150 Award Genres
Children
- Children - Action
- Children - Adventure
- Children - Animals
- Children - Audiobook
- Children - Christian
- Children - Coming of Age
- Children - Concept
- Children - Educational
- Children - Fable
- Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Children - General
- Children - Grade 4th-6th
- Children - Grade K-3rd
- Children - Mystery
- Children - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Children - Non-Fiction
- Children - Picture Book
- Children - Preschool
- Children - Preteen
- Children - Religious Theme
- Children - Social Issues
Christian
- Christian - Amish
- Christian - Biblical Counseling
- Christian - Devotion/Study
- Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Christian - Fiction
- Christian - General
- Christian - Historical Fiction
- Christian - Living
- Christian - Non-Fiction
- Christian - Romance - Contemporary
- Christian - Romance - General
- Christian - Romance - Historical
- Christian - Thriller
Fiction
- Fiction - Action
- Fiction - Adventure
- Fiction - Animals
- Fiction - Anthology
- Fiction - Audiobook
- Fiction - Chick Lit
- Fiction - Crime
- Fiction - Cultural
- Fiction - Drama
- Fiction - Dystopia
- Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
- Fiction - Fantasy - General
- Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
- Fiction - General
- Fiction - Graphic Novel/Comic
- Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
- Fiction - Historical - Personage
- Fiction - Holiday
- Fiction - Horror
- Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Fiction - Inspirational
- Fiction - Intrigue
- Fiction - LGBTQ
- Fiction - Literary
- Fiction - Magic/Wizardry
- Fiction - Military
- Fiction - Mystery - General
- Fiction - Mystery - Historical
- Fiction - Mystery - Legal
- Fiction - Mystery - Murder
- Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
- Fiction - Mythology
- Fiction - New Adult
- Fiction - Paranormal
- Fiction - Realistic
- Fiction - Religious Theme
- Fiction - Science Fiction
- Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Fiction - Social Issues
- Fiction - Southern
- Fiction - Sports
- Fiction - Supernatural
- Fiction - Suspense
- Fiction - Tall Tale
- Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
- Fiction - Thriller - Environmental
- Fiction - Thriller - Espionage
- Fiction - Thriller - General
- Fiction - Thriller - Legal
- Fiction - Thriller - Medical
- Fiction - Thriller - Political
- Fiction - Thriller - Psychological
- Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
- Fiction - Time Travel
- Fiction - Urban
- Fiction - Visionary
- Fiction - Western
- Fiction - Womens
Non-Fiction
- Non-Fiction - Adventure
- Non-Fiction - Animals
- Non-Fiction - Anthology
- Non-Fiction - Art/Photography
- Non-Fiction - Audiobook
- Non-Fiction - Autobiography
- Non-Fiction - Biography
- Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
- Non-Fiction - Cooking/Food
- Non-Fiction - Cultural
- Non-Fiction - Drama
- Non-Fiction - Education
- Non-Fiction - Environment
- Non-Fiction - Genealogy
- Non-Fiction - General
- Non-Fiction - Gov/Politics
- Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
- Non-Fiction - Health - Fitness
- Non-Fiction - Health - Medical
- Non-Fiction - Historical
- Non-Fiction - Hobby
- Non-Fiction - Home/Crafts
- Non-Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Non-Fiction - Inspirational
- Non-Fiction - LGBTQ
- Non-Fiction - Marketing
- Non-Fiction - Memoir
- Non-Fiction - Military
- Non-Fiction - Motivational
- Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
- Non-Fiction - New Age
- Non-Fiction - Occupational
- Non-Fiction - Parenting
- Non-Fiction - Relationships
- Non-Fiction - Religion/Philosophy
- Non-Fiction - Retirement
- Non-Fiction - Self Help
- Non-Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Non-Fiction - Social Issues
- Non-Fiction - Spiritual/Supernatural
- Non-Fiction - Sports
- Non-Fiction - Travel
- Non-Fiction - True Crime
- Non-Fiction - Womens
- Non-Fiction - Writing/Publishing
Poetry
Romance
Young Adult
- Young Adult - Action
- Young Adult - Adventure
- Young Adult - Coming of Age
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
- Young Adult - Fantasy - General
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
- Young Adult - General
- Young Adult - Horror
- Young Adult - Mystery
- Young Adult - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Young Adult - Non-Fiction
- Young Adult - Paranormal
- Young Adult - Religious Theme
- Young Adult - Romance
- Young Adult - Sci-Fi
- Young Adult - Social Issues
- Young Adult - Thriller
Illustration Award
Recommend this book:
Jackie Wins Them All
Fabian Ferguson
![Jackie Wins Them All](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ST58osVXL._SL300_.jpg)
2021 Honorable Mention
36 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2021 Honorable Mention](/images/honorable.png)
