Sibert Medal Winners at the MMS Library
2013 ​
Bomb​
(Steve Sheinkin) Examines the history of the atomic bomb, discussing the discovery of the behavior of uranium when placed next to radioactive material, the race to build a bomb, and the impact of the weapon on societies around the world. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2011 ​
Kakapo Rescue ​
(Sy Montgomery) Provides an introduction to the kakapo parrot, a flightless bird found on Codfish Island off the coast of New Zealand, and looks at how the country's National Kakapo Recovery Team is working to save the kakapos, whose population numbers less than one hundred. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2010 ​
Almost Astronauts ​
(Tanya Lee Stone) Profiles thirteen women who challenged social norms and government policies to prove they could be exceptional astronauts. (​
Biography​
) 2009 ​
We Are the Ship​
(Kadir Nelson) Explores the history of Negro League baseball teams, discussing owners, players, hardships, wins, and losses; and including illustrations. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2007​
Team Moon​
(Catherine Thimmesh) Chronicles the Apollo 11 mission, the spaceflight that landed the first man on Earth's moon on July 20, 1969, emphasizing the contributions and reactions of the thousands of people who made the mission successful. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2006 ​
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine​
(Sally M. Walker) Tells the story of the "H. L. Hunley," the Confederate submarine that in 1864 became the first to ever sink an enemy ship but lay missing on the ocean floor for more than a century, describing its creation, its discovery, skeletons and objects found onboard, and facial reconstructions of several crew members by forensic anthropologists. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2005 ​
The Voice that Challenged a Nation​
(Russell Freedman) Tells the life story of singer Marian Anderson, describing her famous 1939 Lincoln Memorial performance and explaining how she helped end segregation in the American arts after being refused the right to perform at Washington's Constitution Hall because of the color of her skin. (​
Biography​
) 2004 ​
An American Plague​
(Jim Murphy) Provides an account of the yellow fever epidemic that swept through Philadelphia in 1793, discussing the chaos that erupted when people began evacuating in droves, leaving the city without government, goods, or services, and examining efforts by physicians, the Free African Society, and others to cure and care for the sick. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2002 ​
Black Potatoes​
(Susan Campbell Bartoletti) Draws from letters, diaries, and other documents to chronicle the Irish potato famine of 1845­50, describing the political and personal impact it had on Ireland and its people, and presenting illustrations from contemporary newspapers. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2001 ​
Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado ​
(Marc Aronson) Recounts the adventurous life of the English explorer and courtier who spelled his name "Ralegh" and led many expeditions to the New World. (​
Biography​
) Sibert Honor Winners at the MMS Library
2016 ​
The Boys Who Challenged Hitler ​
(Phillip Hoose) Tells the story of a group of boy resistance fighters in Denmark after the Nazi invasion during World War II. (Nonfiction) 2016 ​
Drowned City ​
(Don Brown) A graphic novel account of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in August of 2005, when the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding areas were flooded and more than fourteen hundred people lost their lives.​
(Nonfiction/Graphic Novel) 2016 ​
Voice of Freedom​
(Carole Boston Weatherford) A collage­illustrated collection of free form poems describing the life and work of civil rights advocate Fannie Lou Hamer.​
(Biography/Novel in Verse) 2015 ​
The Family Romanov​
(Candace Fleming) Details the history of Russia's last royal family, the Romanovs. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2015 ​
brown girl dreaming ​
(Jacqueline Woodson) The author shares her childhood memories and reveals the first sparks that ignited her writing career in free­verse poems about growing up in the North and South. ​
(Biography/Memoir/Novel in Verse) 2014 ​
The Mad Potter​
(Jan Greenberg & Sandra Jordan) Looks at the life of potter George E. Ohr, known for his unique designs, whose work did not become widely successful until after his death. (​
Biography​
) 2013 ​
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster​
(Deborah Hopkinson) Draws on stories from survivors and archival photographs to describe the history of the ​
Titanic​
from its launch to its sinking. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2013 ​
Moonbird​
