The Hobbit is in the format of a book.
The Carnegie Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises one outstanding new book for children or young adults . The Hobbit , or There and Back Again is a children 's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien . It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim , being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction . The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children 's literature . The publisher was encouraged by the book 's critical and financial success and , therefore , requested a sequel .