This award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting                                                          

J LOF

Presents the story of the good doctor who learned the language of animals and made adventurous voyages.

Smoky, the Cowhorse by Will James                                                                            

J JAM

The experiences of a mouse-colored horse from his birth on the range, through his capture by humans and his work in the rodeo and on the range, to his eventual old age.

Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field                                                          

J FIE

Hitty, a doll carved from mountain ash in the nineteenth century, has many adventures as she travels around the world with different owners.

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Lewis                                                    

J LEW

The adventures of a young coppersmith's apprentice in China.

Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs        

BIO ALC

Presents the life of Louisa May Alcott, who was able through the success of her writings to achieve one thing that was very important to her--to be able to take care of all her family.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink                                                                         

J BRI

Set in the 1860s, Caddie Woodlawn is about a lively eleven-year-old tomboy named Caroline Augusta Woodlawn, nicknamed "Caddie", living in the area of Dunnville, Wisconsin, and her experiences with the nearby Indians. 

Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer                                                                                        

J SAW

The discoveries and adventures of ten-year-old Lucinda, who spends a wonderful year exploring the New York City of the 1890s.

The White Stag by Kate Seredy                                                                                      

J SER

Retells the legendary story of the Huns' and Magyars' long migration from Asia to Europe where they hope to find a permanent home.

Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright                                                                            

J ENR

A few hours after Garnet Linden found a silver thimble in the dried-up river bed, the rains came to end the long drought on the Wisconsin farm.

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry                                                                              

J SPE

Relates how Mafatu, a young Polynesian boy whose name means Stout Heart, overcomes his terrible fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his people.

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray                  

FIC GRA

Thisbook follows the adventures of a young boy, Adam. After losing his spaniel and father, Adam embarks on a series of escapades throughout medieval England.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes                                                                             

FIC FOR

After injuring his hand, a silversmith's apprentice in Boston becomes a messenger for the Sons of Liberty in the days before the American Revolution.

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson                                                                                        

J LAW

New folks are coming to live in the Big House. The animals of Rabbit Hill wonder if they will plant a garden and thus be good providers.

Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski                                                                                      

J LEN

Birdie Boyer and her hard working family raise strawberries in Florida, but have to face the dislike of their neighbors.

Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey                                                                        

J BAI

Relates the adventures of a country doll made of an apple-wood twig with a hickory nut for a head.

The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois                                                     

J DUB

Relates the incredible adventures of Professor William Waterman Sherman who in 1883 sets off in a balloon across the Pacific, survives the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa, and is eventually picked up in the Atlantic.

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry                                                                         

J HEN

Sham and the stable boy Agba travel from Morocco to France to England where, at last, Sham's majesty is recognized and he becomes the "Godolphin Arabian," ancestor of the most superior Thoroughbred horses.

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli                                                          

FIC ANG

A crippled boy in fourteenth-century England proves his courage and earns recognition from the King.

Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates                                                             

FIC YAT

The life of the eighteenth-century African prince who, after being captured by slave traders, was brought to Massachusetts where he was a slave until he was able to buy his freedom at the age of sixty.

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes                                                                                         

J EST

A book about the adventures of a dog named Ginger.

Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark                                                                       

J CLA

An Indian boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his Inca ancestors.

...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold                                                              

FIC KRU

Miguel lives with his family on a sheep ranch in New Mexico. More than anything else, he longs to go with the men to the Sangre de Christo Mountains.

The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong                                                            

J DEJ

The people in a little town in Holland try to bring storks to nest in their village.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham                                                             

FIC LAT

A fictionalized biography of the mathematician and astronomer who realized his childhood desire to become a ship's captain and authored "The American Practical Navigator."

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen                                                                 

J SOR

Marly and her family share many adventures when they move from the city to a farmhouse on Maple Hill.

Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith                                                                                 

FIC KEI

The struggles and hardships faced by Jeff Bussey on his 300-mile escape route during the Civil War.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare                                           

J SPE

A young girl's rebellion against bigotry culminates in a terrifying witch hunt and trial.

Onion John by Joseph Krumgold                                                                                   

J KRU

His friendship with the town odd-jobs man, Onion John, causes a conflict between Andy and his father.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell                                                             

FIC ODE

Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life.

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare                                                             

FIC SPE

A young boy seeks revenge against the Romans for killing his parents, but is turned away from vengeance by Jesus.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle                                                                   

FIC L’EN

Three extra-terrestrial beings take Meg and her friends to another world.

It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville                                                                               

J NEL

A quietly humorous story of one kind of contemporary New York City boyhood, a fourteen-year-old and his family, his friends, and a stray tomcat.

Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska                                                                     

J WOJ

Manolo Olivar has to make a decision: to follow in his famous father's shadow and become a bullfighter, or to follow his heart and become a doctor.

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt                                                                              

FIC HUN

A seven-year-old orphan goes to live with her aunt, where she learns new values as she grows to young womanhood. There are many happy memories and sad times too; jealousy of her sister, death of a schoolmate, and disappointment of first love.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg                

J KON

Two suburban children run away from their Connecticut home and go to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where their ingenuity enables them to live in luxury.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander                                                                             

FIC ALE

In this fifth and final part of the chronicle of Prydain the forces of good and evil meet in an ultimate confrontation, which determines the fate of Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper who wanted to be a hero.

