Awards and Honors

Since its founding in 1935, Holiday House has published quality books for children and teens. Please view a comprehensive listing of awards and honors won by our books, sorted alphabetically by title.

Hey, Water!
Dreamers
Finding Langston
Before She was Harriet
I See a Cat
Noodleheads See the Future

Excel Awards Spreadsheet

Select Awards

27 Magic Words
  • Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos
  • Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award, Oregon Library Association, 2014 WINNER
  • Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee, Elementary Division, 2014-2015
  • Nashua, NH School District Gate City Book Award Nominee, 2014-2015
  • Monarch Award Master List, Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award, 2016
  • Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award Nominee, Intermediate, 2016
Because They Marched
  • ALA Notable Children's Book
  • Bank Street Best Books of the Year
  • Booklist Editors' Choices, Books for Youth
  • California Reading Association, Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Honor Book
  • ILA Teachers' Choices
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Middle-Grade Nonfiction
  • NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
  • Paterson Prize for Books for Young People Honor Book
Becoming Ben Franklin
  • IRA Teachers' Choice
  • Society of School Librarians International Best Book Award
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Book
  • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • Book Links Lasting Connections in Social Studies
  • Booklist Editors’ Choice Top of the List
  • California Reading Association Eureka! Non-fiction Children’s Honor Book
  • Booklist Top Ten Biographies for Youth
Before She was Harriet
  • A 2018 Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended Title
  • An NCTE Notable Poetry Book (2018)
  • A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) Best Book of 2017
  • A Booklist Editors’ Choice (2017)
  • A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book (2017)
  • Original artwork included in the 2017 Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit (11/1/17-12/30/17)
  • 2017 EUREKA! Nonfiction Honor Award
  • NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work – Children (2018)
Bicycle Book
  • A Book Links Best Book of the Year
Birds Make Nests
  • Correll Children’s Picture Book Award
  • National Association of Science Teachers-Children's Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Book
  • Outstanding Merit Bank Street Best Children’s Books
  • Mazza Museum of Children’s Book Art Caldecott Contender Selection
Brown v. Board of Education
  • A 2017 Notable Children's Book
Christina’s Ghost
  • Winner of seven child-voted state awards!
  • Georgia Children's Book Award
  • Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award
  • Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award
  • South Carolina Children's Book Award
  • Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award
  • Texas Bluebonnet Award
  • Virginia Young Readers Award
Dreamers
  • ALA Notable Children's Book, 2019
  • Amazon Best Book
  • Anna Dewdney Read Together Honor Book
  • Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
  • Boston Globe Best Book of the Year
  • Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon
  • Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year
  • Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award Honor
  • Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, 2019
  • The Horn Book Fanfare
  • Instant New York Times Bestseller
  • JCLC Author Award recipient by REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library and
  • Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking
  • Junior Library Guild Selection
  • Kirkus Prize Finalist
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Book
  • National Indie Bestseller List
  • New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book
  • NPR Best Book of the Year
  • One Book, One San Diego Selection, 2019
  • Original Art Exhibiton
  • Publishers Weekly Best Book
  • Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner, 2019
  • Read Across Texas Statewide Program
  • Salon.com Best Book of the Year
  • School Library Journal Best Book
  • Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year
  • Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, 2019
  • The Washington Post Best Book of the Year
Find a Cow Now!
  • 2012 Parents' Choice Fun Stuff™ Award
Fish Had a Wish
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the Year
  • Kirkus Reviews Top 25 Children's Books List
Freaky Fast Frankie Joe
  • IRA-CBC Children's Choice Award
  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
  • Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
  • Kansas William Allen White Award Master List
  • Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List
  • Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award Nominee
  • Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Intermediate Nominee
  • South Carolina Children's Book Award Master List
Freedom Summer
  • ALA Notable Children's Book
  • Bank Street Best Books of the Year
  • Booklist Editors' Choices, Books for Youth
  • Golden Kite Award Winner
  • NCSS-CBC Carter G. Woodson Honor Book
  • NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
  • Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book for Young Readers
Freedom Walkers
  • Freedom Walkers won the first ever Cybils Award in Nonfiction!
  • ABC Best Books for Children
  • ALA Best Book for Young Adults
  • ALA Notable Children’s Book
  • Book Links Best New Book for the Classroom
  • Carter G. Woodson Book Award, NCSS
  • CCBC Choice
  • Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books
  • Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
  • Cybils Nonfiction Award Winner, MG/YA (first ever awarded)
  • Flora Stieglitz Straus Award (Bank Street College)
  • The Horn Book Fanfare List - Nonfiction
  • INDIANA Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee
  • IRA Notable Book for a Global Society
  • IRA Teachers' Choice
  • James Madison Book Award Honor Book
  • Jane Addams Peace Association Honor Book Award for Older Children
  • Junior Library Guild Premier Selection
  • Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice
  • NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens
  • NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
  • NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
  • New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
  • Once Upon a World Book Award (Museum of Tolerance)
  • Parents' Choice Recommended
  • RHODE ISLAND Children's Book Award Nominee
  • San Francisco Chronicle Book Review Best Books of the Season
  • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • Society of School Librarians International (SSLI) Honor Book Award
Hanukkah Bear
  • Winner of the 2013 National Jewish Children's Book Award in the category of Illustrated Children's Book Louis Posner Memorial Award.
Here in Harlem
  • ALA Best Book for Young Adults
  • ALA Notable Children’s Book
  • The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
  • Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books
  • IRA Notable Book for a Global Society
  • Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice
  • New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
  • Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Nonfiction Honor List
Jazz
  • TIME magazine’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time
  • A Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration Honor Book
  • An ALA Notable Children's Book
  • Publishers Weekly 100 Best Books of the Year
  • Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
  • The first-ever Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production
  • and many more!
Look Up!
  • Awarded an Opera Prima Honor at the Bologna Book Fair.
New Shoes
  • 2016 NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Book for Outstanding Fiction for Children
  • 2016 NAACP Image Awards Nominee
  • 2016 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Winner—Books for Younger Readers Category
Noodleheads See the Future
  • A 2018 Geisel Honor Winner!
Out of Shadows
  • 2010 Costa Children's Book Award
Pizza Mouse
  • Junior Library Guild Selection
Plants Feed Me
  • Booklist Top 10 Crafts and Gardening Book
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World
  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
  • Green Earth Book Award Honor
  • IRA Teachers' Choice
  • John Burroughs Riverby Award
  • Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List
  • New York Public Library Summer Reading Challenge List, 2015
Rain Makes Applesauce
  • 1965 Caldecott Honor Book
  • The New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books
  • TIME magazine’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time
Roller Derby Rivals
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Information Picture Book of 2014
See Me Run
  • A 2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book
Super Women
  • A 2018 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12
The Carbon Diaries 2015
  • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • Grand Prize Winner of the Green Book Festival!
The Cat with the Yellow Star
  • ALA Notable Children’s Book
  • IRA Notable Book for a Global Society
  • Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
  • NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People—Selector’s Choice
  • Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
  • American Jewish Libraries Notable Book
  • New York Public Library Children’s Books 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.
The Devil’s Intern
  • YALSA 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2014
The Dollhouse Murders
  • Winner of nine child-voted state awards!
  • Alabama Young Reader's Choice Award
  • California Young Reader Medal
  • Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award
  • Iowa Children's Choice Award
  • Missouri Mark Twain Award
  • New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award
  • Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award
  • Texas Bluebonnet Award
  • Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award
The Fruits We Eat
  • An NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12
The Naked Mole-Rat Letters
  • Mark Twain Award Master List
  • Sequoyah Children’s Book Award Master List
  • Volunteer State Book Award Mast Reading List (Gr. 6-8)
  • William Allen White Children’s Book Award Master List (Gr. 6-8)
The Pumpkin Book
  • International Reading Association (IRA) IRA Teachers' Choice
  • National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)-Children's Book Council (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children
The Safest Lie
  • Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California (ACL) Distinguished Book
  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
  • A National Jewish Book Awards Finalist
The Sloppy Copy Slipup
  • A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
  • Sunshine State Young Readers Award Master List
  • Garden State Children's Book Award Master List
The Word Eater
  • Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award
  • Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominee
  • Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee
  • Minnesota Maud Hart Lovelace Award Master List
  • New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award Master List
  • Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award Reading List
  • Washington Sasquatch Reading Award Nominee
The Wright Brothers
  • Newbery Honor Book
There’s a Frog in My Throat!
  • ALA Notable Children's Book
  • Bank Street Best Book of the Year
  • Booklist Editors' Choice
  • Book Links Lasting Connection
  • Cuyahoga County Public Library "Children's Books to Read and Own" Pick
Tiptoe Tapirs
  • 2016 ALA Notable's Children Book
Tomie dePaola’s The Popcorn Book
  • A Reading Rainbow Book
Tugboat
  • Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year
  • Pennsylvania Center for the Book Baker’s Dozen: The Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy
  • Society of Illustrator’s Annual Show
Vietnam
  • VOYA Nonfiction Honor List
  • Booklist Best Book of the Year Youth Nonfiction
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
  • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, Outstanding Merit
  • Patterson Prize for Books for Young People Honor Book, The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College
  • Eureka! Book Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Readers, Silver/Honor Award, California Reading Association
Wanted…Mud Blossom
  • Winner, Edgar Allan Poe Award
  • An ALA Notable Book for Children
  • Horn Book Fanfare Selection