Newbery Medal Winners

The Newbery Medal is a prestigious award which is presented annually by the American Library Association to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published the previous year.

Newbery Medal Winners

It was first awarded in 1922, making it the first children’s book award in the world, and it continues to be one of the best known and most discussed children’s book awards in the USA, together with the Caldecott Award. It was named after the eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery and was created with the purpose of recognising children’s authors and encouraging good writing in this field.

Reviewing past winners is a reliable way of finding inspirational and captivating novels suitable for young readers. However, the recommended reading age of the winning book varies year by year from aged 8+ to aged 14+. So to help you choose just the right book for your child I have compiled below the full list of Newbery Medal Winners grouped by recommended reading age. There are even recommendations for the very best of the best - the top twenty-five winners considered by some to be most deserving of receiving this prestigious award.

First, however, a little bit more about the most recent winners. Keep reading for brief reviews of the last few books to win this coveted award.


The Latest Newbery Medal Winners

Below you can find details of the most recent winners of the Newbery Medal.

The Crossover The Crossover book depository by Kwame Alexander is about two 12-year-old African American twin boys who are basketball stars, coached by their father, a former professional basketball player, and supported by their mother, the assistant-principal. When an attractive girl arrives on the scene, the brothers begin the painful process of moving apart for the first time. This 2015 winner, a novel suitable for readers aged 11 and over, is written in verse with quirky vocabulary adding an amusing touch to the narrative.


Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures book depository by Kate DiCamillo was the 2014 winner. It is the amusing story of a squirrel named Ulysses who gains super-squirrel powers, and an intelligent 10 year-old girl, Flora, who is a comic-lover and self-proclaimed cynic. Full-page illustrations and comic-style graphic sequences help to captivate young readers. Suitable for readers aged 8 and over.


The One and Only Ivan The One and Only Ivan book depository was the winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal. This illustrated novel by Katherine Applegate tells the story of Ivan the gorilla, who has got used to his sad life behind a glass wall in a shopping mall. He occupies himself with television and painting and has a couple of friends for company. However, when a baby elephant called Ruby arrives from the wild, Ivan realises that he must do something to save her from a lifetime in captivity. Suitable for readers aged 8 and over.


Dead End in Norvelt Dead End in Norvelt book depository by Jack Gantos, is suitable for ages 11 and above. 12-year-old Jack is grounded for the summer for misbehaving and his mother volunteers him to help an elderly neighbour transcribe the obituaries of the original residents of his town, Norvelt. These funny and far-fetched stories of the colourful characters of Norvelt capture Jack's imagination. Winner of the 2012 Medal.


Moon over Manifest Moon over Manifest book depository by Clare Vanderpool won the 2011 award. In 1936 12-year-old Abilene is sent away by her father to stay in a town in Missouri which he left years earlier. Finding a hidden cigar box full of momentos, she spends the summer piecing together his mysterious past. Suitable for readers aged 9 and over.


When You Reach Me When You Reach Me book depository by Rebecca Stead won the Newbery Medal in 2010. Set in New York City in 1979, this novel tells the story of 12-year-old Miranda whose life starts to unravel when she discovers mysterious notes from someone who seems to know all about her, including things which have not even happened yet. Suitable for readers aged 11 and over.



All Newbery Medal Winners by Recommended Reading Age

Below is the full list of Newbery Medal winners from 1922 until the present day. They have been grouped by the recommended reading age according to the Scholastic Book Wizard. Scholastic bases this age recommendation upon the age for which the content of the book is most appropriate.

Within each age grouping, books have been listed by the year in which they won the award, with the newest winners at the top of the list. Books have been highlighted with a star if they were considered to be one of the top twenty-five books most deserving of receiving the Newbery Medal, as voted by the goodreads community.

Several Newbery Medal Honour Books are also awarded each year to the runners up.

