The Same, but Opposite: Newbery and Caldecott Medal Winners in the 21st Century
We’re at the 25% mark of the 21st century, and I’ve been taking a deep dive into Newbery and Caldecott data over the last 25 years.
Previously . . .
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Which Publisher Has Won the Most Newbery Medals This Century?
Which Publisher Has Won the Most Caldecott Medals This Century?
Which Publisher Has Won the Most Newbery HONORS This Century?
Today I asked the question, “Who has won the most Newbery and Caldecott Medals this century – men or women?”
Here’s how the numbers break down:
I knew that more women have won Newbery and more men have won Caldecott, but I didn’t realize how they are nearly mirror (opposite) images of each other.
- Men have won more Caldecott Medals (from 2001-2025) by far.
- Women have vastly outpaced men in Newbery Medals.
Will these trends continue into the next 25 years?
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About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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My understanding and observation is that the field of children’s books is 90% women. Conferences and critique groups for children’s book authors and illustrators appear to be *at least* 90% women. So the Caldecott imbalance, which has been heavily weighted towards men for 50 years, is shocking. And it’s possible the Newbery imbalance should be even more tilted toward women’s writers than it already is.