Children’s Literary Award and Recommended Lists on the Net

More than 5,000 juvenile books are published each year in the United States. Identifying the best books can be a challenge; however, there is help. Hundreds of literary awards and recommended books are selected by professional or trade organizations or libraries and schools to help identify the best in children’s and young adult literature. Many of those award and recommended lists are easily accessible via the Internet.

The Cooperative Children's Books Center (CCBC)
The Cooperative Children's Cooks Center is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education and serves as a clearinghouse for books, ideas, and expertise in the field of children's literature.

Awards and Best-of-the-Year Lists
Links to 40 award and recommended lists.

Books for Children and Young Adults
Links to thematic bibliographies and general infirmation concerning books and publishing for young people.

Children’s Book Council (CBC)
The Children's Book Council is a nonprofit trade association whose members publish children and young adult books in the United States. The CBC promotes the use and enjoyment of trade books for young people.

Awards and Prizes Online (subscription required)
This database, maintained by the Children’s Book Council, is the most comprehensive single source for information about domestic and international awards for English-language juvenile books with booklists for 320+ literary awards. Updated monthly.

CBC Reading Lists
More than seventeen links to topical bibliographies including:

• “Building a Home Library”
• “Graphic Novels for Young Readers”
• “Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People”
• “Outstanding Science Trade Books”
• “Books to Grow On”

American Library Association
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association. It seeks to promote quality library and information services and public access to information.

 The Schneider Family Book Award
Given annually to an author or illustrator for a book that realistically captures the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.

Association of Library Services for Children (ALSC)
The Association of Library Services for Children, a division of the American Library Association, is a professional organization of children's and youth librarians, children's literature experts, publishers, education and library school faculty members, and other adults dedicated to quality library services to children.

Recommended Book Lists from ALSC
A dozen book lists including six that deal with cultural diversity.

Literary and Related Awards
Booklists for the ten major awards sponsored by ALSC, including the

Children’s Notable Lists
Links are provided to annual recommended lists that include books, videos, recordings, and computer software for children.

Young Adult Library Services Association
The Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, is a group of professional librarians, educators, and publishers who advocate, promote, and strengthen library service to young adults.

Booklists & Book Awards
Links are provided to a dozen recommended lists of books, audio books, DVDs and videos, and Teen Choice. Six links are listed below:

Alex Award
The Alex Award is given annually to ten books published the previous year for an adult audience that appeal young adults ages 12-18.

Best Books for Young Adults
This annual general list of fiction and nonfiction titles is selected by a committee of fifteen YA literature experts based on the books’ proven or potential appeal to the personal reading tastes of young adults.

Great Graphic Novels for Teens
This annual annotated list of graphic novels is prepared by a committee of eleven YA literature experts. Acceptable literary and artistic qualities, along with diversity, are considered.

Michael L. Printz Award
The Printz Award is selected annually by a committee of nine YA literature experts and awarded for literary merit. The criteria states: “We hope the award will have a wide AUDIENCE among readers from 12 to 18 but POPULARITY is not the criterion for this award. Nor is MESSAGE. In accordance with the Library Bill of Rights, CONTROVERSY is not something to avoid. In fact, we want a book that readers will talk about.”[1]

Outstanding Books for the College Bound
The lists, intended for students in grades 9-12, may be used to strengthen knowledge of various subject areas in both classic and contemporary literature and may be helpful in preparing for college entrance exams.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Quick Picks is for young adults (ages 12-18) who do not like to read. The list identifies titles primarily for recreational reading, not for curricular or remedial use.

International Reading Association
The International Reading Association promotes literacy by improving the quality of reading instruction and sharing helpful information about using children's and young adults' literature to develop literacy.

Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards
Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Awards are given for an author’s first or second published book written for children or young adults (ages birth to 17 years). Awards are given for fiction and nonfiction in each of three categories: primary, intermediate, and young adult.

Children’s Choices
A joint project with CBC, each year approximately 10,000 young people (ages 5-13) from different regions of the United States choose approximately 100 favorite books.

Young Adult Choices
Each year about 4,500 students in grades 7-12 from different regions of the United States select approximately 30 favorite books.

Teachers’ Choices
Each year teachers, reading specialists, and librarians from different regions in the United States select 30 books for young readers ages 5-14.