Each year the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, identifies the best of the best in children's books.
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards are among the most prestigious honors in the field of children's and young adult literature. Winners are selected in three (3) categories:
- Fiction and Poetry
- Nonfiction
- Picture Books
The winning titles must be published in the United States but they may be written or illustrated by citizens of any country. The awards are chosen by an independent panel of three (3) judges who are annually appointed by the Editor of the Horn Book.
The Newbery Medal is given by the American Library Association to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
The New York Times Best Sellers for Children's Picture Books is a weekly chart that tracks the week's best-selling books in the United States. Unlike some subsequent lists of best sellers, the New York Times list is not based upon total sales figures, but instead surveys upon a selected sample of retail booksellers.
The Belpre Awards are given by the America Library Association and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and Spanish-Speaking (REFORMA) to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose works best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latinx cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
The Caldecott Medal is given by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
The Sibert Medal is given by the American Library Association to the author (including co-authors and author-illustrators) of the most distinguished informational book published during the preceding year.
The Schneider Family Book Award, overseen by the American Library Association, awards an author or illustrator who embodies the disability experience for children and young adult audiences.
For grades three (3) through eight (8), the Sunshine State Young Readers Award looks to promote independent reading. The books are selected based on "their wide appeal to literary value, varies genres, curriculum connections, and/or multicultural representation."