Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards Shortlists

March 25, 2021March 24, 2021 | Tasha

The shortlists for the first annual Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards have been announced. The awards will be given in three age categories with the winners announced on May 3. Here are the six shortlisted titles in each category:

PICTURE BOOKS

All Because You Matter by Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier

Every Night Is Pizza Night by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt; illustrated by Gianna Ruggiero

Fern & Otto by Stephanie Graegin

Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor

The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore; illustrated by Zoe Persico

What the Road Said by Cleo Wade; illustrated by Lucie de Moyencourt

YOUNG READERS

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

Twins by Varian Johnson; illustrated by Shannon Wright

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Wink by Rob Harrell

YOUNG ADULT

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yuself Salaam

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

2021 Lambda Literary Award Finalists

March 16, 2021March 15, 2021 | Tasha

The finalists for the 2021 Lammy Awards have been announced. These awards celebrate the best in LGBTQ literature and have two categories that are focused on books for youth. Here are the finalists in those categories:

LGBTQ Children’s / Middle Grade

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

From Archie to Zack by Vincent X. Kirsch

A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

Our Subway Baby by Peter Mercurio

LGBTQ Young Adult

Camp by L. C. Rosen

Flamer by Mike Curato

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

Sasha Masha by Agnes Borinsky

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

2021 Ezra Jack Keats Award

March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 | Tasha

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the 2021 winners and honor books of the Ezra Jack Keats Award have been announced. The award is celebrates “exceptional early career authors and illustrators for portraying the multicultural nature of our world in the spirit of Ezra Jack Keats.” Here are this year’s winners:

WRITER AWARD

Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker, illustrated by April Harrison

ILLUSTRATOR AWARD

Brick by Brick by Heidi Woodward Sheffield

WRITER HONORS

Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus, illustrated by Polly Dunbar

The Old Truck by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey

ILLUSTRATOR HONORS

I’m Sticking with You, illustrated by Steve Small, written by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

Cyclops of Central Park, illustrated by Victoria Tentler Krylov, written by Madelyn Rosenberg

2021 Blue Peter Book Awards

March 10, 2021March 8, 2021 | Tasha

The winners of the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards have been announced. The awards have been around for over 20 years and celebrate the best authors and illustrators in children’s books in the UK. Here are the winners and the longlisted titles:

BEST STORY

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll (released in October 2021 in the United States)

BEST BOOK WITH FACTS

A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You by Mike Barfield and Jess Bradley

LONGLISTED TITLES

Adventures on Trains: The Highland Falcon Thief by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli

School's Cancelled (Anisha the Accidental Detective #2)

Anisha Accidental Detective: School’s Cancelled! by Serena Patel, illustrated by Emma McCann

Be Plastic Clever by Amy and Ella Meek

Copycat Science by Mike Barfield

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook

Fearless! How to Be Your True, Confident Self by Liam Hackett, illustrated by Mike Perry

The Humans by Jonny Marx, illustrated by Charlie Davis

I Like Animals… What Jobs Are There? by Steve Martin, illustrated by Roberto Blefari

Inventors by Robert Winston, illustrated by Jessamy Hawke

Life of Riley: Beginner’s Luck by Simon James Green, illustrated by Alexsei Bitskoff

Llama Out Loud by Annabelle Sami, illustrated by Allen Fatimaharan

Pizazz by Sophy Henn (released in June 2021 in United States)

Professor Astro Cat’s Deep Sea Voyage by Dr. Dominic Walliman, illustrated by Ben Newman

Question Everything!: An investigator's toolkit (Real Life Book 3)

Question Everything! An Investigator’s Toolkit by Susan Martineau, illustrated by Vicky Barker

Snow Foal by Susanna Bailey

Tamarind and the Star of Ishta by Jasbinder Bilan

Where the Wilderness Lives by Jess Butterworth

Who Do You Think You Are? by Alice Harman, illustrated by Blok Magnaye

2021 YA Book Prize Shortlist

March 5, 2021March 3, 2021 | Tasha

The 10 titles shortlisted for the YA Book Prize in the UK have been announced. This year they are also giving their third ever YA Book Prize Special Achievement Award to Marjorie Blackman, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first novel in Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses series. Here are the 2021 shortlisted titles:

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly (And The Stars Were Burning Brightly, #1)

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando

Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle (out in the U.S.)

Eight Pieces of Silva by Patrice Lawrence

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (out in the U.S.)

The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff (released in April 2021 in U.S.)

Hold Back the Tide by Melinda Salisbury (out in U.S.)

Loveless by Alice Oseman (released in November 2021 in U.S.)

