Past Winners

The first list of nominated books was distributed for the 1991-92 school year. There were only two awards at that time (Picture Book and Book Award.) For the 1992-93 school year, the committee decided to have three awards: Picture Book, Grades 4-6, and Grades 6-9. The first high school winner was announced in 2000 and the first graphic novel in 2014. The first graphic novel high school winner was announced in 2025.

Historical List: Click here to download an Excel spreadsheet historical list of ALL past winners and nominees.

2024-2025

Picture Books	Lindsay Moore	*Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle's Incredible Journey Home*
Grades 3-5	Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko Illustrated by Wallace West	Dogtown
Graphic Novels 3-5	Saadia Faruqi Illustrated by Shazleen Khan	Saving Sunshine
Grades 6-8	Alan Gratz	Two Degrees
Graphic Novels 6-8	Graham Annable	Eerie Tales from the School of Screams
High School	Alexandra Bracken Nick Brooks	Lore Promise Boys
Graphic Novels High School	Deya Muniz	The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2023-2024

Picture Books	Oliver Jeffers	*There's a Ghost in This House*
Grades 3-5	Katherine Applegate Illustrated by Charles Santoso	Odder
Graphic Novels 3-5	Johnnie Christmas	Swim Team
Grades 6-8	A.S. King	Attack of the Black Rectangles
Graphic Novels 6-8	Claribel A. Ortega Illustrated by Rose Bousamra	Frizzy
High School	Kelly DeVos Ruta Sepetys	Eat Your Heart Out I Must Betray You

2022-2023

Picture Books	Ryan T. Higgins	Norman Didn't Do It!: (Yes, he did.)
Grades 4 – 6	Gordan Korman	Unplugged
Graphic Novels 4 – 6	Megan Wagner Lloyd	*Allergic*
Grades 6 – 9	Lisa Fipps	Starfish
Graphic Novels 6 – 9	Ira Marcks	Shark Summer
High School	Jennifer Lynn Barnes	The Inheritance Games

2021-2022

Picture Books	Terry, Eric & Devin Fan	*The Barnabus Project*
Grades 4 – 6	James Ponti	City Spies
Graphic Novels 4 – 6	Varian Johnson	Twins
Grades 6 – 9	Rob Harrell	Wink
Graphic Novels 6 – 9	Trung Le Nguyen	The Magic Fish
High School	Holly Jackson	*A Good Girl's Guide to Murder*

2020-2021

Picture Books	Megan Lacera	Zombies Don't Eat
Grades 4 – 6	Rosanne Parry	A Wolf Called Wander
Graphic Novels 4 – 6	Shannon Hale	*Best Friends*
Grades 6 – 9	Alan Gratz Lindsay Lackey	Allies All The Impossible Things
Graphic Novels 6 – 9	R. J. Palacio	*White Bird*
High School	Adam Silvera	*What If It's Us*

2019-2020

Picture Books	Adam Rex	*Are You Scared, Darth?*
Grades 4 – 6	Kelly Yang	Front Desk
Graphic Novels 4 – 6	Ian Boothby	*Sparks!*
Grades 6 – 9	Jewell Parker Rhodes	Ghost Boys
Graphic Novels 6 – 9	Svetlana Chmakova	*Crush*
High School	Jarrett Krosoczka	Hey, Kiddo

2018-2019

Picture Books	Drew Daywalt	*The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors*
Grades 4 – 6	Katherine Applegate	Wishtree
Graphic Novels 4 – 6	Molly Ostertag	*The Witch Boy*
Grades 6 – 9	Gordon Korman	*Restart*
Graphic Novels 6 – 9	Victoria Jamieson	All's Faire in Middle School
High School	Karen M. McManus	*One of Us is Lying*

2017-2018

Picture Books	Antoinette Portis	*Best Frints in the Whole Universe*
Grades 4 – 6	Peter Brown	*The Wild Robot*
Graphic Novels 4 – 6	Raina Telgemeier	*Ghosts*
Grades 6 – 9	Jennifer A. Nielsen	*A Night Divided*
Graphic Novels 6 – 9	Ichigo Takano	*Orange: The Complete Collection, 1*
High School	Nicola Yoon	*The Sun is Also a Star*

2016-2017

Picture Books	Bethany Barton	*I’m Trying to Love Spiders: (It Isn’t Easy)*
Grades 4 – 6	W. Bruce Cameron	*Ellie’s Story: A Dog’s Purpose Novel*
Graphic Novels 4 – 6	Jennifer Holm	*Sunny Side Up*
Grades 6 – 9	Victoria Laurie	*When*
Graphic Novels 6 – 9	Victoria Jamieson	*Roller Girl*
High School	Nicola Yoon	*Everything, Everything*

2015 – 2016

Picture Books	Chris Gall	*Dog vs. Cat*
Grades 4 – 6	Jennifer Holm	*The Fourteenth Goldfish*
Graphic Novels 4 – 6	CeCe Bell	*El Deafo*
Grades 6 – 9	Kwame Alexander	*The Crossover*
High School	Jennifer Lynn Barnes	*The Naturals*

2014 – 2015

Picture Books	Drew Daywalt	*The Day the Crayons Quit*
Grades 4 – 6	Chris Grabenstein	*Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library*
Grades 4 – 6, Graphic Novel	Dave Roman	*Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity*
Grades 6 – 9	Candace Fleming	*On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave*
High School	Rainbow Rowell	*Eleanor & Park*

2013 – 2014

Picture Books	Aaron Reynolds	*Creepy carrots!*
Grades 4 – 6	Gordon Korman	*Ungifted*
Grades 4 – 6, Graphic Novel	Dan Santat	*Sidekicks*
Grades 6 – 9	R. J. Palacio	*Wonder*
High School	John Green	*The Fault in our Stars*

