Children’s Award Book Collection Plan

In 2004, the Teaching Resources Center began automatically acquiring various Children’s Award Books each year. Listed below are the 70 plus award programs that the TRC receives annually. The TRC receives multiple copies of the Caldecott Medal books, the Newbery Medal books, the Coretta Scott King Award books and the Pura Belpre Award books.

Annotations of the Children’s Book Awards Supplied by the Yankee Book Peddler Children’s Awards Book Collection Plan:

Aesop Prize and Accolades (AESA, AESH) – One or two titles for the prize and two to three titles for accolades per year. The Aesop Prize and Accolades are given annually by the Children’s Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society for the English language books for children and young adults, fiction and nonfiction, with a focus on folklore and the worldly culture.

African Studies Association Children’s Africana Book Award and Honor (ASCA, ASCH) – One title for the award and four honors per year. This award is given annually by the African Studies Association to the author and illustrator of the best children’s book about Africa published in the previous year.

American Institute of Physics Children’s Science-Writing Award (APCA) – Two titles per year. This award is given annually to books (and also articles and booklets written in English or translated into English) dealing primarily with physics and astronomy, and directed at children from preschool age up to fifteen years of age. The purpose of this award is to recognize and stimulate distinguished writing and illustration that improves children’s understanding and appreciation of physics and astronomy. This award is given by the American Institute of Physics. YBP will handle the books, but not articles or booklets that receive this award.

American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults (ALAY) – Seventy to eighty titles per year given by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The winning titles include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biography. The titles are suitable for young adults, ages 12-18.

American Library Association Notable Children’s Books (ALAN) – Forty to seventy titles per year given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The winning titles are selected for their originality, creativity, and suitability for children. The Notable Children’s Book Committee is composed of children’s librarians, educators, and other professionals.

Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature (AMLA, AMLH) – Two to three titles for the award and two to three titles for honors. The Americas Award is given annually in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. The award is sponsored by the National Consortium of Latin American Studies Program.

Asian Pacific American Award and Honors for Literature-Children’s and Young Adult (APLA, APLH) – Two titles for the award and one to two honors per year. This award honors and recognizes individual works created by an Asian Pacific American writer and/or illustrator; it is based on literary and artistic merit. Cosponsored by the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) and the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA).

Aurealis Awards (AURA) –  Established in 1995 for excellence in Australian Speculative Fiction, two titles are awarded annually by the publishers of Australia to recognize the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers for adults and young adults. The young adult awards include three genres: best science fiction, fantasy, and horror novel.

Aventis Prizes for Science Books (AVEN-CHILDREN) – This prize, given to one title annually, honors authors of popular non-fiction science and technology books written in English and first published in the United Kingdom for young people. This prize is part of a program jointly organized by the Science Museum and COPUS (the Committee on the Public Understanding of Science of the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, and the British Association for the Advancement of Science) and is sponsored by the world leader in life sciences, Aventis-Institut de France Foundation.

Bank Street College: Claudia Lewis Award (BSCA-CLA) – The Bank Street College book awards are given by the college’s Children’s Book Committee, for “books that children will find captivating and transforming.” The Claudia Lewis Award is given for the best poetry book of the year. Typically one title is honored.

Bank Street College: Flora Stieglitz Straus Award (BSCA-FSSA) – The Flora Stieglitz Straus Award was established in 1994 and is presented annually for a distinguished work of non-fiction which fulfills humanitarian ideals and serves as an inspiration to young people.

Bank Street College: Josette Frank Award (BSCA-JFA) – A winner has been announced annually since 1943. This award for fiction honors a book or books of outstanding literary merit in which children or young people deal in a positive and realistic way with difficulties in their world and grow emotionally and morally.

Booklist Editors’ Choice Adult Books for Young Adults (BECY) – Each year, twenty-three to twenty-five adult books are selected by the Books for Youth editorial staff of Booklist, a magazine published by the American Library Association (ALA).

Booklist Editors’ Choice Books for Youth (BECU) – Each year, forty-eight to fifty-five titles are selected by the Books for Youth editorial staff of Booklist, a magazine published by the American Library Association (ALA). The titles selected are based on literary and artistic quality with special appeal to youth from the past year’s best children’s fiction and nonfiction.

Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards and Honors (BGHA, BGHH) – Three titles for awards and six titles for honors per year. This award was first given in 1967.  The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards are among the most prestigious and respected national honors accorded children’s and young adult books each year. The awards and honors are given to authors and illustrators of outstanding titles in three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and picture books. The awards are monitored by the Boston Globe and the children’s literature magazine, The Horn Book Magazine.

