Written by Lori Joyce
Every January, writers, readers, and publishers of children’s literature look forward to the announcement of the next Newbery award-winning book. This prestigious award, accompanied by its newly minted bronze medal, has the ability to take a great book and boost it into the stratosphere for recognition and sales. While teachers, writers, publishers, parents, librarians, and students know the value of this honor, they may not be aware of its lengthy and storied history.
The Newbery Award was the first award to recognize the contributions of children’s literature. Although many publishing companies now have children’s divisions, in 1918 there was only one, MacMillan. Following its success, several other companies launched their own children’s divisions.
HISTORY OF THE NEWBERY
In 1921 Frederic G. Melcher (pictured), publisher and a member of the American Library Association, felt that the best writing in children’s literature should receive a special commendation. He proposed an award for the most distinguished work of children’s literature in the form of fiction, non-fi ction, or poetry to the American Library Association. In 1922 they approved the measure and gave the Association for Library Service to Children (then known as the Children’s Librarian Section) the charge of selecting the book.
Melcher also suggested the award’s name: The John Newbery Award. John Newbery was a bookseller, publisher, and writer who lived in England from 1713 to 1765. One of his monikers is “Father of Children’s Literature.” In addition to writing and publishing didactic stories for children (typical for the time), he also published the first English translation of Mother Goose. Newbery’s philosophy that stories should instruct and delight and the work he did to promote children’s literature made it appropriate to honor him with the name of this esteemed award.
The selected book gets reprinted due to demand for the book, and the seal is placed on the book cover. There is more to the actual award than the embossed seal on the book, however. The winner of the Newbery receives a specially minted bronze medal. The front pictures an adult with a book in hand talking to a young boy and girl. The back of the medal has the name of winner and the date engraved on it along with the words “For the Most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children.” Artist Rene´ Paul Chambellan, primarily an architectural sculptor, was commissioned to design the medal for the first award.
Frederic Melcher contributed his own funds to help off set the cost of the artist’s work and subsequent medal forging throughout the years. The design of the medal has not changed in the nearly ninety years the award has been given out.
The American Library Association formally states that the purpose of the Newbery award is “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 fi eld.”
THE NEWBERY COMMITTEE
The fifteen individuals on the committee that selects “the most distinguished contribution to children’s literat