2017 John Newbery Medal

Once again we will be featuring award winning books from the Youth Media Awards.  Check back daily for new posts!


2017 John Newbery Medal 

For the most outstanding contribution to children's literature

Winner:

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

by Kelly Barnhill

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest.  They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town.  But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind.  She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon.  Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic.  Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own.  As Luna's thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge -- with dangerous consequences.  Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch.  Deadly birds with uncertain intentions flock nearby.  A volcano, quiet for centuries, rumbles just beneath the earth's surface.  And the woman with the Tiger's heart is on the prowl...

2017 Newbery Honor Books:

Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life

by Ashley Bryan

The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog

by Adam Gidwitz

Wolf Hollow

by Lauren Wolk

What did you think about "The Girl Who Drank the Moon"?  Did you enjoy it?  What did you like about it?  Do you think one of the other books should have won?

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!