Children's & Young Adult Literature

Following are some of the major awards given each year for the best in children's & young adult literature. The ASU Library receives books for selected awards. These link will provide more information about the specific awards and they often list recent award winners.

Alex Award
Given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.

American Indian Youth Book Award
Recognizes excellence in books by and about American Indians.

Americas Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature  
Books that authentically presents the experience of individuals in Latin America or the Caribbean, or of Latinos in the U.S.

Asian Pacific American Awards
"Promotes Asian/Pacific Americans culture and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit."

Bookslist Editor's Choice Books for Youth
Outstanding books that mixes popular appeal with literary excellence, the Books for Youth editorial staff has chosen the titles below as best-of-the-year fiction, nonfiction, and picture books.

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
Awards the best children's and young adult books in the following categories: Picture Book, Fiction and Poetry, and Nonfiction.

Caldecott Medal
Awarded by the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Children’s Literature Legacy Award
Awarded by the American Library Association, it honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

CILIP Carnegie Medal
It is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book written in English for children and young people.

CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
​Awarded annually, the Medal is the only prize in the UK to solely reward outstanding illustration in a children's book.

Coretta Scott King Award
Honors books by authors of African descent whose books promote an understanding of the American Dream.

Database of Award Winning Children's Literature
A searchable database that tracks the major children's book awards. Searchable by author, illustrator, topic, historical period, age of reader, language, type of book (picture, chapter, etc.). Use this database to find books of interest, then search the ASU Library Catalog.

Jane Addams Book Award

Books that promote the causes of peace, social justice, world community and the equality of the sexes and all races.

Michael L. Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award is chosen by the YALSA division of the American Library Association. The award winning title and honor titles exemplify literary excellence in young adult literature (ages 12-18).

Newbery Medal
The most distinguished book contribution to American literature for children. Awarded by a division of the American Library Association. 

NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children
Established in 1977 to honor a living American poet for his or her aggregate work for children ages 3–13.

NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
Established as an annual award for promoting and recognizing excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children.

Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Titles selected by NCSS & the Children's Book Council focus on books written primarily for K-8 students.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12
Titles selected by book review panel of NSTA in cooperation with the Children's Book Council focus primarily on books targeted at grades K through 8 although in 2002 the list began to also include high school level titles as well.

Pura Belpré Award
This award 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. Awarded by a division of the American Library Association.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
Awarded annually to the author (including co-authors or author-illustrators) of the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year. Awarded by a division of the American Library Association.

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Award goes to a meritorious book published in the previous year with a focus on historical fiction.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal
Most distinguished contribution to beginning reader literature. Awarded by a division of the American Library Association.

Tomas Rivera Mexican American Book Award
Presented to authors or illustrators that authentically reflect the lives of Mexican American children and young adults in the United States.

Erza Jack Keats Award
The Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Awards are given annually to an outstanding new writer of picture books for children (age 9 and under) and are presented jointly by the New York Public Library and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.

• American Library Association  Notable Children's Books
• Asian Pacific  American Award for Literature - Children's titles
• African Studies Association Children's Africana Book Award
• Booklist Editors' Choice Books for Youth
• Boston Globe-horn Book Awards
• Caldecott Honor
• Caldecott Medal
• Carter G. Woodson Award
• Cater G. Woodson Honor
• Correta Scott King Awards
• Correta Scott King Honors
• Edgar Allan Poe Award
• Henry Bergh Children's Book Award
• International Reading Association Children's Book Award
• International Reading Association Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award
• Jane Addams Book Award
• Mildred L. Batchelder Award
• Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
• Newberry Honor
• Newberry Medal
• New York Times best Illustrated Books
• Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
• Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
• Pura Belpre Award
• Pura Belpre Award
• Phoenix Award
• Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
• Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor
• Scott O'Dell Award
• Tomas Rivera Mexican-American Children's Book Award
• Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor
• Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

The ASU Library automatically receives award winning books from a selected list of awards in the children's and young adult literature.  Awards for children's book can be found in the Fletcher Library on the West Valley campus while young adult books winning awards are in the Hayden Library on the Tempe campus. The ASU Library receives books for the following young adult awards & shelved in Hayden Library:

• American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults
• Alex Awards
• Asian Pacific American Award for Literature-Young Adult
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors
• Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
• National Book Award: Young People's Literature

• Children's Books, Awards & Prizes (Periodical)
• Children's Book Awards International: 1990 Through 2000 (2003) 
• Coretta Scott King Awards, 1970-2004 (2004)
• Coretta Scott King Awards Book, 1970-1999 (1999)
• Coretta Scott King Awards Book: From Vision to Reality (1994)
• The Caldecott Award : the Winners and the Honor Books  (1992) 
• Selecting Quality Literature for Your Child Lessons from the Caldecott Award Winners (2000) 
• The Newbery and Caldecott awards a guide to the medal and honor books (2006) 
• In the Words of the Winners: the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, 2001-2010
• A History of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals (1957)
• Newbery & Caldecott Awards (Periodical) 
• Newbery and Caldecott Awards: a Subject Index (2003) 
• Newbery & Caldecott Medal Books, 1986-2000 : a Comprehensive Guide to the Winners (2001)
• Newbery and Caldecott Medal Books: 1922-1955 (1955) 
• Newbery and Caldecott Medal Books, 1966-1975 : With Acceptance Papers, Biographies, and Related Material Chiefly From the Horn Book Magazine (1975) 
• Newbery and Caldecott Medal Books: 1956-1965, With Acceptance Papers, biographies & Related Materials Chiefly From the Horn book Magazine (1965)
• Winning Authors : Profiles of the Newbery Medalists (2003)
• The Jane Addams Children's Book Award honoring children's literature for peace and social justice since 1953 (2013) 
• The PETA Guide to the Children's Book Council Awards Shortlist (2003)
• Reading the Art in Caldecott Award Books: A Guide to the Illustrations (2014)
• Selecting and Promoting Young Adult and Children's Award-Winning Books. What This Means for Publishers, Authors, Teachers, Librarians and the Consumer (2001)