Teaching Materials Center

This page lists award-winning children and young adult books since 2019. Click on the name of an award listed below to be taken directly to the section for that award on this page.

National Awards

1. The Caldecott Medal
2. The Newbery Medal
3. The Coretta Scott King Awards, including the John Steptoe Award for New Talent
4. The Pura Belpré Award
5. The Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
6. American Indian Youth Literature Award
7. The Stonewall Book Award
8. The Lambda Literary Awards
9. The Sydney Taylor Book Award
10. The South Asia Book Award
11. The Schneider Family Book Awards
12. The Jane Addams Children's Book Award
13. The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
14. The William C. Morris Young Adult Debut Award
15. The Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature
16. The National Book Awards
17. The Batchelder Award
18. The Robert F, Sibert Informational Book Medal
19. The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
20. The Odyssey Award
21. The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

State of Illinois Awards

1. The Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award
2. The Bluestem Award: Illinois' 3-5 Readers' Choice Award
3. The Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award
4. The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award

Quick Tip

If you are interested in finding books that have won a given award before 2019, navigate to the page linked for each award to browse all past award-winners. Then, do a title search in the Milner Library catalog of any title that interests you. Make sure to restrict the location to the Teaching Materials Center using the filters on the right of the screen once you have entered the title.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal, often shortened to the Caldecott Medal, is a medal given to "the most distinguished American picture book for children" in a given year. The award is hosted by the Association for Library Service to Children. 

The Newbery Medal - named for John Newbery - is given annually to the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" by the Association for Library Service to Children. The medal was first awarded in 1922. 

The Coretta Scott King Awards are among 30+ annual Youth Media Awards sponsored by the American Library Association. The purpose of the awards is "to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and the graphic arts, including biographical, historical and social history treatments by African American authors and illustrators."

The Pura Belpré Award was established in 1996 and is presented 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. Up until 2008, it was awarded biennally. It is now awarded annually as part of ALA's Youth Media Awards, and includes both author and illustrator awards. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library, known for enriching the lives of Puerto Rican children by preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore.

"The goal of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature is to honor and recognize individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit." Awards are given for a picture book winner, children's literature winner, and youth literature winner.

" Awarded biennially, the [American Indian Youth Literature Award] 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. In odd-numbered years, nominations are encouraged in fiction or nonfiction and may include graphic novels; for 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 Stonewall Book Award is a set of three literary awards that annually recognize "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience" in English-language books published in the U.S. Of these awards, the Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award Winners are collected for the TMC.

"For over 30 years, the Lambda Literary Awards (or “Lammys”) have maintained a proud tradition of celebrating vibrant, dynamic LGBTQ storytelling...Today, the Lammys celebrate more than 150 LGBTQ writers across 24 categories..." The Young Adult and Children's/Middle Grade categories were added in 2021. 

"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 South Asia Book Award seeks to highlight outstanding literature for children and young adults that, "portray South Asia or South Asians living abroad." The award began in 2021. 

The Schneider Family Book Awards "honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences." Awards and Honors are presented in three categories: Teen, Middle School, and Young Children's.

"The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award annually recognizes children’s books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people. A national committee of members with passion for and expertise in children’s literature and social justice is responsible for making the choices each year."

The Michael L. Printz Award, "honors the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit, each year. In addition, the Printz Committee names up to four honor books, which also represent the best writing in young adult literature."

The William C. Morris Award, "honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature... The award's namesake is William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults."

"The Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Children's Literature recognize diverse authors whose works feature diverse main characters and address diversity in a meaningful way...Inaugurated in 2016, the 2016 and 2017 Walter Awards and Honor Books represented young adult titles only. In 2018, the Walters expanded into two categories: Teen (ages 13-18) and Younger Readers (ages 9-13). One Walter Award is given in each category; one or two titles are also named Honor Books in each category."

"Established in 1950, the National Book Awards are American literary prizes administered by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization... Although other categories have been recognized in the past, the Awards currently honor the best Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature, published each year." Award Winners for Young People's Literature will be included here. 

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award, "...is awarded to a United States publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originating in a country other than the United States and in a language other than English and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States during the preceding year."

"The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English 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. ALSC administers the award."

"YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year."

The Odyssey Award, "will be given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.  The selection committee may also select honor titles. The Odyssey Award is jointly given and administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), divisions of ALA, and is sponsored by Booklist."

"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.   The winner(s), recognized for their literary and artistic achievements that demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading, receives a bronze medal."

The Monarch award is an annual book award given annually to books voted for by Kindergarten-third graders in the state of Illinois.  The award aims to, "encourage children to read critically and become familiar with children's books, authors and illustrators."

The Bluestem award is an annual book award given annually to books voted for by third-fifth graders in the state of Illinois. According to AISLE, "The award is designed for students in grades 3-5 who are ready for longer titles than found on the Monarch list, but not quite ready for the sophistication of some of the Rebecca Caudill titles. Named in honor of Big Bluestem which is the state prairie grass, the award may include both timeless classics and current titles, as well as books that have appeared on Monarch and Rebecca Caudill lists."

The Lincoln award is an annual state book award selected by students. Teens across the state of Illinois who have read at least four of the books nominated by educational and literacy professionals across the state vote for their preferred title every year. 

According to AISLE, "The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight in participating Illinois schools. The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, Illinois, for nearly 50 years. The award is given in recognition for her literary talent and the universal appeal of her books which have touched the hearts of many children and young adults.

There are a lot of book awards for children and young adult literature. Many are listed on this page, but some are currently omitted simply because there are so many. If you'd like to see an award added to this page, let me know by emailing me at cjstew1@ilstu.edu. If the award meets the requirements for inclusion then I will add it on.