2012 – 2013

Picture Books	Jef Czekaj	*Cat Secrets*
Grades 4 – 6	Gill Lewis	*Wild Wings*
Grades 6 – 9	Adam Gidwitz	*A Tale Dark & Grimm*
High School	Veronica Roth	*Divergent*

2011 – 2012

Picture Books	Scillian/Bowers	*Memoirs of a Goldfish*
Grades 4 – 6	Victoria Forester	*The Girl Who Could Fly*
Grades 6 – 9	Sharon Draper	*Out of My Mind*
High School	April Henry	*Girl, Stolen*

2010 – 2011

Picture Books	Tony Fucile	*Let’s Do Nothing*
Grades 4 – 6	Wendy Mass	*11 Birthdays*
Grades 6 – 9	S. A. Bodeen	*The Compound*
High School	Suzanne Collins	*The Hunger Games*

2009 – 2010

Picture Books	Mélanie Watt	*Chester*
Grades 4 – 6	Gordon Korman	*Swindle*
Grades 6 – 9	Gordon Korman	*Schooled*
High School	Neal Shusterman	*Unwind*

2008 – 2009

Picture Books	Mélanie Watt	*Scaredy Squirrel*
Grades 4 – 6	Andrew Clements	*No Talking*
Grades 6 – 9	Ally Carter	*I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You*
High School	Susan Beth Pfeffer	*Life As We Knew It*

2007 – 2008

Picture Books	Stevens/Crummel	*The Great Fuzz Frenzy*
Grades 4 – 6	Joseph Delaney	*Revenge of the Witch: The Last Apprentice*
Grades 6 – 9	Jordan Sonnenblick	*Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie*
High School	Stephenie Meyer	*Twilight*

2006 – 2007

Picture Book	Kevin O’Malley	*Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude*
Grades 4 – 6	Dori Butler	*Trading Places with Tank Talbott*
Grades 6 – 9	Priscilla Cummings	*Red Kayak*
High School	Jodi Picoult	*My Sister’s Keeper*

2005 – 2006

Picture Book	Leah Wilcox	*Falling for Rapunzel*
Grades 4 – 6	Betty Birney	*The World According to Humphrey*
Grades 6 – 9	Jeanne DuPrau	*The City of Ember*
High School	Neal Shusterman	*Full Tilt*

2004 – 2005

Picture Book	French/Whatley	*Diary of a Wombat*
Grades 4 – 6	Diane Stanley	*Mysterious Matter of I. M. Finek*
Grades 6 – 9	Vivian Vande Velde	*Heir Apparent*
High School	Margaret Bechard	*Hanging on to Max*

2003 – 2004

Picture Book	Prelutsky/Sis	*Scranimals*
Grades 4 – 6	Dan Gutman	*Million Dollar Kick*
Grades 6 – 9	Anthony Horowitz	*Point Blank*
High School	Alex Flinn	*Breathing Underwater*

2002 – 2003

Picture Book	Palatini/Egielski	*Web Files*
Grades 4 – 6	Betsy Duffey	*Cody Unplugged*
Grades 6 – 9	Julie Ann Peters	*Define Normal*
High School	Ann Brashares	*The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants*

2001 – 2002

Picture Book	Cronin/Lewin	*Click, Clack, Moo*
Grades 4 – 6	Kate DiCamillo	*Because of Winn Dixie*
Grades 6 – 9	Vivian Vande Velde	*There’s a Dead Person Following My Sister Around*
High School	Jacqueline Woodson	*If You Come Softly*

2000 – 2001

Picture Book	Simms/Catrow	*Rotten Teeth*
Grades 4 – 6	Gordon Korman	*The 6th Grade Nickname Game*
Grades 6 – 9	Louis Sachar	*Holes*
High School	Sarah Dessen Nancy Werlin	*Someone Like You* *The Killer’s Cousin*

1999 – 2000

Picture Books	David Shannon	*A Bad Case of the Stripes*
Grades 4 – 6	Lee Wardlaw	*101 Ways to Bug Your Parents*
Grades 6 – 9	Gail Carson Levine	*Ella Enchanted*
High School	David Klass	*Danger Zone*

1998 – 1999

Picture Books	Rod Clement	*Just Another Ordinary Day*
Grade 4-6	Andrew Clements	*Frindle*
Grade 6-9	Margaret Haddix	*Don’t You Dare Read This Mrs. Dumphries*

1997 – 1998

Picture Book	Margie Palatini	*Piggie Pie!*
Grade 4-6	Sid Fleischman	*The13th Floor: A Ghost Story*
Grade 6-9	Margaret P. Haddix	*Running Out of Time*

1996 – 1997

Picture Book	Tom Birdseye	*Soap! Soap! Don’t Forget the Soap!*
Grade 4-6	Mary Downing Hahn	*Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story*
Grade 6-9	Joan Lowery Nixon	*The Name of the Game Was Murder*

1995 – 1996

Picture Book	Jerdine Nolen Harold	*Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm*
Grade 4-6	Elvira Woodruff	*Ghosts Don’t Get Goosebumps*
Grade 6-9	Jim Murphy	*Night Terrors*

1994 – 1995

Picture Book	Ed Emberly	*Go Away, Big Green Monster*
Grade 4-6	Jerry Spinelli	*Fourth Grade Rats*
Grade 6-9	Lois Lowry	*The Giver*

1993 – 1994

Picture Book	Jan Brett	*Trouble with Trolls*
Grade 4-6	Bruce Coville	*Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher*
Grade 6-9	Mary Downing Hahn	*Stepping on the Cracks*