October 2020 Staff Picks: Children's Awards: An Ebook Retrospective
Curating the children's award and honor book displays is one of my favorite activities during the academic year at our library. I'm always learning something new about building and promoting library collections, trends in youth publishing, and how combining this knowledge best helps us within the TC community. New books will eventually come to our JUV section. That will stay the same. But with everything looking very different this year, I figured it would be a good time to share a wealth of ebooks for younger readers already available through our ebook collections...and how to find more of them!
A typical awards display contains a litany of awards and book lists. While there are digital media awards for children - like the American Association of School Librarians Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning and the American Library Association's Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media awards - I wanted to focus on materials that are already in our collection and available digitally. For more information on how these ebooks were found in eBooks on Ebscohost and Ebook Central, visit the corresponding post on the Library Blog. Medals, honors, and book lists featured in this collection are:
- Newbery Medal, which is awarded to the author of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
- Pura Belpré Award, presented annually to a Latinx writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
- Horn Book Fanfare, a selection of the best childrens and young adult titles chosen annually by editors of The Horn Book Magazine.
- Jane Addams Children's Book Award, for 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.
- YALSA Great Graphic Novels, a book list that recommends graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those ages 12-18, prepared yearly by the Young Adult Library Services Association.
- ALA Best Books for Young Adults , a general list of fiction and nonfiction titles selected for their proven or potential appeal to the personal reading tastes of the young adult. *Please note that the book listed as an ALA BBYA book was actually granted the Margaret A. Edwards award, which recognizes an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.
- CCBC Choices, an annotated listing of the best books for children and teenagers, selected by the professional staff of the Collaborative Children's Book Center.
- Children's and Teen Choice, the only national book awards program where the winners are selected by kids and teens of all ages.
- The National Book Award, one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the country, is given by the National Book Foundation to celebrate the best literature in America.
- Parent's Choice Award, marked with the Parent's Choice Foundation seal, is the Foundation's internationally recognized and respected icons of quality in children's materials.
Click on book to read or "Award" to learn more.
Children's & Teen Choice, 2019
Furyborn
by Claire Legrand
Pura Belpré Award, 2017
The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes
by Duncan Tonatiuh
YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2011
Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection
by Matt Dembicki
Jane Addams Book Award Children's Honor, 2003
When My Name Was Keoko
by Linda Sue Park
Horn Book Fanfare Best Book, 2003
Afternoon of the Elves
by Janet Taylor Lisle
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Annie on My Mind
by Nancy Garden
Newbery Medal, 1985
One-Eyed Cat: A Novel
by Paula Fox
CCBC Choices, 2016
Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America
by Carole Boston Weatherford
CCBC Choices, 1983
Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed
by Virgina Hamilton
CCBC Choices, 2008
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Horn Book Fanfare Best Book, 1964
Tituba of Salem Village
by Ann Petry
Newbery Metal, 1964
It's Like This, Cat
by Emily Cheney Neville
Newbery Honor, 1934
The ABC Bunny
by Wanda Gág
Parent's Choice Book Award
Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets
by Barbara Esham
Newbery Honor, 2019
The Night Diary
by Veera Hiranandani
Newbery Award, 2015
El Deafo
by Cece Bell
The National Book Award, 2011
