March 2, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — For the Battle of the Kids' Books Tournament, "Newbery medalists Richard Peck, Karen Cushman, Karen Hesse, Laura Amy
Schlitz, and Susan Patron are some of the big names who make up our
dream team of judges who will determine the big winner after a grueling
three-week decision-making process," announces School Library Journal.
A 1956 graduate of DePauw University, Richard Peck was the first writer for young readers to receive the National Humanities Medal. He published his 
debut novel in 1972. Are You In The House Alone? won the 1978 Edgar Allan Poe Award. He won the Newbery Gold Medal in 2001. A Long Way From Chicago was a National Book Award finalist as was his Civil War novel, The River Between Us. USA Today calls Peck's latest work, Three Quarters Dead, "provocative and entertaining."
All told, Peck has authored more than 30 books.
Read more in this recent article.