CYA Literature Awards

Annually, a committee of the CL/R SIG (Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group) of the International Literacy Association selects 25 outstanding trade books for enhancing student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world. The committee reviews books representing all genres intended for students K-12.

We asked educators to tell us what books are popular with their students—and got a list of new 'classics’ for the classroom.

The Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award recognizes authentic portrayals of individuals with autism and developmental disabilities in high-quality fictional and biographical books for children and young adults.

Texas State University College of Education created The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award in 1995 to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience. It is named in honor of Texas State University distinguished alumnus Dr. Tomás Rivera.

EJK Award is given annually to an outstanding writer and illustrator early in their career, by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation in partnership with the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).

The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. Gold medals are presented in three categories: Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult.

The Carter G. Woodson Book Award is presented to exemplary books written for children and young people each year at the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference.

Honoring books, print, and other forms of media, recognizing publications as well as authors, illustrators, and publishers who create them.

Inau­gu­rat­ed in 1950, the Nation­al Jew­ish Book Awards is the longest-run­ning North Amer­i­can awards pro­gram of its kind and is rec­og­nized as the most pres­ti­gious. The Awards are intend­ed to rec­og­nize authors and encour­age the read­ing of out­stand­ing Eng­lish-lan­guage books of Jew­ish interest. Awards are pre­sent­ed in more than eigh­teen cat­e­gories, including Children's Picture Book; Middle Grade Literature; and Young Adult Literature

Picture books, chapter books, novels, and nonfiction works in three catagories (Multicultural, Nature, and Teaching Resources) promote an understanding of cultures, cultivate cooperation, and/or encourage a deeper awareness of nature, ecology, and diversity. They foster a respect for multiple viewpoints and close relationships with human societyies. The honored titles offer various perspectives, help us understand our diverse cultures and their histories, and how we overcome challenging stiuations.

The Donna Norvell Oklahoma Book Award recognizes a book that has made a significant contribution to the field of literature for children through second grade.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children's books. Given every other year by IBBY, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are presented to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature.

The Irma Black Award goes to a children's book where text and illustrations are inseparable. The Award is unusual in that children judge the winning book.

The Giverny Award is an annual children's science picture book award established in 1998 by Dr. Jim Wandersee and Dr. Elisabeth E. Schussler who was at that time affiliated with the 15º Laboratory at Louisiana State University.

The Carnegies are the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people. The Carnegie Medal for Writing is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. The Carnegie Medal for Illustration is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

The Legacy Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children's lives and experiences. Beginning with the 2018 Award, the name changed from the Wilder Medal to the Children’s Literature Legacy Award.

The KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards are the leading annual children's book awards in Ireland. Established in 1990, these awards identify, honour and promote excellence in books for young people by Irish authors and illustrators. KPMG have been headline sponsor of the awards since 2020, allowing for a total prize fund of €16,000.

The Charlotte Zolotow Award is given annually to the author of the best picture book text published in the United States in the preceding year.

The California Young Reader Medal program encourages recreational reading of popular literature among the young people of our state. Since its inception in 1974, millions of California children have nominated, read, and voted for the winners of the California Young Reader 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.

The annual CBCA Book of the Year Awards aim to promote quality literature for young Australians by Australians; support and encourage a wide range of Australian writers and illustrators of books for young people aged 0 to 18; celebrate contributions to Australian chilren's literature.

Committed to providing a broad selection of outstanding books that mixes popular appeal with literary excellence, the Books for Youth editorial staff has chosen the titles below as its most-recommended nonfiction, fiction, and picture-book offerings of the year. Our Top of the List YA fiction, middle-grade fiction, picture-book, and nonfiction selections can be found below, as well as individual book recommendations from Booklist editors and select reviewers, highlighting their personal favorite titles.

A student choice award for the state of Maryland that has been awarded each year since 1992. The award seeks to promote literacy and lifelong reading habits by encouraging students to read quality, contemporary literature.

CLASP founded the Américas Award in 1993 to encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinx cultures in the United States, and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use.

The AIYLA identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity. picture books, the award is for both author and illustrator. Awards are granted in even-numbered years. Authors/illustrators may win the American Indian Youth Literature Award in the categories Best Picture Book, Best Middle Grade Book, and Best Young Adult Book.

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 Children's Notable lists highlight media for children 14 years of age and younger of especially commendable quality that demonstrate respect for young people’s intelligence and imagination; exhibit venturesome creativity; and reflect and encourage the interests of children and young adolescents in exemplary ways.

The Aesop Prize and Accolades, awarded by the Children’s Folklore Section, recognize exceptional books, for children or young adults, that are based on folklore. The folklore must be accurately presented in the text and illustration and add to the reader's understanding of folklore.