Top 16 Award Winning Books For Kids Updated 04 /2024

New Kid by Jerry Craft

It is seven-year-old Jordan Banks' favorite thing to do. He draws cartoons about his life all the time. His parents don't send him to the art school of his dreams, so they send him to an affluent private school that is known for its academics. In fact, Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his whole class.

At first, Jordan doesn't seem to fit in with either of the two worlds that he moves between every day. Can Jordan learn to adapt to his new school culture while still keeping in touch with his friends from the neighborhood and being true to who he is?

New Kid is the first-ever comic book to win the Newbery Medal.

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger from her halmoni's Korean folktales shows up. This prompts Lily to learn about a secret family history. He took something from the tigers long, long ago. They want it back. This is why Lily might agree to give back what her grandmother took in exchange for Halmoni's health. ... Tiger deals don't always go as planned. With the help of her sister and Ricky, Lily has to find her voice and the courage to face a tiger.

Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

She knew sixth grade would be different, but she didn't know how different. Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, both get money to go to the school. For free, they don't have a big house or a fancy boat, and they need to do extra community service to make up for it. With that in mind, Edna Santos is very jealous of Merci when she spots the new boy who happens to be her school's assigned Sunshine Buddy. At home, Merci's grandfather and best friend, Lolo, has been behaving weirdly recently. He's been forgetting important things, falling off his bike, and getting angry at nothing. This isn't good for anyone. In her family, no one will say what's going on to Merci. This means that she's left to deal with her own problems, and she also feels like she's alone at school.

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

It's hard to talk to Virgil Salinas, but he is shy and kindhearted. Valencia Somerset is smart, brave, and a little lonely inside. She claims to be a psychic, and her little sister always wants to be with her. They should stop being so weird, because then Chet Bullens can play basketball. When Chet pulls a prank on Virgil, it goes wrong, and Valencia, Kaori, and Gen have to work together to save him from being hurt.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Xan, a witch who lives in the forest, gets a baby from people in the Protectorate every year as a thank you from them. One year, Xan feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, giving the child a lot of magic. Luna is a little girl who Xan wants to raise as her own. But Luna's thirteenth birthday is coming up, and her magic starts to come out. This can be very dangerous.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson

After church on Sunday, CJ and his grandma take the bus across town. He wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby, and why they have to get off in the dirty part of town. A positive answer comes to each question that CJ has. This helps him see the beauty and fun in their daily routine and the world around them, so he can enjoy it more.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The twins Josh and Jordan have to figure out how to grow up both on and off the basketball court in this book in verse. They learn that breaking the rules can be very dangerous.

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Flora Belle Buckman is having a lot of fun when she saves a squirrel. The squirrel is then born again, with new powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

In a shopping mall, Ivan has lived behind glass for the last 27 years. He's used to people looking at him. A: He doesn't think about what it was like to live in the jungle very often. After meeting Ruby the elephant who was taken from the wild, he has to look at their home and his art in a new way.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

This book is based on the author's own life. It tells the story of a young boy named Jack Gantos, who is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents and whose nose leaks blood when he gets a little shock.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

It hurts Abilene Tucker when her father puts her on a train to live with an old friend this summer while he works on the rails. She feels like her father left her behind. That's not the case anymore. When she finds a box of mysterious old letters, she and her new friends are sent on a spy hunt to find out what happened in the past.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Miranda starts getting mysterious notes from someone who can predict the future after she has a fight with her best friend. The notes say that she must write a letter, but she can't tell anyone about it. She also has to write a true story.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Bod would be normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, be raised by ghosts, and have a guardian who isn't from either the world of the living or the dead. You can have fun in the graveyard with a boy. There is an old Indigo Man, an abandoned city of ghouls, and a strange and scary Sleer. He will also be in danger from the man who killed Bod's family if Bod leaves.

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