Newbery vs. Caldecott Medals

Awards
Every year, several awards are given to children's books for many different reasons. This post will give you a better understanding of two of the most well-known awards distributed yearly. These two awards include the John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott Medals. Both awards are given by the Association for Library Service to Children, which is a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

John Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published during the previous year." The books that do not receive a Newbery Medal, but have a message that is worthy of receiving notice, are given the Newbery Honor Seal. The Honor Seal may be given to several authors in one year, unlike the Medal. To learn more about this award and its past winners, please follow this link ALA Awards.

Randolph Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to the "artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published during the previous year." Similar to the Newbery Award, picture books that would be considered "runners-up" to the Caldecott Medal winner receive the Caldecott Honor Citation. To learn more about this award and its past recipients, please follow this link ALA Awards.

When posed with the question, "Is one of these awards better than the other?" I would have to respond with a firm NO. I believe both the text and illustrations are important parts of what makes a a book noteworthy for children. Young children pull books off the shelf and focus mainly on the wonderful and vivid pictures inside the book. They tend to use these illustrations to help them decode words on the page and make predictions as to how the story will turn out in the end. As children progress through the reading spectrum, they begin to focus more on the text and the message it sends to the readers. Therefore, I believe these two awards complement each other and one award can not take precedence over another.

The Coretta Scott King Award

The Coretta Scott King award was launched in order to honor the accomplishments of African American authors and illustrators. This prestigious award has been presented at the annual meeting of the ALA since 1972.

Tar Beach won the Illustrator Award in 1992. This book speaks of a young girl, Cassie Lightfoot who has a dream to be free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life and create a better life for her family. One night while sitting on Tar Beach, also known as the rooftop of her parent's apartment building in Harlem, this dream becomes a realization at least in her imagination. The stars lift her up and she begins to claim buildings and bridges as her own, including the Union building. This part of the story is symbolic because her father can't go into that building because he is a colored man and her grandfather was not a member of the Union. The message of this story is so touching that by the end of the book, you feel as though you are free and flying above the stars too!

The illustrations in this book are bright, vivid, and colorful. The bottom of each illustration has an outline of different fabric patches which remind you of a quilt. Most of the pictures have a background of a night sky with Cassie flying high above. My favorite illustration is of Cassie flying above the George Washington Bridge claiming it as her own to wear like a diamond necklace. The historic references to African American culture make this a must read for all! I was highly impressed with both the message and illustrations.

Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor Books

The Hello, Goodbye Window, illustrated by Chris Raschka, was the Caldecott Medal Winner in 2006. This story tells of a little girl's everyday experiences at her Nanna and Poppy's big house. Most of these memorable moments deal with the large window found in the kitchen known as the "hello, goodbye window." My favorite experience the little girl recounts is looking out the special window with her Nanna to say goodnight to the stars. As a child, I remember doing this same thing with my mother out my bedroom window.

The illustrations in this book resemble the unstructured art work of a young child perfectly matching the voice of the little girl telling the story. You can feel the love of this family just from the pictures on each page. The colors and designs in this book were crafted carefully and create a visual experience that makes this book a must read.



No, David, written and illustrated by David Shannon, was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1999. This children's book goes through a normal day in the life of five year old David. The book tells of all the things David should not be doing as a child. The words, "No, David" are frequently heard from his loving mother. The illustrations do a wonderful job of portraying all the activities of the little boy that got him into trouble. You can easily see from the details in these pictures that David Shannon is that little boy!

The illustrations in this book are very colorful and seem to come to life with the movement drawn on the page. Children can definitely connect with each picture as they have probably participated in a few of the activities described in this story. My favorite illustration is the one where David is jumping on his bed dressed up as a super hero. In the picture, the reader can see the teddy bear flipping upside down and the pillow hopping all over the bed. I can picture in my head, my twin nephews, age 7, doing this exact thing in their room. The text on the page, "Settle Down!" is the same thing my sister is saying to my nephews. The story No, David shows young children that having fun and participating in a little mischief is a universal part of childhood!


