The John Newbery Medal, awarded every year since 1922, honors the author of the year's most outstanding contribution to children's literature. Newbery was the first publisher to recognize that children have reading interests distinct from adults. Henrik Van Loon won the first Newbery Medal in 1922 for The Story of Mankind.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal honors the illustrator of the year's most distinguished American picture book for children. Presented every year since 1938, the medal is named for Randolph Caldecott, a 19th-century English illustrator known for the action, vitality, and humor of his picture books. Dorothy P. Lathrop won the first Caldecott Medal in 1938 for Animals of the Bible.

Considered the "Academy Awards" of children's publishing, the Newbery and Caldecott medals are a virtual guarantee that the honored books will remain in print on library and bookstore shelves for years to come. The awards are administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the ALA.

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Newbery
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Coretta Scott King Awards

The Coretta Scott King Awards honor African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults that demonstrate sensitivity to "the true worth and value of all beings." The books - fiction or nonfiction - must have been published in the year prior to the award.

The first presentation was in 1970 to Lillie Patterson, author of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Man of Peace. The first award to an illustrator was presented in 1974 to George Ford for Ray Charles, written by Sharon Bell Mathis. Mathis also received the Coretta Scott King author award.

The awards are administered by the American Library Association’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services. Winners receive a framed citation, an honorarium of $250, and a set of Encyclopedia Britannica or World Book Encyclopedia. Certificates are given to authors and illustrators of books named as Honorable Mention.

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Michael L. Printz Award

The Michael L. Printz Award, established in 1999, honors excellence in literature written for young adults. The first presentation was in 2000 to Walter Dean Myers for Monster. The annual award is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the ALA and sponsored by Booklist magazine.

The award is named in honor of the late Michael L. Printz, longtime YALSA member and Topeka, Kansas, school librarian, known for discovering and promoting quality books for young adults. "Mike," as his friends and colleagues knew him, served on both the Best Books for Young Adults and the Margaret A. Edwards Award Committees.

The award-winning book may be fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or an anthology and can be a work of joint authorship or editorship. Nominated books may have been previously published in another country, but must have been in the U.S. during the preceding year. The books must be designated by their publishers as either a young adult book or one published for ages 12 through 18.

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Alex Awards

The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing.

The award is sponsored by the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust. Edwards was a young adult specialist for many years at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore. Her work is described in her book, Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, and over the years she has served as an inspiration to librarians who serve young adults. The Alex Awards are named after Edwards, who was called “Alex” by her friends.

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Margaret A. Edwards Award

The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author's lifetime contribution in writing books of enduring popularity with teenagers. S.E. Hinton received the first Edwards Award in 1988 for her books The Outsiders, Rumblefish, Tex, and That Was Then, This is Now. Judy Blume received the 1996 award for Forever.

The award is named in honor of the late Margaret A. Edwards, an administrator of young adult programs at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD., for more than 30 years. Edwards brought young adult literature and library services to the attention of the library profession. She spent her professional life bringing books and young adults together, pioneering outreach services for teenagers, and establishing a stringent training program designed for librarians beginning their work with adolescents.

The annual award is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and sponsored by School Library Journal magazine. Winners receive $1,000 and a citation.

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(May Hill) Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award

The (May Hill) Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award honors an author, critic, librarian, historian, or teacher of children's literature, of any country, who has prepared a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children's literature. Once the honoree is made public, institutions wishing to host the lecture may apply. A library school, department of education in a college or university, or a children's library system may be considered. The paper is delivered as a lecture each April, and is subsequently published in Children & Libraries, the journal of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).  Scott, Foresman established the lecture series in 1969.

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Andrew Carnegie Medal

The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video was awarded for the first time in 1991 to honor an outstanding video production for children, released during the previous year. The first recipients were producers George McQuilkin and John Matthews for Ralph S. Mouse, based on the book by Beverly Cleary.

Entries must be originally released in the United States. The producer must be a U.S. citizen or resident, or the production company must be headquartered in the U.S. Materials can be of feature length but not theatrically released. The annual award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), through an endowment established by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

The Robert F. Sibert Information Book Award was awarded for the first time in 2001 to honor the most distinguished informational book published in the preceding year. Informational books are defined as those written and illustrated to present, organize, and interpret documentable factual material for children. Poetry and traditional literature are not eligible.

The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time president of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc., of Jacksonville, IL. The annual award is sponsored by the company and administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). The first recipient was Marc Aronson for Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado.

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Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, established in 1954, honors an author or illustrator whose books are published in the U.S. and has, over a period of years, made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The award is named in honor of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the popular Little House series of books, which later became the basis for a television series. Wilder's first book, The Little House in the Big Woods, (1932) was published when she was 65. Wilder received the first award in 1954. The award, administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), was given every five years between 1960 and 1980. It is now given every other year.

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Pura Belpré Award

The Pura Belpré Award honors Latino writers and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in a work of literature for youth. The award is named in honor of Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library and a pioneer in preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore.

The Belpré Award was first presented in 1996 to Judith Ortiz Cofer, author of An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio and to Susan Guevara, illustrator for Chato’s Kitchen. It is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), and the National Association to Promote Library Services to the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA). This award is presented every other year (in opposite years from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal).

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Mildred L. Batchelder Award

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award is presented to a publisher for the most outstanding book originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country and subsequently translated into English for publication in the U.S. The award was first presented in 1968 to Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., for The Little Man, written by Erich Kästner and translated from German by James Kirkup. The award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).

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Schneider Family Book Award

The Schneider Family Book Award is a new addition to the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards. The award is donated by Dr. Katherine Schneider, and honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. The book must portray some aspect of living with a disability or that of a friend or family member, whether the disability is physical, mental or emotional. Three annual awards are presented for the best Teen, Middle School, and Children’s Book. The American Library Association administers the Award, and each recipient receives $5000 and a framed plaque. It was first awarded in 2004 to Glenna Lang for Looking Out For Sarah (Young Children Book); Wendy Mass for A Mango Shaped Space (Middle School Book); and Andrew Clements for Things Not Seen (Teen Book).

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Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is named for the world-renowned children’s author, Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. It is given annually to the author and illustrator of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year. The winner is recognized for literary and artistic achievement that demonstrates creativity and imagination, encouraging children to read. There are no limitations as to the character of the book considered except that it will be original and function successfully as a book for beginning readers. The winner receives a bronze medal. Honor Books may be named and shall be books that are also truly distinguished. Honor Book authors and illustrators receive certificates. The award was established in 2004 and first presented in 2006 to Cynthia Rylant (author) and Suçie Stevenson (illustrator) for Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas. It is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).

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Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production

The Odyssey Award is presented to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults available in English in the United States. The first Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production will be announced in January 2008. Honor titles may also be selected. The award is jointly administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), divisions of ALA, and is sponsored by Booklist magazine.