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 - Science/Technology
- 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
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Recommend this book:
Lotti and the Impossible Dream
Charly Froh

2023 Bronze Medal
308 Pages
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Children - Preteen

We often hear the words: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way!” Sage advice, but what if the odds were stacked against us and the mountain we wanted to climb was too tall or too steep? What if we’re born with a physical defect, malformed legs that required multiple surgeries, and lots of scarring? Can we face those that cringe at the sight of our wounds? Told we could never walk, can we train for the unthinkable and become a champion rhythm gymnast? In Lotti and the Impossible Dream, Charly Froh tells readers that Lotti believes she can. She’s one determined young middle schooler who firmly believes that she is more than her scars. “My scar is just a history of what I’ve been through, not a guarantee that I can’t do something!” Confronted by the bullies in gym class, she’s determined to prove that she is who and what she wants to be, which is a lot more than the scarred skin on her legs. Heartened by the support of her parents and her older brother, she knows she is a superhero, and she can do anything she sets her mind to. Her mother’s words of wisdom bolster her resolve. When we fall we get up and try again.
Based on a true story, Charly Froh’s middle-grade novel Lotti and the Impossible Dream will have readers of all ages laughing, crying, and cheering all at once. Told in the first person narrative, this almost reads like a memoir or personal essay. The author invites the reader into the depth of feelings and emotions of a young girl with a whole lot of heart and determination. It’s most empowering. There is lots of dialogue and descriptive narrative, and the story moves along at a quick pace. Each chapter begins with an intriguing title and a dragon-inspired drawing, both of which suggest the plot development to follow and the angst young Lotti must face to achieve her goal. Insightful, thought-provoking, compassionate, inspiring, brilliant, funny, and brave, this is a great gift for readers of all ages, but especially the young and the young at heart.
Recommend this book:
ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties
Book III in the Cape Cod Witch Series
J Bean Palmer, Chris Palmer

2023 Honorable Mention
222 Pages
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Children - Preteen

ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties by J Bean Palmer and Chris Palmer is the third book of this series which takes young readers on an adventure to another world. ElsBeth Amelia Thistle is the youngest witch on Cape Cod and that particular day, as she heads toward the sea with her friends Veronica and Lisa Lee, she is gripped with a sense of uneasiness that doesn't seem natural. Once there, they bump into Robert Hillman Jones and his friends. The boys were planning to take Uncle Preston's yacht and sail around the islands. They find themselves caught in the middle of a storm where no one is able to control the yacht. What follows is a series of unexpected events, mystery, and adventure.
The plot has many layers to it which makes it a compelling read. The illustrations are good and they do complement the scenes nicely. The portrayal of all the characters is good and ElsBeth stands for responsibility, fun and intrigue as the story progresses. The narration is detailed and there is something very charming and mysterious about nautical themed stories. As the plot progresses, readers get to know about ElsBeth's cat obsession, being transported to Greenland where she is informed about the plight of polar bears, and also an encounter with porpoises who tell ElsBeth about selkies. The book has a lot of adventure and mystery for readers that will leave them excited and enthralled as they go on the trip with ElsBeth and her friends.
Recommend this book:
The Mysterious Pool
Charlene McIver, Zoe Saunders

2023 Honorable Mention
80 Pages
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Children - Preteen

The Mysterious Pool by Charlene McIver is a delightful story about a group of kids and their scary and fantastic adventures at a creepy mansion. Cosmo, Leigh, and Tara are visiting Cosmo's grandmother's house during a strange night with wind and fog. On their way, they notice a developer's notice board at the front of the property and hear a little mouse talking. Once there, Cosmo's grandma tells them that some pesky developers are trying to buy her beautiful historic property. Shortly after, the children discover a secret room. When their dog starts to speak, Grandma tells them it is because of the hidden pool. The mysterious pool contains a special elixir that gives animals the power to communicate with humans. Yet, this special elixir must remain a secret, as in the wrong hands it may cause harm and mischief to all animals. Thus, the children's mission is to protect Grandma's property and its amazing secret.
Charlene McIver combines beautiful writing, mystery, adventure, magic, and superb black and white and color illustrations by Zoe Saunders in this thrilling story. The Mysterious Pool is engaging, educational, and sometimes chilling. It inspires kids and adults to help and protect our planet. This tale will especially thrill every kid who dreams of understanding and speaking with animals. Through a magic elixir and a special book, children will learn that all animals should be respected and live free from man's restraint. This fantastic story features courageous talking animals and magical elements that will fascinate young minds while fostering a love for animals and Mother Earth.
Recommend this book:
ABC the Bible Way
Tope Umah

