Newbery Medal through the Years

 
You've probably heard of the Newbery Medal. I've realized since I was a kid that it was a prestigious award for children's books. Today, on World Book Day, I went hunting for a list of winners.


"The most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" United States, Presented by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association

Now I'm feeling quite sheepish. It has been awarded since 1922, with one winner per year, and several honored books- like runners-up.

How many total books? I quit counting at 300, and I was only up to 1991. But here's the deal. The number of these books I've heard of is ridiculously small. The list of those I've read is even shorter. Here it is:

On the Banks of Plum Creek, 1938, Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Long Winter, 1941, Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little Town on the Prairie, 1942, Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Story of Mary Jemison, 1942, Lois Lenski
Johnny Tremain, 1944, Esther Forbes
Those Happy Golden Years, 1944, Laura Ingalls Wilder
Misty of Chincoteague, 1948, Marguerite Henry
King of the Wind, 1949, Marguerite Henry
Charlotte's Web, 1953, E.B. White
Men, Microscopes and Living Things, 1956, Katherine Shippen
Old Yeller, 1957, Fred Gipson
My Side of the Mountain, 1960, Jean Craighead George
A Wrinkle in Time, 1963, Madeline L'Engle
Sounder, 1970, William H. Armstrong
Frog and Toad Together, 1973, Arnold Lobel
A Ring of Endless Light, 1981, Madeline L'Engle
Because of Winn-Dixie, 2001, Kate DiCamillo

Reading through a list of adult literary classics can be really daunting. But how hard could it be to read a pile of great children's books? My guess is the hardest part might be to find some of them.

I may have a new personal library goal. Uh oh.

In other news: I worked, came home with a good energy level (couldn't stay awake yesterday) and have written chapters 18 and 19 in The ABZ Affair. May actually finish that book tonight. Then it will be on to editing, formatting, illustrations, etc.

	See Wikipedia list of Newbery Medal winners and honorees
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