New Award Winning Children's Books, Part Two

To Read and Read Again

By: Jennifer Govan

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

And... moving on to additional listings of the award winners for 2025, we open the next envelope...

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By Author, M-Z

Mansour Manzur, Vivian. Pilgrim Codex. Illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra, Levine Querido, 2025. Juvenile ; PQ7298.423.A574 C6313 2025.

Mason-Black, Jennifer. Sometimes the Girl. Carolrhoda Lab, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.M3764 So 2025.

McAlister, Caroline. A Line Can Go Anywhere : The Brilliant, Resilient Life of Artist Ruth Asawa. Illustrated by Jamie Green, First edition. Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings, 2026. Curriculum ; NB237.A82 M39 2025.

McCullough, Joy. Everything Is Poison. Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.M43412 Ev 2025.

Méndez, Jasminne. The Story of My Anger. Dial Books, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.5.M54 St 2025.

Messner, Kate. The Trouble with Heroes. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.5.M57 Tr 2025.

Miller, Sarah. Hick : The Trailblazing Journalist Who Captured Eleanor Roosevelt’s Heart. Random House Studio, 2026. Curriculum ; PN4874.H477 M55 2025.

Milusich, Janice, and Christopher Raschka. I Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea. Anne Schwartz Books, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.M646 Iah 2025.

When birds sing and a cool breeze ruffles my hair,

I know Spring's come.

"Hyacinths!" I cry. "I can smell them."

"Could be," says Mommy. Let's go see."

-- I Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea.

Miyares, Daniel. How to Say Goodbye in Cuban. First edition. Anne Schwartz Books, 2025. Curriculum ; E184.C97 M59 2025.

Partridge, Elizabeth. Imogen : The Life and Work of Imogen Cunningham. Illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2025. Curriculum ; TR140.C78 P38 2025.

Peña, Zeke. Sundust. Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.P44534 Su 2025.

Pimienta, Jose. Halfway to Somewhere. First edition. RH Graphic, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.7.P5316 Hal 2025.

Piñeiro, Victor. The Island of Forgotten Gods. Sourcebooks Young Readers, an imprint of Sourcebooks Kids, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.P559 Is 2025.

Pixley, Marcella. Neshama. First edition. Candlewick Press, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.5.P57 Ne 2025.

Pizzoli, Greg. The Big Mess : And Other Stories. First edition. Alfred A. Knopf, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.P6898 Bi 2025.

Poliquin, Rachel. This Is Orange : A Field Trip through Color. Illustrated by Julie Morstad, First edition. Candlewick Press, 2026. Curriculum ; QC495.5 .P655 2025.

Here is the rooster from The Canterbury Tales, a famous collection of stories written more than six hundred years ago.

The rooster is dreaming of a fox whose "colour was betwixt yelow and reed."

The color between yellow and red is orange, but six hundred years ago there was no word for it in English.

-- This Is Orange

Pritchard, Caroline Kusin, et al. The Keeper of Stories. Illustrated by Selina Alko, First edition. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Curriculum ; PZ7.1.P7695 Ke 2025.

Pullman, Philip. The Rose Field. Alfred A. Knopf, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.P968 Ro 2025.

Pyron, Bobbie. Octopus Moon. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.5.P97 Oc 2025.

Ransome, James. A Place for Us. Illustrated by James Ransome, Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.R1755 Pl 2025.

Rex, Michael. The Tunneler Tunnels in the Tunnel. Simon Spotlight edition. Simon Spotlight, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.R32875 Tu 2025.

Reyes, Sonora. The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar. First edition. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2026. Juvenile ; PS3618.E939 G65 2025.

Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Will’s Race for Home : A Western. First edition. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.R3476235 Wi 2025.

Robinson, James. Whale Eyes : A Memoir about Seeing and Being Seen. Illustrated by Brian Rea, Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2026. Curriculum ; HV1792.R63 A3 2025.

Rodari, Gianni. The Adventures of Cipollino. Illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, First English-Language edition. Enchanted Lion Books, 2026. Juvenile ; PQ4878.O313 A64 2025.

Saunders, Kirli. Afloat. Illustrated by Freya Blackwood, Levine Querido, 2026. Juvenile ; PR9619.4.S2814 A66 2025.