Jackie Wins Them All is a children’s coming-of-age picture book written by Fabian Ferguson and illustrated by Alisa Aryutova. Jackie J. Spade is a gifted sixth grader. She’s won every contest she's ever entered. Whether it’s academics or athletics, Jackie seems to have inexhaustible talent, skills, and strengths. She’s won science fairs and spelling bees, and is a top contender at just about every sport she’s ever tried. But can she win this race? Everybody in her middle school is excited and talking about the race. It has to be Jackie’s, right? After all, she wins everything.
Jackie Wins Them All addresses a difficult issue -- how children cope with disappointment at losing a contest or competition. It can be especially hard for a child like Jackie, who has always excelled at everything she attempts and is a consistent first-place winner. And while she gives her all to the race, this time she comes in second. Ferguson’s Jackie knows, however, how to deal with her own disappointment, and she congratulates the winner. The story goes a long way in showing kids how to cope with their own disappointments and show sportsmanship in dealing with situations like Jackie’s. Alisa Aryutova’s illustrations are dynamic and eloquent. She shows Jackie at her best, winning scores of trophies, and during her biggest challenge -- how she handles losing the race. I love the positive and affirming message the author and illustrator convey so well and consider this story a grand selection for storytime with a discussion afterward on the theme of sportsmanship. Jackie Wins Them All is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Ella McBella in the Dark
Laura Pells
![Ella McBella in the Dark](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51183u-PpGL._SL300_.jpg)
2021 Bronze Medal
36 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2021 Bronze Medal](/images/bronze.png)
Ella McBella in the Dark, written by Laura Pells and illustrated by Peter Trimarco, is a children's book that follows the titular character as she faces her biggest fear. Ella is a happy, active child who enjoys the outdoors. She rides her bike to the park after school where she plays and immerses herself in the surrounding nature. As it comes close to the time when Ella needs to return home, she begins to feel anxiety, knowing that the setting sun is a precursor to her having to go to bed. She immediately fears the shadows that start to form as she races home, distracted momentarily by a wonderful dinner. When the lights are out, Ella is confronted by the sights and sounds that give rise to her fear of the dark, which ultimately leads to her seeing what it all really is and creating a safe space for herself to make each new bedtime less scary.
There are so many reasons why I love Ella McBella in the Dark, even as an adult. Laura Pells taps into an intense fear I suffered from myself as a child, which was so great that before even reaching the first grade I wore a sleeping mask to avoid “seeing” whatever was or was not there. Like Ella, I had to take steps to overcome this on my own, which is where this book really stands out in the crowded field of children's literature. We know that Ella obviously does not live by herself, as her mom snuggles her while reading Ella a bedtime story. But after the lights are out, there are no parents who swoop in and assure Ella it's all fine. There's no soothing. There's just Ella, her teddy bears, and her fear. Ella endeavors to find other things to divert her attention. She turns on lights and finds comfort in an environment she crafts on her own. The lyrical, rhythmic narrative is fun and engaging, and Peter Trimarco brings it all to life with sublime, full-color hand-drawn artistry. All of these brilliant elements come together perfectly to turn Ella, her fear, and her small acts of courage into a fantastic read. Very highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Life of a Firefly
The Incredible Adventures and Mostly True Stories of Sandy Forte
Sandra Brown-Lindstedt
![Life of a Firefly](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VFooKoGcL._SL300_.jpg)
2021 Silver Medal
161 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2021 Silver Medal](/images/silver.png)
In a sidenote intended to properly describe her apparent children’s book, Life of a Firefly (illustrated exquisitely by Suzanne Groat), Sandra Brown-Lindstedt says simply and ingenuously that it is “particularly suited for ages 8–12.” I’m afraid that’s like saying To Kill A Mockingbird is at heart a children’s book just because it’s narrated by a child. So is Life of a Firefly. But the child, a young girl named Sandy Forte, is every bit the storyteller and every bit as literate as Scout. This book is every whit as powerful, as emotive, and as profoundly evocative and compelling as its more-famous classic cousin. If Life of a Firefly is just a children’s book, then I must confess to one more guilty pleasure - reading classic literature disarmingly disguised as something meant for kids.
