The John Newbery Medal is given by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of "the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children"; an annual award, it has been given from 1922 to the present. Winners must have been written by an American citizen or resident and its first publication must be in English.

Read Newbery Medal award winners and discuss with Sparrow and your fellow SPACE students: what do these stories reveal about their times and what is timeless about them? Where does this work fall in the old discussion about whether children's literature should provide education or delight? What cultural values and developmental landmarks does the work deliver to readers?

Each month we will read two different works and gently travel through time with Stories.