Newbery Medal

Newbery Medal, in full the John Newbery Medal, annual award given to the author of the book voted the most distinguished contribution to literature for children published in the United States during the preceding year. The medal is awarded by the 15-member Newbery Committee, appointed by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) of the American Library Association (ALA). The winner is announced at the ALA's midwinter convention, held in January or February. In addition, the ALSC names an unspecified number of honor books each year and presents the authors with certificates.

The committee seeks to award books that are appropriate for children through the age of 14 and that meet its criteria for originality, excellence, and distinctiveness. Most of the titles honored are fiction, although some biographies and works of poetry have also won the medal. The ALSC requires award recipients to be citizens or residents of the United States.

The Newbery Medal was established in 1921, at the suggestion of Frederic G. Melcher, coeditor of Publishers Weekly and founder of Children's Book Week. Melcher named the award for John Newbery, an 18th-century English publisher and bookseller. The medal depicts an open book with the inscription “for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” The first Newbery Medal was awarded in 1922 to Hendrik Willem van Loon for his book The Story of Mankind. Melcher later established the Caldecott Medal to honor distinguished picture books for children.