Click on these links to jump straight to books appropriate for children aged:


8 and over


Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures 2014
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures book depository
by Kate DiCamillo


The One and Only Ivan 2013
The One and Only Ivan book depository
by Katherine Applegate


The Higher Power of Lucky 2007
The Higher Power of Lucky book depository
by Susan Patron, illustrate by Matt Phelan


The Tale of Despereaux 2004
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread book depository
by Kate DiCamillo


Out of the Dust 1998
Out of the Dust book depository
by Karen Hesse


The View from Saturday 1997
The View from Saturday book depository
by E.L. Konigsburg


Missing May 1993
Missing May book depository
by Cynthia Rylant


Shiloh 1992
Shiloh book depository
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor


Number the Stars 1990
Number the Stars book depository
by Lois Lowry


Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices 1989
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices book depository
by Paul Fleischman


Lincoln: A Photobiography 1988
Lincoln: A Photobiography book depository
by Russell Freedman


The Whipping Boy 1987
The Whipping Boy book depository
by Sid Fleischman


Sarah, Plain and Tall 1986
Sarah, Plain and Tall book depository
by Patricia MacLachlan


A Visit to William Blake's Inn 1982
A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers book depository
by Nancy Willard


Bridge to Terabithia 1978
Bridge to Terabithia book depository
by Katherine Paterson


Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 1972
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH book depository
by Robert C. O'Brien


From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 1968
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler book depository
by E.L. Konigsburg


The Wheel on the School 1955
The Wheel on the School book depository
by Meindert DeJong


Secret of the Andes 1953
Secret of the Andes book depository
by Ann Nolan Clark


Ginger Pye 1952
Ginger Pye book depository
by Eleanor Estes


The Door in the Wall 1950
The Door in the Wall book depository
by Marguerite de Angeli


The Twenty-One Balloons 1948
The Twenty-One Balloons book depository
by William Pène du Bois


Miss Hickory 1947
Miss Hickory book depository
by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey


Rabbit Hill 1945
Rabbit Hill book depository
by Robert Lawson


The Matchlock Gun 1942
The Matchlock Gun book depository
by Walter Edmonds


Thimble Summer 1939
Thimble Summer book depository
by Elizabeth Enright


Roller Skates 1937
Roller Skates book depository
by Ruth Sawyer


Caddie Woodlawn 1936
Caddie Woodlawn book depository
by Carol Ryrie Brink


The Cat Who Went to Heaven 1931
The Cat Who Went to Heaven book depository
by Elizabeth Coatsworth


Hitty, Her First Hundred Years 1930
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years book depository
by Rachel Field


Shen of the Sea 1926
Shen of the Sea book depository
by Arthur Bowie Chrisman


Tales from Silver Lands 1925
Tales from Silver Lands
by Charles Finger



9 and over


Moon over Manifest 2011
Moon over Manifest book depository
by Clare Vanderpool


Criss Cross 2006
Criss Cross book depository
by Lynne Rae Perkins


Walk Two Moons 1995
Walk Two Moons book depository
by Sharon Creech


Maniac Magee 1991
Maniac Magee book depository
by Jerry Spinelli


Dear Mr. Henshaw 1984
Dear Mr. Henshaw book depository
by Beverly Cleary


The High King 1969
The High King book depository
by Lloyd Alexander


Strawberry Girl 1946
Strawberry Girl book depository
by Lois Lenski


Adam of the Road 1943
Adam of the Road book depository
by Elizabeth Janet Gray


Dobry 1935
Dobry
by Monica Shannon



10 and over


Bud, Not Buddy 2000
Bud, Not Buddy book depository
by Christopher Paul Curtis


Holes 1999
Holes book depository
by Louis Sachar


The Giver 1994
The Giver book depository
by Lois Lowry


Dicey's Song 1983
Dicey's Song book depository
by Cynthia Voigt


Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 1977
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry book depository
by Mildred D. Taylor


Julie of the Wolves 1973
Julie of the Wolves book depository
by Jean Craighead George


