Author Neil Gaiman wins Newbery Medal

According to the Washington Post, British author Neil Gaiman has won what is considered the most prestigious American award for children's literature, the Newbery Medal, for his book "The Graveyard Book."

The author says the story of "The Graveyard Book" is similar to Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Books," where an orphan child was raised by the animals of the jungle. In Gaiman's work, an orphan child is raised by a graveyard of ghosts.

He said the idea for "The Graveyard Book" was over two decades in the making. At the National Book Festival last fall, Gaiman said, "I wrote about a page and a half and I looked at it, and I thought: 'This is a better idea than I am a writer,'" He said he then finished the book after thinking, "I'm not getting any better."

The Newbury Medal is not eligible to authors outside the United States. Gaiman became a nominee for the American award after moving to Minnesota. The medal is awarded annually and has been presented since 1922.

Gaiman is a bestselling author and graphic novelist who has written works for all ages. Some of his acclaimed works include American Gods and his graphic novel series The Sandman.