1. About this book -- 2. Books and children -- 3. The Newbery Medal (USA) -- 4. The Carnegie Medal (UK) --5. The Caldecott Medal (USA) -- 6. The Kate Greenaway Medal (UK) -- 7. Choosing the best in the field - The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards -- 8. Not just pretty pictures - awards for illustration -- 9. Coming from another angle - awards with special intentions -- 10. Commercial breaks - awards sponsored by big business --11. Around the world - English-language children's book awards in Australia, Canada, Eire/Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa -- 12. Did the right book always win? -- 13. What the authors and artists say -- 14. What the critics and librarians say -- 15. Some conclusions