Children's and Young Adult Literature
Resources for children’s and young adult literature
Diverse Groups Genres Topics Online Resources
Awards and Award Announcements
On your search engine, use the name of the award and the year. Many of these awards also have honor books.
NOTE: All American Library Association Awards are given late January.
DIVERSE GROUPS
African Americans
- American Library Association Coretta Scott King Award
- American Library Association Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
- American Library Association King Illustrator Award
- American Library Association King Author Award
- National Council for the Social Studies Carter G. Woodson Award and Outstanding Merit Book Award Recipients.
American Indians
o Picture Book
o Middle Grade
o Books for Kids
- Debbie Reese’s American Indians in Children’s Literature
Asian/Pacific Americans
- American Library Association Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
Children’s Literature
Picture Book
Young Adult
- American Library Association Asian/Pacific American Award for Pasifika
- Picture Book
- Picture Book
Audio books
- American Library Association Odyssey Award
Chapter books (usually)
- American Library Association Newbery Award
- Children’s Literature Association Phoenix Award is announced in late June
- Jane Addams Book for Older Children Awards to promote peace and social justice are given in January
Disabilites
- American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award
Younger Children’s
Middle Grade
Young Adult
Diverse books, all kinds
- Center for the Study of Multicultural Literature
- Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)
- International Literacy Association Notable Books for a Global Society is announced in January
- Skipping Stones Award, Multicultural and International Awards are given in June
General—Picture book, fiction poetry and nonfiction
- Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards are given in late June
- National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature are given in mid-November
- New York Public Library Best Books are given in mid-November
- World of Words (WOW by Kathy Short)
International
- African Studies Association Children’s Africana Book Awards are given in November
- American Library Association Mildred L. Batchelder Award for books in translation
- Bologna Ragazzi Awards are given in April
- Canadian Council for the Arts Governor General’s Children’s Literature Prize is given in October
- Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Awards are given in April
- Children’s Book Ireland Awards are given in May
- International Board on Books for Young People is celebrated in May
- International Literacy Association Notable Books for a Global Society are given in January
- Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize is announced in late October
Jewish Americans
Picture Book
Middle Grade
Young Adult
Latino/a
Author
Illustration
Young Adult
- Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs
Américas Awards are given in November - Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
given in February
LGBTQ+
Children’s
Multilingual Learners
- Groundwood Books—are often written in English and another language
- Lee & Low Books—are often written in English and another language
Muslim Americans
- Arab American National Museum Arab American Book Awards are given in November
- Crescent Moon Bookstore Muslim Book Awards are given in January
- Middle East Outreach Council Middle East Book Awards are given in December
Nonfiction
- American Library Association Robert F. Sibert Award
- American Library Association Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
- Karen Romano Young’s Antarctic Log Gallery
- National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Award
Picture Books
- American Library Association Caldecott Award
- American Library Association Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for books for early readers
- Children’s Literature Association Phoenix Picture Book Award is given in late June
- Jane Addams Picture Book Awards to promote peace and social justice are given in January
- United States Board on Books for Young People are given in February
- University of Wisconsin Charlotte Zolotow Award is given in January
Roman Catholic
- Christopher Awards are given in April
Young Adult
- American Library Association Alex Awards—adult books that appeal to teens
- American Library Association Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
- American Library Association Michael L. Printz Award
- American Library Association William C. Morris Award—debut novel
TOPICS
Anger and Understanding
Early Literacy
Empathy, Imagination, Compassion
- National Council for Teachers of English Charlotte Huck Award
Genocide, War, Terrorism, and Disaster
- Children’s and Young Adult Literature on Genocide: Cambodia to Darfur
- Children’s Literature on War, Terrorism, and Disaster
Real-life difficulties
- Bank Street College Josette Frank Award is given in April
Science
- Giverny Book Award
- Nature Generation Green Earth Award
- National Science Teachers Association/Outstanding Trade Books for Children
- The Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize is announced in April (includes fiction)
Social Studies
- National Council for the Social Studies’ Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (announced in May/June)
GENRES
Drama
Graphic Novels
- Children’s Book Council Graphic Novel Advocate Award is announced in February
- Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens is announced in July
- Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Great Graphic Novels for Teens are announced in February
Historical Fiction
- Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction (given in January)
Poetry
- Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award (announced in March)
Science Fiction
- American Library Association Core Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists (was formerly the Golden Duck Award) are given in January
- American Library Association Hal Clement Notable Young Adult Books List is given in January
- Andre Norton Nebula Awards are given in June
- Canadian Children’s Center Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book is given in August
- Ray Bradbury Award—for teen writers, is given in June
Free Online Children's Literature Webliography
During the pandemic, when we couldn’t go to libraries, we used the
In 2012, CELL and Mount Saint Mary College undergraduates and graduates provided Student Achievement Partnership (SAP) with 150 diverse texts to help diversify Appendix B of the Common Core. Educators from around the country recommended the books, and awards were consulted: