Be sure you’re filling your bookshelf with the best of the best with the latest award winners. From the longstanding Newbery, to the Caldecott Medal, to the Coretta Scott King Awards, there is so much to celebrate in children’s books and their award winners.
2021 Caldecott Medal Winner
The Caldecott Medal is one of the longest running and most highly prestigious awards for children's literature. This year, the honor went to Carole Lindstrom for her children's book We Are Water Protectors. This stunningly illustrated picture book is about the importance of keeping the Earth's oceans and water clean.
We Are Water Protectors
from $6.69
Previous Caldecott Medal Winners
2021 Newbery Medal Winner
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. This year it went to When You Trap a Tiger, Tae Keller's heartwarming story of a girl learning about her family history with the help of a magical tiger. Best for ages 8-12.
When You Trap a Tiger
from $4.29
Newbery Honor Books
Previous Newbery Medal Winners
2020 Hans Christian Andersen Author Winner
Named for author of classic children’s tales like The Little Mermaid and the Ugly Duckling, these awards are handed out every two years to both an author and Illustrator and have been called "the Nobel prize of children’s literature." This year's honor for author went to the prolific Jacqueline Woodson to honor her life’s work of creating tales for kids that are both engaging and meaningful. She has also been awarded the Coretta Scott King Award and the National Book Award in previous years.
Brown Girl Dreaming
from $4.29
Harbor Me
from $4.09
2020 Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Winner
The illustrator honor went to Albertine, a Swiss artist who has illustrated over a dozen kids' books over her career, often accompanying the writing of her husband, writer Germano Zullo. Her art is defined by its attention to detail and sense of humor.
Little Bird
from $5.29
Marta et la bicyclette
from $5.99
2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature
For those looking for a young adult book, no prize is higher than the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Author Kacen Callender won this year with King and the Dragonflies, a story about a boy who thinks his brother has turned into a dragonfly. The story explores unexpected loss, grief, and identity in a way young teens can understand.
King and the Dragonflies
from $4.29
National Book Award Honor Books
Previous National Book Award Winners
2021 Coretta Scott King Book Awards: Author
Winning her second award this year is Jacqueline Woodson, author of beloved children’s books like Brown Girl Dreaming, Each Kindness, and Another Brooklyn as well as titles for adults. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given out annually to an author and Illustrator whose work spotlights and celebrates African American culture.
Before the Ever After
from $4.99
2021 Coretta Scott King Book Award: Illustrator
The winner of 2021’s Coretta Scott King Book Awards Illustrator honor is Frank Morrison, whose work can most recently be seen in the children’s picture book R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin written by Carole Boston, a book celebrating the life and legacy of the soul singer. His images are unique and vibrant, showcasing an almost living emotion within his still-life images.
Coretta Scott King Book Awards Honor Books
2021 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
Last on our list, but definitely not last in prestige or honor, is the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. This award is named for a librarian from Topeka, Kansas who understood the importance and literary merit of books for young adults and children. Author Daniel Nayeri took home the honor this year for Everything Sad Is Untrue, a middle-grade book about a boy who doesn’t quite fit in at his new school, who speaks his truth and talks about his heritage and life as a refugee from Iran, in spite of the other kids who laugh and don’t understand.
