Fantastic Newbery Reads

2022 marks the centennial of the Newbery Medal! That means that for 100 years, the Association of Library Services for Children has given a special award to an author that wrote a great book for children that year. Winning the Newbery Medal is a big deal; it means more people will read your book, and it is a recognition of your hard work! Over the century, lots of books have won the Newbery Medal -- books of poems, graphic novels, historical fiction books…and fantasy books!

From new worlds to talking animals, these are ten great fantasy books that have won the Newbery Medal in the last century. Check them out from your library today!

Note: All titles are linked to their physical copies, and most are available as library e-books and/or e-audiobooks with OverDrive and its app Libby.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Each year, a baby is left in the woods for the witch. But things are not what they seem, and one year, the witch decides to raise the baby left in the woods after accidentally feeding her moonlight. Over the years, her powers begin to show themselves as things get dire for the witch and the people. 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 

After the death of his parents, Bod is raised in a graveyard by ghosts. One day, it becomes clear that the gates of the graveyard can’t keep Bod safe anymore, and he will have to use what he’s learned from his ghost friends and parents to save himself. 

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

A squirrel sucked into a vacuum cleaner leads to a superhero sized story in this tale of Flora Buckman. Comic books have taught Flora so much, and now she’ll use that knowledge to save her family and her new friend.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C O’Brien 

Family is family, but when you’re a mouse…family can mean something even more. Mrs. Frisby needs to move her family, but her son is sick, so an adventure ensues as they try to ensure their safety and avoid disaster. 

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo 

Mice are the characters everyone overlooks in the fairy tale castle. The story that unfolds between a mouse, some rival rats, and a serving girl will leave you crossing your fingers for a change of fates and wanting to know what happens next. 

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 

Meg and her brother go on an adventure through time, and space, and other worlds to try and find their missing father. This is a classic fantasy novel for young readers that explores good and evil and the strengths we find within. 

Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field 

If a doll could write a memoir, what would she say? Dive into a hundred years in the life of Hitty, a doll made in the 1880s, as she travels with the girl she was made for on various adventures. 

The Giver by Lois Lowry 

What if the perfect world is not perfect after all? When he gets his life assignment as a Receiver of Memory, Jonas learns that the world around him is different than it seemed, and his community has been hiding a dark secret from him. 

The Grey King by Susan Cooper 

Get lost in this story based on a Welsh legend as we follow Will Stanton, who is the last-born of a group of immortals. With the help of his friend Bran, he must try to wake the golden harp group of immortals to win the ultimate battle.

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson 

Come on into the rabbit hole in this story of a group of animals watching new people move into the Big House on the hill, and adapting to the changes that ensue. 

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