Titles in red are part of the Turner Ashby High School Library collection.
The 2018 winner of the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature is Hello, Universe, written by Erin Entrada Kelly.
 | Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery, being different, and finding your inner bayani (hero). In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball. They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. |
Three Newbery Honor Books also were named:
| Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut – Derrick Barnes - The barbershop is where the magic happens. Boys go in as lumps of clay and, with princely robes draped around their shoulders, a dab of cool shaving cream on their foreheads, and a slow, steady cut, they become royalty. That crisp yet subtle line makes boys sharper, more visible, more aware of every great thing that could happen to them when they look good: lesser grades turn into As; girls take notice; even a mother’s hug gets a little tighter. Everyone notices. |  |
 | Long Way Down – Jason Reynolds – William Holloman is on the most haunting elevator ride of his life. He’s been urged to break “the rules” he’s grown up with. (No crying. No snitching. Get revenge.) Reynolds’ first novel in verse is a provocative, compelling, and essential love letter to young people in detention centers. |
| Piecing Me Together - Renee Watson - Jade is a likable protagonist who is easy to root for. There are many stories that shape who we are as people—and Jade helps others express their feelings and thoughts about the world around them. |  |