2023 Gold Medal
Kindle Edition
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Children - Religious Theme

ABC the Bible Way is a religious-themed picture book for children written by Tope Umah. Children usually learn the alphabet through association with images, animals, and objects. The author of this picture book has used themes and elements of the Bible to help children understand the Bible while they learn their alphabet. Each letter contains an association to an object along with a short story or paragraph which connects it to the Bible. The letter “b” is for Boat, specifically, the boat Jesus was sleeping in when a powerful storm came up and his followers woke him up, fearing they would drown. The letter “g” is associated with Goliath, the giant of the Old Testament who was defeated by David, who was sent by God. And “m” is for Moses, who feared his leadership role due to his speech difficulties but was entrusted by God to help the Israelites escape slavery.
Tope Umah’s ABC the Bible Way is a fascinating and well-presented work that introduces biblical themes to young readers while they learn the alphabet. The stories connected to each letter are fascinating and connect themes to those letters beautifully, and the accompanying illustrations take those lessons one step further. I especially appreciated the illustration for the letter “o,” which shows a young boy in a temple filling the lamps on a lampstand with olive oil, and the dramatic panel for “p” which shows Samson breaking free of the stone pillars to which the Philistines had chained him. Each letter and its accompanying story and illustration work quite well as mini-lessons in a biblical study for young readers. ABC the Bible Way is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Melody the Unicorn and the Beauty Within
Subani Maheshwari

2023 Gold Medal
35 Pages
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Children - Social Issues

“She was different but not in the way she’d thought. And, it turned out, “different” wasn’t so bad.” Aren’t we all different? Don’t we all have something unique and beautiful to share with the world? Melody the unicorn thought she wasn’t beautiful because she didn’t have all the bright colors the other young unicorns had. She was just white. It made her sad not to be rainbow-colored like the others. Try as she might, she just couldn’t make herself colorful. But she did have something else, something the others didn’t have, and that really did make her beautiful. She just didn’t realize what her unique beauty was. It was a difficult lesson to learn that being different was okay. After all, differences make us not only unique but beautiful inside and out.
Subani Maheshwari’s picture book story, Melody the Unicorn and the Beauty Within, is all about differences and the beauty we all have within us. Melody has a difficult lesson to learn. It’s about accepting who she is, something we all have difficulty doing at times. Told in simple language so young readers can easily follow along, this charming story will lighten the hearts of readers of all ages. The spectacular, bright, and colorful illustrations help move the story forward, as Melody tries one trick after another to change her appearance so she can be colorful like the other unicorns. The plot follows Melody’s journey to self-discovery, self-love, and accepting who she is. This is a powerful lesson for all readers to learn. Loved it!
Recommend this book:
Charlie the Champion - (Mom's Choice Silver Award Recipient)
K.R. King

2023 Gold Medal
45 Pages
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Children - Social Issues

Charlie the Champion by K.R. King is a story about hard work and a mindset change written for a young audience. In the African savannah, Charlie the Cheetah watches his father win races and daydreams that he could one day win one too. However, he is not fit and strong like his father, and the other animals bully him by calling him chubby until Charlie thinks of himself as a failure. One day, after the other animals overwhelm Charlie with their taunts, he decides to fight against their meanness and chase his dreams. Charlie begins to train for his goal with regular practice and only allows himself to say kind and positive things about who he is. When the big race arrives, Charlie is tempted to give up when he slips behind the lead, but he keeps fighting and believing to the finish line.
K.R. King’s Charlie the Champion is an excellent way to help children understand the power they have to reach their dreams. I loved seeing Charlie grow from resignation that he would never win a race and would always be what the bullies said he was, to believe that he had value, was worthy of positive self-talk, and was capable of making his dream come true. The illustrations of Charlie and his world are vibrant, clear, and so much fun, with familiar animals and lovely settings that children will adore. Even as an adult, I felt motivated to speak more kindly to myself and work harder for my dreams after meeting Charlie. This is a fantastic educational book for early readers to tackle alone, but an even better one to read and discuss with the grown-ups in their lives.
Recommend this book:
Zoey Lyndon's Big Move to the Lou
Micheal Anderson

