ALA Youth Media Awards 101

I’m inspired by the college campuses across the country heading back to school this week. So, I thought I’d educate my readers on a topic I love. Every year, I gush over what I like to call my Oscars, Super Bowl, [insert mega-award here], etc. the American Library Association’s (ALA) Youth Media Awards. Many people are familiar, or at least have heard of, the Newbery and Caldecott Medal. But, did you know there are over a dozen awards announced each year highlighting amazing literature and media? Here’s your ALA Youth Media Awards 101 class!

Each award has a committee that selects a winner as well as honorable mentions. Committees members include librarians, educators, and others in the children’s literature world. And each award has its own rules on how you can be accepted onto the committee as well as what can be nominated and chosen as award-winning titles.

Every year at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference, early on Monday morning a ballroom is packed to the gills with booklovers from all over the country and the world to hear the announcements in person. It’s an amazing feeling to be in a room surrounded by that much book love! ALA also livestreams the entire presentation, so I’ll often head into work early to watch the award show before the library opens.

As I mentioned, the Newbery and Caldecott are familiar to many people, even those outside of the kid lit world. But, have you ever heard of the Printz, Schneider Family Book Award, or the Coretta Scott King Award? If not, no worries, I’m going to share them all with you!

ALA Youth Media Awards 101 – Definitions

Alex Awards – given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18

American Indian Youth Literature Award – awarded biennially, identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by and about Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature – honors and recognizes individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage

Batchelder Award – given to an American publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States

Belpré Medal – honors a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose works best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth

Caldecott Medal – honors the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children

Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values

Geisel Medal – honors the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished contribution to the body of American children’s literature known as beginning reader books

Newbery Medal – honors the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children

Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production – awarded annually to the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States

Printz Award – for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature

Schneider Family Book Award – honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences

Sibert Informational Book Medal – honors the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published during the preceding year

Sydney Taylor Book Award – presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults – honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18)

My Take

Just a note, most of this content is taken directly from the ALA or associated website. These awards have all been created to highlight experiences, share quality literature, and promote books throughout the world. I didn’t want to try and re-write what has already been so eloquently said.

What I love about these awards is that inevitably, there will be a title given an award that I haven’t heard of before and I love being able to explore new books. I wish that the media covered these awards similarly to other award ceremonies making them more prominent in the mainstream world. For many years, the Newbery and Caldecott winners would be interviewed on the Today Show. They’ve since done away with this segment which means that beyond the kid lit world, most people have no idea that these awards even exist. What if we could get kids as excited for these awards as they are about video game tournaments, the World Cup, and music awards? Can you imagine how many more kids would be willing to pick up a book and talk about it with their friends? It’s definitely something to think about.

These are only the book awards given during the ALA Midwinter Conference, in the next few weeks, I’ll share other awards and lists that are also valuable resources for librarians, educators, and families to learn about all the amazing literature out there! If you’re curious as to what one in 2019, check out my graphic and post about all the winners!