The Newbery Medal is awarded to the author of the best children's book of the previous year. It is announced by the American Library Association at their midwinter meeting. The award is named after John Newbery, who published many books for children in 18th-century England. The Newbery winners are listed below.
Newbery Medal Books
2007 THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY
Patron
F PAT
Fearing that
her legal guardian plans to abandon her to return to France, ten-year-old
aspiring
scientist
Lucky Trimble determines to run away while also continuing to seek the
Higher Power that
will bring
stability to her life.
2006 CRISS CROSS
Perkins
F PER
Teenagers
in a small town in the 1960s experience new thoughts and feelings, question
their
identities,
connect, and disconnect as they search for the meaning of life and love.
2005 KIRA-KIRA
Kadohata
F KAD
Chronicles
the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in
rural Georgia
during the
late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one sister becomes terminally
ill.
2004 THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
DiCamillo
F DIC
The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents,
the princess
that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious
rat determined
to bring them all to ruin.
2003 CRISPIN : The Cross of Lead
Avi
F AVI
Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century
England
flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous
secret.
2002 A SINGLE SHARD
Park, Linda Sue
F PAR
A poor but determined orphan named “Tree-ear” pursues his dream of becoming
a
master potter in 12th-century Korea.
2001 YEAR DOWN YONDER
Peck, Richard
F PEC
During the recession of 1937, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice is sent to live
with her feisty
grandmother in rural Illinois and comes to a better understanding of this
fearsome woman.
2000 BUD, NOT BUDDY
Curtis, Christopher Paul
F CUR
Bud Caldwell runs away from a foster home and begins an unforgettable journey
in search
of his father.
1999 HOLES
Sachar, Louis
F SAC
Stanley Yelnats is sent to a horrible correctional camp in the Texas desert
where he finds
his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.
1998 OUT OF THE DUST
Hesse, Karen
F HES
In a series of poems, a 15-year-old relates the hardships of living on
her family’s farm
during the dust bowl years of the Depression.
1997 THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY
Konigsburg, E. L.
F KON
Four students with a special bond are chosen by their teacher to represent
their sixth-grade
class in the Academic Bowl.
1996 THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE
Cushman, Karen
F CUS
In Medieval England a homeless girl is taken in by a sharp-tempered midwife,
and gains
the three things she most wants.
1995 WALK TWO MOONS
Creech, Sharon
F CRE
After her mother suddenly leaves home, a girl and her grandparents retrace
her mother’s route.
1994 THE GIVER
Lowry, Lois
F LOW
Jonas receives memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers
a terrible truth.
1993 MISSING MAY
Rylant, Cynthia
F RYL
After the death of a beloved aunt, a twelve-year-old girl and her uncle
search for the strength
to go on living.
1992 SHILOH
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
F NAY
A boy tries to hide a lost beagle from both his family and the dog’s cruel
owner.
1991 MANIAC MAGEE
Spinelli, Jerry
F SPI
After his parents die, a boy accomplishes athletic feats which awe his
contemporaries.
1990 NUMBER THE STARS
Lowry, Lois
F LOW
In 1943, during the Nazi’s occupation of Denmark, a ten-year-old helps
shelter her Jewish friend.
1989 JOYFUL NOISE
Fleischman, Paul
811 Fle
A collection of poems describing the characteristics and activities of
insects.
1988 LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY
Freedman, Russell
921 LINCOLN
Photographs and text trace the life of the Civil War President.
1987 THE WHIPPING BOY
Fleischman, Sid
F FLE
The adventures of a bratty prince and his whipping boy when they inadvertently
trade places.
1986 SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL
MacLachlan, Patricia
F MAC
When a mail-order bride comes to the prairie to live with their father,
the kids hope that she will stay.
1985 THE HERO AND THE CROWN
McKinley, Robin
F MCK
With the guidance of a wizard and the help of the blue sword, a young girl
wins her legitimate
birthright as the daughter of a King.
1984 DEAR MR. HENSHAW
Cleary, Beverly
F CLE
In his letters to his favorite author, a boy reveals his problems with
family, school, and growing up.
1983 DICEY’S SONG
Voigt, Cynthia
F VOI
As one of four abandoned children now living with their grandmother, a
young girl must decide
on their future.
1982 A VISIT TO WILLIAM BLAKE’S INN
Willard, Nancy
811.54 Wil
A collection of poems describing the curious menagerie of guests who visit
William Blake’s inn.
1981 JACOB HAVE I LOVED
Paterson, Katherine
F PAT
Feeling completely deprived all her life, Louise, a twin sister, finally
begins to find her identity.
1980 A GATHERING OF DAYS
Blos, Joan W.
F BLO
A fourteen year-old girl’s journal of the last year she lived on the family
farm in a small New
Hampshire town.
