The John Newbery Medal has celebrated the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children since 1922. It is awarded annually by the American Library Association (ALA). 2022 marks its 100th anniversary.

Named after 18th century British bookseller John Newbery, the Newbery Medal was proposed by the editor of Publisher's Weekly magazine, Frederic G. Melcher, in 1921. The medal's purpose is:

To encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. To give those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children's reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field.