Caldecott Medal and Honor (CALM, CALH) – One title for the medal and three for honors per year. The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Canadian Library Association Young Adult Canadian Book Award (CLAY) – One title per year. Established in 1980 by the Young Adult Caucus of the Saskatchewan Library Association, this award recognizes an author of an outstanding English language Canadian book which appeals to young adults between the ages of 13 to 18. The award is administered by the Young Adult Services Interest Group (YASIG) of the Canadian Library Association (CLA).

Carnegie Medal (CARM) – One title per year.  The Carnegie Medal has been given since 1937 by the (British) Library Association (LA) to an outstanding book for children and young people. On April 1, 2002 the (British) Library Association (LA) and the (British) Institute of Information Scientists (IIS) formed a new organization and named it “Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals” (CILIP). Now the Carnegie Medal is given by the CILIP.

Carter G. Woodson Award and Honor (CGWA, CGWH) – Four titles for the awards and three titles for the honors per year. Established in 1974 by the National Council for the Social Studies, this award is given annually to the most distinguished social science books that depict ethnicity in the United States. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) was a scholar, educator, historian and founding editor of “The Journal of Negro History.” In 1926 he initiated Negro History Week, which gave rise in 1976 to Black History Month.

Charlotte Zolotow Award (CZA HC, CZA HON, CZA WIN) – Established in 1998, 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. A cash prize of $1000 and a bronze medallion are formally presented to the winning author. Additionally, five other works are honored, while an additional 10 may be placed on a highly commended list.

Coretta Scott King Awards and Honors (CSKA, CSKH) – Two titles for awards and six honors per year. The CSK Award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his widow, Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination in continuing the work for peace and world brotherhood. The award is presented annually to authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the “American Dream.”

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent (CSKN) – One to two titles per year. This award is given to a black author and to a black illustrator for an outstanding book. The purpose of this award is to bring visibility to a writer or artist at the beginning of his/her career as a published book creator. The award is given by the Coretta Scott King Task Force.

Edgar Allan Poe Award (EAPA-CHILDREN) – Two titles per year given by The Mystery Writers of America to honor the best work in the mystery, crime, suspense, and intrigue fields in several media. One book is chosen for the winner of Best Children’s Mystery (Juvenile) and one for Young Adult.

Giverny Award (GIVA) – One title per year. The Giverny Award is an annual award for the best children’s science picture book, established in 1998 by Dr. James H. Wandersee and Dr. Elisabeth Schussler for the 15 Degree Laboratory, currently based at Louisiana State University. The Laboratory performs research on visual cognition in biology, visual approaches to learning biology, and the graphic representation of biological knowledge. The name of the Giverny Award alludes to the renowned village in France where Claude Monet had his home and garden.

Golden Duck Awards (GODA) – Last awarded in 2016. Three titles per year. The Golden Duck Award is an annual book award for excellence in children’s science fiction literature. It consists of three cash awards: Picture Book, Middle Grades (Eleanor Cameron Award), and Young Adult (Hal Clement Award). Special awards are given when appropriate. Super-Con-Duck-Trinity, a Dupage, Illinois based non-profit corporation is the sponsor of the award.

Golden Kite Awards and Honors (GDKA, GDKH) – Four titles for the award and four honors per year. This award is the only award presented to children’s book authors and artists by their fellow authors and artists.  Four Golden Kite Statuettes–for fiction, non-fiction, picture book text, and picture book illustration are awarded each year to the most outstanding children’s books published during that year and having been written or illustrated by members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. An Honor Book plaque in each category is awarded, as well.

Governor General’s Literary Awards: Children’s Literature (GGLA-CHILDREN) – Annually, two titles are honored, one for text and the other for illustration.  Each winner receives 15,000 dollars and a specially crafted copy of their book.  Additionally the publishers of the winning titles receive a 3,000 dollar grant to promote the honored book. The award is selected by independent peer juries appointed by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Horn Book Fanfare List (HBFL) – Twenty-two to twenty-four titles per year. The Fanfare titles are recommended and chosen by the review and editorial staff of the Horn Book Magazine, founded in 1924. The Fanfare award is given in five categories: picture books, fiction, folklore, poetry and song, and non-fiction. The fanfare list was first started in 1939.

International Reading Association Children’s Book Awards (IRAA) – Four titles per year. The award is given for an author’s first or second published book. There are two categories of the award: fiction and non-fiction. Each award is divided into two age groups: younger readers (4-10) and older readers (10-17).  Books from any country and in any language copyrighted during the past calendar year are considered.