1979 THE WESTING GAME
Raskin, Ellen
F RAS
The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely
assortment of heirs.
1978 BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
Paterson, Katherine
F PAT
ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia becomes friends with a newcomer who
subsequently meets
an untimely death.
1977 ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY
Taylor, Mildred D.
F TAY
A black family in the South is faced with prejudice and discrimination
during the 1930’s.
1976 THE GREY KING
Cooper, Susan
F COO
A young man is swept into a desperate quest to find the golden harp and
to awaken the ancient
sleepers
1975 M.C. HIGGINS, THE GREAT
Hamilton, Virginia
F HAM
A boy is torn between moving his family away from impending pollution,
and fighting for the home
they love.
1974 THE SLAVE DANCER
Fox, Paula
F FOX
Kidnapped by the crew of an Africa-bound ship, a young boy discovers that
his job is to play
music for the cargo of slaves.
1973 JULIE OF THE WOLVES
George, Jean Craighead
F GEO
Escaping from an unwanted marriage in Alaska, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo
girl gets lost and is
befriended by a wolf pack.
1972 MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH O’Brien,
Robert C.
F OBR
A widowed mouse visits the rats whose former imprisonment in a laboratory
made them wise.
1971 THE SUMMER OF THE SWANS
Byars, Betsy
F BYA
A teen-age girl gains new insight to herself and her family when her mentally
retarded brother
gets lost.
1970 SOUNDER
Armstrong, William H.
F ARM
A young black boy learns the pain of humiliation as well as renewed hope.
1969 THE HIGH KING
Alexander, Lloyd
F ALE
In this final chronicle of Prydain, the forces of good and evil meet in
ultimate confrontation.
1968 FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILLER
Konigsburg, E. L.
F KON
Two children run away from home and go to New York’s Metropolitan Museum
of Art.
1967 UP A ROAD SLOWLY
Hunt, Irene
F HUN
A seven-year-old orphan goes to live with her aunt, where she learns new
values.
1966 I JUAN DE PAREJA
de Trevino, Elizabeth Borton
F TRE
A slave and his master, a famous 17th century Spanish painter, develop
a friendly relationship.
1965 SHADOW OF A BULL
Wojciechowska, Maia
F WOJ
A young man must decide between becoming a bullfighter, like his famous
father, or following
his heart and becoming a doctor.
1964 IT’S LIKE THIS CAT
Neville, Emily
F NEV
A story of a fourteen-year-old boy in New York City and his family, his
friends, and a stray tomcat.
1963 A WRINKLE IN TIME
L’Engle, Madeline
F LEN
Meg Murry enlists the help of unearthly strangers to find her father, who
has disappeared while
doing secret government work.
1962 THE BRONZE BOW
Speare, George
F SPE
In the days of the ancient Romans, an embittered Israeli boy finds wisdom
from the early Christians.
1961 ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS
O’Dell, Scott
F ODE
A courageous Indian girl survives alone for eighteen years on an isolated
island.
1960 ONION JOHN
Krumgold, Joseph
F KRU
“Onion John” and a boy are good friends until the boy’s father interferes
by trying to change Onion
John’s way of life.
1959 THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND
Speare, Elizabeth George
F SPE
A young girl’s rebellion against bigotry culminates in a terrifying witch
hunt and trial.
1958 RIFLES FOR WATIE
Keith, Harold
F KEI
The struggles and hardships faced by a young man on his 300-mile escape
route during the Civil War.
1957 MIRACLES ON MAPLE HILL
Sorensen, Virginia
F SOR
A ten-year-old girl and her family move from the city to Grandmother’s
old Pennsylvania farmhouse.
1956 CARRY ON, MR. BOWDITCH
Latham, Jean Lee
921 BOWDITCH
A fictionalized biography of the mathematician and astronomer who authored
“The American
Practical Navigator.”
1955 THE WHEEL ON THE SCHOOL
DeJong, Meindert
F DEJ
The residents of a small town in Holland try to bring storks to nest in
their village.
1954 …AND NOW MIGUEL
Krumgold, Joseph
F KRU
A boy living on a sheep ranch in New Mexico longs to go to the Sangre de
Cristo Mountains.
1953 SECRET OF THE ANDES
Clark, Ann Nolan
F CLA
An
Indian boy tending llamas in Peru learns the secrets and traditions of
his Inca ncestors.
1952 GINGER PYE
Estes, Eleanor
F EST
A family is happy until a man with a mustard-colored hat appears
and their dog disappears.
1951 AMOS FORTUNE, FREE MAN
Yates, Elizabeth
921 FORTUNE
A biography of a free man, born the son of an African king, but captured
at 15 and sold as a
slave in Massachusetts.
1950 THE DOOR IN THE WALL
de Angeli, Marguerite
F DEA
The crippled son of a great lord in 14th century England overcomes his
disabilities.
