The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". The Newbery and the Caldecott Medal are considered the two most prestigious awards for children's literature in the United States. Books selected are widely carried by bookstores and libraries, the authors are interviewed on television, and master's and doctoral theses are written on them. Named for John Newbery, an 18th-century English publisher of juvenile books, the winner of the Newbery is selected at the ALA's Midwinter Conference by a fifteen-person committee. The Newbery was proposed by Frederic G. Melcher in 1921, making it the first children's book award in the world. The physical bronze medal was designed by Rene Paul Chambellan and is given to the winning author at the next ALA annual conference. Since its founding there have been several changes to the composition of the selection committee, while the physical medal remains the same.
Eric Elfman is an American writer interested in science fiction, fantasy, UFOs and paranormal events. He is the author of 13 books for middle-grade and young adult readers, including the Accelerati Trilogy which he co-wrote with Neal Shusterman. Among Elfman's other books are Almanac of Alien Encounters, Almanac of the Gross, Disgusting, and Totally Repulsive, and Very Scary Almanac.
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader is a novel set in the non-canonical Star Wars Legends continuity, written by James Luceno, that was published by Del Rey on November 22, 2005. Dark Lord takes place in the immediate aftermath of the events in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and focuses on Darth Vader and his rise to power in the newly inaugurated Galactic Empire.
Two Weeks with the Queen is a 1990 novel by Australian author Morris Gleitzman. It focuses on a boy named Colin Mudford, who is sent to live with relatives in England, while his brother is being treated for cancer.
The Horn Book Magazine, founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietresses of the country's first bookstore for children, The Bookshop for Boys and Girls. Opened in 1916 in Boston as a project of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union, the Bookshop closed in 1936, but Horn Book continues in its mission to "blow the horn for fine books for boys and girls" as Mahony wrote in her first editorial.
Goldie Alexander is an Australian author, born in Melbourne to Polish migrants.
Once is a 2005 children's novel by Australian author Morris Gleitzman. It is about a Jewish boy named Felix, who lived in Poland, and is on a quest to find his book-keeper parents after he sees Nazis burning the books from a Catholic orphanage in which he stays. He finds a girl called Zelda in a burning house with her dead parents—he takes her with him and protects her from confronting her parents' death by telling her stories. Although Once is a work of fiction, Gleitzman was inspired by the story of Janusz Korczak, the events of World War II, and Hitler's attempt to exterminate the Jewish population of Europe.
Outcast is a novel by Aaron Allston that was released on March 24, 2009. It is the first novel in the Fate of the Jedi series and published as a hardcover.
Buried Alive: The Elements of Love is a young adult book of poetry by Ralph Fletcher, with photographs by Andrew Moore. It was first published in 1996.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is a children's novel written by Tom Angleberger that was first published on March 1, 2010, by Amulet Books. It follows the story of a young boy named Tommy who is trying to figure out if Dwight's Origami Yoda is actually real or it's a hoax that Dwight created. It became the first in a series of popular Star Wars themed novels penned by Angleberger, which includes Darth Paper Strikes Back!, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee, The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue, and Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus as well as an activity book titled ART2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling. There is also a rare art book with Han foldo on it.
MediaSmarts is a Canadian non-profit organization based in Ottawa, Ontario that focuses on media literacy programs. In particular, the organization promotes critical thinking via education resources and analyzes the content of various types of mass media. Surveys and studies performed by MediaSmarts have explored youth media consumption, such as television and internet use, as well as media issues. In recent years the organization's focus has shifted more heavily to digital literacy, although it continues to produce resources on traditional media.
This Is Not My Hat is a 2012 children's picture book by the author and illustrator Jon Klassen. The story is told through the unreliable narration of a little fish, who has stolen a hat from a big fish and how the big fish reacts to the theft. It is a thematic follow-up to I Want My Hat Back and was meant to be a more literal sequel until Klassen took a suggestion to change which animals were in the story. The book was well received by critics who praised its dark or ironic humor which could only be understood by comparing the words of the little fish's narration against the events of the illustrations. In addition to several positive reviews, Klassen won the 2013 Caldecott Medal and the 2014 Kate Greenaway Medal becoming the first book to win both awards. This is Not My Hat was also a commercial success.
Toad Rage (ISBN 0375827633) is a book by Australian author Morris Gleitzman. It was published in the United States in 2004 by Random House.
The Bamboo Flute is a 1992 children's novel by Garry Disher. Set during the depression, it is about a boy who is taught by a swagman to make and play a bamboo flute.
Here Comes Mother Goose is a children's picture book by Iona Opie. It is a collection of 56 Mother Goose nursery rhymes, chosen by Opie and is the second such collaboration between her and illustrator Rosemary Wells.
The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas is a 2012 book by David Almond. It is about a boy, Stanley, who runs away from home and joins the circus.
John Henry is a 1994 children's picture book by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. It is about the American legendary figure John Henry.
Albert Henry Ullin was a German Australian bookseller and the founder of Australia's first children's bookstore, The Little Bookroom. He nurtured emerging children's writers and illustrators.
The Shibboleth is a 2014 young adult's novel by John Hornor Jacobs. It continues the story of teenagers, Shreve Cannon, and Jack Graves, who have psychic abilities.