Sandy Forte is one of the most appealing characters ever to appear in contemporary fiction and Life of a Firefly, as told by Sandra Brown-Lindstedt, is her autobiographic retelling of a childhood observed and then recalled with the scientific precision of a chemist and the wonder-saturated perspective of a sylph. The counterpoint of living with her grandmother, then her mother, then her grandmother again, provides a harsh, hard-edged reality always at the radius of her vision, filtering through to reflect upon the adult reader’s own shared, hard-won understandings. But Sandy’s sweet, pure heart (cloaked perhaps by her admittedly untamed nature) occupies the center of such privileged sharing, while she speaks to us with wit and love and a heartfelt invitation to let our own fireflies breathe and soar. A children’s book? Only if children are sages in disguise.
Recommend this book:
You Got This
A Tale of Courage
Wanda Carter Roush
![You Got This](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51RsuregEmL._SL300_.jpg)
2021 Gold Medal
32 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2021 Gold Medal](/images/gold.png)
Life can be wonderful and inspiring, but it can also be frightening. How do we deal with things that frighten us? Like the fiery dragon in our fairy tale imaginings? Or the music concert where we have to stand on a stage in front of an audience? These are all difficult and sometimes frightening occurrences, and fear doesn’t leave us when we grow up. A little girl has her guardian angel with her at all times when she’s growing up. And the secret shared by this angel is the most empowering words one can share: “You got this. The courage you need … is in you.” So true, but not always easy to remember, as the little girl realizes once she’s grown up and living away from home. All it takes is a quick visit home, to the special garden she shared with her angel during the growing-up years.
Wanda Carter Roush’s picture book story, You Got This: A Tale of Courage, is a sweet and gentle story about learning to overcome one’s fears. Like the title says, it’s a tale of courage. The story is told in simple language to appeal to the young reader and the repetitive, “You got this” phrase will be instantly recognized and remembered as young readers learn to implement positive steps toward their own courage. The illustrations are spectacular and certainly make this story extra special. Lovingly told with compassion, this story is a great way to empower young readers with the courage to reach their fullest potential in spite of their fears.
Recommend this book:
Corky Tails
Tales of a Tailless Dog Named Sagebrush (Moms Choice Award Winner)
Joni Franks
![Corky Tails](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wGb4w81wL._SL300_.jpg)
2020 Bronze Medal
30 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2020 Bronze Medal](/images/bronze.png)
In Corky Tails: Tales of a Tailless Dog Named Sagebrush by Joni Franks, the main character is Sagebrush, a Corgi dog. Sagebrush lives on a ranch. She stays in the house with her parents but the rest of the dogs are with the animals outside. Throughout the book, Sagebrush is called Corky by the other animals. The other dogs tease her because she has no tail. They call her useless. The couple who own the ranch puts the place up for sale. A young woman buys the ranch, but the couple doubts she can handle a ranch on her own. She fell in love with Sagebrush and started to train Sagebrush on how to herd animals just like the outside dogs with tails do. She taught Sagebrush and proved that a female could run a ranch. She also proved that Sagebrush did not need a tail to help run a ranch.
