Awards (Books & Media)

Reader's Advisory Experts Announce 2021 Notable Books List

CHICAGO—The Notable Books Council, first established in 1944, has announced the 2020 selections of the Notable Books List, an annual best-of list composed of twenty-five titles written for adult readers and published in the US including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The list was announced Thursday during the Reference & User Services Book & Media Awards Virtual Ceremony.

The 2021 selections are:

Fiction

“Deacon King Kong,” “Fathoms: The World in the Whale” receive 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) selects “Deacon King Kong,” by James McBride, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, as the winner of the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and "Fathoms: The World in the Whale," by Rebecca Giggs, published by Simon & Schuster, as the winner of the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. The selections were announced at the Reference and User Services Association's Book and Media Awards (BMAs) virtual event, sponsored by 

ALA forges new path with Midwinter Virtual

CHICAGO — The American Library Association hosted the 107th and final Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits online Jan. 22-26, 2021. The event attracted more than  7,100 participants.

The second ALA conference to be presented virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Midwinter Virtual connected librarians and library workers and offered inspiring educational sessions, featuring tools and best practices to navigate new paths in this time of uncertainty.

Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table Announces New Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List - Nominations Open January 2021

ALA’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT) is pleased to announce the new Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List. The inaugural year of the reading list will seek to highlight the best graphic novels for children ages 5-11 published in late 2020 and throughout 2021, increase awareness of the graphic novel medium, raise voices of diverse comics creators, and aid library staff in the development of graphic novel collections. The first list will be announced in January 2022.

Tae Keller, Michaela Goade win Newbery, Caldecott Medals

CHICAGO - Tae Keller, author of “When You Trap a Tiger,” and Michaela Goade, illustrator of “We Are Water Protectors” are the 2021 recipients of the John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott Medals, the most prestigious awards in children’s literature. 

David LaRochelle, Mike Wohnoutka win Geisel Award for 'See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog'

CHICAGO – Author David LaRochelle and illustrator Mike Wohnoutka are the 2021 recipients of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for “See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog” published by Candlewick Press. The award was announced today by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibition, held virtually Jan. 22 - 26.

Mildred Taylor wins 2021 Children’s Literature Legacy Award

CHICAGO – Mildred D. Taylor is the winner of the 2021 Children’s Literature Legacy Award honoring an author or illustrator, published in the United States, whose books have made a significant and lasting contribution to literature for children. Her numerous works include “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” (Dial, 1976) and “All the Days Past, All the Days to Come” (Dial, 2020).

Committee for Children wins Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award for 'The Imagine Neighborhood'

CHICAGO – Committee for Children is the 2021 recipient of the Award for the podcast "The Imagine Neighborhood." The award was announced today by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibition, held virtually January 22 - 26.

Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann win 2021 Sibert Medal

CHICAGO – Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann, author and illustrator of "Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera," were named the winners of the 2021 Robert F. Sibert Medal for the most distinguished informational book for children published in 2020. The award was announced today by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits, held virtually Jan. 22 – 26.

2021 Batchelder Award honors Enchanted Lion Books for 'Telephone Tales'

CHICAGO – Enchanted Lion Books is the winner of the 2021 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for “Telephone Tales.” The award was announced today by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits, held virtually Jan. 22 - 26.

The Batchelder Award is given to the most outstanding children’s book originating in a language other than English in a country other than the United States and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.