Award Winners
2020 Winner:
New Kid
by Jerry Craft
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
2020 Honor Books
The Undefeated
by Kwame Alexander
Scary Stories for Young Foxes
by Christian McKay Heidicker
Other Words for Home
by Jasmine Warga
Genesis Begins Again
by Alicia D. Williams
Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal honors the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal honors the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
2020 Winner:
Undefeated
by Kwame Alexander
Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present.
2020 Honor Books
Bear Came Along
by Richard T. Morris
Double Bass Blues
by Andrea J. Loney
Going Down Home with Daddy
by Kelly Starling Lyons
Geisel Medal
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal honors the author and illustrator of the most distinguished contribution to the body of American children’s literature known as beginning reader books published in the United States during the preceding year.
2020 Winner:
Stop! Bot!
by James Yang
In this very young picture book mystery, a little boy out for a walk with his family stops to show a building doorman his new “bot”: “I have a bot!” Only he doesn’t have it for long, because it floats up out of his hands like an escaped balloon. “Stop! Bot!” Springing to action, the kind doorman runs up to each floor of the building to try and catch it — along with the help of each floor’s resident. But while everything looks normal at first, every floor (and resident) is a little more wacky and unusual than the last! Musicians, baseball players, zoo animals, and finally a very large monkey all play a part — but will they rescue the Bot before it’s too late?! Children will love all the funny details and easy-to-read words in this very playful picture book!
2020 Honor Books
Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot!
by Cece Bell
Flubby Is Not a Good Pet!
by J.E. Morris
The Book Hog
by Greg Pizzoli
Coretta Scott King Book Award
The 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.
2020 Author Winner:
New Kid
by Jerry Craft
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
2020 Illustrator Winner:
The Undefeated
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present.
Pura Belpré Award
Pure Belpré Award honors a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate Latino cultural experience.
2020 Author Winner:
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
by Carlos Hernandez
When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn't under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal's office for the third time in three days, and it's still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany's locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared.
Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess . . . except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he's capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken--including his dead mother--and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There's only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk.
A sassy entropy sweeper, a documentary about wedgies, a principal who wears a Venetian bauta mask, and heaping platefuls of Cuban food are just some of the delights that await in this mind-blowing novel gift-wrapped in love and laughter.
2020 Illustrator Winner:
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
illustrated by Rafael López
In soaring words and stunning illustrations, Margarita Engle and Rafael López tell the story of Teresa Carreño, a child prodigy who played piano for Abraham Lincoln.
As a little girl, Teresa Carreño loved to let her hands dance across the beautiful keys of the piano. If she felt sad, music cheered her up, and when she was happy, the piano helped her share that joy. Soon she was writing her own songs and performing in grand cathedrals. Then a revolution in Venezuela forced her family to flee to the United States. Teresa felt lonely in this unfamiliar place, where few of the people she met spoke Spanish. Worst of all, there was fighting in her new home, too—the Civil War.
Still, Teresa kept playing, and soon she grew famous as the talented Piano Girl who could play anything from a folk song to a sonata. So famous, in fact, that President Abraham Lincoln wanted her to play at the White House! Yet with the country torn apart by war, could Teresa’s music bring comfort to those who needed it most?