Melt My Heart by Bethany Rutter

A Snowfall of Silver by Laura Wood

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton

2021 Audie Awards Finalists

March 4, 2021March 1, 2021 | Tasha

The Audio Publishers Association has announced the finalists for the 2021 Audie Awards. Given in 25 categories, several of the categories are focused on audiobooks for youth. Here are the finalists in those categories:

MIDDLE GRADE

Genesis Begins Again, written and narrated by Alicia D. Williams

The Good Hawk, by Joseph Elliott, narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Gary Furlong

King and the Dragonflies, by Kacen Callender, narrated by Ron Butler

Say Her Name, by Zetta Elliott, narrated by Channie Waites

Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, Book 1, by Nic Stone, narrated by Anika Noni Rose

We Dream of Space, by Erin Entrada Kelly, narrated by Ramon de Ocampo

YOUNG ADULT

Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Acevedo, narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa
Marte

Everything Sad Is Untrue (A True Story), written and narrated by Daniel Nayeri

Poisoned, by Jennifer Donnelly, narrated by Rosie Jones

A Song Below Water, by Bethany C. Morrow, narrated by Jennifer Haralson and Andrea Laing

This Is My America, by Kim Johnson, narrated by Bahni Turpin

YOUNG LISTENERS

Going Down Home with Daddy, by Kelly Starling Lyons, narrated by Daxton Edwards

The Overground Railroad, by Lesa Cline-Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham

Rise! From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus, narrated by
Cherise Boothe

Say Something, written and narrated by Peter H. Reynolds

The Sesame Street Podcast with Foley and Friends, by Sesame Workshop, narrated by Lindsey
Briggs, Tyler Bunch, Ryan Dillon, and a full cast

Stuck, by Chris Grabenstein, narrated by Mark Sanderlin, Elizabeth Hess, Oliver Wyman, Farah
Bala, Rita Wolf, Caroline Grogan, Cynthia Darlow, Mateo D’Amato, J.J. Myers, Neil Hellegers,
Genesis Oliver, and Chris Grabenstein

NOMINATED IN OTHER CATEGORIES

Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Acevedo, narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa
Marte – Nominated for Multi-Voiced Performance

El Laberinto del Fauno, by Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke, narrated by Luis Ávila – Nominated for Spanish Language

Evelyn Del Rey se muda [Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away], by Meg Medina, narrated by Jane
Santos – Nominated for Spanish Language

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt – Nominated for Fantasy

2021 CBCA Notables

February 25, 2021February 24, 2021 | Tasha

The Children’s Book Council of Australia have announced their notables list for 2021. The lists cover the best books for teens through preschoolers. The lists are basically the longlists for the CBCA Book of the Year awards. The shortlists will be announced in March with the winners announced in August. Here are the books that made the notables lists:

OLDER READERS (AGES 13-18)

Before the Beginning by Anna Morgan

Catch Me If I Fall by Barry Jonsberg

Deep Water by Sarah Epstein

The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell

The F Team by Rawah Arja

Future Girl by Asphyxia

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

Loner by Georgina Young

The Lost Soul Atlas by Zana Fraillon

Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore

Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal by Anna Whateley

Please Don’t Hug Me by Kay Kerr

When It Drops by Alex Dyson

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

Where We Begin by Christie Nieman

YOUNGER READERS (AGES 7-12)

Across the Risen Sea by Bren MacDibble

Aster’s Good, Right Things by Kate Gordon

Beyond Belief by Dee White

Bindi by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffler

The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting

The Fire Star by A.L. Tait

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor

Haywire by Claire Saxby

The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn by Kate Gordon

Her Perilous Mansion by Sean Williams

The January Stars by Kate Constable

The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle by Pamela Rushby

The Republic of Birds by Jessica Miller

The Secret Library of Hummingbird House by Julianne Negri

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Kelly Canby (released in U.S. in March 2021)

We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad

When This Bell Rings by Allison Rushby

Worse Things by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Sarah Davis

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

Zoe, Max and the Bicycle Bus by Steven Herrick

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Anemone Is Not the Enemy by Anna McGregor

Australia Under the Sea 1, 2, 3 by Frané Lessac

Bear in Space by Deborah Abela, illustrated by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall

Bin Chicken by Kate & Jol Temple, illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh

Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen

Coming Home to Country by Bronwyn Bancroft

I’ll Always Be Older Than You by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Sara Acton

Me and My Boots by Penny Harrison, illustrated by Evie Barrow

No! Never! by Libby Hathorn and Lisa Hathorn-Jarman, illustrated by Mel Pearce

Pink! by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Judith Rossell

Respect by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson, illustrated by Lisa Kennedy

Ruby Red Shoes : My Wonderful Grandmother - Kate Knapp

Ruby Red Shoes: My Wonderful Grandmother by Kate Knapp

Shapes and Colours by John Canty

Soon by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Jedda Robaard

Ten Little Figs by Rhiân Williams, illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom

There’s No Such Thing by Heidi McKinnon

This Small Blue Dot by Zeno Sworder

We Love You, Magoo by Briony Stewart

What Do You Call Your Grandpa? by Ashleigh Barton, illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

