Celebrating the 2026 Youth Media Awards

📖 New Release Picture Book Spotlight

Otherwise Known as Judy the Great, Written and illustrated by Selina Alko

As a library kid, Judy Blume stood right alongside Beverly Cleary for me. This clever, witty ode celebrates the life and legacy of Judy Blume through playful poetry and vibrant collage-style illustrations. Read the full Spotlight Review at Ink-a-Dink.com/stories.

Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown BYR | Ages 6–10, 9780316570633, $18.99

🌟 Spotlight: 2026 Youth Media Award Winners Featured at Childress Ink ~ Ink-a-Dink

Each winter, the American Library Association announces the Youth Media Awards at its annual conference—honoring the very best in children’s and young adult literature. It’s one of my favorite moments of the year.

🏅 2026 John Newbery Medal

This year’s John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature was awarded to:

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson, published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

I was absolutely thrilled to see this title recognized—not only did we spotlight it for ages 9–14, it was also our March 2025 Giveaway and featured a beautiful guest blog post by Renée, “How to Make Space for a Child’s Grief.” That made this year’s recognition especially meaningful.

Over the years, I’ve reviewed many Newbery Honor titles, but in 35 years this is only the second time I’ve featured a Newbery winner. The last was The Girl Who Drank the Moon. by Kelly Barnhill.

📚 Additional Award Highlights

I was also delighted to see:

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karina Yan Glaser — a Newbery Honor title we featured in our “Middle-Grade Books That Feel Like a Hug” roundup. A book I didn’t know I needed—and absolutely love.

The Invisible Parade — 2026 Pura Belpré Awards Honor title, celebrating Latino writers and illustrators. Simply breathtaking, and a must-have for collectors and children’s book nerds. Spotlight Review, YouTube Featured Video.

Candace Flemming and Kim Childress, Kids' Ink Children's Bookstore

And I was especially happy to see lifetime achievement honors go to Candace Fleming, recipient of the 2026 Children’s Literature Legacy Award and Margaret A. Edwards Award. I had the joy of meeting Candace many moons ago during my earliest bookselling days at Kids’ Ink Children’s Bookstore. #CoolPeopleMetInBookstores Moments like these take me back to why I started Childress Ink in the first place—to create a space to share books of excellence that didn’t always fit neatly into my work with Girls’ Life. Having featured multiple award winners this year is not only exciting—it’s deeply affirming.

💛 Why This Matters

I’ve attended the ALA Winter Conference multiple times, and the energy in that room when the awards are announced is electric. There’s a unique camaraderie in children’s publishing because we all understand something profound that children's books shape readers and have the power to transform lives. That’s why celebrating them—and placing them into children’s hands—will always be at the heart of what we do.

✨ Ink-a-Dink Updates

📚 Healing well from my “Gamekeeper’s Thumb” surgery on January 22—still limited in what I can do, but I will always be sharing good books.

📚 Ink-a-Dink Giveaways return in April—stay tuned!

📚 Summer pop-up schedule is in the works, including another year at the Caledonia Farmers Market.

As always,

Happy Reading,
Kim

Kim Childress

Founder, Childress Ink ~ Ink-a-Dink

Author ~ Editor ~ Reviewer ~ Speaker

With over thirty years of experience in publishing, Kim Childress is an award-winning editor, author, speaker, and reviewer. She has built a distinguished career while also raising a personal focus group—her four children—through diapers, doctors, broken bones, college, and plagues. Learn more about Kim and follow her adventures at ChildressInk.com and Ink-a-Dink.com. You can purchase her workshops at penconeditors.com, including: Editing Middle-grade and YA Fiction and Nonfiction, Creating Books of Excellence for Young Readers, How a Book is Made from Start to Finish, and Trends and Opportunities in Fiction and Nonfiction Picture Books.

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