2019 Youth Media Awards

The annual Youth Media Awards are the top honors in children’s literature. School Library Journal has it covered—from interviews with the Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz-winning authors and illustrators to SLJ reviews of the winners and honor books.

Find our coverage here, along with a complete list of winners with links to individual book reviews plus author interviews and more related coverage from SLJ and our blog network.

2019 Youth Media Awards Coverage

'Merci Suárez' Wins Newbery, 'Hello Lighthouse,' the Caldecott; 'The Poet X' Takes Printz at 2019 Youth Media Awards

Meg Medina on the Meaning of 'Merci' and the Newbery Medal

'Hello Lighthouse' Makes Sophie Blackall Two-Time Caldecott Winner

Elizabeth Acevedo and 'The Poet X' Add Printz, Pura Belpré to Awards Collection

Claire Hartfield and Ekua Holmes Win Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Diversity, Debate, and the Magic of Books: A Look at the 2019 Youth Media Awards

SLJ Reviews the 2019 Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz Award Winners

SLJ Reviews of YMA Winners and Related Content

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Coretta Scott King Author Award

A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield

Coretta Scott King Author Honors

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

Ekua Holmes for The Stuff of Stars by Marion Bauer

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors

Laura Freeman for Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Frank Morrison for Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
R. Gregory Christie for Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop by Alice Faye Duncan

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

Schneider Family Book Awards

Young Children (ages 0 to 10)

Rescue & Jessica A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes

Young Children Honor Book:

The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte

Middle Grade (ages 11-13)

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor

Middle Grade Honor Book:

The Collectors by Jacqueline West

Teens (ages 13-18)

Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

Teens Honor Book:

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health edited by Kelly Jensen

Odyssey Award

Sadie by Courtney Summers; narrated by Rebecca Soler, Fred Berman, Dan Bittner, Gabra Zackman, and more

Odyssey Honors

Du Iz Tak by Carson Ellis; narrated by Eli and Sebastian D’Amico, Burton, Galen and Laura Fott, Sarah Hart, Bella Higginbotham, Evelyn Hipp and Brian Hull
Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist by Susan Wood, narrated by Brian Amador

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson, narrated by Cherise Booth
The Poet X written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo

Pura Belpré (Author) Award

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Pura Belpré (Author) Honor

They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems by David Bowles

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award

Dreamers illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales

Teaching Dreamers | The Classroom Bookshelf

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Honor

When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana illustrated by Jose Ramirez, written by Michael Mahin

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honors

Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild by Catherine Thimmesh
Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees written and illustrated by Don Brown
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees written and illustrated by Don Brown | Teen Librarian Toolbox review
Stories of Syrian Refugees: Don Brown's The Unwanted | Interview
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac

Stonewall Book Award

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender

Stonewall Book Honors

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

Fox the Tiger written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor

Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors

The Adventures of Otto: See Pip Flap written and illustrated by David Milgrim
Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier

King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth by Dori Hillestad Butler
Tiger vs. Nightmare written and illustrated by Emily Tetri

William C. Morris Award

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

William C. Morris Honors

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
Check, Please!: #Hockey written and illustrated by Ngozi Ukazu
Children of Blood and Bone written by Tomi Adeyemi
What the Night Sings written and illustrated by Vesper Stamper

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees written and illustrated by Don Brown

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalists

The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor by Sonia Sotomayor
Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam by Elizabeth Partridge
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler written and illustrated by John Hendrix
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

“This Was a Book I Needed To Write” | Jarrett J. Krosoczka On “Hey, Kiddo”

Asian/Pacific American Awards

Picture Book

Drawn Together by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat

Picture Book Honor Title

Grandmother’s Visit by Betty Quan

Children's Literature

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Children's Honor Title

The House that Lou Built by Mae Respicio

Young Adult Literature

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Young Adult Honor Title

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Emily X.R. Pan On Grief, Mental Health, & Her YA Debut The Astonishing Color of After

Sydney Taylor Book Awards

Young Readers

All-of-a-Kind-Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul Zelinsky

Paul O. Zelinsky Talks About the Return of the All-of-a-Kind Family

Honor Books for Young Readers

A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breskin Zalben, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini
Through the Window: Views of Marc Chagall’s Life and Art by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary Grandpré

Older Readers

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Honor Books for Older Readers

All Three Stooges by Erica S. Perl
The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

Teen Readers

What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper

Honor Books for Older Readers

You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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2019 Youth Media Awards