View source for Children's Literature Legacy Award

{{short description|Prize for writers or illustrators of children's books}}
{{Infobox award
| name           = Children's Literature Legacy Award
| image          = 
| imagesize      = 250px
| caption        = 
| awarded_for    = "substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature"
| presenter      = [[Association for Library Service to Children]], a division of the American Library Association
| country        = United States
| year           = 1954
| website        = {{URL|ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/clla/about}}
}}
The '''Children's Literature Legacy Award''' (formerly the '''Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal''' or '''Wilder Award''') is a prize awarded by the [[Association for Library Service to Children]] (ALSC), a division of the [[American Library Association]] (ALA), to writers or illustrators of children's books published in the [[United States]] who have, over a period of years, made substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature.<ref name=AboutWilder/> The bronze medal prize was originally named after its first winner, twentieth-century American author [[Laura Ingalls Wilder]], before being renamed in 2018.<ref name=AboutWilder />

Originally, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal was awarded every five years, awarding six prizes between 1955 and 1980. From 1980 to 2001 it was awarded every three years, awarding seven prizes. From 2001 to 2015 it was awarded every two years. It is now awarded annually.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 31, 2014 |title=Every Year a Wilder Year! |url=http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2014/07/every-year-a-wilder-year/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305173725/http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2014/07/every-year-a-wilder-year/ |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |accessdate=March 5, 2016 |website=ALSC Blog |publisher=Association for Library Service to Children}}</ref> The most recent author to receive the award was [[Carole Boston Weatherford]] in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carole Boston Weatherford wins 2025 Children’s Literature Legacy Award {{!}} ALA |url=https://www.ala.org/news/2025/01/carole-boston-weatherford-wins-2025-childrens-literature-legacy-award |access-date=2025-11-03 |website=www.ala.org |language=en}}</ref> 

==Criteria==
* The medal may be awarded to an author or illustrator including co-authors or co-illustrators, and persons who both write and illustrate. The person may be nominated posthumously.<ref name=WilderCriteria/>
* Some portion of the nominee's active career in books for children must have occurred in the twenty-five years prior to nomination.<ref name=WilderCriteria />
* Citizenship or residence of the potential nominee is not to be considered.<ref name=WilderCriteria />
* The nominee's work must be published in the United States but this does not mean that the first publication had to be in the United States. Books by the nominee that have been published in the United States are to be considered in the nomination process.<ref name=WilderCriteria />
*  Some of the books by the potential nominee must have been available to children for at least ten years.<ref name=WilderCriteria />
* The books, by their nature or number, occupy an important place in literature for American children, and children have read the books, and the books continue to be requested and read by children.<ref name=WilderCriteria />
* The committee is to direct its attention only to the part of the nominee's total work that is books for children (up to and including age fourteen).<ref name=WilderCriteria />

