Children’s Book Week is the twice annual celebration of children’s books and reading. Established in 1919 by the Children's Book Council, it is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country, now celebrating its 102nd anniversary with over 2,000 participating schools, libraries and bookstores in all 50 states.
The Kids’ Book Choice Awards are the only national book awards voted on solely by kids and teens. Launched in 2008 by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, the awards provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them. The 2021 program relaunch included a new name, logo, and categories with finalists selected through nationwide long-list voting.
The Kids’ Book Choice Awards tagline, No Adults Allowed!, lets young readers know that these awards are 100% for them to voice their choice. Below are the 2021 winners.
We Are Water Protectors, by Carole Lindstrom illustrated by Michaela Goade
Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all.
Water is sacred.
My people talk of a black snake that will destroy the land,
Spoil the water, wreck everything in its path.
They foretold that it wouldn’t come for many, many years.
Now the black snake is here.
Told from the perspective of a Native American child, this bold and lyrical picture book written by Ojibwe/Métis author Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Tlingit artist Michaela Goade is a powerful call to action to defend Earth’s natural resources—inspired by the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and similar movements led by Indigenous tribes all across North America.
Ways to Make Sunshine, by Renée Watson illustrated by Nina Mata
Ryan Hart loves to spend time with her friends, loves to invent recipes, and has a lot on her mind—school, self-image, and family. Her dad finally has a new job, but money is tight. That means changes like selling their second car and moving into a new (old) house. But Ryan is a girl who knows how to make sunshine out of setbacks. Because Ryan is all about trying to see the best. Even when things aren’t all she would wish for—her brother is infuriating, her parents don’t understand, when her recipes don’t turn out right, and when the unexpected occurs—she can find a way forward, with wit and plenty of sunshine.
Efrén Divided, by Ernesto Cisneros
Efrén Nava’s Amá is his Superwoman—or Soperwoman, named after the delicious Mexican sopes his mother often prepares. Both Amá and Apá work hard all day to provide for the family, making sure Efrén and his younger siblings Max and Mía feel safe and loved.
But Efrén worries about his parents; although he’s American-born, his parents are undocumented. His worst nightmare comes true one day when Amá doesn’t return from work and is deported across the border to Tijuana, Mexico.
Now more than ever, Efrén must channel his inner Soperboy to help take care of and try to reunite his family.
When Stars Are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed illustrated by Victoria Jamieson and Iman Geddy
Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.
Dav Pilkey, author of Cat Kid Comic Club (Scholastic)
A new graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of the internationally bestselling Dog Man and Captain Underpants series.
Naomi, Melvin, Pedro, and Poppy are just a few of the twenty-one rambunctious, funny, and talented baby frogs who share their stories in the Cat Kid Comic Club. Can Li'l Petey, Molly, and Flippy help the students express themselves through comics? The adventures in class and on paper unwind with mishaps and hilarity as the creative baby frogs experience the mistakes and progress that come with practice and persistence.
This Is Your Time, by Ruby Bridges
Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges—who, at the age of six, was the first black child to integrate into an all-white elementary school in New Orleans—inspires readers and calls for action in this moving letter.
Written as a letter from civil rights activist and icon Ruby Bridges to the reader, This Is Your Time is both a recounting of Ruby’s experience as a child who had to be escorted to class by federal marshals when she was chosen to be one of the first black students to integrate into New Orleans’ all-white public school system and an appeal to generations to come to effect change.
Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning ‘Stamped from the Beginning’, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
This is NOT a history book.
This is a book about the here and now.
A book to help us better understand why we are where we are.
A book about race.
The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.
Children's books are to be celebrated for both their stories and illustrations. Children need to grow up surrounded by books in schools, homes and public libraries. The Kids Choice Book Awards are unique, but this current list gives me hope. The diversity of authors, and subjects prove that children what to identify themselves in the books they see and read. Legislators and some parents are starting to ban books from school libraries and curriculum. Two of these books, chosen by kids as favorites, have been challenged in the past year---This is Your Time, Ruby Bridges and Stamped. One author/illustrator has been continually challenged for his three popular series---Captain Underpants, Dog-Man, and Cat-Kid.
The 2022 Kids Choice Books will be announced in November, which will give you time to read these 2021 titles. Take you favorite child to the library and have a fun afternoon reading and discovering the wonderful world of children's literature.
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