Children and Young Adult Literature Research Guide

Children's Book Awards

All of the books in the UVa children's book collection are award winning books. Most people are familiar with the Newbery, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King book awards, but there are many more as you can see below. While most of the award winning books in the UVa collection are from the United States, there are many international award winners included as well. From 1983-2011, awards were indicated on the title page of each book. Below are the acronyms that were used.

Award Categories - Abbreviation List

4-letter Award Acronym	Award: Click the link to get a list of books or other media winning the award.	Country	Category for Award
AESA	Aesop Prize	USA	Aesop Award and Aesop Accolades are for outstanding illustrated children's publications utilizing folkloric themes in the English language. Awarded by the Children’s Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society.
AESH	Aesop Accolades	USA	See above.
ALAN	American Library Association Notables	USA	Chapter books and picture books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (through age 14) of especially commendable quality and creativity, and must be published in the United States during the year preceding the Midwinter Meeting (January). Around 68 books receive the award yearly.
ALAY	American Library Association – Young Adult	USA	Young Adult Library Services Association compilation of the current year’s books with proven or potential appeal to teens
AMLA	Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature	USA	The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States.
AMLH	Américas Award Honor for Children’s and Young Adult Literature	USA	See above.
ANCM	ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video	USA	The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video, supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, was awarded for the first time in 1991 to honor outstanding video productions for children released during the previous year.
APCA	American Institute of Physics Children’s Science Writing Award	USA	To promote effective science communication in print and broadcast media in order to improve the general public's appreciation of physics, astronomy, and allied science fields.
APLA	Asian Pacific American Award for Literature – Children’s and YA	USA	The goal is to honor and recognize individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit.
APLH	Asian Pacific American honor for Literature – Children’s and Young Adults	USA	See above.
APSA	Formerly the Advantis Prizes for Science Books - now the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize	British	The Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books is an annual award for the previous year's best general science writing (adult). The Royal Society Young People's Book Prize is the annual award for the previous year's best science writing for children. The nominees and winners are decided by the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science.
ASCA	African Studies Association Children’s Book Award	USA	Since 1991, awards have been presented by the African Studies Association Outreach Council to authors and illustrators of outstanding children books about Africa published in the United States. The awards are presented in two categories: Best Book for Young Children and the Best Book for Older Readers.
ASCH	African Studies Association Children’s Book Honors	USA	See above.
AUBA	Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults	USA	Presents YALSA selected audiobooks released within the past two years that appeal to teens
AUDV	Formerly ALA Selected DVDs and Video for Young Adults now Fabulous Films for Young Adults	USA	Presents YALSA selected films especially significant to young adults from those currently available for purchase based on a chosen theme.
AURA	Aurealis Award	Australia	The Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis Magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.
BECU	Booklist Editors’ Choice/Books for Youth	USA	Every January, Booklist editors select the previous year's top titles in adult books, books for youth, media, and reference.
BECY	Booklist Editors’ Choice/Adult Books for Young Adults	USA	Every January, Booklist editors select the previous year's top titles in adult books, books for youth, media, and reference.
BGHA	Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards	USA	Winners are selected in three categories from books published in the United States: Picture Book, Fiction and Poetry, and Nonfiction. Two Honor Books may be named in each category. The books may be written or illustrated by citizens of any country. First presented in 1967.
BGHH	Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors	USA	See above.
BSTA	CBI Book of the Year Awards, previously known as the Bisto Book of the Year Award	Ireland	The Bisto Book of the Year Awards, run by Children's Books Ireland (CBI),are the leading Annual Irish Book Awards for young people in Ireland
CALH	Caldecott Honors	USA	See below.
CALM	Caldecott Medal	USA	Awarded by the American Library Association from 1938-present to the artist of the most distinguished U.S. Picture Book
CARM	Carnegie Medal	British	Awarded by children's librarians for an outstanding book for children and young people.
CBYA	Children’s Book of the Year Award	Australia	Awarded annually for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen in five categories.
CBYH	Children’s Book of the Year Honor	Australia	See above.
