These books won our Top 10 Children's Book Awards. You can depend on their high quality. The Hans Christian Andersen Award, given every two years, is considered the “Nobel Prize" in children's literature. It is given to both an author and an illustrator for their lifelong contribution, not to one of their specific works. The most recent winners are from 2012.
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1. Newbery Medal Winner for 2013 |
By Katherine Applegate For Ages 8-10 Ivan’s transformative emergence from the “Ape at Exit 8” to “The One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback,” comes to life through the gorilla’s own distinct narrative voice, which is filled with wry humor, deep emotion and thought-provoking insights into the nature of friendship, hope and humanity. |
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2. Caldecott Medal Winner for 2013 |
Written and Illustrated by Jon Klassen For Ages 4-8 In this darkly humorous tale, a tiny fish knows it’s wrong to steal a hat. It fits him just right. But the big fish wants his hat back. Klassen’s controlled palette, opposing narratives and subtle cues compel readers to follow the fish and imagine the consequence. |
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3. Hans Christian Andersen Award Winners for 2012 (Every 2 Years) |
Author Award From Argentina The awards jury cited Andruetto’s “mastery in writing important and original works that are strongly focused on aesthetics. Her books relate to a great variety of topics, such as migration, inner worlds, injustice, love, poverty, violence or political affairs.” She was selected from a list of 27 nominated authors. |
Illustrator Award From Czech Republic The jury praised Sís’s “extraordinary originality and deep creative power to relate highly complex stories that can be interpreted on many different levels,” noting “his use of different design and artistic techniques.” He was chosen from 30 nominated illustrators. He is the first children’s book illustrator to win the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. |
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4. Horn Book Awards for 2013 |
Written and Illustrated by Jonathan Bean Picture Book Award Winner, for ages 3-10 Drawing on childhood memories from his own family’s house construction, Bean creates an engaging story as well as a glimpse into a warm family setting. A little girl narrates, and her childlike voice provides an immediacy that removes any hint of nostalgia. She relates her contributions not as they are but as she... |
By Rainbow Rowell Fiction Award Winner, for ages 14-17 It’s the start of a new school year in 1986 Omaha when sophomores Eleanor and Park meet for the first time on the bus. They are an unusual pair: she’s the new girl in town, an ostracized, bullied “big girl” with bright red curly hair, freckles, and an odd wardrobe; he’s a skinny half-Korean townie who mostly wears black and tries to stay out of the spotlight. But as they... |
Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin Written and illustrated by Robert Byrd Nonfiction Award Winner, for ages 8-10 With a jacket showing Benjamin Franklin as a cross between a mad scientist and a superhero standing amid wild lightning bolts and surrounded by all manner of electrical devices, this book shimmers with excitement, begging to be read. Byrd divides Franklin’s life into seventeen often whimsically labeled double-page spreads... |
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5. National Book Award -Young People's Literature, 2013 |
By Cynthia Kadohata For Ages 10-14 With masterful characterizations and quiet strength, Cynthia Kadohata goes straight to the heart of twelve-year-old Summer, her troubled brother, and her Japanese-American grandparents during one grueling season of a contemporary Midwest wheat harvest. Here, Kadohata has carefully crafted a vivid and realistic portrayal of one family’s migrant experience. |
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6. Coretta Scott King Award for 2013 |
Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America By Andrea Pinkney, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney Author Award Winner, for ages 9+ Hand in Hand presents the stories of ten men from different eras in American history, organized chronologically to provide a scope from slavery to the modern day. The stories are accessible, fully-drawn narratives offering the subjects’ childhood influences... |
By Langston Hughes, Illustrated by Brian Collier Illustrator Award Winner, for ages 4+ I, Too, Am America blends the poetic wisdom of Langston Hughes with visionary illustrations from Bryan Collier in this inspirational picture book that carries the promise of equality. I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen, When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And... |
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7. Jefferson Cup Award for 2013 |
Bomb: The Race to Build —and Steal— The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon By Steve Sheinkin Young Adult Award Winner, For Ages 10-14 In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created... |
Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad By Henry Cole Juvenile Award Winner, for ages 4+ When a farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding in the barn, she is at once startled and frightened. But the stranger's fearful eyes weigh upon her conscience, and she must make a difficult choice. |
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8. Pura Belpre Award for 2013 |
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By Benjamin Alire Sáenz Author Award Winner, for ages 9-12 Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When they meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the two loners start spending time together, they discover... |
Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt, illustrated by David Diaz Illustrator Award Winner, for ages 5-7 As the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave, Martin de Porres was born into extreme poverty. Even so, his mother begged the church fathers to allow him into the priesthood. Instead, Martin was accepted as a servant boy. But soon... |
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9. The Hugo Award for 2013 |
RedShirts: A Novel with Three Codas By John Scalzi For Adults Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, with the chance to serve on "Away Missions" alongside the starship’s famous senior officers. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to realize that 1) every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien forces, 2) the ship’s senior officers always survive these confrontations... |
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10. Children's Choice Book Awards for 2013 |
By Barbara DaCosta K-2 Book of the Year Late at night, when all is quiet and everyone is asleep, a ninja creeps silently through the house in search of treasure. Soon he reaches his ultimate goal…and gets a big surprise! Will the nighttime ninja complete his mission? With spare text and lush... |
By Nick Bruel Grade 3-4 Book of the Year The votes are in--it's a Bad Kitty landslide! It's time to elect a new president of the Neighborhood Cat Coalition! Who will win the election? The candidate chosen by the kitties on the right side of the street or the candidate chosen by the kitties on the left side of the street? When election time rolls around, one candidate... |
Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess By Rachel Renée Russell, for ages: 9-13 Grade 5-6 Book of the Year Nikki Maxwell isn’t at all surprised to find out that her crush Brandon volunteers at a local animal shelter. He’s such a sweet guy—of course he wants to help those adorable puppies! Then Brandon tells her that the shelter is in danger of closing, and Nikki knows she can’t let that happen. |
By John Green Teen Book of the Year Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7: The Third Wheel By Jeff Kinney, for ages 8-12 Author of the Year A Valentine’s Day dance at Greg’s middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he’s worried he’ll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn’t have any prospects either, but that’s a small consolation. An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. |
Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss, for ages 4-8 Illustrator of the Year Fancy Nancy and her best friend Bree couldn’t be more excited about their upcoming dance show. After all, it’s all about mermaids—and who knows how to be a fancy, glamorous mermaid better than Fancy Nancy herself? But when another ballerina wins the.. |
