‘Last Cuentista,’ ‘Unspeakable’ win children’s book awards

By HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Donna Barba Higuera’s “The Last Cuentista,” a post-apocalyptic tale of a young girl who must preserve the memory of Earth’s history, has won the John Newbery Medal for the year’s best children’s book. Another story of memory was awarded the Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding children’s picture book. ”Watercress,” in which a Chinese American girl learns about her heritage, was illustrated by Jason Chin and written by Andrea Wang. The Newbery and Caldecott medals were part of the Youth Media Awards announced Monday by the American Library Association.