Graphic Novel Wins Newbery Medal for the First Time

“New Kid,” by Jerry Craft, won the children’s literature prize, while “The Undefeated,” written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, won the Caldecott Medal.

The writer and illustrator Jerry Craft won this year’s John Newbery Medal for “New Kid,” the first graphic novel to receive the prize for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature.

“New Kid” is about a 12-year-old boy named Jordan who lives in New York City’s Washington Heights and dreams of going to art school, but his parents instead enroll him in a prestigious private school where he is one of the few students of color. Published by HarperCollins, “New Kid” marks a shift from Craft’s previously self-published work and reflects changing attitudes about the literary merits of graphic novels.

The Undefeated,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Kwame Alexander, won the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children. An ode to African-American life and accomplishments, it includes references to slavery, the civil rights movements and black heroes such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks and others.

“New Kid” and “The Undefeated” both received Coretta Scott King awards, which recognize African-American authors and illustrators. “The Undefeated” was also named a Newbery Honor Book along with three others: “Scary Stories for Young Foxes,” written by Christian McKay Heidicker and illustrated by Junyi Wu; “Other Words for Home,” by Jasmine Warga; and “Genesis Begins Again,” by Alicia D. Williams. Alexander had previously won the Newbery Medal for his novel “The Crossover” in 2015.

The awards, announced Monday at the American Library Association’s midwinter conference in Philadelphia, are some of the top prizes in young people’s literature and have great influence over book sales and teacher and librarian recommendations.

Children’s books over the past several years have been at the forefront of shifting conversations around diversity and inclusion in literature and publishing. Alexander published “The Undefeated” under his new diversity-focused imprint Versify, one of a number of new mission-driven imprints, including Kokila, Rick Riordan Presents and Christopher Myer’s Make Me a World, that are making waves in the industry.

A.S. King’s “Dig,” which delves into the tragic lives of a wealthy white family in suburban Pennsylvania and how the family’s children are affected by the neglect, substance abuse and racism of their elders, won the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature for young adults.

The Pura Belpré Awards honor a Latino writer and illustrator whose books best portray the Latino cultural experience. Carlos Hernandez won the author award for “Sal and Gabi Break the Universe,” while Rafael López won the illustrator award for “Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln,” written by Margarita Engle.

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book went to James Yang, who wrote and illustrated “Stop! Bot!”

Kevin Henkes, the award-winning writer of “Kitten’s First Full Moon,” “The Year of Billy Miller” and other books, received the Children’s Literature Legacy Award, the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award given to an author or illustrator who has made a lasting contribution to the field. The award, previously called the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, was renamed in recognition of the racial insensitivity in Wilder’s work. In 2019, the award went to Walter Dean Myers, who died in 2014.

Native American writers were recognized with the American Indian Youth Literature awards, which are awarded on even years. The winner in the picture-book category was “Bowwow Powwow: Bagosenjige-niimi’idim,” written by Brenda J. Child, translated into Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain and illustrated by Jonathan Thunder. The middle grade winner was “Indian No More” by Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell, and the young adult winner was “Hearts Unbroken,” by Cynthia Leitich Smith.

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