International Reading Association Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award (IRAL) – One title per award year. This is a monetary award given every three years to a promising new author of children’s poetry (for K-12) who has published no more than two books of children’s poetry.

Irma S. & James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature (IJBA, IJBH) – One title for the award and two honors per year. This award is given to an outstanding picture book for young children–a book in which the text and illustrations are inseparable, each enhancing and enlarging on the other to produce a singular whole. Formerly known as Irma Simonton Black Award in honor of the writer, editor, and founding member of the Bank Street Writers Laboratory, which included such stars of children’s literature as Margaret Wise Brown and Maurice Sendak. James Black’s name was added in 1992 in recognition of his ardent support of the award. This award is presented by the Bank Street College of Education.

James Madison Book Award (JMBA, JMBH) – One title is recognized annually as the prize winner, while two others receive honors. The James Madison Book Award, has a cash prize of $10,000 and “recognizes excellence in bringing knowledge and understanding of American history to readers ages five to fourteen.”

Jane Addams Book Award and Honor (JABA, JABH) – Two titles for the award and up to 5 titles for honors per year given annually since 1953 by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the Jane Addams Peace Association to the children’s book of the preceding year that most effectively promotes the cause of peace, social justice, and world community.

Kate Greenaway Medal (KGRM) – One title per year. Initiated in 1956, the Kate Greenaway Medal was originally given by the (British) Library Association for “outstanding illustration in a children’s book.” On April 1, 2002 the (British) Library Association (LA) and the (British) Institute of Information Scientists (IIS) formed a new organization and named it “Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals” (CILIP). Now the Carnegie Medal is given by the CILIP.

Los Angeles Times Book Prizes (LATB-CHILDREN NOM, LATB-CHILDREN WIN) – The Young Adult Fiction category was added in 1998.  A single winner is selected from five finalists annually.  The winner receives a citation and $1,000.

Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature (MLPA, MLPH) – Two titles for the award and up to three honors per year. Beginning in the year 2000, this award is given to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.  It is named for a Topeka, Kansas, school librarian, Michael L. Printz, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. This award is presented by the ALA/YA Library Services Association.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award and Honor (MLBA, MLBH) – One title for the award and one honor per year. This award honors Mildred L. Batchelder, a former executive director of the Association for Library Service to Children, and a believer in the importance of good books for children in translation from all parts of the world.  Established in 1966, the award is a citation given to an American publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States. The award is given by the Association of Library Services to Children (ALSC), a division of ALA.  ALSC gives the award to encourage American publishers to seek out superior children’s books abroad and to promote communication among the peoples of the world.

National Book Award: Young People’s Literature (NABK-CHILDREN) – One winner is selected for this award annually. The Award’s goal is to “enhance the public’s awareness of exceptional books written by fellow Americans, and to increase the popularity of reading in general.”  The winner receives a $10,000 cash award and a crystal sculpture.

National Jewish Book Awards (NJBA) – Two titles per year. Established in 1952 by the Jewish Book Council, this awards program promotes American Jewish literary creativity and an appreciation of Jewish literature. Two awards are given each year, one for chapter books (Jewish Book Council Literature Award) and one for picture books (Children’s Picture Book The Lois Posner Memorial Award). Occasionally a Special Recognition Award is given.

Newbery Medal and Honor (NEWM, NEWH) – One title for the medal and one to four for honors. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery.  It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction (NFA-NONFICT WIN, NFA-NONFICT HON) – Each year since1999 one title has been recognized as the most exceptional non-fiction book.  Another five are extended honors. The $10,000 Norma Fleck Award is the largest of its kind in Canadian children’s books, and is considered to be one of Canada’s most prestigious literary prizes. The Norma Fleck Award is exclusively a non-fiction prize. In addition to the $10,000 prize awarded to the winner, the Norma Fleck Award allocates $5,000 in marketing funds to promote the finalists, an amount that is matched by the publishers. The Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction is administered by The Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (NCTS) – One hundred-eighty to one hundred-ninety titles per year. The titles are selected by a Book Review Committee appointed by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and assembled in cooperation with the Children’s Book Council (CBC). NCSS and CBC have cooperated on this annual bibliography since 1972. The selection committee looks for books that are primarily written for children in grades from pre-K to 8 to high school. The contents of the selected books emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups, are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, and present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic. The selected books are easily readable and of high literary quality, have a pleasing format, and, where appropriate, include illustrations that enrich the text.

Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children (OPOA, OPOH) – Two titles for the award and up to five honors per year. This award commemorates the work of “…that brave old man, Johannes Amos Commenius, the fame of whose worth has been trumpeted in more than three languages…” and whose book, Orbis Pictus (World in Pictures), is historically considered to be the first work created exclusively for children. This award honors distinction in non-fiction for children. The award is given by the Orbis Pictus Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (OSTC) – Thirty to forty titles per year. The books that are included in this list are the outstanding children’s trade science books.  They are intended primarily for children in grades K-12. They are selected by a book review panel appointed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and assembled in cooperation with the Children’s Book Council (CBC). NSTA and CBC have cooperated on this bibliographic project since 1973.

Phoenix Award and Honor (PHEA, PHEH) – One title for the award and one title for the honor per year. This award was established by the Children’s Literature Association in 1965 to honor a book originally published twenty years in the past in the English language. At the time of the original publication, the book would not have won a major award, but from the perspective of time, it is deemed worthy of special recognition for its literary quality–like the fabled bird that arises from its ashes with renewed life and beauty.

Pura Belpre Award and Honor (PBEA, PBEH) – Two titles for the award and four to five honors per every other year. Established in 1996, The Pura Belpre Award honors Latino writers and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children’s books. The award is named after Pura Belpre, the first Latino librarian from the New York Public Library.  The award is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Association to Promote Library Services to the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA), an ALA affiliate.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award and Honor (RFSA, RFSH) – One title for the award and four honors per year. This new award, established by the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is for an author of the most distinguished informational book published during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois, and is sponsored by the company. The first award was announced at the ALA Midwinter meeting in 2001.

School Library Journal Best Adult Books for High School Students (SLJY) – Nineteen to twenty titles per year. Each year, the editors of School Library Journal, a publication of Cahners Business Information, Inc., select nineteen to twenty best adult books for young adult readers. The winner’s list is published in the December issue.

School Library Journal Best Books (SLJB) – Sixty to sixty five titles per year. Each year, the editors of School Library Journal, a publication of the Cahners Business Information, Inc., select sixty to sixty-five of the best books for children. The winner’s list is published in the December issue.

Scott O’Dell Award (SODA) – One title per year. This award originated and was donated by Scott O’Dell (1898-1989), author of several honored children’s books and recipient of the 1972 Hans Christian Andersen Award of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) for the body of his work.  This award is for a distinguished work of historical fiction. The winning title must be published in English for children or young adults by a U.S. publisher and be set in the New World (North, Central, and South America). The award was established in 1981.

Sydney Taylor Book Awards and Honors (STBA, STBH) – Two titles for awards and 13 titles for honors. The award was established in 1968 in honor of the author of the classic All of a Kind Family series by Ms. Sydney Taylor’s late husband, Ralph Taylor, to encourage the publication of outstanding books of positive Jewish content for children. Two awards are given each year, one for younger readers and the other for older readers.

Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA-WIN) – Annually, one title is selected as the winner after a state wide contest is held in which children choose their favorite title.  The award’s objective is to promote literature of excellence for children and to encourage reading. The Texas Library Association and Texas Association of School Librarians administer the award.

Tomas Rivera Mexican-American Children’s Book Award (TRMA) – One title per year. This award is given by the Southwest Texas State University School of Education to encourage authors, illustrators, and publishers to produce books that authentically reflect the lives of Mexican-American children and young adults in the U.S.  It is named for author and educator, Tomas Rivera, who grew up as a migrant farm worker and, at the time of his death in 1984, was chancellor of the University of California at Riverside. Fiction and non-fiction books are eligible for nomination.

Western Heritage Awards (WEHA) – One title per year. Established in 1960 by the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, now Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK, the award is given annually to one title, fiction or nonfiction, that is outstanding in originality, creativity, and faithfulness to the facts, legends, and mythology of the American West.

Western Writers of America Spur Awards (WASA) – Two titles per year. The Spur awards, given annually for distinguished writing about the American West, are among the oldest and most prestigious in American literature. Established in 1953, the Spur awards’ best juvenile categories are given to two titles each year, one for fiction and the other for nonfiction.

Young Reader’s Choice Award (YRCA) – Two titles per year. Established in 1940 by the Pacific Northwest Library Association to promote reading for enjoyment. The nominees are chosen by children and young adults of the Pacific Northwest region in the United States. The award goes to a book for grades 4-8 and a book for grades 9-12.