Most parents are on the lookout for ways to keep their kid’s mind from turning to mush this summer. Sending our youngsters off with a good book is a tried and true technique many of us use. However, the key word there is “good.”
Not all books are created equal. Some are definitely worthy of our time, while others aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. How are you supposed to tell the difference?
If you grab an award winning book, it’s a pretty safe bet the content will be top-notch.
Understanding the Award System
There are various honors awarded to children’s books. Some recognize the author’s efforts; others highlight the illustrator’s contributions.
Before checking out the award winning children’s books of 2015, you may want to venture over to: Book Awards for Children's Literature. It outlines the various awards and the evaluation criteria. Got it? Okay, here you go — the best books of 2015.
The John Newbery Medal
The Crossover, written by Kwame Alexander
Newbery Honor Books
El Deafo, written and illustrated by Cece Bell
Brown Girl Dreaming, written by Jacqueline Woodson
The Randolph Caldecott Medal
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, written and illustrated by Dan Santat
Caldecott Honor Books
Nana in the City, written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo
The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art, written by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary GrandePré
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
Viva Frida, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
This One Summer, written by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Mildred L. Batchelder Award
Mikis and the Donkey written by Bidi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson
Batchelder Honor Books
Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust, written by Loic Dauvillier, illustrated by Marc Lizano, color by Greg Salsedo, translated by Alexis Siegel
Nine Open Arms written by Benny Lindelauf, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen
Pura Belpre Award
I Lived on Butterfly Hill written by Marjorie Agosín, illustrated by Lee White
Belpre Honor Books
Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes, written by Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Raúl Colón
Little Roja Riding Hood, written by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Susan Guevara
Green is a Chile Pepper, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by John Parra
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation, written by Duncan Tonatiuh
Michael Printz Award
I’ll Give you the Sun, written by Jandy Nelson
Midwinterblood, written by Marcus Sedwick
The Returning, written by Christine Hinwood
One Whole and Perfect Day, written by Judith Clarke
The Scorpio Races, written by Maggie Stiefvater
Coretta Scott King Award
Brown Girl Dreaming, written by Jacqueline Woodson
P.S. Be Eleven, written by Rita Williams-Garcia
I, Too, Am American, written by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Ninth Ward, written by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Chill Wind, written by Janet McDonald
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
You Are (Not) Small, written by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant
Stonewall Award
This Day in June, written by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
Robert F. Sibert Medal
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, written by Jen Byant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Red House Children’s Book Award, Overall Winner
The Day the Crayons Quit, written by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Red House Children’s Book Award, Books for Young Readers
Demon Dentist, written and illustrated by David Walliams
Waterstones Children’s Book Prize
Blown Away, written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph
Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, Best Young Fiction
Murder Most Unladylike, written by Robin Stevens
What Did You Think?
After you’ve read through some of these award winning titles, be sure to come back and tell us what you think. Are they worthy of the honors they’ve received?