This book has wonderful illustrations to complement the text. The text runs smoothly with many descriptions, making one feel for the main character, Sagebrush, getting teased and being made fun of. The point of the book is very nice. Whatever good things you want to accomplish in life, you can set your mind to it and do it. This book ought to be read to kids from the get-go so they learn not to tease or bully another child. Again, yet another book that could stop a kid from bullying. I recommend this book to all pre-school and elementary schools.
Recommend this book:
When You Lived in My Belly
Jodi Meltzer
![When You Lived in My Belly](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51H0JwVbjML._SL300_.jpg)
2020 Gold Medal
38 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2020 Gold Medal](/images/gold.png)
When You Lived in My Belly, by Jodi Meltzer, is a creative children’s story about what goes on inside the womb. As her baby grows bigger, develops, and becomes more active, each moment becomes more special for this happy mother. The book flows seamlessly and builds excitement and joy as a special bond is shared. Fingers and toes grow, hiccups happen, and all of those special developmental stages are well discussed and illustrated in a way that is exciting for children. Both educational and entertaining, Meltzer weaves a poetic description of what it was like when her son lived in her belly with a rhyming pattern comparable to that of Dr. Seuss.
I found When You Lived in My Belly to be incredibly beautiful, accurate, and sentimental--something that moms can share with their kids forever. The rhythmic, almost lyrical writing style is fun to read, and fun to listen to. A sure-fire way to entertain your children, and share a special moment as you discuss the unique bond between mothers and their kids. The illustrations, done by Caryn King and Jody King Camarra, are gorgeous, colorful, and informative to look at. I rated When You Lived in My Belly five stars because I could not give it ten. A true masterpiece in children’s literature by author Jodi Meltzer, and a book that focuses on that special relationship; well done!
Recommend this book:
I'm Just Me!!
Kody Christiansen
![I'm Just Me!!](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510mo3bjiHL._SL300_.jpg)
2020 Honorable Mention
42 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2020 Honorable Mention](/images/honorable.png)
A little boy knows how to entertain himself while his mother’s busy at work as a nurse or too tired after her shift to do much of anything. This little boy likes to read, draw, talk to his grandmother, tease the cat, and play with his toys. The boy enjoys his action figures, but he also enjoys playing with dolls and playing dress-up in his mother’s clothes. You see, he may look like a little boy on the outside, but inside he is something else. Not uncommon, when you think about it. Some boys are just boys; some girls are just girls. But, then again, some boys are more like girls inside while some girls are like boys outside. What really defines this gender equation? And does it really matter what we are inside and out? What’s important is that we appreciate who we are deep down; that we appreciate and honor being just ‘me’. That’s what the little boy claims: “I’m just me!” He’s lucky, too, as he has a very supportive mother and grandmother to help him accept himself for who he/she is, both inside and out.
Kody Christiansen’s picture book story, I’m Just Me!!, is a wonderful way to introduce gender differences in a way that young people can understand. The plot develops with a list of things the little boy enjoys doing, which he does all by himself since, sadly, he has no siblings and, I guess, no friends. The lack of friends is the real tragedy in this story. But his mother and grandmother make up for what he misses from the outside world. As the plot develops, the person we first see as a little boy evolves into his inner being, a little girl as he/she prepares to dress up for Halloween as a lady nurse, just like his/her mom. The illustrations are effective and the end of the book includes coloring and activities to help young readers define who they are: both inside and out. An intuitive presentation at an appropriate level for young readers.
Recommend this book:
Father Christmas
Rowdy Herrington
![Father Christmas](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51p4NHGuUQL._SL300_.jpg)
2020 Honorable Mention
105 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2020 Honorable Mention](/images/honorable.png)
What is the meaning of Christmas? And is Father Christmas real? Ten-year-old Annie is about to find out. The middle child of a large family, Annie’s parents assured her that she was old enough to stay up on Christmas Eve to meet Father Christmas when he comes to fill their stockings. She nearly floats through Christmas Eve day as she helps Mama with the baking, the younger siblings and going to the store for some last-minute purchases. The family’s not well off, being a coal mining family during the Depression years, but, as Daddy points out, at least he has a job. And, it’s enough to care for their large family with enough love and compassion to help others, including a hobo who appears on their doorstep Christmas Eve and accepts the invitation to join them for dinner. Annie is proud of her new status, but she’s in for an unexpected surprise when Father Christmas arrives. What she doesn’t expect is to discover the true meaning of Christmas: the joy and the love found within a person and within the family circle.
