John Newbery MedalThe Last CuentistaDonna Barba HigueraAfter a comet strikes Earth, Petra Peña leaves with her family and several hundred other people to continue humanity on another planet. She wakes centuries later to find that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A Collective seeks to erase the past, so Petra turns to storytelling to preserve the history and stories of her people. The novel follows her effort to keep that memory alive in a new world.All readersWord Count 71822View book detailsJohn Newbery Medal and Honor Books 2022
The 2022 edition includes 4 Newbery Honor Books and 1 John Newbery Medal recipient. It records one year of the Newbery program for distinguished contributions to American children's literature. The program recognizes writing rather than illustration, sales, popularity, or a universal reading level.
2022 John Newbery Medal and Honor BooksSee the original list
Selections5
Published byAssociation for Library Service to Children (ALA)
SectionsAll readers
All readers
5 selections
John Newbery MedalThe Last CuentistaDonna Barba HigueraAfter a comet strikes Earth, Petra Peña leaves with her family and several hundred other people to continue humanity on another planet. She wakes centuries later to find that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A Collective seeks to erase the past, so Petra turns to storytelling to preserve the history and stories of her people. The novel follows her effort to keep that memory alive in a new world.All readersWord Count 71822View book details
Newbery Honor BookRed, White, and WholeRajani LaRoccaSet in 1983–84 and written in free verse, this novel follows Reha, an American-born daughter of parents from India. She moves between her school friends and an Indian immigrant and first-generation community, while feeling pulled between her parents’ expectations and her own American identity. When her mother is diagnosed with leukemia, Reha faces grief and tries to be the daughter her family needs. She also wants to express both sides of who she is.All readersView book details
Newbery Honor BookA Snake Falls to EarthDarcie Little BadgerNina is a Lipan girl in the human world who believes in old stories and senses that there is more beyond what she knows. Oli is a cottonmouth kid from a land of spirits and monsters. Cast out from his home like other cottonmouths, he has found a new home near a bottomless lake. Nina and Oli do not know the other exists as their two worlds move toward one another. This speculative novel brings together monsters, magic, family, and two characters from different worlds, including the land of spirits and monsters.All readersLexile Text Measure 829LATOS Book Level 5.3View book details
Newbery Honor BookToo Bright to SeeKyle LukoffAfter Uncle Roderick dies following a long illness, Bug and Bug’s mother grieve in the house they shared with him. When doors open and close and objects move, Bug suspects that Uncle Roderick is trying to send a message. Searching his room for clues, Bug finds pamphlets about being transgender and wonders whether Uncle Roderick had been trans but afraid to say so. Meanwhile, Bug’s friend Moira pushes for a makeover before sixth grade, though Bug does not feel it will answer questions about being a girl. Bug ultimately realizes it is okay to be oneself.All readersLexile Text Measure 790LATOS Book Level 5.1View book details
Newbery Honor BookWatercressAndrea WangA Chinese American girl joins her family in gathering wild watercress beside a road in Ohio. She feels embarrassed by the stop, but her mother shares memories from China that reveal why the food matters to their family. Through the watercress, the girl begins to understand the connection between a familiar meal, her parents’ immigrant experience, and family memories that link the past with the present.All readersLexile Text Measure AD610LATOS Book Level 4View book details