In this episode, we are joined by Lucy Pearson, a researcher passionate about the Carnegie Medal's impact on children's literature. Lucy guides us through the medal's history, exploring how it reflects our shifting societal values and the evolution of children's books over the decades. Discover how the Carnegie Medal has shaped reading habits, promoted social issues, and mirrored historical contexts. We discuss the crucial role school librarians and educators play in leveraging the rich legacy of the Carnegie Medal to inspire and engage young readers. Together with our host, we ponder how its history can empower youth to think critically about literature and foster inclusive reading cultures. Join us as we explore how Lucy's personal journey, from a school librarian to a distinguished researcher, intertwines with the vibrant past and promising future of the Carnegie Medal. This episode is a testament to the everlasting importance of literature in shaping thoughtful, informed, and empathetic individuals.Lucy has asked us to share the following with you.  General audiences On the relationship between the Medal and children's librarians:  Lucy Pearson, 'Prize fighting: the Carnegie Medal and Children’s Librarians', YLR (2017), 10-11. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.cilip.org.uk/resource/collection/8D88830B-4753-4F25-8EDB-4F45DDC8E018/youth_library_review_2017.pdf   On the Medal's response to social contexts:  Lucy Pearson, 'Innocence destroyed? The Carnegie Medal and the post-Bulger years', in Changing Childhoods, 8 December 2020,  https://changingchildhoods.com/the-carnegie-medal-and-the-post-bulger-years/   On past winners: my Carnegie Medal blog (on a long hiatus following maternity leave!) https://carnegieproject.wordpress.com/     Academic work (I try to write in a way that anyone can enjoy though, and all these are available as open access pre-print copies)   The article that started it all - about the first few decades of the Medal: Pearson L. Prizing the Nation: postwar children's fiction. In: Plain G, ed. British Literature in Transition 1940-60: Postwar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp.209-224. Pre-print copy available at https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/212440   Pearson L, Sands--Connor K, Subramanian A. Prize Culture and Diversity in British Children’s Literature . International Research in Children's Literature 2019, 12(1), 90-106. Pre-print copy available at https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/257082   My academic profile is at https://www.ncl.ac.uk/elll/people/profile/lucypearson.html   I'm extremely pleased to be contacted by anyone regarding this work at lucy.pearson@ncl.ac.uk.