1949 KING OF THE WIND
Henry, Marguerite
F HEN
The abuses and triumphs of the Arabian stallion who became a founding sire
of the thoroughbred
breed.
1948 THE 21 BALLOONS
du Bois, William Pene
F DUB
Thrree weeks after leaving in a balloon to cross the Pacific, a pilot is
found floating
in the Atlantic.
1947 MISS HICKORY
Bailey, Carolyn Sherwin
F BAI
A country
woman, whose body is an applewood twig, and whose head is a hickory nut,
survives
a New
Hampshire winter.
1946 STRAWBERRY GIRL
Lenski, Lois
F LEN
A girl and her family raise strawberries in Florida, but have to face their
neighbors’ dislike.
1945 RABBIT HILL
Lawson, Robert
F LAW
New folks are coming to live in the Bit House, and the animals wonder if
they will plant a garden.
1944 JOHNNY TREMAIN
Forbes, Ester
F FOR
The Revolutionary War and the Boston Tea Party are described in this
historical novel about
Boston.
1943 ADAM OF THE ROAD
Gray, Elizabeth Janet
F GRA
An eleven-year-old boy in 13th century England searches for his father
and his dog.
1942 THE MATCHLOCK GUN
Edmonds, Walter D.
F EDM
A ten-year-old protecting his frontier family is able to handle a heavy
gun when the Indians attack.
1941 CALL IT COURAGE
Sperry, Armstrong
F SPE
Although he is afraid of the sea, the son of a Polynesian chief sets forth
in his canoe to conquer
his fear.
1940 DANIEL BOONE
Daugherty, James
921 BOONE
Daniel Boone describes his life and adventures, as well as American pioneer
life.
1939 THIMBLE SUMMER
Enright, Elizabeth
F ENR
A silver thimble is found in the dried-up river bed, and the rains come
to end a long drought on a
Wisconsin farm.
1938 THE WHITE STAG
Seredy, Kate
F SER
The legendary story of the Huns’ and Magyars’ migration from Asia to their
permanent home
in Europe.
1937 ROLLER SKATES
Sawyer, Ruth
F SAW
For one glorious year, a young girl was given the opportunity to explore
New York City on
roller skates.
1936 CADDIE WOODLAWN
Brink, Carol Ryrie
F BRI
The adventures of an eleven-year old tomboy growing up on the Wisconsin
frontier in the
nineteenth century.
1935 DOBRY
Shannon, Monica
F SHA
A Bulgarian peasant boy is helped by his artist grandfather to leave his
village and study art.
1934 INVINCIBLE LOUISA: THE STORY OF THE AUTHOR
OF LITTLE WOMEN
Meigs, Cornelia
921 ALCOTT
A biography of author Louisa May Alcott, who based her novels, such as
Little Women, on
her family life.
1933 YOUNG FU OF THE UPPER YANGTZE
Lewis, Elizabeth Foreman
F LEW
The adventures of a young coppersmith’s apprentice in China.
1932 WATERLESS MOUNTAIN
Armer, Laura Adams
F ARM
A young Navaho boy undergoes training in the ancient beliefs of his people
in order to become
a Medicine Priest.
1931 THE CAT WHO WENT TO HEAVEN
Coatsworth, Elizabeth
F COA
A cat
watches a Japanese artist paint animals going one by one to do homage to
the Buddha.
1930 HITTY: HER FIRST HUNDRED YEARS Field, Rachel
F FIE
A female doll, carved from mountain ash, has many adventures as she travels
around the world.
1929 THE TRUMPETER OF KRAKOW
Kelly, Eric P.
F KEL
An act of bravery and self-sacrifice in ancient Poland saves a family two
centuries later.
1928 GAY-NECK: A STORY OF A PIGEON
Mukerji, Dhan Gopal
F MUK
A brave
carrier pigeon and his master help the Allies during World War I.
1927 SMOKY: THE COW HORSE
James, Will
F JAM
The life of a horse on the range, as a cowpony in a rodeo, and as a carthorse.
1926 SHEN OF THE SEA: CHINESE STORIES CHILDREN
Chrisman, Arthur Bowie F CHR
Sixteen original stories reflecting the spirit of Chinese life and thought.
1925 TALES FROM SILVER LANDS
Finger, Charles Joseph
398.2 Fin
A collection of tales from the Indians of various South American countries.
1924 THE DARK FRIGATE
Hawes, Charles Boardman
F HAW
A young man dares not return to England after his ship is taken over by
pirates.
1923 THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR DOLITTLE
Lofting, High
F LOF
Dr. Dolittle and his ten-year-old assistant travel to Spider-Monkey Island.
1922 THE STORY OF MANKIND
Van Loon, Hendrik William
900 Van
Chronicles the history of man and civilization from primitive beginnings
to the current day.