The Children's Literature Legacy Award (formerly the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal or Wilder Award) is a prize awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to writers or illustrators of children's books published in the United States who have, over a period of years, made substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature.[1] The bronze medal prize was originally named after its first winner, twentieth-century American author Laura Ingalls Wilder, before being renamed in 2018.[1]
| Children's Literature Legacy Award | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | "substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature" |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association |
| First awarded | 1954 |
| Website | ala |
Originally, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal was awarded every five years, awarding six prizes between 1955 and 1980. From 1980 to 2001 it was awarded every three years, awarding seven prizes. From 2001 to 2015 it was awarded every two years. It is now awarded annually.[2] The most recent author to receive the award was Pam Muñoz Ryan in 2024.[3]
Criteria
edit- The medal may be awarded to an author or illustrator including co-authors or co-illustrators, and persons who both write and illustrate. The person may be nominated posthumously.[4]
- Some portion of the nominee's active career in books for children must have occurred in the twenty-five years prior to nomination.[4]
- Citizenship or residence of the potential nominee is not to be considered.[4]
- The nominee's work must be published in the United States but this does not mean that the first publication had to be in the United States. Books by the nominee that have been published in the United States are to be considered in the nomination process.[4]
- Some of the books by the potential nominee must have been available to children for at least ten years.[4]
- The books, by their nature or number, occupy an important place in literature for American children, and children have read the books, and the books continue to be requested and read by children.[4]
- The committee is to direct its attention only to the part of the nominee's total work that is books for children (up to and including age fourteen).[4]
Renaming
editIn February 2018, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), the division of ALA that administers the award, announced a taskforce which re-examined the naming of the award and included representation from the American Indian Library Association (AILA).[5] The task force was convened because of criticism of Wilder's depictions of Native and African Americans.[6] A recommendation to rename the award was made on June 23, 2018.[7] The ALSC board found Wilder's body of work "includes expressions of stereotypical attitudes inconsistent with ALSC's core values of inclusiveness, integrity and respect, and responsiveness."[8] The award's name was officially changed to the "Children's Literature Legacy Award."[9]
Recipients
edit| Year | Author |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Pam Muñoz Ryan |
| 2023 | James E. Ransome |
| 2022 | Grace Lin |
| 2021 | Mildred D. Taylor |
| 2020 | Kevin Henkes |
| 2019 | Walter Dean Myers |
| 2018 | Jacqueline Woodson |
| 2017 | Nikki Grimes |
| 2016 | Jerry Pinkney |
| 2015 | Donald Crews |
| 2013 | Katherine Paterson |
| 2011 | Tomie dePaola |
| 2009 | Ashley Bryan |
| 2007 | James Marshall |
| 2005 | Laurence Yep |
| 2003 | Eric Carle |
| 2001 | Milton Meltzer |
| 1998 | Russell Freedman |
| 1995 | Virginia Hamilton |
| 1992 | Marcia Brown |
| 1989 | Elizabeth George Speare |
| 1986 | Jean Fritz |
| 1983 | Maurice Sendak |
| 1980 | Theodor S. Geisel (Dr. Seuss) |
| 1975 | Beverly Cleary |
| 1970 | E. B. White |
| 1965 | Ruth Sawyer |
| 1960 | Clara Ingram Judson |
| 1954 | Laura Ingalls Wilder |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "About the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). American Library Association (ALA). Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
- ^ "Every Year a Wilder Year!". ALSC Blog. Association for Library Service to Children. July 31, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ "Pam Muñoz Ryan wins 2024 Children's Literature Legacy Award | ALA". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Wilder Award Terms and criteria". ALSC. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
- ^ Lindsay, Nina. "ALSC Awards Program Review Update". ALSC Blog. ALA. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^ Reese, Debbie. "BIG NEWS: A possible change in name of ALA's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award!". American Indians in Children's Literature. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^ "About the Children's Literature Legacy Award". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). November 30, 1999. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ Lou, Michelle (June 25, 2018). "Laura Ingalls Wilder's Name Cut From Award For Her 'Stereotypical' Depictions". HuffPost. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Yahoo! News.
- ^ "Association removes Laura Ingalls Wilder's name from award". AP NEWS. June 24, 2018. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ "Children's Literature Legacy Award Recipients". ALSC. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.