(Phillip Hoose) Chronicles a year in the life of rufa red knot B95, also called Moonbird, following him through his migration pattern and discussing the environmental problems that caused the rufa population to collapsed by nearly eighty percent. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2012 ​
Black & White​
(Larry Dane Brimner) Provides an account of the confrontation between civil rights activist Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth, and Birmingham, Alabama, police chief Eugene "Bull" Connor, who was determined to keep the city's schools, parks, workplaces, and public facilities segregated. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2012 ​
Drawing from Memory ​
(Allen Say) Caldecott medalist Allen Say chronicles his experiences as an artist during World War II, and describes his relationship with his mentor Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist. (​
Biography​
) 2012 ​
The Elephant Scientist ​
(Caitlin O’Connell & Donna M. Jackson) Photographs and text recount Caitlin O'Connell's experiences observing African elephants in their natural habitat, describing the discoveries she made about elephant communication. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2012 ​
Witches!​
(Roz Schanzer) An illustrated history of the witch hunts that took place in colonial­era Salem, Massachusetts, featuring primary source accounts, and describing the victims, accused witches, corrupt officials, and impact of the events on society. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2011 ​
Lafayette and the American Revolution​
(Russell Freedman) When the Marquis de Lafayette ran off to join the American Revolution against the explicit orders of the King of France, he was a strong­willed nineteen­year­old who had never set foot on a battlefield. This thrilling account of a daring soldier who helped bring victory at Yorktown and who became a lifelong friend of George Washington will fascinate young historians. (​
Biography​
) 2010 ​
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice ​
(Phillip Hoose) Presents an account of fifteen­year­old Claudette Colvin, an African­American girl who refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, nine months before Rosa Parks, and covers her role in a crucial civil rights case. (​
Biography​
) 2009 ​
Bodies from the Ice​
(James M. Deem) Examines the science of glaciers and looks at some of the discoveries of the past that have been made as the ice masses move and melt, including the preserved frozen remains of Otzi, the oldest human mummy ever found in ice, believed to be at least 5,300 years old. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2007 ​
To Dance​
(Siena Cherson Siegel) Follows the life and career of a ballerina, detailing her dance school experiences, performances, and personal life. (​
Memoir/Graphic Novel​
) 2007 ​
The Quest for the Tree Kangaroo​
(Sy Montgomery) Full­color, illustrated photographs provide detailed information on the search for the tree kangaroo in Papua New Guinea's cloud forest, and describes its habits, behaviors, and characteristics. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2007 ​
Freedom Riders​
(Ann Bausum) Recounts the freedom ride of John Lewis and Jim Zwerg into the South in 1961 as part of the Civil Rights Movement. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2006 ​
Hitler Youth​
(Susan Campbell Bartoletti) A photo­illustrated look at the youth organizations Adolf Hitler founded and used to meet his sociopolitical and military ends; includes profiles of individual Hitler Youth members as well as young people who opposed the Nazis, such as Hans and Sophie Scholl. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2005 ​
The Tarantula Scientist ​
(Sy Montgomery) Describes the research that Samuel Marshall and his students are doing on tarantulas, including the largest spider on earth, the Goliath bird­eating tarantula. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2003 ​
Six Days in October ​
(Karen Blumenthal) A comprehensive review of the events, personalities, and mistakes behind the Stock Market Crash of 1929, featuring photographs, newspaper articles, and cartoons of the day. (​
Nonfiction​
) 2002 ​
Surviving Hitler​
(Andrea Warren) A biography of Jack Mandelbaum, who survived Nazi concentration camps when he was a teenager. (​
Biography​
) 2002 ​
Vincent van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist​
(Jan Greenberg) Chronicles the life of nineteenth century painter Vincent Van Gogh, describing his childhood in Holland, his years in France, his relationships with his brother and with fellow artist Paul Gauguin, his difficulties with women, his mental health, and his artistic vision. (​
Biography​
) 2001 ​
Blizzard!​
(Jim Murphy) Presents a history, based on personal accounts and newspaper articles, of the massive snow storm that hit the Northeast in 1888, focusing on the events in New York City. (​
Nonfiction​
)