ALA Honors Youth Books
The American Library Association (ALA) announced its top awards for youth literature on Jan. 26. The 2026 Newbery Medal winner is “All the Blues in the Sky” by Renée
Watson. The Caldecott Medal, for the most DISTINGUISHED American picture book, was awarded to “Fireworks” illustrated by Cátia Chien and written by Matthew Burgess.
The John Newbery Medal is awarded each year to the book that represents the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. It is named for an 18th-century Englishman who is thought to be one of the first publishers to create books meant for children. The first Newbery Medal was awarded in 1922. The Caldecott Medal, named for 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, was
created in 1937 to honor children’s picture book illustrators.
This year’s Newbery Medal winner, “All the Blues in the Sky,” was also named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. This bestselling novel tells the story of a girl’s struggle with grief. Sage is about to turn 13 when her best friend dies. The book uses poetry and prose to follow Sage’s journey through sadness, guilt, anxiety and healing.
Watson’s 2018 book, “Piecing Me Together,” was a Newbery Medal honor book and the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award that year. This year’s Newbery honor books are “The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli” by
Karina Yan Glaser, “A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez” by María Dolores Águila, and “The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story” by Daniel Nayeri.
“Fireworks” shows two young siblings anxiously awaiting a Fourth of July fireworks show. Chien’s colorful illustrations light up the pages of this delightful picture book.
