Aline Pereira is PaperTigers managing editor and producer.

"Awards are like these giant, all-reading, all seeing friends, which can whisper in your ear and say, ‘hey, you gotta read this!’…[The award lists] you see are the distillation of enormous passion and respect for the work that goes into writing books." ~John Freeman, former president of the National Book Critics Circle.

Trophy, medal, ribbon, plaque… Book awards come in many shapes and sizes, but all mean one thing: special recognition for authors and/or illustrators’ work. Whether you think there are too many children’s literature awards out there or not enough, and whether or not you agree with their selection process and/or outcome, one thing is certain: book prizes help book creators find a wider readership and readers not to miss the gems that might otherwise go unnoticed.

It all began with the creation of the Newbery Medal in 1922 and since then, awards for all book genres and age groups have been established: librarians’ choices, industry’s choices, parent’s choices, children’s choices… Whatever the selection method of an award, and no matter who the jury is, zooming in on just one or a handful of books to receive an award seems, to me, a bittersweet exercise - an exercise that, as we often hear, involves arduous and passionate discussions among knowledgeable committee members and a deep-seated and overarching love for books. Not a bad exercise, by any means, but a very challenging one.

Considering that more then 5,000 children's books get published every year, it is perhaps no surprise to realize that those of us who love books all benefit, one way or another, from some sort of ranking system. Selecting children’s books to highlight on PaperTigers is a daunting enough task, so both as PaperTigers managing editor, and as a reader, I partially rely on awards, “best of” and “recommended titles” lists to guide me through the maze of books and to inform my work.

Sometimes, when one hears the words “winners” and "best", it is hard not to think of “losers” and "worst." To me, however, there are never “losers” in this game - how could there be, among people who believe in the inherent value of books - prize-winning or not? Prize-less can also be priceless, as we all know; and, in my opinion, when it comes to the honors given to children's literature, the winner is always  the reader, whose passion to read great stories is validated every time a good book stands out from the crowd.

Below is a sample of the outstanding children's book awards and lists we often refer to on PaperTigers, and that we encourage readers of all ages to explore:

IBBY's Outstanding International Books List
Annual list of international books published here in the US, selected by the US chapter of IBBY.

White Ravens Catalog
Annual compilation of international books that deserve worldwide attention because of their universal themes, selected by language specialists at the International Youth Library (IYL), in Munich.

Notable Books for a Global Society
The International Reading Association's annual list of outstanding K-12 books that "enhance student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world."

Jane Addams Children's Book Awards
Annual awards given by the Jane Addams Peace Association/Women's International League for Peace & Freedom to books that promote "peace, social justice, world community, and/or equality of the sexes and all races."

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
Given annually to books by and about Asia/ Pacific Americans, by the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association.

Américas Award
Sponsored by the National Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP), the award is given in recognition of books in English or Spanish that sensitively and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States.

Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children's Book Award
Given annually by the Texas State University of San Marcos to the most distinguished books for children and young adults about Mexican Americans.

Governor General's Literary Awards
Canadian book award given in many categories, including children's books, by the Canada Council for the Arts/Governor General of Canada.

Children's Book of the Year-Australia
Australian book award, given in many categories, sponsored by the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards Foundation.

Teacher's Choices Booklist
Annual list of "best of the year," selected by teachers in connection with the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council.

Posted June 2009