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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

 

1992 – 1993

Picture Book Sam Swope The Araboolies of Liberty Street
Grade 4-6 Judy Blume Fudge-A-Mania
Grade 6-9 Annette Curtis Klause The Silver Kiss

 

1991 – 1992

Picture Book Jon Scieszka The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf
Book Award Roald Dahl Matilda

Guidelines for Participation | Voting Process | Current Nominees | Most Recent Winners | Past Winners | Order Stickers | Join the Committee | Lessons