Caldecott
Medal Winners
America’s Best Picture Books
2025: Chooch Helped written by Andrea L. Rogers
illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz
A Cherokee girl introduces her younger brother to their family’s traditions — begrudgingly!
Sissy’s younger brother, Chooch, isn’t a baby anymore. They just celebrated his second birthday, after all. But no matter what Chooch does — even if he’s messing something up! Which is basically all the time! — their parents say he’s just “helping.” Sissy feels that Chooch can get away with anything! When Elisi paints a mural, Chooch helps. When Edutsi makes grape dumplings, Chooch helps. When Oginalii gigs for crawdads, Chooch helps. When Sissy tries to make a clay pot, Chooch helps . . .“Hesdi!” Sissy yells. Quit it! And Chooch bursts into tears. What follows is a tender family moment that will resonate with anyone who has welcomed a new little one to the fold.
Previous Years Winners
2024
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2023
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2022
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September 11, 2025
Kick-Off Event!
We’ll have this event with the members of the Books for Boys Book Club! We will “meet” the books we’re reading this year, create a cool reading buddy & book pin banner, enjoy a …
Learn More!
October 9, 2025
The Power of
Poppy Pendle
by Natasha Lowe
Poppy Pendle was born on the floor of the Patisserie Marie Claire bakery in the little town of Potts Bottom. When, as an infant, Poppy unexpectedly …
Read the full synopsis
November 13, 2025
A Rover’s Story
by Jasmine Warga
Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble …
Read the full synopsis
2024: Big illustrated and written by Vashti Harrison
This deeply moving story shares valuable lessons about fitting in, standing out, and the beauty of joyful acceptance, from a New York Times bestselling and award-winning creator.
The first picture book written and illustrated by award-winning creator Vashti Harrison traces a child’s journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal. With spare text and exquisite illustrations, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a tender portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time.
2023: Hot Dog illustrated and written by Doug Salati
It’s summer in the city, and this hot dog has had enough! Enough of sizzling sidewalks, enough of wailing sirens, enough of people’s feet right in his face. When he plops down in the middle of a crosswalk, his owner endeavors to get him the breath of fresh air he needs. She hails a taxi, hops a train, and ferries out to the beach.
Here, a pup can run!
2022: Watercress by Andrea Wang
illustrated by Jason Chin
Gathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family’s Chinese Heritage.
Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl’s parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail covered watercress as they can.
At first, she’s embarrassed. Why can’t her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family’s time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress.
2021: We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
illustrated by Michaela Goade
Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption–a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.
Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all . . .
When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth
And poison her people’s water, one young water protector
Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.
2020: The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Originally performed for ESPN’s The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.
2019: Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around. Inside, the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family unfolds as the keeper boils water for tea, lights the lamp’s wick, and writes every detail in his logbook.
2018: Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home?
Paintings rich with feeling tell this satisfying story of friendship and trust. Here is a book set on a wintry night that will spark imaginations and warm hearts, from Matthew Cordell, author of Trouble Gum and Another Brother.
2017: Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe’s vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat’s own introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn’t always have to be neat or clean–and definitely not inside the lines–to be beautiful.
2016: Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, written by Lindsay Mattick
Before there was Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie.
In 1914, during World War I, Captain Harry Colebourn, a Canadian veterinarian on his way to serve with cavalry units in Europe, rescued a bear cub in White River, Ontario. He named the bear Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war. Harry Colebourn’s real-life great-granddaughter Lindsay Mattick recounts their incredible journey, from a northern Canadian town to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England . . . and finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made a new friend: a boy named Christopher Robin. Gentle yet haunting illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Sophie Blackall bring the wartime era to life, and are complemented by photographs and ephemera from the Colebourn family archives. Here is the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.
2015: The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle.
2014: Locomotive by Brian Floca
It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.
Come hear the hiss of the steam, feel the heat of the engine, watch the landscape race by. Come ride the rails, come cross the young country!
2013: This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it’s a good thing that enormous fish won’t wake up. And even if he does, it’s not like he’ll ever know what happened…
2012: A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
A story about love and loss as only Chris Rashcka can tell it. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy’s anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog. In the tradition of his nearly wordless picture book Yo! Yes?, Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka explores in pictures the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring. Raschka’s signature swirling, impressionistic illustrations and his affectionate story will particularly appeal to young dog lovers and teachers and parents who have children dealing with the loss of something special.
