Research Guides: Youth Literature and Book Lists: Book Award Lists

Book Award Lists

Use these lists to find award-winning children’s and young adult books recognized nationally and in Iowa.

Find National Award-winning Books at UNI
National Book Award Websites
Iowa Book Award Lists
Request a Book through Interlibrary Loan
The TEACH Studio may not own every title, but you can request anything we don’t have through interlibrary loan.

Find National Award-winning Books at UNI

Use this list to explore national award-winning books available to check out from the TEACH Studio.

Youth Literature Award Winners by Year
This guide lists books the library owns that have won many major American awards for children's and young adult literature. Winners are organized by award year, going back to 1996.
Caldecott Medal
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) annually awards the Caldecott Medal to the artist of the most distinguished children's picture book.
Coretta Scott King Award
The Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (ALA) annually awards the Coretta Scott King Book Award to recognize exceptional young adult and children's books by African American authors and illustrators that capture the African American experience.
Jane Addams Children's Book Award
The Jane Addams Peace Association annually awards the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award to the author and illustrator whose children’s books promote peace, social justice, and equality.
New York Times Best Illustrated
The New York Times and the New York Public Library annually award the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books to ten titles selected for their exceptional illustration and artistic merit.
Newberry Medal
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALA) annually awards the Newbery Medal to the author who has made the most distinguished contribution to American children's literature.
Pura Belpré Award
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALA) annually awards the Pura Belpré Award honor to an author and illustrator whose work best captures the Latino cultural experience through children's and youth literature.

National Book Award Websites

Use these websites to discover national award-winning books for children and young adults.

American Indian Youth Literature Award
The American Indian Library Association biennially awards this honor to children's and youth books that best capture the American Indian cultural experience.
Caldecott Medal
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) annually awards the Caldecott Medal to the artist of the most distinguished children's picture book.
Coretta Scott King Book Award
The Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (ALA) annually awards the Coretta Scott King Book Award to recognize exceptional young adult and children's books by African American authors and illustrators that capture the African American experience.
Excellent in Early Learning Digital Media Award
This ALSC/ALA award is for distinguished digital media for an early learning audience. Its first year was 2019.
Geisel Award
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALA) annually awards this honor to authors and illustrators of the most distinguished contribution to American beginning reader books published during the preceding year.
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award
The Jane Addams Peace Association annually awards the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award to the author and illustrator whose children’s books promote peace, social justice, and equality.
John Newbery Medal
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALA) annually awards the Newbery Medal to the author who has made the most distinguished contribution to American children's literature.
Orbis Pictus Award
The National Council of Teachers of English annually awards this honor to outstanding nonfiction children's books.
Printz Award
The Young Adult Library Services Association (ALA) annually awards this honor to the author of a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.
Pura Belpré Award
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALA) annually awards the Pura Belpré Award honor to an author and illustrator whose work best captures the Latino cultural experience through children's and youth literature.
Robert F. Sibert Award
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALA) annually awards this honor to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book.

Iowa Book Award Lists

Explore Iowa book award lists featuring titles selected each year by students and school librarians—from preschool through high school.

Bridge to Reading Picture Book Award
The Youth Services Subdivision (ILA) gives this award annually to a book voted on by Iowa children in kindergarten and younger.
Goldfinch Award
The Iowa Association of School Librarians (IASL) annually awards this honor to a book voted on by Iowa students in grades K-2.
Iowa Children's Choice Award
The Iowa Association of School Librarians (IASL) annually awards this honor to a book voted on by Iowa students in grades 3-6.
Iowa Teen Award
The Iowa Association of School Librarians (IASL) annually awards this honor to a book voted on by Iowa students in grades 6-9.
Iowa High School Book Award
The Iowa Association of School Librarians (IASL) annually awards this honor to a book voted on by Iowa students in grades 9-12.