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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 list was announced in May 2024.

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

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

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