Who’s Your Real Mum? by Bernadette Green, illustrated by Anna Zobel

PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Anisa’s Alphabet illustrated by Hanna Sommerville, written by Mike Dumbleton

The Biscuit Maker illustrated by Liz Anelli, written by Sue Lawson

Colin Cockroach Goes to Caloundra - Chris McKimmie

Colin Cockroach Goes to Caloundra by Chris McKimmie

Diamonds by Armin Greder

Ellie’s Dragon by Bob Graham

The Fire Wombat by Jackie French & Danny Snell

Give Me Some Space by Philip Bunting

Girl from the Sea illustrated by Jane Tanner, written by Margaret Wild

Good Question: A Tale Told Backwards illustrated by Annie White, written by Sue Whiting

Hello Jimmy! by Anna Walker

How to Make a Bird illustrated by Matt Ottley, written by Meg McKinlay

I Saw Pete and Pete Saw Me illustrated by Evie Barrow, written by Maggie Hutchings

Jelly-Boy illustrated by Christopher Nielsen, written by Nicole Godwin

Littlelight by Kelly Canby

My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart

Norton and the Bear by Gabriel Evans

Not Cute by Philip Bunting

Sing Me the Summer by Jane Godwin & Alison Lester

Sometimes Cake illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie, written by Edwina Wyatt

The Unwilling Twin : Twins - Freya Blackwood

The Unwilling Twin by Freya Blackwood

Who Am I? by Philip Bunting

Who’s Your Real Mum? by Bernadette Green, illustrated by Anna Zobel

Wolfred by Nick Bland

Wombat by Philip Bunting

Your Birthday Was the Best! illustrated by Felicita Sala, written by Maggie Huchings

EVE POWNALL AWARD (For factual materials ages 0-18)

Australia’s Wild Weird Wonderful Weather by Stephanie Owen Reeder, illustrated by Tania McCartney

Azaria: A True History by Maree Coote

The Daddy Animal Book - Jennifer Cossins

The Daddy Animal Book by Jennifer Cossins

Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu by Pamela Freeman, illustrated by Liz Anelli

Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish by Gina M Newton, illustrated by Rachel Tribout

The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals by Sami Bayly

Kookaburra : Nature Storybooks - Claire Saxby

Kookaburra by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Tannya Harricks

Little Lon by Andrew Kelly, illustrated by Mark Jackson & Heather Potter

Matthew Flinders – Adventures on Leaky Ships by Carole Wilkinson, illustrated by Prue Pittock

The Mummy Animal Book by Jennifer Cossins

Saltie Mumma by Sandra Kendall

Shirley Purdie: My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe by Shirley Purdie

Strangers on Country by David Hartley & Kirsty Murray, illustrated by Dub Leffler

There’s a Zoo in My Poo by Felice Jacka, illustrated by Rob Craw

Will the Wonderkid : Treasure Hunter of the Australian Outback - Stephanie Owen Reeder

Will the Wonderkid: Treasure Hunter of the Australian Outback by Stephanie Owen Reeder

2021 ABIA Longlists

February 24, 2021February 23, 2021 | Tasha

The longlists for the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) have been announced. The awards span a wide range of ages from adults to children and include fiction and nonfiction. Here are the longlists for the youth categories:

BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR OLDER CHILDREN (AGES 13+)

Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell

The F Team by Rawah Arja

Future Girl by Asphyxia

Jane Doe and the Key of All Souls by Jeremy Lachlan

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

Please Don’t Hug Me by Kay Kerr

This One Is Ours by Kate O’Donnell

BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN (AGES 7-12)

Finding Our Heart: A Story About the Uluru Statement for Young Australians

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor, illus by Blak Douglas

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals by Sami Bayly

Took the Children Away by Archie Roach, illus by Ruby Hunter

We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR (AGES 0-6)

Aunty’s Wedding by Miranda Tapsell, Joshua Tyler and Samantha Fry

Bluey: The Creek

The Fire Wombat by Jackie French & Danny Snell

Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra

Respect by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson, illus by Lisa Kennedy

Sing Me the Summer by Jane Godwin & Alison Lester

When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke

Windows by Jonathan Bentley & Patrick Guest

SMALL PUBLISHER’S CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR

Anemone Is Not the Enemy by Anna McGregor

Bindi by Kirli Saunders, illus by Dub Leffler

Claudette by Helene Magisson

Family by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson, illus by Jasmine Seymour

Found by Bruce Pascoe & Charmaine Ledden-Lewis

Howl by Kat Patrick, illus by Evie Barrow

Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore

My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart

2021 Golden Kite Awards

February 22, 2021February 20, 2021 | Tasha

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators has announced the winners of the 2021 Golden Kite Awards and the Sid Fleischman Humor Award. The awards are judged by a jury of peers with celebrated names in children’s and YA literature serving as judges. The awards are given in a variety of categories with five finalists in each category announced earlier this month. Here are the winners and the finalists:

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG READER FICTION WINNER