Today the American Library Association announced the winners of their prestigious 2009 Youth Media Awards. Novelist and graphic novelist Neil Gaiman won the John Newbery Medal for his tome, The Graveyard Book, which was illustrated by Dave McKean.

Author Susan Marie Swanson and illustrator Beth Krommes won the Randolph Caldecott Medal for picture books for the book, The House in the Night.

Melina Marchetta won the Michael L. Printz Award (for young adult literature) for the book, Jellicoe Road. Finally, Kadir Nelson won the Coretta Scott King Award for a book written by an African American with We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.

More from MSBC’s report: “In addition, the ALA celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards and introduced a new award, the William C. Morris Award. It is also the first year that the Pura Belpre Award will be given annually.”