Award Winning Children's Books

Joanna H. Kraus, a professor emeritus of the State University of New York, who is also an award-winning playwright and a children's book author, has an interesting article on award winning children's books in the Contra Costa Times. In it, she provides brief reviews of eight recent award winners. In reference to Kate DiCamillo's "The Tale of Despereaux," Kraus writes,

DiCamillo's novel is full of hope, for in the darkest recesses of the dungeon, there is the glimmer of a lighted match. Her wit, wry observations and storytelling powers turn fiction into literature that will last. In today's world, we have greater need than ever of tales that lift the heart and sing in the mind long after the last page has been turned."

For more about children's book awards, see my Awards directory. It includes information about awards in the United States, Canada, and the UK. What are your favorite award winning children's books? Let me know by posting the title, author, and what you like about the book on the About Children's Books Forum.