NEW YORK (AP) — Dave Eggers is now an award-winning children’s author.
Eggers’ “The Eyes & the Impossible,” the great adventure of a very fast dog, has received the John Newbery Medal for the year’s best children’s book, an honor previously given to Beverly Cleary, Neil Gaiman and Lois Lowry among others. Eggers is otherwise known for such acclaimed adult books as “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” “What Is the What” and “A Hologram for the King.”
“I’ve read just about every Newbery winner from the last 50 years or so, and my kids grew up reading them, too,” Eggers told The Associated Press in an email Monday. “Last night my kids were telling me how much that golden sticker meant to them as readers, and to have ‘Eyes’ among those books we love so much — it’s just surreal.”
Eggers has another book for young people, “Soren's Seventh Song,” coming out next month.
The Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding illustration was given to Vashti Harrison’s “Big,” the first time the award was given to a Black woman since it was established in 1938. Last fall, “Big” was a National Book Award finalist.
The Newbery and Caldecott medals were among the awards announced by the American Library Association.
Pedro Martín's “Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir” won the Pura Belpré Award, given to Latinx writers, for best book and for illustration. Rebecca Yarros' “Fourth Wing” was among 10 winners of the Alex Award for adult book that appeal to teen readers. Other Alex recipients included Darrin Bell's “The Talk” and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's “Chain Gang All Stars.”
Ibi Zoboi's “Nigeria Jones” won the Coretta Scott King Award for outstanding work by a Black author, and Dare Colter won the King illustration award for “An American Story,” written by Kwame Alexander.
“The Collectors,” a book of short stories featuring contributions from Jason Reynolds and David Levithan among others, received the Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature. Neal Shusterman, author of “The Arc of the Scythe,” “Bruiser” and Challenger Deep" among others, has received the Margaret Edwards Award for lifetime achievement.
Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