In Knuffle Bunny, young Trixie looses her favorite stuffed animal while at the laundromat with her dad. The text is very simplistic throughout the story, yet truly conveys the temper tantrum Trixie throws when she realizes her prized possession is missing. The story makes you giggle and laugh as we have all experienced a child throwing a temper tantrum like this or have seen one occur in a department store or street corner. The simple brushstrokes used on the character's faces portray such strong feelings that you can easily see the emotion trying to be expressed.

Knuffle Bunny uses a different approach on illustrations. Willems uses a collage of actual photographs and drawings. The photographs are of actual buildings and are used as the background of the picture while the characters and other details are drawn in. This concept adds dimension to the picture and makes the characters stand out.

I enjoyed this story because just like Trixie, I had a favorite stuffed animal as a young child and losing it was as traumatic for me as it was for her. Many readers, both young and old, can relate to this story's plot by Mo Willems.

Henry's Freedom Box written by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2007. This book tells the true story of Henry Brown, a young enslaved African boy that was separated from his Mother at an early age. Henry was sent by his sick master to go and work in his master's son's tobacco factory. Henry was very lonely at his new job, until many years later, when he met another slave named Nancy. A few months after meeting, the two got married and had three children. The couple knew they were very blessed and lucky.

One morning while working at the tobacco factory, Henry received heart-wrenching news from a friend that his wife and children were sold at the slave market that morning. Henry leaves at lunch to go look for his family and arrives too late to see them disappearing down the dirt road in a wooden cart. Henry thought of a clever way to gain his freedom and be happy once again. He asked Dr. Smith and James to help him with this idea. Both men placed Henry in a wooden box and shipped him to Philadelphia, where he would be a free man. Henry's journey to Philadelphia was not one of relaxation but rather one of hurt and nervousness. Henry safely arrived in Philadelphia on March 30, 1849 which became his birthday and first official day of freedom!

The watercolor and oil paint illustrations in this book are truly touching and seem to come to life as you flip through each page. The characters in the book are drawn to perfection with crosshatched pencil lines. Nelson does a beautiful job of portraying each person's emotions as they change throughout the plot. My favorite illustration is the one where Henry's children and wife are being carted away at the slave auction. In this picture, you can see the feelings of distress on each child's face and the disappointment in Henry's eyes and body language. The illustrations alone make this book one all children should read but the added text makes it even more amazing.

In the book When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry..., a little girl Sophie gets very upset when her sister grabs a toy she is playing with and insists it is her turn to play. The story goes through Sophie's emotions as she works to handle her anger in many different ways. The first part of the book shows the young girl as she is very upset. The reader can tell this from the illustrations as they include warm colors, such as reds and oranges. The pictures also show words in large lettering which symbolizes anger. The text in this first half also compares Sophie's anger to explosive things such as a lion's roar and a volcano.

In the middle of the story, Sophie's feelings begin to change. The reader can see this from the illustrations and text. The color scheme in the pictures begin to change from warm colors to cool colors, like blues and greens to resemble peace and calmness. The last half of the story tells of things Sophie does to calm herself down, such as climb a tree and watch the waves in the ocean. Once she feels better, Sophie makes her way home and everyone is excited for her return.

My favorite illustration is in the end of the book when Sophie returns and her family is completing a sailboat puzzle together with the gorilla sitting in the recliner in the background. The text on this page reads, "Everything's back together again." This illustration leaves the reader with a warm fuzzy feeling. Most all children can make a connection with this book as we have all been in a situation just like Sophie when we get very angry about something and have to deal with it. This book shows many different ways children can manage their anger and then slowly work to regain their composure. This book would be a great read aloud because it offers an opportunity for teachers, parents, and children to discuss anger management in an appropriate way at an early age.

Newbery Medal Winners and Honor Books

Last night I finished reading my first Newbery award winner, Missing May by Cynthia Rylant. This book was a recommendation by a fellow teacher and school librarian. In this book, a young girl, Summer, goes to live with her Aunt May and Uncle Ob after the loss of her mom and the disarray of being shuffled around through several relatives who did not want her. May and Ob give Summer a warm and inviting trailer home where she feels loved. Unfortunately, six years later, Aunt May also passes away. Uncle Ob and Summer mourn this tragic loss and suffer through a difficult time of uncertainty in their lives together.

