Time to stock the bookcase! Learn about the book that won the coveted Newbery Medal and other children's and young adult books that took top honors this year.
This Book Just Won the Prestigious Newbery Medal—Have You Read It Yet?
Updated on Jan. 29, 2025
On a prestige level, the Youth Media Awards are the Oscars of children’s literature. Their origins date back to 1922—a full seven years before the first Academy Awards. That’s when the American Library Association (ALA) awarded Hendrik Willem van Loon’s The Story of Mankind the very first Newbery Medal. Named after an 18th-century English bookseller named John Newbery, it became the first children’s book award in the world.
Throughout the past century, the ALA has bestowed the honor on timeless tales, like Number the Stars, A Wrinkle in Time and The One and Only Ivan. In other words, some of the best books ever written. But the association also recognizes dozens of other notable books, videos and media aimed at children and teens through prestigious prizes like the Caldecott Medal, Coretta Scott King Award and Printz Award.
This year’s Newbery Medal winner (along with other Youth Media Awards) was announced on Jan. 27 at the LibLearnX conference in Phoenix. Each pick serves as an incredible resource to parents, educators, librarians and readers. After all, children’s books—especially diverse children’s books—shape early development, give unique perspectives to budding readers and start a lifelong love of storytelling. Get ready to add these selections to your bookshelf.
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What book won the Newbery Medal in 2025?
The award goes to The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly. Set in 1999, the middle-grade novel is about a 12-year-old kid named Michael Rosario who can’t stop fretting about the turn of the century. Then, he meets a time traveler from the future who changes his life. With powerful and empathetic storytelling, The First State of Being—also a finalist for a 2024 National Book Award—is a touch-of-sci-fi story that will appeal to all readers.
This is Kelly’s second Newbery Medal; her third book, Hello, Universe, took the prize in 2018.
What are the Newbery Honor Books of 2025?
Think of these awards as runners-up trophies to the Newbery Medal. They go to children’s books deemed worthy of special recognition.
- Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar
- Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
- One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
- The Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy
What other book awards were announced?
Though the Newbery Medal is the most well-recognized children’s book award, the ALA also bestows honors on other excellent works of literature in various categories, from picture books to young adult fiction.
To land on these winners, committees of children’s librarians and other kid-lit experts come together to access the best books of the year. Here’s a rundown of some of the recipients.
Caldecott Medal
The Randolph Caldecott Medal recognizes the most distinguished American picture book for children. The runners-up earn the title of Caldecott Honor Book.
- Winner: Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz
- Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo
- My Daddy Is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales, illustrated by C.G. Esperanza
- Noodles on a Bicycle by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Gracey Zhang
- Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu
Coretta Scott King Book Award
The Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizes African American authors and illustrators of standout books for children and young adults. Runners-up are named King Author Honor Books or King Illustrator Honor Books.
Coretta Scott King Author Book Award
- Winner: Twenty-four Seconds from Now… by Jason Reynolds
- Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson, illustrated by Ekua Holmes
- Black Star by Kwame Alexander
- One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award
- Winner: My Daddy Is a Cowboy, illustrated by C.G. Esperanza
- Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, written by Coretta Scott King with the Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds
- Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, written by Gary Golio
- Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller, illustrated by April Harrison, written by Breanna J. McDaniel
Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award, which recognizes excellence in young adult literature, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It recognizes outstanding works of YA fiction, nonfiction, poetry, anthologies and graphic novels. Runners-up earn a Printz Honor.
- Winner: Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia
- Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo
- Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White
- The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
- Road Home by Rex Ogle
William C. Morris Award
The William C. Morris Award recognizes a book published by a first-time author writing for teens. Four finalists were also honored.
- Winner: Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
- Aisle Nine by Ian X. Cho
- Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley
- Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta
- The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin
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Sources:
- American Library Association: “American Library Association announces 2025 Youth Media Award winners”
- American Library Association: “History of the Newbery Medal”
