parra, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong.

 “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh

Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring Latino authors whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience:
"I Lived on Butterfly Hill" is the 2015 Pura Belpré (Author) Award winner. The book is written by Marjorie Agosín. 

One Belpré Author Honor Book was named:
"Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes," written by Juan Felipe Herrera.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant, is the Sibert Award winner. 

Five Sibert Honor Books were named: 
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson.
“The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia,” written by Candace Fleming.
“Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” written by Patricia Hruby Powell. 

"Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands,” written and illustrated by Katherine Roy.
“Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh.

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.,is the winner of the 2015 Stonewall Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award. 

Three Honor Books were selected: 
“Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out,” by Susan Kuklin.
“I’ll give you the sun,” written by Jandy Nelson.
“Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” written by Christine Baldacchio.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:
“You Are (Not) Small,” written by Anna Kang is the Seuss Award winner. 

Two Geisel Honor Books were named: 
“Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page,” written by Cynthia Rylant
“Waiting Is Not Easy!” written by Mo Willems.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:
“Gabi, a Girl in Pieces,” written by Isabel Quintero, is the 2015 Morris Award winner. 

Four other books were finalists for the award:
“The Carnival at Bray” written by Jessie Ann Foley.
“The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim” written by E.K. Johnston.
“The Scar Boys” written by Len Vlahos.
“The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender” written by Leslye Walton. 

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
“Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek,” written by Maya Van Wagenen, is the 2015 Excellence winner. 

Four other books were finalists for the award:
“Laughing at My Nightmare” written by Shane Burcaw.
“The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia” written by Candace Fleming.
“Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business—and Won!” written by Emily Arnold McCully.
“The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights” written by Steve Sheinkin. 

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma .

Cathy