The Newbery Medal winner, a children's literature Nobel Prize, is gaining popularity as an elementary and junior essay writing textbook.
The one and only guidebook that tells you what to read and how to read it!

The Newbery Medal, known as the “Nobel Prize of children’s literature,” has a 100-year tradition.
Among the 450 or so Newbery Medal winners, a book titled "35 Must-Read Newbery Medal Books" has been published, introducing carefully selected books that have received great responses from readers.
Newbery Medal-winning works, renowned for their well-crafted stories and delicate, beautiful sentences and vocabulary, remain timeless and are widely read by children around the world. In Korea, they are often selected as essay writing textbooks and required reading for schools.


In particular, reading Newbery Medal winners is considered a prelude to college entrance exam preparation.
Famous private elementary schools and international middle schools even offer classes for reading original texts.
It's obvious why people rush to read Newbery Medal winners.
This is because it can definitely develop the literacy skills that are essential for achieving good grades in all subjects, including Korean, writing, and essay writing.
You can build your vocabulary with top-notch sentences and vocabulary, develop the habit of reading long, compelling stories with diverse backgrounds, and elevate your reading level by exploring in-depth topics ranging from racism to cloning.


But on the other hand, “Everyone says it’s good, but it’s actually hard to read” is a common concern parents have about Newbery Medal winners.
For parents and teachers who are hesitant about which books to start with and how to approach them, this book is a welcome addition: "35 Newbery Medal Must-Reads."
This book contains all the Newbery Medal-winning must-reads that children should read at each age, tailored to their eye level and reading level.

The author of this book, Yeonho Jo, selected the most appropriate books from among the approximately 450 Newbery Medal-winning books, taking into account the emotions, values, and cultural background of Korean children and adolescents.
It is characterized by being categorized into six themes: growth, history, coexistence, life, equality, and future, and arranged in an easy-to-read manner by indicating the target age and difficulty level.
It doesn't matter which work you start reading from.
You can start by reading books on topics that interest you and at an appropriate level of difficulty.
Furthermore, if you read it in parallel with the original text, you can achieve even greater results.


If you want to instill in your children a worldly perspective, empathy for others, and an understanding of diverse sociocultural values ​​from an early age, and if you want to naturally develop the literacy skills essential for academic performance and college entrance, I recommend reading this book first.

The Newbery Medal does not view children and young adults as necessarily young and childish.
I believe that even if it is a somewhat depressing and dark story, it can be accepted and understood.
So, if a book has an outstanding sense of subject matter, we award it regardless of the subject matter.
The criteria for winning the Newbery Medal are: ① Clear theme and concept ② Provide accurate, clear, and well-organized information ③ Well-organized plot ④ Excellent characterization ⑤ Solid structure ⑥ Unique style.
As a literary work, the writing style and composition are also closely evaluated.

--- p.6

Try reading the original Newbery Medal winner.
In fact, it is said that many programs are being run in which students read and discuss Newbery Medal-winning works in their original language in preparation for private elementary schools, international middle schools, and specialized high schools.
Many students say that although it was difficult at first, if you stay up all night reading with sweaty palms, you will naturally pick up the next book.
--- p.11

Most Newbery Medal-winning protagonists are children and young adults, and they grow and mature through the story.
The process by which the young protagonist makes mistakes, does things adults tell him not to do, gets into accidents, encounters obstacles, and overcomes them is in itself relatable, educational, and thought-provoking.
First, learn how to overcome loss.
Second, learn how to face adversity.
Third, learn to build mature relationships by asking for and accepting help.

--- p.17

In addition to the first Newbery Medal winner in 1922, which was a history book, many works have been awarded for literary retellings of historical figures and events.
There are several characteristics that distinguish Newbery Medal winners from historical works.
First, we look at the present through the mirror of the past.
Second, it makes us think about the direction we should take going forward through the path humanity has taken.
Third, the history covered by Newbery Medal winners is very diverse.
It's not just about Europe and America, it's also about Asia and Korea.
That's why our students can grow into global citizens by reading Newbery Medal-winning books.

--- p.57

This Newbery Medal-winning book, which reminds us of the meaning of living peacefully with others, resonates deeply with us as we live amid discrimination, misunderstanding, and conflict.
First, it provides solutions to social problems that arise from conflict.
Second, it enables us to recognize and act appropriately in various situations with a mindset appropriate to an era where diverse cultures and races must coexist.
Third, we also have more opportunities to meet people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.
Newbery Medal winners will teach you the qualities you need to thrive in the multifaceted world of the future.

--- p.105

We are all one universe, and for that universe to meet, we must greet each other, be kind to each other, understand each other, and cherish each other.
When connected like this, each universe can advance into a much larger and brighter existence than before.
A universe apart has no power.
When you are precious to someone, the universe becomes more powerful.
The work seems to convey this message.

--- p.122

It won the 2nd Newbery Medal in 1923.
The author, who studied engineering and worked as an engineer, participated in World War I and experienced its horrors firsthand.
Having been injured and hospitalized, perhaps he realized the horror and futility of war more than anyone else. The author dreams of a peaceful world.
I thought deeply about why peace is broken and war breaks out.
I think it's because of human selfishness and a lack of understanding that leads to a lack of communication between people.
We also care about animals and the environment that suffer and die as much as humans in the midst of war.

--- p.137

If you have any shortcomings, you also realize that you have to work harder to make up for them.
There was a kid named Paul who would just watch TV whenever Victor went to collect money.
Victor gives the nickname 'TV Boy' to the boy who only watches TV.
But then I found out that Paul was hearing impaired and was watching TV intently to learn 'lip reading', which is understanding what other people are saying by looking at the shape of lips instead of the sound.

--- p.203

The story is set in the near future, in an era where humans can be cloned and hovercrafts fly in the sky.
Creating clones has become commonplace, but they are merely tools for curing diseases and providing organs.
They even implant computer chips in the heads of living people to create human robots that simply follow commands.
When talking about the future, we often use the words utopia and dystopia.
Utopia is a heavenly future where everything is realized as ideal.
Dystopia is a future hellish place where greed and chaos make life difficult.

--- p.225

As the author himself said, one-fourth of his blood flows through him as Korean.
I've heard a lot of traditional Korean fairy tales since I was little.
I wrote the work while naturally understanding Eastern and Western cultures together.
There is a tiger story that everyone knows well called “The Sun and the Moon.”
It is a story about a brother and sister who defeated an evil tiger and became the sun and the moon.
The author gives this story a completely new interpretation.
I thought the tiger was a mean and scary creature, but it turned out to be my grandmother's mother.
It is also the healing power within us.

--- p.251