2023 Silver Medal
116 Pages
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Children - Social Issues

Zoey Lyndon and her family, consisting of her mom, dad, and older sister Jasmine, move from their home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to St. Louis, Missouri due to her father’s job. Of course, the move had to take place right at the beginning of a new school year, which made Zoey extremely nervous. Entering the 4th grade without her old friends would be hard enough, but what if she could not make any new friends, or what if she went into the wrong bathroom and ended up in the boys' bathroom? Despite being nervous, she makes it through her first couple of days, even though she eats alone at lunch. Then, suddenly everything changes when she meets Tomasina, or Tommi, at lunch one day. The two become good friends, join the science fair together, and hang out with other friends as well. Fourth grade is beginning to look a whole lot brighter to Zoey in Micheal Anderson's Zoey Lyndon's Big Move to the Lou.
Zoey Lyndon’s Big Move to the Lou by Micheal Anderson is a wonderful children’s chapter book with a well-developed plot and relatable characters. Designed to give the reader the perspective of the main character Zoey, a fourth grader, a reader can easily imagine themselves, or someone they have known being in similar situations as described in the story. Micheal Anderson does an incredible job of portraying the emotions of a young girl entering an unfamiliar environment for the first time. A parent or guardian who knows their child will have to go through a similar situation would benefit from obtaining a copy.
Recommend this book:
The Clumsy Chicken
A funny heartwarming tale for children 3-5
Sue Elias, Remesh Ram

2023 Silver Medal
35 Pages
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Children - Social Issues

The Clumsy Chicken by Sue Elias is a charming children’s book about a red fluffy chicken named Chickie who is sweet, but clumsy. All her animal friends at the cozy barn would laugh when she fell or did something clumsy. Chickie continued being her clumsy self, but one day she packed up her bag and surprised all her animal friends by saying she was going to explore the world. She encountered many new animal friends like a fox, a squirrel, and a big rabbit band as her new friends taught her many new things like climbing and spreading her wings. Not once did her new friends laugh at her as she continued being her clumsy self. Returning back to her cozy barn, Chickie felt stronger and wiser as her old friends welcomed her back where she belonged.
Author Sue Elias and illustrator Remesh Ram spin a very delightful story that engages the reader with cute and colorful animals on every page. The scenes are very eye-catching throughout the whole book. The rhyming of the sentences brings giggles and fun for the whole family. At the same time, children are being taught how to value themselves. The Clumsy Chicken teaches very important lessons to young children about self-acceptance and self-love, despite being laughed at by your peers. Self-acceptance and self-love help foster self-esteem and self-confidence which are vital for developing a strong sense of identity and self for young ones.
Recommend this book:
Loving the YOU That You Are
Kristin Blomberg, Saoirse Lou

2023 Honorable Mention
42 Pages
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Children - Social Issues

Loving the You That You Are by Kristin Blomberg features relatable parents who wonder what life choices their children will make and how their children will react to the world. The parents convey their love for their children by being accepting, encouraging, and understanding. When a child is small, it is hard to tell what the future will hold. It is extremely important to nurture their ideals, ambitions, and choices, so they know that their parents will always love and support everything about them and their personality. The child’s choice of being identified by their preferred gender, the clothes they wear, and how they choose to show love does not change the way that their parents feel about them.
I loved how this story projects such an accepting and understanding view of children’s choices. I find it amazing that the author decided to write a story that shows how much love she has for her children regardless of the choices they make for themselves. Children can benefit from reading this book and learning that loving themselves for who they are is the most important thing they can do. The illustrations by Saoirse Lou are beautiful images that the reader can easily enjoy while following the story and the different life scenarios. I recommend Loving the You That You Are by Kristin Blomberg to anyone with small children that are at an age where they are ready to start discovering who they are.
Recommend this book:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Liam, the Smart Rabbit
Azaliya Schulz

2023 Finalist
32 Pages
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Children - Social Issues

Liam, a young rabbit, lives in the deep wood and cultivates his land diligently. Then, one night, a box tumbles out of a truck passing by the woods onto Liam’s veggie farm. The contents of the box are plastic wrappers. They’re so bright and colorful but equally dangerous because they are pollutants, so his mom says. Liam goes about asking other animals about plastic pollution. How can dolls, balloons, and cups possibly be harmful? In Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Liam, the Smart Rabbit by Azaliya Schulz, you’ll learn about the effects of plastic, impressive alternatives to plastic items, and how to conserve plastic properly. “Plastic is in so many things; it’s quite scary.”
Azaliya Schulz’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Liam, the Smart Rabbit is a lovely educational children’s book on plastic pollution. Its colorful illustrations make it outstanding and more relatable, and its unique subject matter makes for an engaging read. It uses a conversational narrative with rhyming verses, which I think is very creative. I liked Schulz’s choice of simple words and use of everyday objects to explain plastic pollution; it made me aware of all the little things I had previously overlooked. Another thing I liked about this short story is that so many animal characters are used to convey crucial information. There is much to learn; I believe children will like it, so I recommend it.