2011: A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead
Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper, always made time to visit his good friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl.
But one day—”Ah-choo!”—he woke up with the sniffles and the sneezes. Though he didn’t make it into the zoo that day, he did receive some unexpected guests.
2010: The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney’s wordless adaptation of one of Aesop’s most beloved fables, an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. After a ferocious lion spares a cowering mouse that he’d planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher’s trap. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes.
2009: The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Swanson
Winner of the 2009 Caldecott Medal! A spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers – a key, a bed, the moon – this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.
2008: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
2007: Flotsam by David Wiesner
A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam–anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there’s no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share . . . and to keep.
Regular Hours of Operation
- Monday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Tuesday - Wednesday: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Thursday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Friday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Sunday: CLOSED
Closures in 2026
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
- February 16 – Presidents Day
- April 4 – Building Maintenance
- May 23-25 – Memorial Day
- June 19 – Juneteenth
- July 3-4 – Independence Day
- September 5-7 – Labor Day
- October 3 – Building Maintenance
- November 11 – Veterans Day
- November 25 – Closing at 5:00 pm
- November 26-28 – Thanksgiving
- December 24-26 – Christmas
- December 31 – New Year’s Eve
- January 1, 2027 – New Year’s Day
Address
73 North Center
Rexburg, Idaho 83440
We are located on Center Street, just north of Main Street, by the Historic Rexburg Tabernacle.
Contact Us
(208) 356-3461
24 Hour Phone Renewal: (208) 356-6658
askmadisonlibrary@madisonlib.org
Madison Library District
73 North Center
Rexburg, ID 83440
A public library.
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Previous Years Winners
SCHEDULE
September 11, 2025—Kick Off Event!*
October 9, 2025—The Power of Poppy Pendle
November 13, 2025—A Rover’s Story*
No book club in December
January 15, 2026, at 6:00 pm—The Wide-Awake Princess
February 12, 2026—You Throw Like a Girl
March 12, 2026—Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock
April 9, 2026—The False Prince*
April 30, 2026—Summer of the Monkeys*
*combined with the Books for Boys Book Club
April 9, 2026
The False Prince
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an …
Read the full synopsis
April 30, 2026
Summer of the Monkeys
by Wilson Rawls
The last thing fourteen-year-old Jay Berry Lee expects to find while trekking through the Ozark Mountains of Oklahoma is a tree full of …
Read the full synopsis
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If you played our online version of Summer Reading, you can use the same login you created then.
September 11, 2025, at 6:30 pm in the Community Room
Kick-Off Event!
We’ll be meeting with the members of the Books for Boys Book Club
Join us for our Fall Kick-off Party!
Calling all young adventurers ages 8-11 and your side-kick adult!
Join the Books for Boys or Great Read Reads for Girls Club, where we dive into exciting stories, get creative with hands-on projects, and satisfy your taste buds with delicious treats. Every month, we’ll explore a new world through a thrilling book, chat about our favorite parts, and bring the story to life with an awesome craft or STEM project!
For this kick-off book party, we will “meet” the books we’re reading this year, create a cool reading buddy & book pin banner, enjoy a snack, and make new friends!
Join us for an hour of non-stop fun!
October 9, 2025, at 6:30 pm in the Community Room
The Power of Poppy Pendle by Natasha Lowe
Poppy Pendle was born on the floor of the Patisserie Marie Claire bakery in the little town of Potts Bottom. When, as an infant, Poppy unexpectedly performs her first bit of magic, her parents, Edith and Roger, know their dream has come true. Their daughter has inherited the family gift.
But as Poppy grows up she isn’t as thrilled about her magical talents. Even though she was born into a long line of witches, has inherited the extraordinary gifts of famed Great-Grandmother Mabel, and is enrolled at the exclusive Ruthersfield Academy, a school for witchcraft, she wants to be a baker instead. Making yummy lemon cakes, buttery almond cookies, chocolate melt-aways, and caramel crunch cookies is Poppy’s passion—and it makes her happy. Poppy Pendle has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. “Whose life is it anyway?” she asks.
part of The Power of Poppy Pendle series
November 13, 2025, at 6:30 pm in the Community Room
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
We’ll be meeting with the members of the Books for Boys Book Club
Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name.
Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop human-like feelings. Maybe there’s a problem with his programming….
