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ATLANTA – John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, authors and illustrator of “March: Book Three,” were named the winners of the 2017 Robert F. Sibert Medal for the most distinguished informational book for children published in 2016. The award was announced today by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the 91��ý (91��ý), during the 91��ý Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits held Jan. 20 – 24, in Atlanta, Georgia.

“March: Book Three” published by Top Shelf Productions, is a memoir chronicling Lewis’s lifelong struggle for civil and human rights. Carefully selected dialog and first-person accounts combine with panels, word balloons, and creative lettering in a stunning display of the comics medium.

“The skillful work of Lewis, Aydin and Powell invites readers to walk in Lewis’s shoes, calling them to reflect on his experiences and to see his story of courage and resistance as America’s own,” said Sibert Medal Committee Chair Caitlin D. Jacobson.

Lewis is the U.S. Representative for Georgia’s Fifth District . Aydin serves as Digital Director and Policy Advisor to Rep. Lewis. Powell is an Eisner-winning graphic novelist and lives and works in Bloomington, Indiana.

The Sibert Medal Committee selected four Honor Books.

“Giant Squid” written by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

Poetic text and lush oil paintings immerse readers in a suspenseful deep-sea investigation of the elusive giant squid, exploring what is known – and what remains unknown – about this fascinating marine creature.

Fleming and Rohmann are award-winning creators of numerous books for children. They live in a suburb of Chicago.

“Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story” written by Caren Stelson, published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group[d3] [d4] , Inc.

In powerful, spare prose, Stelson recounts the haunting experiences of a young Sachiko and her family in the months and decades following the atomic destruction at Nagasaki. Historical photographs and topical essays combine to provide valuable context for today’s readers.

An active member of the Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee, Stelson writes and teaches in Minneapolis.

"Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II” written by Albert Marrin and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Marrin fuses impeccable research and polemic brilliance in an examination and well-guided history of the racism and xenophobia that propelled Executive Order 9066, interning over 100,000 Japanese-American citizens in concentration camps.

Dr. Albert Marrin, of New York, was the chairman of the history department of Yeshiva University until 2001, and has written over 40 history books for young people.

“We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler” written by Russell Freedman and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Freedman offers a tightly-knit narrative on the lives and work of these young people within the larger context of Hitler, Nazism, and the devastating effect these forces had on Germany, its people, and the world. Meticulous research, exceptional design, and masterful plot development celebrate the legacy of those who refused to be silent.

Russell Freedman is a multi-award winning author of numerous history and biography titles for youth. He makes his home in New York City.

The award was established by ALSC and named to commemorate Mr. Robert F. Sibert, founder of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc., of Jacksonville, Ill. Sibert is known for his early work in establishing standards of bookbinding.

Members of the 2017 Sibert Medal Committee are Chair Caitlin D. Jacobson, Ketchikan (Alaska.) High School Library; Louise A. Capizzo, Scarborough (Maine) Public Library; Elise DeGuiseppi, Pierce County Library System, Tacoma, Wash.; Jean B. Gaffney, Dayton (Ohio) Metro Library; Elisa Gall, Latin School of Chicago; Marge Loch-Wouters, Loch-Works Consulting, La Crescent, Minn.; Ted McCoy, Leeds Elementary and Ryan Road Elementary, Northampton, Mass.; Gail Nordstrom, Viking Library System, Fergus Falls, Minn.; and Michael A. Rogalla, Champaign (Ill.) Public Library.

ALSC is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit their website at .

For information on the Robert F. Sibert Medal and other 91��ý Youth Media Awards, please visit .

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