Newbery Medal 1988: Complete list of winners

The 1988 Newbery Medal marked a pivotal moment in children’s literature, when the American Library Association’s most prestigious award for young readers recognized an unconventional champion: Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman. This decision broke new ground for the Newbery, signaling that the award’s gatekeepers were ready to celebrate nonfiction with the same reverence traditionally reserved for narrative fiction. Freedman’s meticulously researched biography, enriched with haunting period photographs and documents, brought Abraham Lincoln to vivid life for young readers, proving that history could be both intellectually rigorous and deeply engaging.

What made Freedman’s win particularly significant was how it challenged assumptions about what children’s books could be. Rather than a straightforward chronological narrative, Lincoln offered a more intimate, visually driven exploration of the 16th president’s life and legacy. The inclusion of photographs—some rarely seen before—transformed the reading experience and demonstrated that children deserved the same quality of historical documentation and analysis that adult readers expected. This recognition helped establish photobiography as a legitimate and powerful form of children’s literature, opening doors for countless nonfiction works in the years to come.

Below you’ll find details about this groundbreaking Newbery selection and what distinguished it in a competitive year for children’s literature awards.

Children’s Literature

• Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman