ALA Announces 2023 Youth Media Award Winners

The American Library Association has announced the winners of the 2023 Youth Media Awards, recognizing the outstanding achievements in children’s literature.^[0] The prestigious awards include the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, the Printz Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award, the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, the Alex Award for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences, the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, the Pura Belpré Awards, the Children’s Literature Legacy Award, and the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal.^[1]

The Newbery Medal went to Amina Luqman-Dawson’s “Freewater,” a middle-grade novel about a secret community of formerly enslaved people.^[2] The Caldecott Medal went to Doug Salati’s “Hot Dog,” about the summertime wanderings of an urban pet.^[3] The Printz Award went to “Wildoak” by C.C. Harrington.

The Coretta Scott King Award Author Award went to Amina Luqman-Dawson’s “Freewater” and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award was given to Frank Morrison for “Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual.”^[4] Children’s Author winner was “Frizzy” by Claribel A. Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra and published by First Second, a division of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.^[4] The Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature went to “When the Angels Left the Old Country,” written by Sacha Lamb and published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Levine Querido.^[4]

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award for best work of translation went to “Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II”, originally published in Italian as “Una bambina e basta. Raccontata agli altri bambini e basta,” written by Lia Levi, illustrated by Jess Mason, and translated by Sylvia Notini (HarperCollins).^[4]

0. “‘Hot Dog' wins Caldecott, Newbery is awarded to ‘Freewater'” KDLG, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.kdlg.org/2023-01-30/hot-dog-wins-caldecott-newbery-is-awarded-to-freewater

1. “Graphic Novel winners at 2023 ALA Youth Media Awards” Comics Beat, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.comicsbeat.com/graphic-novel-winners-2023-ala-youth-media-awards/

2. “‘Freewater,' a tale of escaped enslaved people, wins Newbery Medal” The Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/kidspost/2023/01/30/freewater-newbery-medai-2023/

3. “Amina Luqman-Dawson's ‘Freewater' wins John Newbery Medal” Detroit News, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/books/2023/01/30/amina-luqman-dawsons-freewater-wins-john-newbery-medal/69854633007

4. “Luqman-Dawson, Salati, and Tahir Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz Awards” Publishers Weekly, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/91407-luqman-dawson-salati-and-tahir-win-newbery-caldecott-printz-awards.html