Children’s book ‘Freewater’ wins Newbery, Coretta Scott King awards

The American Library Association has announced the top children’s and young adult books for 2023. This year’s John Newbery Medal for best children’s book went to Amina Luqman-Dawson’s novel “Freewater” about a community of people who escaped slavery.

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For years, Amina Luqman-Dawson made time to write a children’s book she calls her “little quiet project,” a historical adventure about a community of escaped slaves that she completed while raising a son and working as a policy consultant and researcher on education and domestic violence.

Finding an agent and publisher was the first miracle for Ms. Luqman-Dawson and her debut children’s story, “Freewater,” which was released last year by a Little Brown and Co. imprint founded by author James Patterson.

On Monday, she joined a tiny elite of children’s authors that includes Beverly Cleary, Neil Gaiman, and Kwame Alexander: She won the John Newbery Medal for the year’s best children’s book.

“We have been jumping up and down and screaming,” Ms. Luqman-Dawson, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, said in a telephone interview. Her only previous book is “Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg,” an illustrated work about a Black community in Virginia that came out in 2009.

Doug Salati’s “Hot Dog,” about the summertime wanderings of an urban dachshund, was given the Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding illustrations. Mr. Salati has collaborated with authors Tomie dePaola and Matthew Farina among others, but “Hot Dog” is the first book he both wrote and illustrated. A resident of New York City, he has never owned a dog himself, but was inspired by a dog he saw – belonging to the friend of a friend – while staying on Fire Island.

“I was just watching him be completely free – rolling around in the sand, scratching every itch, zipping down along the beach,” he says. “And that’s how I felt being there – a great, beautiful, open space.”

The awards were announced Monday morning by the American Library Association (ALA), gathered in New Orleans from Jan. 27-30 for LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience.

Three Newbery Honor Books were also named: “Iveliz Explains It All,” written by Andrea Beatriz Arango; “The Last Mapmaker,” written by Christina Soontornvat; and “Maizy Chen’s Last Chance,” written by Lisa Yee.

Four Caldecott Honor Books were also named: “Ain’t Burned All the Bright,” illustrated by Jason Griffin and written by Jason Reynolds; “Berry Song,” illustrated and written by Michaela Goad.; “Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement,” illustrated by Janelle Washington and written by Angela Joy; and “Knight Owl,” illustrated and written by Christopher Denise. 

The Coretta Scott King Author Book Award recognizes an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. “Freewater,” by Ms. Luqman-Dawson, is also the King Author Book winner.

Three King Author Honor Books were selected: “Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler,” written by Ibi Zoboi; “The Talk,” written by Alicia D. Williams and illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu; and “Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice,” written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile.

“Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual,” illustrated by Frank Morrison, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Carole Boston Weatherford.

Three King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “Me and the Boss: A Story about Mending and Love,” illustrated by April Harrison and written by Michelle Edwards; “Swim Team,” illustrated and written by Johnnie Christmas; and “Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice,” illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile and written by Tommie Smith.

Claudette McLinn is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. Dr. McLinn is the founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature. She is a retired district supervising librarian for the LA Unified School District with over 34 years of experience, a former bookseller, and a much sought-after book award juror/presenter.

While many categories highlighted diversity in book publishing, some presenters mispronounced or struggled with the names of honorees. Linda Sue Park, a former Newbery winner, tweeted that the ALA should ensure that names are said correctly, calling it “a question of RESPECT.”

The ALA issued a statement Monday afternoon, saying it was “in the process of reaching out to every individual whose name was mispronounced and offering our sincerest apologies for the error.”

It said it provides pronunciation guides to presenters but that “it is possible that some presenters may be coping with nerves in these moments.” The group pledged to better prepare presenters “as we do realize what a major moment this is for the award recipients.”

This story was reported by The Associated Press. Material from an American Library Association press release was used in this report.