On January 26, 2009, at the American Library Association's Midwinter meeting, the 2009 Newbery Medal winner, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and four Newbery Honor Books were announced. In the United States, the John Newbery Medal is the most significant award a children's book author can receive.

The 2009 John Newbery Medal Winner

Neil Gaiman is the recipient of the John Newbery Medal for The Graveyard Book, which was illustrated by Dave McKean and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
"A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose.

A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.

'A child named Nobody, an assassin, a graveyard and the dead are the perfect combination in this deliciously creepy tale, which is sometimes humorous, sometimes haunting and sometimes surprising,' said Newbery Committee Chair Rose V. Treviño." (ALA media release) (.)

2009 Newbery Honor Books

Note: All of the quotations in this section are from the ALA media release about the awards mentioned above.

• The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small, and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing "Underneath the canopy of the loblolly pines, amid the pulsating sounds of the swamp, there lies a tale. Intertwining stories of an embittered man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat and a vengeful lamia sing of love, loss, loneliness and hope. Appelt’s lyrical storytelling heightens the distinguished characteristics of this work." (.)

• The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom, by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt and Company. "The Surrender Tree utilizes compelling free verse in alternating voices to lyrically tell the story of Cuba’s three wars for independence from Spain. Combining real-life characters (such as legendary healer Rosa La Bayamesa) with imagined individuals, Engle focuses on Rosa’s struggle to save everyone—black, white, Cuban, Spanish, friend or enemy." (.)

• Savvy by Ingrid Law, published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group in partnership with Walden Media, LLC. "This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride, winding through the countryside on a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions. Newcomer Law weaves a magical tall tale, using vivid language and lively personalities, all bouncing their way to a warm, satisfying conclusion." (.)

• After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Books for Young Readers. "This tightly woven novel looks back on two years in a New York City neighborhood, where life changes for two 11-year-olds when a new girl joins their game of double Dutch. Bonded by Tupac’s music, the three girls explore the lure of freedom and build a friendship that redefines their own identities." (.)