CCBA	Costa Children's Book Award	British	These awards celebrate the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. Until 2006 the Awards were known as the Whitbread Book Awards. At that time Costa Coffee took over ownership of the awards.
CGWA	Carter G. Woodson Award	USA	Awarded by the National Council for the Social Studies for the most distinguished social science books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the United States.
CGWH	Carter G. Woodson Honor	USA	See above.
CLAB	Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award	Canada	Awarded to a book published in Canada and its author must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
CLAG	Canadian Library Association Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon - Illustrator’s Award	Canada	Awarded annually to an outstanding illustrator of a children's book published in Canada.
CLAY	Canadian Library Association Young Adult Canadian Book Award	Canada	Annual award to a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant author of an outstanding English language fiction book which appeals to young adults between the ages of 13 and 18. The title must be a Canadian publication.
CSKA	Coretta Scott King Award	USA	Awarded to African American authors and illustrators for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions that promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream.
CSKH	Coretta Scott King Honors	USA	See above.
CSKN	Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent	USA	Awarded to new African American authors and illustrators offering visibility to excellence in writing or illustration at the beginning of a career as a published book creator.
EAPA	Edgar Allan Poe Awards	USA	Awarded by the Mystery Writers of America to authors of distinguished work in various categories of the genre including young adult and juvenile works.
GDKA	Golden Kite Award	USA	Award for excellence in the field of children’s books presented by the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
GDKH	Golden Kite Honors	USA	See above.
GIVA	Giverny Awards	USA	Given to the best science picture books published in the year. The winning books capture not only the connection between art and science, but also of visual capture, visual explanation, and visual exemplification of botanical views of the world.
GODA	Golden Duck Awards	USA	Excellence in children's Science Fiction literature. There are three categories: Picture Books, Middle Grades, and Young Adult. Awards presented since 1992. Website no longer being maintained.
HBFL	Horn Book Fanfare List	USA	Best children’s and young adult books of the year. Awards presented since 1938.
IRAA	International Reading Association Children’s and Young Adults Book Awards	USA	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. Books from any country and in any language published for the first time during the award calendar year will be considered.
IRAL	I nternational Reading Association Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet	USA	The IRA Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award is given every three years to a promising new poet of children’s poetry (for children and young adults up to grade 12) who has published no more than two books of children’s poetry.
IJBA	Irma S. and James H. Black Award	USA	Awarded to an outstanding book for young children--a book in which text and illustrations are inseparable, each enhancing and enlarging on the other to produce a singular whole. The award is unusual because children are the final judges of the winning book. Given since 1973.
IJBH	Irma S. and James H. Black Honors	USA	See above.
JABA	Jane Addams Book Award	USA	Awarded annually since 1953 to the children's books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence.
JABH	Jane Addams Book Honors	USA	See above.
KGRM	Kate Greenaway Medal	British	The Kate Greenaway Medal was established by The Library Association in 1955, for distinguished illustration in a book for children
MLBA	Mildred L. Batchelder Award	USA	Awarded since 1966 to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States.
MLBH	Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Books	USA	See above.
MLPA	Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature	USA	Awarded since 2000 for books that exemplify literary excellence in young adult literature.
MLPH	Michael L. Printz Honor for Excellence in Young Adult Literature	USA	See above.
NEWH	Newbery Honors	USA	See below.
NEWM	Newbery Medal	USA	Awarded by the American Library Association from 1938-present for the most distinguished American children's book
NCTS	Notable Children’s Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies	USA	Books selected are written primarily for children in grades K-8. The books should meet the following critera: emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text
NJBA	National Jewish Book Awards	USA	These awards, presented by category, are designed to give recognition to outstanding books, to stimulate writers to further literary creativity and to encourage the reading of worthwhile titles. One of the categories is Children and Young Adult books. The Jewish Book Council began this program in 1948.
NYTI	New York Times Best Illustrated	USA	Since 1952, the New York Times Book Review has a panel of judges select a list of the best illustrated children's books of the year.
NZPA	New Zealand Post Children’s Book Award	New Zealand	The awards were established in 1997 and are presented to New Zealand books in five categories plus a "Book of the Year." The awards are sponsored by the New Zealand Post. They were formerly the AIM Children's Book Awards.
