Children's Book Award Handbook

This comprehensive guide to children's and young adult literary awards offers an unprecedented look behind the medals and seals that grace book covers. Diana Marks provides detailed histories of both celebrated and lesser-known honors, from the Newbery and Caldecott to the Pura Belpré and Jane Addams awards, complete with biographical insights about their founders and comprehensive winner lists across categories. The handbook transforms these recognitions from mere stickers into meaningful cultural touchpoints with rich backstories and specific selection criteria that reveal much about evolving standards in youth literature.

What sets this resource apart are the practical applications for educators, librarians, and serious readers—reproducible teaching aids, exploration activities, and timelines that make award-winning literature more accessible in educational settings. For anyone building a quality collection or developing curriculum around distinguished children's books, this handbook provides the contextual understanding needed to move beyond surface-level recognition. It effectively bridges the gap between literary honor and classroom implementation, making award history immediately relevant to contemporary reading experiences.