Illustrated/Picture Books

Charlotte Zolotow Award
Awarded annually to the author of the best picture book text published in the United States in the preceding year.

E.B. White Read Aloud Awards
Established in 2004 by The Association of Booksellers for Children to honour books that its membership felt embodied the universal read aloud standards that were created by the work of the author E.B. White.

• Awards: Award for Picture Books, Award for Older Readers

Mystery/Crime

Agatha Award
Created by Malice Domestic, the Agatha Awards celebrate the traditional mystery, best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. 

• Awards: Best Children's/Young Adult Novel

Crime Writers of Canada 
Awarded by the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) for any fictional or factual book-length work, novella or short-story that features crime as a major or principal element and is written for any print or electronic medium.

• Awards: Arthur Ellis Award for Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing (Best Juvenile/YA Book) 

Edgar Awards
Awarded by the Mystery Writers of America (MWA). All books, short stories and television shows in the mystery, crime, suspense, and intrigue fields are eligible for Edgar Awards if they were published in the US in the previous year. 

• Awards: Best Juvenile, Best Young Adult

Fantasy/Science Fiction/Folklore

American Folklore Society Awards
The AFS recognizes exceptional books, for children or young adults, that are based on folklore. The folklore must be accurately presented in the text and illustrations and add to the reader’s understanding of folklore.

• Awards: Aesop Prize, Opie Prize, W.W. Newell Prize

Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association 
Since 1980, Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA) members have recognized both the best Canadian SF&F professional writing and the best Canadian fan activity.

• Awards: Prix Aurora Award

Nebula Awards
Organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, the Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States.

• Awards: Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic 
An annual award given for a speculative fiction novel or a book-length collection.

Historical Fiction

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Given for a distinguished work of historical fiction for young readers. To be eligible, a book must be published by a U.S. publisher; the setting must be South, Central or North America; and the author must be a U.S. citizen.

Non-Fiction

Giverny Book Award 
An annual children's science picture book award established by Dr. Jim Wandersee and Dr. Elisabeth E. Schussler. 

​Lane Anderson Award 
An award honouring the very best science writing in Canada today, both in the adult and young reader categories. Created by the Fitzhenry Family Foundation.

• Awards: Young Readers 

Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book Award 
The award’s aim is to recognize excellence in Canadian publishing of children’s nonfiction and is given annually to a book that arouses interest, stimulates curiosity, captures the imagination, and fosters concern for the world around us.

American Indian Youth Literature Award
Awarded biennially by the American Indian Library Association, the AIYLA identifies and honours the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity.

CODE 
CODE celebrates and encourages the production of exceptional works of culturally-relevant literature for young adults.

• Awards: Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit & Metis Young Adult Literature

Lambda Literary Awards
The Lambda Literary Awards (fondly known as the Lammys) were created in 1989 to garner national visibility for LGBTQ books. Award categories are fluid, responding to growth and expansion of queer identities.

• Awards: LGBTQ+ children's book, LGBTQ+ middle grade book, LGBTQ+  young adult book

South Asia Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature
Administered by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium, this award is given annually for up to three outstanding works of literature which accurately and skillfully portray the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world.

Canadian - National

Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards 
The CCBC administers ten awards, all of which celebrate excellence in Canadian children's books.

• Awards: Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy, David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction, Jean Little First-Novel Award, John Spray Mystery Award, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction, TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (English & French)

Governor General's Literary Awards 
Celebrate literature and inspire the general public to read books by creators from Canada.

• Awards: Young People's Literature - Text (English & French), Young People's Literature - Illustrated Books (English & French)

National Chapter of Canada IODE 
Offered annually for the best English language book containing at least 500 words of text (preferably with Canadian content) in any category, suitable for children aged 13 and under.

• Awards: IODE Violet Downey Book Award

Canadian - Regional

Atlantic Book Awards 
Celebrate outstanding contributions to writing for Atlantic Canadian young people.

• Awards: Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children's Literature, Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration

BC and Yukon Book Prizes 
Celebrate the achievements of British Columbia and Yukon writers, illustrators and publishers. The 10 Prizes are awarded by members of a non-profit society who represent all facets of the publishing and writing community.

• Awards: Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize, Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize

Chocolate Lily Young Reader's Choice Awards 
Encourage grade-school students to read some of the best books written and illustrated by British Columbia's authors and illustrators.