Sounder 1970
Sounder book depository
by William H. Armstrong


Call It Courage 1941
Call It Courage book depository
by Armstrong Sperry


Daniel Boone 1940
Daniel Boone
by James Daugherty


Waterless Mountain 1932
Waterless Mountain book depository
by Laura Adams Armer



11 and over


The Crossover 2015
The Crossover book depository
by Kwame Alexander


Dead End in Norvelt 2012
Dead End in Norvelt book depository
by Jack Gantos


When You Reach Me 2010
When You Reach Me book depository
by Rebecca Stead


The Graveyard Book 2009
The Graveyard Book book depository
by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean


Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village 2008
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village book depository
by Laura Amy Schlitz


Kira-Kira 2005
Kira-Kira book depository
by Cynthia Kadohata


Crispin: The Cross of Lead 2003
Crispin: The Cross of Lead book depository
by Avi


A Single Shard 2002
A Single Shard book depository
by Linda Sue Park


The Midwife's Apprentice 1996
The Midwife's Apprentice book depository
by Karen Cushman


Jacob Have I Loved 1981
Jacob Have I Loved book depository
by Katherine Paterson


A Gathering of Days 1980
A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832 book depository
by Joan W. Blos


The Westing Game 1979
The Westing Game book depository
by Ellen Raskin


The Grey King 1976
The Grey King book depository
by Susan Cooper


M. C. Higgins, the Great 1975
M. C. Higgins, the Great book depository
by Virginia Hamilton


The Slave Dancer 1974
The Slave Dancer book depository
by Paula Fox


Summer of the Swans 1971
Summer of the Swans book depository
by Betsy Byars


I, Juan de Pareja 1966
I, Juan de Pareja book depository
by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino


Shadow of a Bull 1965
Shadow of a Bull book depository
by Maia Wojciechowska


It's Like This, Cat 1964
It's Like This, Cat book depository
by Emily Neville


A Wrinkle in Time 1963
A Wrinkle in Time book depository
by Madeleine L'Engle


The Bronze Bow 1962
The Bronze Bow book depository
by Elizabeth George Speare


Island of the Blue Dolphins 1961
Island of the Blue Dolphins book depository
by Scott O'Dell


Onion John 1960
Onion John book depository
by Joseph Krumgold


The Witch of Blackbird Pond 1959
The Witch of Blackbird Pond book depository
by Elizabeth George Speare


Miracles on Maple Hill 1957
Miracles on Maple Hill book depository
by Virginia Sorensen


Carry On, Mr. Bowditch 1956
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch book depository
by Jean Lee Latham


And Now Miguel 1954
...And Now Miguel book depository
by Joseph Krumgold


Amos Fortune, Free Man 1951
Amos Fortune, Free Man book depository
by Elizabeth Yates


King of the Wind 1949
King of the Wind book depository
by Marguerite Henry


Johnny Tremain 1944
Johnny Tremain book depository
by Esther Forbes


The White Stag 1938
The White Stag book depository
by Kate Seredy


Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women 1934
Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women book depository
by Cornelia Meigs


Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze 1933
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze book depository
by Elizabeth Lewis


The Trumpeter of Krakow 1929
The Trumpeter of Krakow book depository
by Eric P. Kelly


Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon 1928
Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon book depository
by Dhan Gopal Mukerji


Smoky, the Cowhorse 1927
Smoky, the Cowhorse book depository
by Will James


The Dark Frigate 1924
The Dark Frigate book depository
by Charles Hawes


The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle 1923
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle book depository
by Hugh Lofting



13 and over


A Year Down Yonder 2001
A Year Down Yonder book depository
by Richard Peck



14 and over


The Hero and the Crown 1985
The Hero and the Crown book depository
by Robin McKinley


Up a Road Slowly 1967
Up a Road Slowly book depository
by Irene Hunt


Rifles for Watie 1958
Rifles for Watie book depository
by Harold Keith


The Story of Mankind 1922
The Story of Mankind book depository
by Hendrik Willem van Loon



Books have been highlighted with a star if they were considered to be one of the top twenty-five books most deserving of receiving the Newbery Medal, as voted by the goodreads community.



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