Rowdy Herrington’s early chapter book story, Father Christmas, is a treasure to warm your heart as we never can learn enough about the true meaning of Christmas. The author carves a compassionate plot around a large coal-mining family, struggling to make ends meet, while at the same time not losing touch with what it really means to love and to care. The characters are well developed; the setting is aptly described (with the assistance of several black-and-white sketches) and the plot develops at a steady pace. The message is clear and the telling is compassionate in a way that will have every reader’s eyes tear up. A powerful story and a great addition to a child’s Christmas library.
Recommend this book:
A Kite at the Edge of the World
Katy Grant
![A Kite at the Edge of the World](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51C1S2G0-aL._SL300_.jpg)
2020 Finalist
195 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2020 Finalist](/images/finalist.png)
A Kite at the Edge of the World is a work of poignant and meaningful children’s fiction and was penned by author Katy Grant. Caught amid the pure joy of childish innocence and the cruel, fragile nature of life itself, this inspiring and heartbreaking work focuses on themes of friendship, loss and making the most of what you have. We see these themes unfold in the brand new friendship between two young boys, one of whom has never seen the seaside before. As the new friends contrive a plot to ditch their adult minders and set off to fly kites over the sea, it transpires that one of them is terminally ill and that his seaside day will be one to remember.
Author Katy Grant has created a powerful tale for adults and children to read together, developing the simplistic charms of traditional kite flying and outdoor hobbies of times gone by with the clinical, medical world and some pretty dark ideas of mortality. It is unusual to find themes such as death and grief discussed so frankly, and I think these are masterfully handled in this text to teach young readers a lot about emotional intelligence, seizing the day and being open to new experiences in their own lives. The characters are subtly brilliant, introduced very simply but slowly informed and developed through their dialogue and actions. Overall, A Kite at the Edge of the World is a suitably moving but also motiving and uplifting read, one which would benefit any young person trying to understand grief.
Recommend this book:
The Field
Ian Dawson
![The Field](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51PbhEvRsAL._SL300_.jpg)
2019 Finalist
240 Pages
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Children - Coming of Age
![2019 Finalist](/images/finalist.png)
The Field by Ian Dawson is a fairly straightforward YA novel about two friends, Daniel and Kyle, and what happens when one of them is kidnapped. The book starts with an introduction to both boys and their friendship, and all of the normal adolescent school life adventures and girl crushes. There is also a parallel story of Austin and James, another pair of so-called friends, but in reality they are in a power and abuse-based dynamic. Austin is the one who ends up kidnapping Daniel one day, with James as his unwilling apprentice. This is not the first time Austin has abducted someone or abused them in captivity. Once Daniel goes missing, Kyle rises to the occasion and tries to find and rescue his friend. This is their story of friendship and also about those relationships in youth that are power based and what the youth of today can learn from this and protect themselves from abuse of this kind.
The Field is a fairly quick read and the time line moves quickly from showing the normal life of two teenage boys with their usual teenage problems to one where suddenly there is danger and kidnapping involved. I enjoyed Daniel’s character and he is very relatable and believable as a young 14-year-old boy. The book also highlights an important aspect of teenage life, where either due to peer pressure or bullying, young people often get dragged into and stuck in unhealthy, abusive relationships with peers. This book serves as an educational attempt to recognize these warning signs and not hesitate to try to get help. There is a website provided at the end, but I also think this book would benefit from having an entire list of references of websites and phone numbers teenagers can call in case of such difficulty. This is a good read for young adults and teenagers.
![action1](/images/action1.png)