Newbery Books - Exodus Books

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Click here for a complete list of Newbery Medalists, organized by year with ratings, FLAWS, and links to book reviews.

Once upon a time there was a bookseller. His name was Frederic G. Melcher, and he knew in his heart that books for children were just as important as books for adults, if not more so. Why, he wondered, are they so often ignored? He thought and thought, and decided in the end that it didn't matter why; what mattered was that he did something to change all that.

He did. In 1921, he proposed the Newbery Award to the American Library Association, a prize named for 18th-century English bookseller John Newbery to be given to the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year. The Association's Executive Board approved the idea, much to the joy of children's librarians everywhere, and the first Newbery Award was given in 1922.

The express purpose of the medal was "To encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. To give those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children's reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field."

Melcher's brainchild was the first children's book award in the world, and remains the measure of all the others. He went on to initiate the Caldecott Award for best illustrated children's book, and together the Newbery and the Caldecott provide an important standard for evaluating children's books in the United States and beyond.

Between 2012-2014, our friend Caleb undertook the project of reviewing ALL the medalists, which he completed (he wrote a sad summary of his journey here). While that is essentially done (we haven't managed to keep it up), we're now gathering information to compile reviews for the honor books! If you'd like to be a part of that process, we invite you to join us at the Facebook group "The Newbery Books Discussion Group."

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Family Stories

	After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer from HarperTeen for 6th-8th grade 1988 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Blue Willow Puffin Newbery Library by Doris Gates from Puffin Books for 4th-7th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink from Simon Pulse Realistic Family Fiction for 3rd-7th grade 1936 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.64
	Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Family Fiction for 3rd-7th grade 1936 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $2.80 (1 in stock)
	Caddie Woodlawn A Frontier Story by Carol Ryrie Brink, illustrated by Kate Seredy Book Club Edition from Macmillan Realistic Family Fiction for 3rd-7th grade 1936 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink from Simon and Schuster Realistic Family Fiction for 3rd-7th grade 1936 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $16.99
	Caddie Woodlawn A Frontier Story by Carol Ryrie Brink, illustrated by Kate Seredy 1st edition, from Macmillan Realistic Family Fiction for 3rd-7th grade 1936 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt from Atheneum for 6th-10th grade 1983 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $11.04
	Dobry by Monica Shannon, illustrated by Atanas Katchamakoff from Puffin Books for 4th-8th grade 1935 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Dobry by Monica Shannon; illustrated by Atanas Katchamakoff 15th printing 1967 from Viking Press for 4th-8th grade 1935 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $16.00 (1 in stock)
	Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly from Henry Holt and Company for 4th-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson, illustrated by Garth Williams from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 3rd-6th grade 1959 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.79 $3.20 (2 in stock)
	Figgs & Phantoms by Ellen Raskin from Puffin Books for 3rd-6th grade 1975 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.79
	Fledgling by Jane Langton from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-6th grade 1981 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $2.40 (1 in stock)
	From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg from Aladdin Paperbacks Mystery/Suspense for 4th-7th grade 1968 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.49
	From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg 35th Anniversary Edition from Atheneum Mystery/Suspense for 4th-7th grade 1968 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Getting Near to Baby by Audrey Couloumbis from Puffin Books for 4th-8th grade 2000 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Getting Near to Baby by Audrey Couloumbis from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-8th grade 2000 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata from Atheneum for 6th-9th grade 2005 Newbery Medal Winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.64
	Little Town on the Prairie Little House Series #7 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1942 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.49
	Little Town on the Prairie Little House Series #7 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1942 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $11.04
	Long Winter Little House Series #6 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.49
	Long Winter Little House Series #6 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $11.89
	M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton from Simon and Schuster for 6th-10th grade 1975 Newbery Medal Winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee from Yearling for 4th-8th grade 2023 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $14.44
	Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee from Yearling for 4th-8th grade 2023 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.64
	Middle Moffat Moffats #2 by Eleanor Estes from Harcourt Realistic Fiction for 2nd-5th grade 1943 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.49
	Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen, illustrated by Beth & Joe Krush 2003 edition from Harcourt Family Stories for 4th-7th grade 1957 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Missing May by Cynthia Rylant from Scholastic Inc. for 5th-8th grade 1993 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.94
	New Land A Novel for Boys and Girls by Sarah Lindsay Schmidt from Robert M. McBride & Co. for 7th-10th grade 1934 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	On the Banks of Plum Creek Little House Series #4 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade 1938 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.49
	Rufus M. Moffats #3 by Eleanor Estes from Harcourt Realistic Fiction for 2nd-5th grade 1944 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.49
	Sarah, Plain and Tall Includes an afterword to you from Patricia MacLachlan by Patricia MacLachlan from Scholastic Inc. Family Stories for 2nd-6th grade 1986 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan 30th Anniversary from HarperCollins Family Stories for 2nd-6th grade 1986 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.79 $3.20 (4 in stock)
	Silver Pencil by Alice Dalgliesh from Puffin Books for 7th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Sugaring Time by Kathryn Lasky from Aladdin Paperbacks for Preschool-3rd grade 1984 Newbery Honor Book in Food & Farming Around the World (Location: HISMC-FOOD) $9.99
	Sugaring Time by Kathryn Lasky from Macmillan for Preschool-3rd grade 1984 Newbery Honor Book in Food & Farming Around the World (Location: HISMC-FOOD)
	When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead from Yearling for 5th-9th grade 2010 Newbery Medal winner in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI) $7.64
	Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck from Puffin Books Humorous Family Stories for 5th-9th grade 2001 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.64
	Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck 1^st edition from Sun Dial Press for 4th-9th grade 2001 Newbery Award Winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.60 (2 in stock)

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