The term “Newbery Honor” was introduced in 1971.
Before 1971, books recognized alongside the Newbery Medal winner were commonly called “runners-up.” The American Library Association changed the terminology to “Honor Books” in 1971 and applied the new wording retroactively. Earlier runners-up are therefore now listed and discussed as Newbery Honor Books.
The change did not create a completely new level of award so much as give an established form of recognition a more formal and positive name. Honor Books are selected by the same Newbery committee that chooses the medal winner, but they do not receive the gold medal. Instead, they receive official recognition for distinguished work.
The number of Honor Books is not fixed. In some years there have been none, while in others several titles have been honored. Historical records can therefore look different depending on whether they preserve the older ranking language or use the modern “Honor” terminology. The year 1971 marks the official naming change, not the beginning of supplementary citations.