Human emotions or not, launch day comes, and Res blasts off to Mars, accompanied by a friendly drone helicopter named Fly. But Res quickly discovers that Mars is a dangerous place filled with dust storms and giant cliffs. As he navigates Mars’s difficult landscape, Res is tested in ways that go beyond space exploration.
As millions of people back on Earth follow his progress, will Res have the determination, courage—and resilience—to succeed… and survive?
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said “Great information for kids wondering about space exploration and a very humanized look at using robots for that job.”
January 15, 2026, at 6:00 pm in the Community Room
The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker
Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie-blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic-can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen’s true love to kiss her awake.
But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn’t possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father’s guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own.
book 1 in the Wide-Awake Princess series
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Miranda rated it ★★★ and said “Super cute mixture of a bunch of the better known fairytales. Could be read as a good stand alone.”
February 12, 2026, at 6:30 pm in the Community Room
You Throw Like a Girl by Rachele Alpine
Gabby’s summer vacation isn’t shaping up to be that great. Her dad was just deployed overseas, and Gabby is staying at her grandmother’s house with her mom and baby sister until he returns.
The one bright spot is that Gaby plans to sign up for the local softball league—her greatest love and a passion she shares with her Dad who was a pitcher in college. But when Gabby goes to sign up for the summer league, she discovers that there wasn’t enough interest to justify a girl’s team this year. And to top it off, a horrible miscommunication ends with Gabby signed up to participate in the Miss Popcorn Festival—the annual pageant that Gabby’s mom dominated when she was younger.
Besides not having any interest in the pageant life, Gabby made a promise to her dad that she would play softball for the summer. Since her pitching skills rival any boy her age, Gabby creates a master plan: disguise herself as a boy and sign up for the boy’s baseball team instead—and try to win the pageant to make Mom happy. Can Gabby juggle perfecting her pageant walk and perfecting her fastball? Or will this plan strike out?
March 12, 2026, at 6:30 pm in the Community Room
The Secret of The Old Clock by Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew solves her first mystery when the accidental rescue of a little girl who lives with her two great-aunts leads on an adventurous search for a missing will.
book 1 in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series
April 9, 2026, at 6:30 pm in the Community Room
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
We’ll be meeting with the members of the Books for Boys Book Club
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
book 1 in the Ascendance series
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Bekka rated it ★★★1/2 and said “this was a fun book! I enjoyed the characters, and by the end I was rooting for the hero. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.”
Mary rated it ★★★★★.
April 30, 2026, at 6:30 pm in the Community Room
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
We’ll be meeting with the members of the Books for Boys Book Club
The last thing fourteen-year-old Jay Berry Lee expects to find while trekking through the Ozark Mountains of Oklahoma is a tree full of monkeys. But then Jay learns from his grandpa that the monkeys have escaped from a traveling circus, and there’s a big reward for the person who finds and returns them.
His family could really use the money, so Jay sets off, determined to catch them. But by the end of the summer, Jay will have learned a lot more than he bargained for—and not just about monkeys.
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Lorna rated it ★★★★★ and said “I liked the humor and the unique flavors of Key West.”
Patty rated it ★★★★.
May 5, 2024, at 6:30 pm in the Community Room
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
Life isn’t like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple.
She’s smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it’s 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle’s mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn’t like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to live with relatives she’s never met.
Florida’s like nothing Turtle’s ever seen before though. It’s hot and strange, full of ragtag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what’s happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she’s spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways.
Regular Hours of Operation
- Monday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Tuesday - Wednesday: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Thursday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Friday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Sunday: CLOSED
Closures in 2026
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
- February 16 – Presidents Day
- April 4 – Building Maintenance
- May 23-25 – Memorial Day
- June 19 – Juneteenth
- July 3-4 – Independence Day
- September 5-7 – Labor Day
- October 3 – Building Maintenance
- November 11 – Veterans Day
- November 25 – Closing at 5:00 pm
- November 26-28 – Thanksgiving
- December 24-26 – Christmas
- December 31 – New Year’s Eve
- January 1, 2027 – New Year’s Day
Address
73 North Center
Rexburg, Idaho 83440
We are located on Center Street, just north of Main Street, by the Historic Rexburg Tabernacle.
Contact Us
(208) 356-3461
24 Hour Phone Renewal: (208) 356-6658
askmadisonlibrary@madisonlib.org
Madison Library District
73 North Center
Rexburg, ID 83440
A public library.