Schlitz, Laura Amy. The Winter of the Dollhouse. First edition, Candlewick Press, 2025. Juvenile ; PS3619.C43 W56 2025.

Schuff, Nicolás. How to Reach the Moon. Illustrated by Ana Sender, First edition., Amazon Crossing Kids, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.S3365477 Ho 2025.

Selznick, Brian. Run Away with Me. First edition. Scholastic Press, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.S4654 Ru 2025.

Sidman, Joyce. Dear Acorn (Love, Oak) : Letter Poems to Friends. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet, First edition. Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2026. Curriculum ; PS3569.I295 D43 2025.

Cloud:

We

heard

your words

and whispered

a while...

wafted

whirled

wavered...

and finally

decided

that today

we want

to

SHINE!

(Love, Droplets)

--Dear Acorn (Love, Oak).

Smith, Clint, and Sonja Cherry-Paul. How the Word Is Passed : Remembering Slavery and How It Shaped America : Adapted for Young Readers. Young Readers edition. Little, Brown and Company, 2026. Curriculum ; E441 .S654 2025.

Smith, Nikkolas, and publisher Kokila. The History of We. Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2026. Curriculum ; GN281 .S585 2025.

From the Mother Land,

into every corner of Mother Earth,

one group became many.

Became extended cousins, developing an array of

diverse complexions and forms of prayer.

Became the first global population...

Became We.

--The History of We.

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Legendary Frybread Drive-in : Intertribal Stories. First edition. Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2026. Juvenile ; PS508.I5 L44 2025.

Snyder, Laurel. The Book of Candles : Eight Poems for Hanukkah. Illustrated by Leanne Hatch, First edition. Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2026. Curriculum ; BM695.H3 S69 2025.

Stead, Rebecca. Anything. Illustrated by Gracey Zhang, Chronicle Books, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.S80857 An 2025.

Stemple, Heidi E. Y. The Poetry of Car Mechanics. First edition. Wordsong, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.5.S73 Po 2025.

Taylor, Jordyn. The Rebel Girls of Rome. First edition. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.T3915 Reb 2025.

Thai, Chi. The Endless Sea. Illustrated by Linh Dao, First US edition, Candlewick Press, 2026. Curriculum ; HV640.5.V5 T43 2025.

Some nights I dream of that moment

when I was most afraid. I dream

that I'm falling through the water...

deeper and deeper, until I reach

those who aren't so lucky.

There are so many of us.

-- The Endless Sea

Thompson, Lin. Devils Like Us. Bloomsbury YA, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.T46795 De 2025.

Toney, Kelsey B. The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday. Random House, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.T62625 Un 2025.

Torres, Vanessa L. On the Wings of La Noche. First edition. Alfred A. Knopf, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.T6512 On 2025.

Ultman, Suzy. Shabbat Shalom : Let’s Rest and Reset. Rise x Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2025. Curriculum ; BM685 .U48 2025.

Valtierra, Emmanuel, and publisher Levine Querido. A-Ztec : A Bilingual Alphabet Book. Levine Querido, 2026. Curriculum ; PZ7.V35 Az 2025.

Van Lieshout, Maria. Song of a Blackbird. First edition. First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership, 2026. Curriculum ; PN6727.V353 S66 2025.

Vinson, Arriel. Under the Neon Lights. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.5.V56 Un 2025.

Watson, Renée. All the Blues in the Sky. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.5.W289 Al 2025.

Weatherford, Carole Boston, and Rob Sanders. Andř : Andř Leon Talley--a Fabulously Fashionable Fairy Tale. First edition. Henry Holt and Company, 2026. Curriculum ; TT505.T29 W43 2025.

White, Abby. D.J. Rosenblum Becomes the G.O.A.T.* : Some Assembly Required. Levine Querido, 2026.Juvenile ; PZ7.1.W43885 Dj 2025.

Xu, Bin. Picking Tea with Baba. Translated by Shan Chen, Illustrated by Yin Yu, First US edition. Charlesbridge, 2025. Juvenile ; PZ7.1.X8 Day 2025.

Yelchin, Eugene. I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This. First edition. Candlewick Press, 2026. Curriculum ; PS3625.E434 Z46 2025.

Yoshitake, Shinsuke. From Memen to Mori. Translated by Ajani A. Oloye, First Yen Press Edition. Yen Press, 2026. Juvenile ; PZ7.Y82552 Mem 2025.

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