Sounder by William H. Armstrong                                                                              

FIC ARM

Angry and humiliated when his sharecropper father is jailed for stealing food for his family, a young black boy grows in courage and understanding with the help of the devoted dog Sounder, and also by learning to read.

Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars                                                                         

J BYA

A teenage girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally handicapped brother gets lost.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien                                              

J OBR

Having no one to help her with her problems, a widowed mouse visits the rats whose former imprisonment in a laboratory made them wise and long lived.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George                                                            

J GEO

While running away from home and an unwanted marriage, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska and is befriended by a wolf pack.

The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox                                                                                 

FIC FOX

Kidnapped by the crew of an Africa-bound ship, a thirteen-year-old boy discovers to his horror that he is on a slaver and his job is to play music for the exercise periods of the human cargo.

M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton                                                          

FIC HAM

As a slag heap, the result of strip mining, creeps closer to his house in the Ohio hills, fifteen-year-old M. C. is torn between trying to get his family away and fighting for the home they love.

The Grey King by Susan Cooper                                                                                

FIC COO

Will Stanton, visiting in Wales, is swept into a desperate quest to find the golden harp and to awaken the ancient Sleepers.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor                                                   

FIC TAY

A black family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson                                                                  

FIC PAT

The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin                                                                          

FIC RAS

The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.

Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832 by Joan W. Blos        

FIC BLO

The journal of a 14-year-old girl, kept the last year she lived on the family farm, records daily events in her small New Hampshire town, her father's remarriage, and the death of her best friend.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson                                                                    

FIC PAT

Feeling deprived all her life of schooling, friends, mother, and even her name by her twin sister, Louise finally begins to find her identity.

A Visit to William Blake's Inn by Nancy Willard                                               

J 811.54 WIL

A collection of poems describing the curious menagerie of guests who arrive at William Blake's inn

Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt                                                                                   

FIC VOI

Now that the four abandoned Tillerman children are settled in with their grandmother, Dicey finds that their new beginnings require love, trust, humor, and courage.

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary                                                                            

J CLE

In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley                                                            

FIC MCK

Aerin, with the guidance of the wizard Luthe and the help of the blue sword, wins the birthright due her as the daughter of the Damarian king and a witchwoman of the mysterious, demon-haunted North.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan                                                                

J MAC

When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay.

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman                                                                            

J FLE

A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws.

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman                                                        

BIO LIN

Photographs and text trace the life of the Civil War President.

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman                                       

J 811 FLE

A collection of poems describing the characteristics and activities of a variety of insects.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry                                                                                  

J LOW

In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli                                                                                      

FIC SPI

After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor                                                                                  

J NAY

Marty finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, and tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant                                                                                      

FIC RYL

After the death of the beloved aunt who has raised her, twelve-year-old Summer and her uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living.

The Giver by Lois Lowry                                                                                             

FIC LOW

Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech                                                                           

FIC CRE

After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman                                                         

FIC CUS

In medieval England, a nameless, homeless girl is taken in by a sharp-tempered midwife, and in spite of obstacles and hardship, eventually gains the three things she most wants: a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world.

The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg                                                            

J KON

Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse                                                                                

FIC HES

In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression.

Holes by Louis Sachar                                                                                                

FIC SAC

As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis                                                               

FIC CUR

Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

A Year Down Yonder by by Richard Peck                                                                      

J PEC

During the recession of 1937, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice is sent to live with her feisty, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois and comes to a better understanding of this fearsome woman.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park                                                                              

FIC PAR

Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge near a potters' village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi                                                                             

FIC AVI

Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo                                                                   

J DIC

The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

Kira-Kira by  Cynthia Kadohata                                                                                      

J KAD

Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one sister becomes terminally ill.

Criss Cross by  Lynne Rae Perkins                                                                          

FIC PER

Teenagers in a small town in the 1960s experience new thoughts and feelings, question their identities, connect, and disconnect as they search for the meaning of life and love.

The Higher Power of Lucky by  Susan Patron                                                              

J PAT

Fearing that her legal guardian plans to abandon her to return to France, ten-year-old aspiring scientist Lucky Trimble determines to run away while also continuing to seek the Higher Power that will bring stability to her life.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz                                                  

 J 812 SCH

A collection of short one-person plays featuring characters, between ten and fifteen years old, who live in or near a thirteenth-century English manor.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman                                                                            

FIC GAI

The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures.

When You Reach Me  by Rebecca Stead                                                                    

FIC STE

As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool                                                                   

FIC VAN

Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter who, in the summer of 1936, sends her to stay with an old friend in Manifest, Kansas, where he grew up, and where she hopes to find out some things about his past.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos                                                                            

FIC GAN

In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

J APP

When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo 

J DIC

A girl named Flora and a squirrel named Ulysses, whose life was saved by Flora after he was involved in an incident with a vacuum cleaner, team up to use Ulysses' superpowers to conquer villains and protect the weak.