Jan 24, 2012, 13:25 GMT
Los Angeles - Dead End in Norvelt, a novel by Jack Gantos about the summer adventures of a teenager in small-town America, won the Newberry Prize Monday for the best children's book of 2011.
A Ball for Daisy, by Chris Raschka, won the Caldecott Medal for the best illustrated book.
The awards are considered the most prestigious in children's literature and are presented by the American Library Association.
Though the awards do not carry a cash prize, they are closely watched by libraries and booksellers and usually lead to a sales boom for the authors.
Previous winners included Louis Sachar's Holes and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, both of which have been made into successful Hollywood movies.
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