Children and Young Adult Literature

"The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott."

Named for the named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery, the medal is awarded by the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people.

Awarded biennially, the AIYLA identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity

In 1989, the Lambda Literary Awards were created to garner national visibility for LGBTQ books, which had established a foothold through a nascent network of lesbian and gay publishers and bookstores.

The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.

The Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Children's Literature recognize diverse authors whose works feature diverse main characters and address diversity in a meaningful way.

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.

Awards for writing and for illustration, in English and in French. Shortlists are released annually in October, and winners are announced in mid-November.

The Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award was established in 1985 following the death of Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver, one of Canada’s pre-eminent book illustrators. In her will, Cleaver left a fund of $10,000 dollars for an award to be given annually in recognition of outstanding artistic talent in a Canadian picture book.

“… honours excellence in teen/young adult fiction…. To be eligible, the book must be an original work in English, aimed at readers aged 13-18 and written by a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.”

“Canadian Children’s Literature Award for the most distinguished book of the year. ‘Distinguished’ is defined as marked by conspicuous excellence and/or eminence, individually distinct and noted for significant achievement with excellence in quality. "

This award is presented annually to the Alberta-based publisher producing the best children's or young adult book, including fiction, non-fiction and picture books.

The Forest of Reading helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators. More than 250,000 readers participate annually from their School and/or Public Library. All Ontarians/Canadians are invited to participate via their local public library, school library, or individually.

Established in 1993, this prize celebrates the achievements of Saskatchewan authors and publishers while helping to promote their books.

The Trillium Award is open to books in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, drama, children’s books and poetry. It honours the literary talent of Ontario writers.

First Nation Communities Read is an annual reading program launched in 2003 by the First Nations public library community in Ontario.