Amina Luqman-Dawson's “Freewater,” a middle-grade novel about a secret community of formerly enslaved people, has won the John Newbery Medal for the year's best children's book. Doug Salati's “Hot Dog," about the summertime wanderings of an urban pet, was given the Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding illustrations.
The Newbery and Caldecott are two of the oldest and most prestigious children’s book awards, each dating back more than 80 years.