• Awards: Novel, Chapter Book, Picture Book

Manitoba Book Awards 
Celebrate excellence in Manitoba writing, publishing, book design, and illustration.

• Awards: McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award (Older)

Ontario Library Association Awards 
The OLA recognizes individuals, organizations, and initiatives that have greatly contributed to Ontario’s libraries. From library advocacy to program development, the recipients of OLA’s awards have supported school, academic and public libraries with outstanding service to their institutions and communities.

• Awards: Blue Spruce Award, Prix Peuplier, Prix Tamarac, Red Maple Award, Silver Birch Award, White Pine Award, Yellow Cedar Award

Quebec Writers’ Federation 
QWF administers various awards programs to acknowledge the fine work being done by Quebec’s aspiring, emerging, and established authors. 

• Awards: Janet Savage Blachford Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature

Red Cedar Book Awards 
British Columbia's free young readers' choice awards developed for kids in grades 4-7.

• Awards: Fiction book category, Information book category

Saskatchewan Book Awards 
Recognize, celebrate and reward the excellence of Saskatchewan authors and publishers, building greater awareness and appreciation of Saskatchewan books and increasing reader engagement. 

• Awards: Children's Literature Award

Writer's Guild of Alberta 
Administered by the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, these awards recognize outstanding writing by Alberta authors. They honour fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, children's literature.

• Awards: R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature

​​​​​International

​​​​​​Booktrust Children's Books 
These awards celebrate the best authors, most creative illustrators, and the greatest reads for children published in the U.K and beyond. 

• Awards: Blue Peter Book Awards, In Other Words, Lifetime Achievement Award

Children's Book Council of Australia 
Annual book awards promoting children's books of high literary and artistic quality for young Australians.

• Awards: Book of the Year Awards (Older Readers, Younger Readers, Early Childhood), Picture Book of the Year Award, Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, Crichton Award

Costa Book Awards 
Set of annual literary awards recognizing English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland

Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Awards 
The only international award surveying young readers in both the United States and Canada, this award program is one of the longest-running children’s choice book awards.

• Awards: Junior division (grades 4-6), Middle division (grades 7-9), Senior division (grades 10-12)

Chosen by readers

Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Book Awards 
CILIP Awards seek to recognize achievement and honour outstanding contributions to the library & information sector.

• Awards: Carnegie Medal, Kate Greenaway Medal, Amnesty CILIP Honour

Children’s Book Council (USA) 
The Children’s Book Council (CBC) is the nonprofit trade association of children’s book publishers in North America, dedicated to promoting children’s books and reading.

• Awards: Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year, Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year, Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year, Teen Book of the Year

​​​​​​​National Council of Teachers of English Book Awards 
Books considered for this annual list are works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry written for children, grades K-8.

• Awards: Charlotte Huck Award, Orbis Pictus Award, Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children

Chosen by award committee

ALA Youth Media Awards 
The ALA Youth Media Awards (YMA) guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth.

• Awards: Alex Awards, Coretta Scott King Awards, Children's Literature Legacy Award, Printz Award, Batchelder Award, Belpré Awards, Randolph Caldecott Medal, John Newbery Medal, Schneider Family Book Award, Margaret A. Edwards Award, Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, Stonewall Book Award, Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, William C. Morris Award, YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
This global award is given annually to a person or organisation for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature.

Children's Book Committee Awards 
The Children’s Book Committee strives to guide librarians, educators, parents, grandparents, and other interested adults to the best books for children published each year. 

• Awards: Josette Frank Award, Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, Claudia Lewis Award

Ezra Jack Keats Book Awards 
Presented to an author and an illustrator who are at an early stage of their career.

• Awards: New Writer Award, New Illustrator Award

International Literacy Association Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards 
Intended for newly published authors who show unusual promise in the children's and young adult book field. 

• Awards: Primary Fiction Award, Primary Nonfiction Award, Intermediate Fiction Award, Intermediate Nonfiction Award, Young Adult Fiction Award, Young Adult Nonfiction Award

Jane Addams Children's Book Awards 
Given annually to a children's book published the preceding year that advances the causes of peace and social equality.

• Awards: Books for Younger Children category, Books for Older Children category

Kirkus Prize
Conferred by the book review magazine Kirkus Reviews. Established in 2014, the Kirkus Prize bestows US$150,000 annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature.

• Awards: Young Readers' Literature