Each January the American Library Association honors the previous year's best of childrens books at their Midwinter Meeting. The Youth Media Awards range from picture books to adult titles that appeal to teens and include the well-known Newberry, Caldecott, and Printz. Just this past Tuesday the 2012 winners and nominees were announced, making for a very exciting week in the book world. We've compiled a list of all the winners and nominees which is linked below. It's a long list, but it's the very best of 2011's childrens and teen titles! We've also included below a brief description of all the awards given, as some aren't as well-known as others but are just as coveted!
See this year's ALA Award Winners >>>>>
The John Newbery Medal is awarded to the most outstanding contribution to children's literature.
The Randolph Caldecott Medal is awarded to the most distinguished American picture book for children.
The Michael L. Printz Award distinguishes excellence in literature written for young adults.
The Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizes both an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. There is also the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement given annually.
The Schneider Family Book Award is given to books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.
Alex Awards are given to the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences.
The Andrew Carnegie Medal is for excellence in children's video.
The Margaret A. Edwards Award is given to an author for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults.
The May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizes an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.
The Mildred L. Batchelder Award is given to an outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States
The Odyssey Award is for the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States
The Pura Belpré Award honors both a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award is given to most distinguished informational book for children
The Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award is given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is for the most distinguished beginning reader book.
The William C. Morris Award is given to a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.
The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults, ages 12 – 18, each year.