==Renaming==
In February 2018, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), the division of ALA that administers the award, announced a taskforce which re-examined the naming of the award and included representation from the American Indian Library Association (AILA).<ref name="ALSC Announcement">{{cite web|last1=Lindsay|first1=Nina|title=ALSC Awards Program Review Update|url=http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2018/03/alsc-awards-program-review-update/|website=ALSC Blog|publisher=ALA|accessdate=March 27, 2018|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919002245/https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2018/03/alsc-awards-program-review-update/|url-status=live}}</ref> The task force was convened because of criticism of Wilder's depictions of Native and African Americans.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Reese|first1=Debbie|title=BIG NEWS: A possible change in name of ALA's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award!|url=https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2018/02/big-news-possible-change-in-name-of.html|website=American Indians in Children's Literature|accessdate=March 27, 2018|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022004725/https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2018/02/big-news-possible-change-in-name-of.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A recommendation to rename the award was made on June 23, 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/wildermedal/wilderabout|title=About the Children's Literature Legacy Award|date=November 30, 1999|work=Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)|access-date=June 24, 2018|language=en|archive-date=April 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421125422/http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/wildermedal/wilderabout|url-status=live}}</ref> The ALSC board found Wilder's body of work "includes expressions of stereotypical attitudes inconsistent with ALSC's core values of inclusiveness, integrity and respect, and responsiveness."<ref name=Lou>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/laura-ingalls-wilder-apos-name-181423728.html |title=Laura Ingalls Wilder's Name Cut From Award For Her 'Stereotypical' Depictions |work=HuffPost |via=[[Yahoo! News]] |first=Michelle |last=Lou |date=June 25, 2018 |accessdate=June 26, 2018 |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627034557/https://www.yahoo.com/news/laura-ingalls-wilder-apos-name-181423728.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The award's name was officially changed to the "'''Children's Literature Legacy Award'''."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/19112531f7a24c9c8ab43b7968c96a1d|title=Association removes Laura Ingalls Wilder's name from award|date=June 24, 2018|website=AP NEWS|access-date=January 15, 2019|archive-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819205456/https://apnews.com/19112531f7a24c9c8ab43b7968c96a1d|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Recipients==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;"
|+ '''Children's Literature Legacy Award''' winners<ref name=winners/>
!width=15em|Year
!width=200em|Author
|-
!2025
|[[Carole Boston Weatherford]]
|-
!2024
|[[Pam Muñoz Ryan]] 
|-
!2023
| {{sortname|James E.|Ransome|link=James Ransome (illustrator)}}
|-
|-
!2022
| {{sortname|Grace|Lin}}
|-
|- race Lin
!2021
| {{sortname|Mildred D.|Taylor}}
|-
!2020
| {{sortname|Kevin|Henkes}}
|-
!2019
| {{sortname|Walter Dean|Myers}}
|-
!2018
| {{sortname|Jacqueline|Woodson}}
|-
!2017
| {{sortname|Nikki|Grimes}}
|-
!2016
| {{sortname|Jerry|Pinkney}}
|-
!2015
| {{sortname|Donald|Crews}}
|-
!2013 
| {{sortname|Katherine|Paterson}}
|-
!2011
| {{sortname|Tomie|dePaola}}
|-
!2009
| {{sortname|Ashley|Bryan}}
|- 
!2007
| {{sortname|James|Marshall|James Marshall (author)}}
|- 
!2005
| {{sortname|Laurence|Yep}}
|- 
!2003
| {{sortname|Eric|Carle}}
|- 
!2001
| {{sortname|Milton|Meltzer}}
|- 
!1998 
| {{sortname|Russell|Freedman}} 
|- 
!1995
| {{sortname|Virginia|Hamilton}}
|- 
!1992
| {{sortname|Marcia|Brown}}
|- 
!1989
| {{sortname|Elizabeth George|Speare}}
|- 
!1986
| {{sortname|Jean|Fritz}}
|- 
!1983
| {{sortname|Maurice|Sendak}}
|- 
!1980
| {{sortname|Theodor S.|Geisel|Dr. Seuss}} (Dr. Seuss)
|- 
!1975
| {{sortname|Beverly|Cleary}}
|- 
!1970
| {{sortname|E. B. |White}}
|- 
!1965
| {{sortname|Ruth|Sawyer}}
|- 
!1960
| {{sortname|Clara Ingram|Judson}}
|- 
!1954
| {{sortname|Laura Ingalls|Wilder}}
|}

==See also==
{{Portal |Children's literature }} 
* [[List of ALA awards]]
* [[Caldecott Medal]]
* [[Newbery Medal]]
* [[Margaret Edwards Award|Margaret A. Edwards Award]]

==References==
{{reflist |refs=
<ref name=AboutWilder>{{cite web | title = About the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award | publisher = [[Association for Library Service to Children]] (ALSC). [[American Library Association]] (ALA) | url = http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/wildermedal/wilderabout/index.cfm | accessdate = February 17, 2009 | archive-date = February 7, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090207130439/http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/wildermedal/wilderabout/index.cfm | url-status = live }}</ref>  
<ref name=winners>{{cite web | title = Children's Literature Legacy Award Recipients | website = ALSC | url = https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/clla/pastwinners | accessdate = July 5, 2021 | archive-date = June 28, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210628055011/https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/clla/pastwinners | url-status = live }}</ref>
<ref name=WilderCriteria>{{cite web | title = Wilder Award Terms and criteria | website = ALSC | url = http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/wildermedal/wilderterms/wildermedaltrms | accessdate = May 4, 2013 | archive-date = July 12, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180712210020/http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/wildermedal/wilderterms/wildermedaltrms | url-status = live }}</ref>
}}

{{American Library Association}}
{{Little House}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Children's Literature Legacy Award}}
[[Category:American children's literary awards]]
[[Category:American Library Association awards]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1954]]
[[Category:Children's Literature Legacy Award winners| ]]
[[Category:Little House series]]
[[Category:English-language literary awards]]