The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults, including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards at LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience in New Orleans today.
A list of 2023 award winners follows:
- John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature - Freewater written by Amina Luqman-Dawson.
- Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children - Hot Dog illustrated and written by Doug Salati.
- Mildred L. Batchelder Award to the publisher of the outstanding translated book - Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II is the 2023 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Italian as Una Bambina e Basta. Raccontata Agli Altri Bambini e Basta the book was written by Lia Levi, illustrated by Jess Mason, translated by Sylvia Notini and published by HarperCollins Publishers.
- Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for most distinguished beginning reader book - I Did It! written and illustrated by Michael Emberley.
- Pura Belpré Author Award (cosponsored by REFORMA) for outstanding writing by a Latino author - Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra.
- Pura Belpré Illustrator Award (cosponsored by REFORMA) for outstanding illustration by a Latino artist - Where Wonder Grows, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia, written by Xelena González.
- Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award (cosponsored by REFORMA) for outstanding young adult writing by a Latino author - Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado.
- Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children - Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams’s Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration written by Elizabeth Partridge and illustrated by Lauren Tamaki, is the 2023 Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Chronicle Books.
- Michael L. Printz Award for literary excellence in young adult literature - All My Rage written by Sabaa Tahir, is the 2023 Printz Award winner.
- YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction - Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile.
- Odyssey Award for outstanding audio book - Stuntboy, in the Meantime produced by Taryn Beato for Simon & Schuster Audio, is the 2023 Odyssey Award winner for children. The book is written by Jason Reynolds and narrated by Guy Lockard, Nile Bullock and Angel Pean with a full cast. The Honeys produced by Melissa Ellard for Scholastic Audio, is the 2023 Odyssey Award winner for young adults. The book is written by Ryan La Sala and narrated by Pete Cross.
- Coretta Scott King Author Award for outstanding writing by an African American author - Freewater written by Amina Luqman-Dawson, is the King Author Book winner.
- Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for outstanding illustrations by an African American artist - Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual illustrated by Frank Morrison, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Carole Boston Weatherford.
- Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience - Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion written by Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, wins the award for young children (ages 0 to 8); Wildoak written by C.C. Harrington and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., is the winner for middle grades (ages 9 to 13); The Words We Keep written by Erin Stewart and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, is the winner for teens (ages 14-18).
- Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award for English-language children's and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience - Love, Violet written by Charlotte Sullivan Wild, illustrated by Charlene Chua and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, a division of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, is the 2023 recipient of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s Literature Award. When the Angels Left the Old Country written by Sacha Lamb and published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Levine Querido, is the 2023 recipient of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Young Adult Literature Award.
- William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens - The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen written by Isaac Blum
- Children's Literature Legacy Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences - James E. Ransome.
- Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award is given to a digital media producer that has created distinguished digital media for an early learning audience - Alma’s Way(link is external) produced by Fred Rogers Productions
Newest awards:
- American Indian Youth Literature Award presented by the American Indian Library Association (AILA) - are announced in even years (e.g. 2022, 2024, 2026) and were established to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives. Selected titles present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts. This award will be announced again in 2024.
- Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature presented by the Asian/Pacific Americans Librarians Association (APALA) - From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang and illustrated by Rachel Wada wins the award for Picture Book; Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee is the winner for Children's Literature; and Himawari House by Harmony Becker is the Young Adult Literature winner.
- Sydney Taylor Award presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) - The Tower of Life written by Chana Stiefel and illustrated by Susan Gal wins the Picture Book category; Aviva vs. the Dybbuk written by Mari Lowe wins the Middle Grade category and When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb wins the Young Adult category.
View all 2023 winners and honors on the American Library Association website.