A young boy in Summer's class, Cletus Underwood, enters into their lives and tries to find out exactly what Ob and Summer need to bring happiness back into their home. With the help of Cletus, Uncle Ob decides to go to Putnam County to meet "Bat Lady" in an attempt to reconnect with May's spirit during school vacation. Once the family arrives to the Spiritualist church, they quickly find out Reverend Young is no longer alive. Ob feels like his only hope of ever reconnecting with his wife has been lost. Hopeless and depressed, the three get back in the car to head home.

On the way home, Ob passes the West Virginia state capitol because of his disappointment. He believes he is too down to stop and visit. However, shortly down the road, Ob quickly turns the car around to head back to the destination. This part of the story is where the characters experience a life changing moment. It is at this point that Uncle Ob realizes that although May is gone, he has two children worth living for.

I loved reading this book for many different reasons. First, I believe it tells the story of a courageous young girl who learns to cope with the loss of a loved one. Many children can relate to Summer's feelings and learn from her story. Second, the book truly portrays the love and support a family can give one another through tough times. At the end of the book, the reader most certainly feels that Ob and Summer will be able to regain some happiness in their lives because of May's inspiration. I love that this book leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling after a tragic start. I enjoyed this book and I feel it should have a place in all elementary school libraries. However, because of the mature content in this book, it may need to be offered to older children so they can fully understand the book's message.


For my second Newbery Award winner, I chose the book, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. This work of historical fiction tells about the relocation of Danish Jews during the Holocaust. This story is set in Copenhagen, Denmark in the 1940's. A young girl, Annemarie Johansen is the main character with her family (mom, dad, little sister, brother-in-law, and uncle) playing a vital role in the book as well.

Annemarie's family risks their own lives to take in Ellen, a young Jewish girl and Annemarie's best friend from school, to protect her from the German soldiers. During this time, Ellen pretends to be Annemarie's older sister, who passed away in a car accident during her work with a resistance group. One of the most suspenseful parts of the book is when the soldiers break into the Johansen apartment to look for the Rosen family. Before the soldiers make their way into the bedroom, Annemarie quickly breaks Ellen's Star of David necklace off her neck to hide it and her identity from the soldiers. The soldiers began to question Ellen's appearance and hair color because it was different from the Johansen family. Mr. Johansen pulls out a picture of his oldest daughter Lise to show she has dark hair just like Ellen. Once the mystery of the dark-haired child is solved, the soldiers leave the house and everyone is safe at least for the moment.

To seek safety, Mom and the girls go to visit Uncle Henrik in Gilleleje. While there, the family experiences the fake funeral of Great Aunt Birte. Although, this relative is not real, Peter and Henrik have other plans on how the casket will be utilized to help the Jewish families. Once again, Nazi soldiers come in the house, but leave empty handed. Ellen and her family along with other Jewish families leave with Peter and Uncle Henrik to find safety across the water in Sweden.

Annemarie realizes that Mr. Rosen has dropped the important package that Henrik needs for the trip. Therefore, she makes a special trip to the harbor to deliver the package. Needless to say, the trip is not an easy or pleasant one. She encounters cruel soldiers and malicious dogs. Despite her troubles, she finds the courage to continue on and makes it to the dock to end up saving her best friend's life. To remind her of this, she repairs Ellen's necklace and wears it until the Rosens come back home.

Over the past two years of teaching Social Studies, I have gained a new love and appreciation of historical fiction. I have always enjoyed reading stories about the Holocaust and particularly enjoyed this book. I loved this story because it helps young children understand this important time in world history by actually creating characters in which they can connect with. This close connection allows the reader to feel the pain and hurt just like the characters in the book. It has such a suspenseful plot, that most readers would not be able to put it down. Lowry does a wonderful job of expressing the seriousness of the Holocaust without adding too many horrific or tragic details within this text. The story also portrays such a loving relationship between two young girls and the courage and bravery one is willing to show to save the other's life. This book should be a part of every elementary school's library!

Adventure Begins...

My reading blog journal begins today! I can't wait to see what wonderful children's literature I will find over the next few weeks.