NZPH	New Zealand Post Children’s Book Honor	New Zealand	See above.
OPOA	Obis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children	USA	Award presented by the National Council of Teachers of English to promote and recognize excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children
OPOH	Obis Pictus Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children	USA	See above.
OSTC	Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children	USA	Since 1973, the books in these lists were selected as outstanding children's science trade books by a book review panel appointed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and assembled in cooperation with the Children's Book Council (CBC).
PBEA	Pura Belpre Awards	USA	Presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
PBEH	Pura Belpre Honors	USA	See above.
PHEA	Phoenix Award	USA	Awarded annually to a book orginally published in English twenty years previously which did not receive a major award at the time of its publication.
PHEH	Phoenix Honor	USA	See above.
RAIA	Reading Association of Ireland Award	Ireland	Awarded since 1985 on a biennial basis to encourage the publication of quality children's books in Ireland. It is presented for a book written by an Irish author and published in Ireland.
RFSA	Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award	USA	Awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year.
RFSH	Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor	USA	See above.
SLJY	School Library Journal Best Adult Books for Young Adults	USA	Every fall the School Library Journal's Adult Books 4 Teens reviewers come together to nominate, discuss, and winnow the best titles of the year into a list that guarantees a combination of excellence and appeal to young adults. All of these books were originally reviewed on SLJ’s Adult Books 4 Teens blog.
SLJB	School Library Journal Best Books	USA	Books having distinctive voices, singular vision, and/or innovative approaches. They include books for toddlers and preschoolers, terrific picture books and easy readers, and some highly original novels. Fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, humor, mystery, affecting family stories, and adventure all make an appearance.
SODA	Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction	USA	Established in 1982 by Scott O'Dell to encourage other writers--particularly new authors--to focus on historical fiction, the annual award goes to a meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults.
STBA	Sydney Taylor Book Awards	USA	Annual award recognizing the best in Jewish children's literature
STBH	Sydney Taylor Book Honors	USA	See above.
TRMA	Tomas Rivera Mexican-American Children’s Book Award	USA	In 1998 Texas State University College of Education developed the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience.
TSGM	Theodor Seuss Geisel Award	USA	Awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.
TSGH	Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award	USA	See above.
WASA	Western Writers of America Spur Awards	USA	Annually awarded, since 1953 by the Western Writers of America, for distinguished writing about the American West. Included in the long list of Spur Award genres are juvenile fiction, storyteller (children's picture book), and juvenile non-fiction.
WAPA	Western Australian Premier’s Book Award	Australia	Biannual literary awards (formerly annual) were inaugurated by the Western Australian Government in 1982 to honour and celebrate the literary achievements of Western Australian writers. Until 1990 they were called the WA Week Literary Awards. They are now known as the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.
WBYA	Whitbread Books of the Year Award - Children’s Book Category	British	Created in 1971 to celebrate the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. The Awards were first known as the Whitbread Literary Awards and later the Whitbread Book Awards until 2006 when Costa Coffee took over ownership and they are now known as the Costa Book Awards.
WEHA	Western Heritage Awards - Juvenile Category	USA	First presented in 1961, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Western Heritage Awards were established to honor and encourage the legacy of those whose works in literature, music, film, and television reflect the significant stories of the American West. Use the search box and search in the Literacy category -Juvenile Books to view a list of all the winners.
YRCA	Young Reader’s Choice Award	USA	The Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award is the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada. The award was established in 1940 by a Seattle bookseller, the late Harry Hartman, who believed every student should have an opportunity to select a book that gives him or her pleasure.
	Gryphon Award	USA	Presented annually to the author of an outstanding English language work of fiction or non-fiction for which the primary audience is children in kindergarten through fourth grade. The title chosen best exemplifies those qualities that successfully bridge the gap in difficulty between books for reading aloud to children and books for practiced readers.
	*Review		Since 2001, starred review information is no longer available.
*BLK	Booklist
*BUL	Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
*HRN	Hornbook Magazine
*GLG	Junior Library Guild
*KIR	Kirkus Review
*SLJ	School Library Journal