The first Newbery Medal book was THE STORY OF MANKIND by Hendrik Van Loon, which has undergone several revisions. The most recent edition was published by Liveright in 1998. THE STORY OF MANKIND is an entertaining overview of human history that can be enjoyed by children of all ages, but is especially suited for kids ages 13 and up.
The 2000 Newbery Medal winner is BUD, NOT BUDDY by Christopher Paul Curtis. Best suited for children ages 11 to 13, this novel was published in 1999 by Delacorte Press. Ten-year-old Bud Caldwell has lived in foster homes since his mother died when he was six. Bud takes off through 1930s Michigan in an attempt to find Herman E. Calloway, standup bass player for the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, who he believes is his father.
Three authors have won the Newbery Medal twice: Elizabeth George Speare, Katherine Paterson and Lois Lowry.
ELIZABETH GEORGE SPEARE
1959 THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND(Houghton Mifflin)
Young adults, ages 13 - 16
Kit Tyler is forced to leave her sunny and carefree Caribbean home to live with her Puritan aunt and uncle in the bleak Connecticut Colony in 1687. Kit's carefree ways are regarded with suspicion when she befriends an old Quaker woman suspected of being a witch.
1962 THE BRONZE BOW
(Houghton Mifflin)
Young adults, ages 12 - 15
Daniel bar Jamin is one of a group of young Jewish rebels, called the "Bronze Bow," who wants to see the Romans driven out of Galilee. The gentle teachings of Jesus soon show him that fighting is not the only way to conquer the enemy.
KATHERINE PATERSON
1978 BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA(HarperCollins)
Young adults, ages 13 - 16
Jess and Leslie are best friends. They spend all their free time together and have built a secret place in the woods they call Terabithia. But one day Jess comes home from an outing to find that an awful tragedy has occurred.
1981 JACOB HAVE I LOVED
(Ty Crowell Co.)
Young adults, ages 13 - 16
Sara Louise has always lived in the shadow of her beautiful and vibrant twin sister. She struggles to overcome her jealousy and create a meaningful life for herself.
LOIS LOWRY
1990 NUMBER THE STARS(Houghton Mifflin)
Young adults, ages 9 - 12
In September 1943, word came that all Jews were to be deported from Nazi-occupied Denmark and sent to concentration camps. The Danish resistance, population and police helped smuggle 7,000 Jews to Sweden. In this fictionalized true story, 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen and her family help Annemarie's best friend out of the country.
1994 THE GIVER
(Houghton Mifflin)
Young adults, ages 12 - 15
Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a world with no poverty, no crime and no sickness, and everyone is happy. After Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories, he learns the price that was paid for this ordered and pain-free existence and boldly decides it is not worth the sacrifice of his humanity.
