Awards

**1. Newbery Medal**
It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. History: On June 22, 1921, Frederic G. Melcher proposed the award to the American Library Association meeting of the Children's Librarians' Section and suggested that it be named for the eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery... The Newbery Award thus became the first children's book award in the world. [1] John Newbery was an English publisher of books who made children's literature a profitable part of the literary market and published the first children's book. [2]

**2. Caldecott Medal**
It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. History: After the Newbery Medal became an annual award people became concerned that the artists of the books were not getting the recognition they deserved. Frederic G. Melcher suggested in 1937 the establishment of a second annual medal. This medal is to be given to the artist who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year and named in honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott. [3]

**3. Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal**
This award honors an author or illustrator whose books have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children in the United States. History: Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in 1867 in Wisconsin. She became an elementary school teacher, married, and moved to Mansfield, MO, in 1894. Wilder's first book, The Little House in the Big Woods (1932), was published when she was 65...Wilder wrote about home and the family primarily to entertain. She was interested in providing her young readers with information on how life was lived by their ancestors. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award was first given to its namesake in 1954. At first it was awarded every 5 years but beginning in 2001 it has been awarded every 2 years. [4]

**4. Hans Christian Anderson Award**
It is an international award given biennially by the [|International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)] in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature". There are two categories of award winners: authors, and illustrators. History: The prize is named after the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who is known for writing //The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling// and //Thumbelina// as well as many others.Winners receive a gold medal from the hand of the Queen of Denmark. [5]

**5. Theodor Seuss Geisel Award**
It is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States. History: The award was established in 2004 and first presented in 2006. The award is named for Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss. "Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped them to read." [6]

**6. Coretta Scott King Award**
It is given to African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions in children's literature. History: The award is named after Martin Luther King Jr.'s wife. She was an American author, activist, and she helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. [7] In 1969, while attending the American Library Association Meeting in New Jersey, Mabel McKissick and Glyndon Greer, two school librarians, had a chance meeting... Both women loved children's literature and were discussing that African American authors and illustrators had not been distinguished with awards for their work. John Carroll, publisher at the booth where the two met, asked them why they didn't start an award to do so. From that seed of an idea, the Coretta Scott King Award was born. [8]

**7. Belpre Medal**
It is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in a work of literature for children. History: The award, established in 1996, is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. As a children's librarian, storyteller, and author, she enriched the lives of Puerto Rican children in the U.S.A. through her pioneering work of preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore. [9]

**8. Orbis Pictus Award**
It is an annual award for promoting and recognizing excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children. History: The name Orbis Pictus, commemorates the work of Johannes Amos Comenius, Orbis Pictus—The World in Pictures (1657), considered to be the first book actually planned for children.The award is presented by the Orbis Pictus Committee Chair during the Books for Children Luncheon at the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Annual Convention each year. Although only one title is singled out for the award, up to five Honor Books are also recognized. [10]

**9. National Book Award**
It is an American literary prize given to writers by writers and administered by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization. History: The award was established in 1950. Each year, the Foundation selects a total of twenty Judges, including five in each of the four Award categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature. Judges are published writers who are known to be doing great work in their genre or field, and in some cases, are past NBA Finalists or Winners. [11]

**10. Carnegie Award**
It is given annually to an outstanding book for children published in the UK. It was established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist [|Andrew Carnegie]. Carnegie gave most of his money to establish many libraries, schools, and universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries, as well as a pension fund for former employees. He is often regarded as the second-richest man in history after John D. Rockefeller. Until 1969 the award was limited to books by British authors first published in England. The first non-British author to receive the award was [|Ivan Southall] in 1972. [12]

**Links**
[1] [|Newbery Website] [2] [|John Newbery] [3] [|Caldecott Website] [4] [|Wilder Award] [5] [|Andersen Wiki Page] [6] [|Geisel Website] [7] [|Coretta Scott King] [8] [|CSK Website] [9] [|Belpre Website] [10] [|Orbis Pictus Website] [11] [|NBA Website] [12] [|Carnegie Wiki Page]