Newbery Medal 1945: Complete list of winners

The 1945 Newbery Medal, presented by the American Library Association, honored Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson as the year’s most distinguished contribution to American children’s literature. Lawson’s charming tale of woodland creatures preparing for the arrival of new humans to their countryside home struck a particular chord with the award’s judges, who recognized both the author-illustrator’s skillful storytelling and his ability to capture the anxieties and hopes of small creatures facing an uncertain future. Coming in the final year of World War II, the book’s gentle narrative about community, change, and optimism resonated with a nation looking toward peace and renewal.

Robert Lawson brought his characteristic warmth and imaginative vision to Rabbit Hill, crafting a story that worked on multiple levels—entertaining young readers with animal adventures while offering older audiences subtle commentary on adaptation and acceptance. The Newbery Medal, America’s most prestigious annual award for outstanding children’s literature, has long championed works that combine literary merit with genuine appeal to young audiences, and Lawson’s 1945 winner exemplifies that tradition perfectly. His illustrations became as iconic as his prose, cementing the book’s place in the canon of classic American children’s literature.

Below, you’ll find the complete list of the 1945 Newbery Medal honorees and their contributions to children’s literature that year.

Children’s Literature

• Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson