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2021 Winners and Finalists

The Kids’ Book Choice Awards are the only national book awards chosen solely by kids and teens!

Winner
We Are Water Protectors

We Are Water Protectors

By: Carole Lindstrom
Illustrated by:
Michaela Goade
ISBN: 9781250203557
Fiction, 4-6, Historical Fiction

 
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures

By: Nikki Grimes
Illustrated by:
Elizabeth Zunon
ISBN: 9781492638322
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
 
Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away

By: Meg Medina
Illustrated by:
Sonia Sánchez
ISBN: 9781536207040
Fiction, 4-6, Background / Culture
 
Every Color of Light

Every Color of Light

By: Hiroshi Osada
Illustrated by:
Ryoji Arai
ISBN: 9781592702916
Fiction, 4-6, Science
 
I Am Every Good Thing

I Am Every Good Thing

By: Derrick Barnes
Illustrated by:
Gordon C. James
ISBN: 9780525518778
Fiction, 4-6, Background / Culture
 
I Talk Like a River

I Talk Like a River

By: James Scott
Illustrated by:
Sydney Smith
ISBN: 9780823445592
Fiction, 4-6, Mental/Physical Health
Winner
Ways to Make Sunshine

Ways to Make Sunshine

By: Renée Watson
Illustrated by:
Nina Mata
ISBN: 9781547600564
Fiction, 7-12, Contemporary

 
Beetle & the Hollowbones

Beetle & the Hollowbones

By: Aliza Layne
Illustrated by:
Aliza Layne
ISBN: 9781534441538
Fiction, 7-12, Fantasy
 
Girl on a Motorcycle

Girl on a Motorcycle

By: Amy Novesky
Illustrated by:
Julie Morstad
ISBN: 9780593116296
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
 
Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera

Honeybee

By: Candace Fleming
Illustrated by:
Eric Rohmann
ISBN: 9780823442850
Nonfiction, 7-12, Animals
 
The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story

The Paper Boat

By: Thao Lam
Illustrated by:
Thao Lam
ISBN: 9781771473637
Fiction, 7-12, Historical Fiction
 
Skunk and Badger

Skunk and Badger

By: Amy Timberlake
Illustrated by:
Jon Klassen
ISBN: 9781643750057
Fiction, 7-12, Animals
Winner
Efrén Divided

Efrén Divided

By: Ernesto Cisneros
ISBN: 9780062881694
Fiction, 7-12, Contemporary

 
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team

All Thirteen

By: Christina Soontornvat
ISBN: 9781536209457
Nonfiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
 
Fighting Words

Fighting Words

By: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
ISBN: 9781984815705
Fiction, 7-12, Mental/Physical Health
 
Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It

Loretta Little Looks Back

By: Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrated by:
Brian Pinkney
ISBN: 9780316536776
Fiction, 7-12, Historical Fiction
 
Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices

Once Upon an Eid

By: S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed, eds.
ISBN: 9781683358039
Fiction, 7-12, Religion
 
Twins

Twins

By: Varian Johnson
Illustrated by:
Shannon Wright
ISBN: 9781338236170
Fiction, 7-12, Contemporary
Winner
Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning ‘Stamped from the Beginning’

Stamped

By: Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
ISBN: 9780316453707
Nonfiction, Teen, History

 
Dragon Hoops

Dragon Hoops

By: Gene Luen Yang
Illustrated by:
Gene Luen Yang
ISBN: 9781626720794
Nonfiction, Teen, Contemporary
 
Everything Sad Is Untrue (A True Story)

Everything Sad Is Untrue (A True Story)

By: Daniel Nayeri
ISBN: 9781646140008
Fiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
 
Raybearer

Raybearer

By: Jordan Ifueko
ISBN: 9781419739828
Fiction, Teen, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
 
The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

By: Candace Fleming
ISBN: 9780525646549
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
 
We Are Not Free

We Are Not Free

By: Traci Chee
ISBN: 9780358131434
Fiction, Teen, Historical Fiction
Winner
Dear Justyce

Dear Justyce

By: Nic Stone
ISBN: 9781984829665
Fiction, Teen, Diversity

 
Infinity Son

Infinity Son

By: Adam Silvera
ISBN: 9780062457820
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
 
The Lives of Saints

The Lives of Saints

By: Leigh Bardugo
Illustrated by:
Daniel J. Zollinger
ISBN: 9781250765208
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
 
The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea

The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea

By: Maggie Tokuda-Hall
ISBN: 9781536204315
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
 
A Sky Beyond the Storm and A Thief Among the Trees (An Ember in the Ashes Graphic Novel)

A Sky Beyond the Storm and A Thief Among the Trees (An Ember in the Ashes Graphic Novel)

By: Sabaa Tahir
ISBN: 9780448494531
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
 
We Are Not Free

We Are Not Free

By: Traci Chee
ISBN: 9780358330004
Fiction, Teen, Historical Fiction
Winner
Soul Riders: Jorvik Calling

Soul Riders

By: Helena Dahlgren
ISBN: 9781524855321
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy

 
Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Shadow of Kyoshi (The Kyoshi Novels #2)

Avatar, The Last Airbender

By: F.C. Yee
ISBN: 9781419735059
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
 
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel)

By: Suzanne Collins
ISBN: 9781338635171
Fiction, Teen, Action / Adventure
 
Chain of Gold

Chain of Gold

By: Cassandra Clare
ISBN: 9781481431873
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
 
The Queen’s Assassin

The Queen’s Assassin

By: Melissa de la Cruz
ISBN: 9780525515913
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
 
A Sky Beyond the Storm

A Sky Beyond the Storm

By: Sabaa Tahir
ISBN: 9780448494531
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
Winner
Legendborn

Legendborn

By: Tracy Deonn
Illustrated by:
cover illustration by Hillary Wilson
ISBN: 9781534441606
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy

 
All Boys Aren’t Blue

All Boys Aren’t Blue

By: George M. Johnson
Illustrated by:
cover illustration by Charly Palmer, design and lettering by Cassie Gonzales
ISBN: 9780374312718
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
 
Camper Girl

Camper Girl

By: Glenn Erick Miller
Illustrated by:
cover by C.B. Royal
ISBN: 9781646030088
Fiction, Teen, Coming of Age
 
Fangs

Fangs

By: Sarah Anderson
Illustrated by:
cover by Sarah Anderson
ISBN: 9781524860677
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
 
Felix Ever After

Felix Ever After

By: Kacen Callender
Illustrated by:
cover art by Alex Cabal, design by Chris Kwon
ISBN: 9780062820259
Fiction, Teen, LGBTQIA+
 
What if…? A Poppenohna Land Adventure

What if…? A Poppenohna Land Adventure

By: Carrie Turley
Illustrated by:
cover by Lara Law
ISBN: 9781733644488
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
Winner
This Is Your Time

This Is Your Time

By: Ruby Bridges
ISBN: 9780593378526
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir

 
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person

The Black Friend

By: Frederick Joseph
ISBN: 9781536217018
Nonfiction, Teen, History
 
Blood and Germs: The Civil War Battle Against Wounds and Disease

Blood and Germs

By: Gail Jarrow
ISBN: 9781684371761
Nonfiction, Teen, History
 
Finish the Fight!: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote

Finish the Fight!

By: Veronica Chambers and The Staff of The New York Times
ISBN: 9780358408307
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
 
No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History

No Voice Too Small

By: Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley
Illustrated by:
Jeanette Bradley
ISBN: 9781623541316
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
 
We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport

We Had to Be Brave

By: Deborah Hopkinson
ISBN: 9781338255720
Nonfiction, Teen, History
Winner
The Merry Christmas Mittens

The Merry Christmas Mittens

By: Sarah Janco
Illustrated by:
Blayne Fox
ISBN: 9781612544588
Fiction, 4-6, Diversity

 
Beautiful Shades of Brown

Beautiful Shades of Brown

By: Nancy Churnin
Illustrated by:
Felicia Marshall
ISBN: 9781939547651
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
 
Click Clack Goodnight

Click Clack Goodnight

By: Doreen Cronin
Illustrated by:
Betsy Lewin
ISBN: 9781534451087
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
 
The Heart of Mi Familia

The Heart of Mi Familia

By: Carrie Lara
Illustrated by:
Christine Battuz
ISBN: 9781433832536
Fiction, 4-6, Diversity
 
How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners?

How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners?

By: Jane Yolen
Illustrated by:
Mark Teague
ISBN: 9781338363340
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
 
Lift

Lift

By: Minh Lê
Illustrated by:
Dan Santat
ISBN: 9781368061742
Fiction, 4-6, Fantasy
Winner
How to Spot an Artist

How to Spot an Artist

By: Viola Butler
Illustrated by:
Danielle Krysa
ISBN: 9783791374406
Nonfiction, 4-6, Music / Art

 
All Along the River

All Along the River

By: Magnus Weightman
Illustrated by:
Magnus Weightman
ISBN: 9781605375182
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
 
All Because You Matter

All Because You Matter

By: Tami Charles
Illustrated by:
Bryan Collier
ISBN: 9781338574852
Fiction, 4-6, Diversity
 
The Alphabet’s Alphabet

The Alphabet’s Alphabet

By: Chris Harris
Illustrated by:
Dan Santat
ISBN: 9780316266604
Fiction, 4-6, Concepts
 
Arlo The Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep

Arlo The Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep

By: Catherine Rayner
Illustrated by:
Catherine Rayner
ISBN: 9781682632222
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
 
Babbit and Joan, a Rabbit and a Phone

Babbit and Joan, a Rabbit and a Phone

By: Denise Turu
Illustrated by:
Denise Turu
ISBN: 9781947888203
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
Winner
Billie B. Brown Series

Billie B. Brown Series

By: Sally Rippin
Illustrated by:
Aki Fukuoka
ISBN: 9781684641321
Fiction, 4-6, Contemporary

 
Elephant and Piggie Like Reading! Series

Elephant and Piggie Like Reading! Series

By: Ryan T. Higgins and Mo Willems
ISBN: 9781368045735
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
 
Feel Better Books Series

Feel Better Books Series

By: Leah Bowen and Holly Brochmann
Illustrated by:
Shirley Ng
ISBN: 9781433832406
Nonfiction, 4-6, Health
 
Little Monster Series

Little Monster Series

By: Helen Ketteman
Illustrated by:
Bonnie Leick
ISBN: 9781542092081
Fiction, 4-6, Fantasy
 
Little People, BIG DREAMS Series

Little People, BIG DREAMS Series

By: Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Illustrated by:
Sophie Beer
ISBN: 9780711258402
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
 
The Magnificent Makers Series

The Magnificent Makers Series

By: Theanne Griffith
Illustrated by:
Reggie Brown
ISBN: 9780593123102
Fiction, 4-6, Fantasy
Winner
The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem

The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem

By: Shannon Hale, Dean Hale
Illustrated by:
LeUyen Pham
ISBN: 9781536202229
Fiction, 4-6, Humor

 
Bee Heartful: Spread Loving-Kindness

Bee Heartful

By: Frank J. Sileo
Illustrated by:
Claire Keay
ISBN: 9781433831577
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
 
Little Blue Truck’s Valentine

Little Blue Truck’s Valentine

By: Alice Schertle
Illustrated by:
Jill McElmurry
ISBN: 9780358272441
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
 
Nibbles: Colors

Nibbles

By: Emma Yarlett
Illustrated by:
Emma Yarlett
ISBN: 9781684641383
Fiction, 4-6, Concepts
 
The Noisy Classroom

The Noisy Classroom

By: Angela Shanté
Illustrated by:
Alison Hawkins
ISBN: 9781513262925
Fiction, 4-6, Contemporary
 
This Old Dog

This Old Dog

By: Martha Brockenbrough
Illustrated by:
Gabriel Alborozo
ISBN: 9781646140107
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
Winner
Hop To It: Poems to Get You Moving

Hop To It

By: Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
Illustrated by:
Franzi Paetzold
ISBN: 9781937057299
Nonfiction, 7-12, Poetry

 
50 Adventures in the 50 States

50 Adventures in the 50 States

By: Kate Siber
Illustrated by:
Lydia Hill
ISBN: 9780711254459
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
 
Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World

Brave. Black. First.

By: Cheryl Hudson
Illustrated by:
Erin K. Robinson
ISBN: 9780525645818
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
 
I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast

I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast

By: Michael Holland
Illustrated by:
Phillip Giordano
ISBN: 9781912497744
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
 
Kate the Chemist: The Big Book of Experiments

Kate the Chemist

By: Kate Biberdorf
ISBN: 9780593116166
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
 
A Search for the Northern Lights

A Search for the Northern Lights

By: Elizabeth Rusch and Izzi Rusch
Illustrated by:
Cedar Lee
ISBN: 9781513262901
Fiction, 7-12, Science
Winner
When Stars Are Scattered

When Stars Are Scattered

By: Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Illustrated by:
Victoria Jamieson and Iman Geddy
ISBN: 9780525553915
Fiction, 7-12, Diversity

 
Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework

Big Nate

By: Lincoln Peirce
ISBN: 9781524860653
Fiction, 7-12, Humor
 
Class Act

Class Act

By: Jerry Craft
Illustrated by:
Jerry Craft
ISBN: 9780062885517
Fiction, 7-12, Humor
 
Investigators

Investigators

By: John Patrick Green
ISBN: 9781250219954
Fiction, 7-12, Mystery / Thriller
 
Max Meow Book 1: Cat Crusader

Max Meow Book 1

By: John Gallagher
ISBN: 9780593121054
Fiction, 7-12, Humor
 
Phoebe: Camping with Unicorns

Phoebe

By: Dana Simpson
ISBN: 9781524855581
Fiction, 7-12, Fantasy
Winner
Cat Kid Comic Club

Cat Kid Comic Club

By: Dav Pilkey
ISBN: 9781338712766
Fiction, 7-12, Humor

 
Before the Ever After

Before the Ever After

By: Jacqueline Woodson
ISBN: 9780399545436
Fiction, 7-12, Mental/Physical Health
 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #15: The Deep End

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #15

By: Jeff Kinney
ISBN: 9781419748684
Fiction, 7-12, Humor
 
Explorer Academy: The Star Dunes

Explorer Academy

By: Trudi Trueit
ISBN: 9781426336812
Fiction, 7-12, Mystery / Thriller
 
Look Both Ways

Look Both Ways

By: Jason Reynolds
ISBN: 9781481438292
Fiction, 7-12, Contemporary
 
The Smartest Kid in the Universe

The Smartest Kid in the Universe

By: Chris Grabenstein
ISBN: 9780525647782
Fiction, 7-12, Humor
 
Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo #5)

Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo #5)

By: Rick Riordan
ISBN: 9781484746455
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
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