CeCe Bell's graphic memoir El Deafo today earned a prestigious Newbery Honor for outstanding contribution to children's literature, while Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki's This One Summer became the first graphic novel to receive a Caldecott Honor and only the second to be recognized with a Printz Honor.

The awards were announced this morning by the American Library Association at its Midwinter Meeting in Chicago.

The Caldecott recognizes the most distinguished American picture book for children published the previous year, while the Printz is given for excellence in literature written for young adults (Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese won the Printz Award in 2007).

Published by First Second Books, This One Summer centers on summer friends Rose and Windy, whose families return each year to Awago Beach. But this year, the girls become entangled in teen love and a family crisis. Released by Abrams' Amulet Books, El Deafo is a memoir about trying to make new friends at school while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to her chest.

“It's an incredible thrill to be recognized by the ALA, and by librarians in general, who pretty much run the show as far as we are concerned," Mariko and Jillian Tamaki said in a joint statement. "We are grateful for the many communities that have supported this book, which was inspired by the amazingness of young people. Thank you librarians, thank you comic book readers, publishers and makers."

The full list of winners -- both medal and award recipients and honor books -- can be found in the ALA press release.