Award Winning Books

Each year around the world there are a number of awards and medals given out by various organizations to authors and illustrators whose work is truly outstanding, notable, or deserving of special recognition.  Here are some of those categories and we hope you’ll visit them all to see what is the best as you travel the globe through books.  These award winners represent some of the most important achievements in children’s literature through the years.

We invite you to explore (and read) some of these amazing books. Off we go!

Find Books by Award Name

Newbery Medal | Newbery Honor | Caldecott Medal | Caldecott Honor | Printz Award | Printz Honor | Coretta Scott King Author Award | Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award | Coretta Scott King Honor | Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor | Pura Belpré Award | Geisel Award | Geisel Honor | Governor General’s Literary Award | Childrens’ Africana Book Award | Other Awards

Newbery Medal Winners

The Newbery Medal is perhaps the best-known American childrens’ book award. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Newbery Honor Books

Not every great book can be given the first place prize. The Newbery Honor award is given to authors whose books are recognized by the ALSC as outstanding and distinguished children’s literature.

Caldecott Medal Winners

A picture is worth a thousand words, so the illustrators of picture books deserve their own medal as well! The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. 

Caldecott Honor Books

These books also represent some of the best of the best of children’s picture books in America.

Printz Award Winners

The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature is awarded by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) to the author of the best book written for teens each year (based entirely on its literary merit).

Printz Honor Award Books

Each year, the Printz Committee names up to four honor books which also represent the best writing in young adult literature.

Coretta Scott King Author Award

The Coretta Scott King Author Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors  of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Books

In addition to celebrating authors, the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards celebrates outstanding African American illustrators whose work contributes to the promotion of values such as peace and world brotherhood.

Pura Belpré Award Winners

The Pura Belpré Award 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.

Geisel Award Winners

The (Theodor Seuss) 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.

Geisel Honor Books

Similarly, the Geisel Honor Award is given annually to authors and illustrators of excellent and distinguished American books for beginning readers. 

Governor General’s Literary Award Winners

The Canada Council for the Arts celebrates the best in Canadian literature with the The Governor General’s Literary Awards. These are presented in recognition of the best English-language and best French-language book in seven different categories.

Childrens’ Africana Book Award Winners

The Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) are presented annually to the authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books on Africa published or republished in the U.S.

Other Awards

There are many other literary awards that celebrate childrens’ literature from around the world. Below are some of the most famous: