Award Winning Books for Children
Caldecott Medal
Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
2023 Winner
Hot Dog
- by Doug Salati
2023 Honor Books
Ain’t Burned All the Bright
- by Jason Griffin
Berry Song
- by Michaela Goade
Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement
- by Janelle Washington
Knight Owl
- by Christopher Denise
Goldfinch Award
Goldfinch Award
The Goldfinch Award gives children an opportunity to choose the award winning book and to suggest books for the yearly reading list. Books chosen are fiction or nonfiction titles appropriate for children in preschool through 3rd grade.
2023-2024 Nominees
A Thousand White Butterflies
- by Jessica Betancourt-Perez
Aaron Slater, illustrator
- by Andrea Beaty
Bear is a Bear
- by Jonathan Stutzman
Change Sings: a children’s anthem
- by Amanda Gorman
Click Clack Good Night
- by Doreen Cronin
Different – a great thing to be!
- by Heather Avis
If You Come to Earth
- by Sophie Blackwell
Mars!: Earthlings Welcome
- by Stacy McAnulty
Mel Fell
- by Corey R Tabor
Nano: the spectacular science of the very (very) small
- by Jess Wade
Norman Didn’t Do It!: (yes, he did)
- by Ryan T HIggins
Our Table
- by Peter H Reynolds
Ten Beautiful Things
- by Molly Beth Griffin
The Couch Potato
- by Jory John
The Elephants Come Home: a true story of seven elephants, two people, and one extraordinary friendship
- by Kim Tomsic
The Perfectly Perfect Wish
- by Lisa Mantchev
The Year We Learned to Fly
- by Jacqueline Woodson
This Very Tree: a story of 9/11, resilience, and regrowth
- by Sean Rubin
This Way, Charlie
- by Caron Levis
When Langston Dances
- by Kaija Langley
Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA)
Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA)
The Iowa Children’s Choice Award gives children an opportunity to choose the award winning book and to suggest books for the yearly reading list. Books chosen are fiction or nonfiction titles appropriate for children in 3rd through 6th grade.
2023-2024 Nominees
365 Days to Alaska
- by Cathy Carr
A Place to Hang the Moon
- by Kate Albus
A Soft Place to Land
- by Janae Marks
Amari and the Night Brothers
- by B B Alston
Barakah Beats
- by Maleeha Siddiqui
Better With Butter
- by Victoria Piontek
Clarice the Brave
- by Lisa McMann
Dear Student
- by Elly Swartz
Just Harriet
- by Elana K Arnold
Maya and the Robot
- by Eve L Ewing
Once Upon a Tim
- by Stuart Gibbs
Rez Dogs
- by Joseph Buchac
Sunshine
- by Marion Dane Bauer
The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas
- by Kemberly Willis Holt
The Comeback
- by E L Shen
The Elephant in the Room
- by Holly Goldberg Sloan
The Lion of Mars
- by Jennifer Holm
What Lives in the Woods
- by Lindsay Currie
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie
- by Erin Downing
Where We Used to Roam
- by Jenn Bishop
Willodeen
- by Katherine Applegate
Newbery Medal
Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
2023 Newberry Award Winner
Freewater
- by Amina Luqman-Dawson
2023 Newberry Honor Books
Iveliz Explains It All
- by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance
- by Lisa Yee
The Last Mapmaker
- by Christina Soontornvat
Coretta Scott King Award
Coretta Scott King Award
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.
2023 Award Winner
Freewater
- by Amina Luqman-Dawson
2023 Illustrator Award Winner
Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual
- by Frank Morrison
2023 Honor Books
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler
- by Ibi Zoboi
The Talk
- by Alicia D. Williams
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice
- by Tommie Smith
2023 Illustrator Honor Books
Me and the Boss: A Story about Mending and Love
- by April Harrison
Swim Team
- by Johnnie Christmas
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice
- by Dawud Anyabwile
Pura Belpré Award
Pura Belpré Award
The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate.
2023 Award Winner
Frizzy
- by Claribel A. Ortega
2023 Illustrator Award Winner
Where Wonder Grows
- by Xelena González
2023 Honor Books
The Coquíes Still Sing
- by Karina Nicole González
Tumble
- by Celia C. Pérez
2023 Illustrator Honor Books
A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters
- by Duncan Tonatiuh
The Coquíes Still Sing
- by Krystal Quiles
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
The Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.
2023 Award Winner
I Did It!
- by Michael Emberley
2023 Honor Books
A Seed Grows
- by Antoinette Portis
Fish and Wave
- by Sergio Ruzzier
Gigi and Ojiji
- by Melissa Iwai
Owl and Penguin
- by Vikram Madan
Award Winning Books for Teens
Alex Awards
Alex Awards
The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year’s publishing. The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998 and became an official ALA award in 2002.
2023 Winners
A Lady’s Guide to to Fortune-Hunting
- by Sophie Irwin
Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution
- by R. F. Kuang
Chef’s Kiss
- by Jarrett Melendez
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
- by Sue Lynn Tan
I’m Glad My Mom Died
- by Jennette McCurdy
Solito: A Memoir
- by Javier Zamora
The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere.
