Prizing Children's Literature

This critical examination of children's literary awards offers a revealing look at how prize culture has shaped the landscape of Anglophone children's publishing since the early twentieth century. Kidd explores how these honors evolved from their inception through the award proliferation of the 1960s, demonstrating how literary prizing became a powerful mechanism for both commercial promotion and canon formation. The book addresses a significant scholarly gap, being the first comprehensive academic study dedicated to analyzing how over 300 English-language children's book awards function as cultural forces rather than simply markers of quality.

What makes this work particularly compelling is its nuanced investigation of how awards operate as instruments of cultural power, influencing everything from publishing trends to educational curricula. Kidd's analysis will resonate most strongly with literature scholars, education professionals, and publishing industry insiders seeking to understand the complex dynamics behind literary recognition. The book ultimately provides readers with a critical framework for reconsidering what prize stickers on book covers truly represent in the broader ecosystem of children's literature and cultural validation.