Newbery and Caldecott Winning Books for 2012

The Newbery Medal is the most prestigious children's literature award presented in the United States by the American Library Association. The Newbery winning book for 2012 is Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos.
(4th - 6th Grade)

Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is “grounded for life” by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack’s way once his mom loans him out to help a fiesty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder.  Barnes and Noble
Also the Winner of the 2012 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.  (Story has some tricky profanity)
                                                                       
In the United States, the Caldecott Medal is awarded to the picture book with the best illustrations. The Caldecott Medal goes to A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka. (Kindergarten - 3rd Grade)

Daisy the dog loves her red ball.  One day something happens to Daisy's ball. Will friendship heal her saddened heart?