- by James Spooner
The Kaiju Preservation Society
- by John Scalzi
True Biz
- by Sara Nović
Wash Day Diaries
- by Jamila Rowser
Iowa High School Book Award (IHSBA)
Iowa High School Book Award
In March, high school students across Iowa take part in the nomination of books for the Iowa High School Book Award. These books are reviewed by the IHSBA committee and teacher librarian volunteer readers and the list is narrowed. During the summer, the readers read and rate the titles. The committee members finalize the list in the fall. The list for the next school year is released in January for the following school year.
2023-2024 Nominees
All My Rage
- by Sabaa Tahir
Billy Summers
- by Stephen King
Bluebird
- by Sharon Cameron
Firekeeper’s Daughter
- by Angeline Boulley
Indivisible
- by Daniel Aleman
Kneel
- by Candace Buford
That Weekend
- by Kara Thomas
The Girls I’ve Been
- by Tess Sharpe
The Last Thing He Told Me
- by Laura Dave
Today Tonight Tomorrow
- by Rachel Lynn Solomon
We Are Not From Here
- by Jenny Torres Sanchez
You’ll Be the Death of Me
- by Karen M McManus
Iowa Teen Award (ITA)
Iowa Teen Award
In March, teens across Iowa take part in the nomination of books for the Iowa Teen Award. These books are reviewed by the ITA committee and volunteer readers and the list is narrowed. During the summer, the adult readers read and rate the titles.
In March, teens also vote for their favorite book from that year’s list.
2023-2024 Nominees
A-Okay
- by Jarad Greene
Ain’t Burned All the Bright
- by Jason Reynolds
Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna
- by Dobbs Alda
Dress Coded
- by Carrie Firestone
Fallout : spies, superbombs, and the ultimate Cold War showdown
- by Steve Sheinkin
Huda F Are You?
- by Huda Fahmy
I Must Betray You
- by Ruta Sepetys
Long Lost
- by Jacqueline West
The Canyon’s Edge
- by Dusti Bowling
The List of Unspeakable Fears
- by Kramer J. Kasper
The Shape of Thunder
- by Jasmine Warga
The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights
- by Alexandria Rogers
War Stories
- by Gordon Korman
When You Get the Chance: A Novel
- by Emma Lord
Morris Award
Morris Award
The William C. Morris YA Debut Award honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. The award’s namesake is William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults.
2023 Winner
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
- by Isaac Blum
2023 Finalists
Hell Followed with Us
- by Andrew Joseph White
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School
- by Sonora Reyes
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet
- by Jen Ferguson
Wake the Bones
- by Elizabeth Kilcoyne
Printz Award
Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association.
2023 Winner
All My Rage
- by Sabaa Tahir
2023 Finalists
Icebreaker
- by A.L. Graziadei
Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality
- by Eliot Schrefer
Scout’s Honor
- by Lily Anderson
When the Angels Left the Old Country
- by Sacha Lamb
YALSA Nonfiction Award
YALSA Nonfiction Award
YALSA’s Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year.
2023 Winner
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice
- by Tommie Smith
2023 Finalists
A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome
- by Ariel Henley
Abuela, Don’t Forget Me
- by Rex Ogle
American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South
- by Gail Jarrow
Unequal: A Story of America
- by Michael Eric Dyson
YALSA Teens' Top Ten
YALSA Teen Top Ten
Vote for the 2023 Teen Top Ten!
The Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are announced the Thursday of National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen vote online between August 15 and October 15; the winners are announced during October (TeenTober).
2023 Nominees
A Million Quiet Revolutions
- by Robin Gow
All My Rage
- by Sabaa Tahir
Alone Out Here
- by Riley Redgate
Blackwater
- by Jeanette Arroyo
Crumbs
- by Danie Stirling
Dig Two Graves
- by Gretchen McNeil
Don’t look back : a memoir of war, survival, and my journey from Sudan to America
- by Achut Deng
Five Survive
- by Holly Jackson
Gallant
- by VE Schwab
Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
- by Axie Oh
Gleanings: Stories from Arc of a Scythe
- by Neal Shusterman
Gold Mountain
- by Betty Yee
I Must Betray You
- by Ruta Sepetys
Icebreaker
- by Hannah Grace
Lakelore
- by Anna-Maria McLemore
Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School
- by Sonora Reyes
Lia and Beckett’s Abracadabra
- by Any Noelle Parks
Lightlark
- by Alex Aster
Messy Roots: a graphic memoir of a Wuhanese American
- by Laura Gao
My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding
- by Sajni Patel
Nothing Burns as Bright as You
- by Ashley Woodfolk
Nothing More to Tell
- by Karen M. McManus
Some Mistakes Were Made
- by Kristin Dwyer
The Ivory Key
- by Akshaya Raman
The Rumor Game
- by Dhonielle Clayton & Sona Charaipotra
