Congratulations to Katherine Applegate for winning the 2013 Newbery Medal for her book, “The One and Only Ivan.” The Newbery Medal is named after John Newbery and is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. It has been recognizing success in children’s literature since 1922.
It’s easy sometimes for the literary fiction world to oversee what’s happening in children’s literature, but you’ll be hard up to find anyone who doesn’t consider Lois Lowry’s “The Giver” and “Number the Stars”, or Neil Gaiman’s “The Graveyard Book” unworthy of our attention. The Newbery Medal is one of our favorite awards. The novels it represents are consistently imaginative, heartfelt, and extremely well executed. Congratulations again to Ms. Applegate and let us know what you think of “The One and Only Ivan” in the comments below!