North Carolina Children's Book Award

2024 NCCBA Picture Book and Junior Book Nominees

We are very pleased to announce the nominees for the 2024 North Carolina Children's Book Awards. We selected twelve titles for both lists because of possible availability issues. In order to vote in March 2024, children should read at least 5 picture book nominees and/or 3 junior book nominees.

Annotated Picture Book list
Annotated Junior Book list

Picture Books	Junior Books
*The Blue House* Wahl, Phoebe. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2020. *Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme* Monsen, Avery. Illustrated by Abby Hanlon. New York; Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 2022. *Clovis Keeps His Cool* Aronson, Katelyn. Illustrated by Eve Farb. Salem, MA : Page Street Kids, 2021. *Dandelion Magic* Farrell, Darren. Illustrated by Maya Tatsukawa. New York : Dial Books, 2021. *How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion* Shiraishi, Ashima. Illustrated by Yao Xiao. New York : Make Me a World, 2020. *I Am Every Good Thing* Barnes, Derrick. Illustrated by Gordon C. James. New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020. *Jabari Tries* Cornwall, Gaia. Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2020. *Memory Jars* Brosgol, Vera. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2021. *Negative Cat* Blackall, Sophie. New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021. *Paletero Man/¡Que Paletero tan Cool!* Diaz, Lucky. Illustrated by Micah Player. New York : HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. *Sheepish (Wolf under Cover)* Yoon, Helen. Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2021. *What Can You Do With a Rock?* Miller, Pat Zietlow. Illustrated by Katie Kath. Naperville, IL : Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2021.	*30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag* Davis, Amanda. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. New York : WorthyKids, 2021. *The Boy at the Back of the Class* Raúf, Onjali Q.. New York : Delacorte Press, 2020. *Dog Squad* Grabenstein, Chris. New York : Random House Children's Books, 2021. *The Elephant in the Room* Sloan, Holly Goldberg. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2021. *Invisible* Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. Illustrated by Gabriella Epstein. New York : Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, 2022. *The Last Beekeeper* Cartaya, Pablo. Waterville, ME : Thorndike Press, 2023. *A Rover's Story* Warga, Jasmine. New York : Balzer + Bray, 2022. *Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs* Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Los Angeles : Disney Hyperion, 2022. *Stand Up, Yumi Chung!* Kim, Jessica. New York : Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2020. *Starfish* Fipps, Lisa. New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021. *Swim Team* Christmas, Johnnie. New York : Harper Alley, 2022. *Your Place in the Universe* Chin, Jason. New York : Holiday House, 2020.

Picture Books

Junior Books

The Blue House
Wahl, Phoebe. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2020.

Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme
Monsen, Avery. Illustrated by Abby Hanlon. New York; Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 2022.

Clovis Keeps His Cool
Aronson, Katelyn. Illustrated by Eve Farb. Salem, MA : Page Street Kids, 2021.

Dandelion Magic
Farrell, Darren. Illustrated by Maya Tatsukawa. New York : Dial Books, 2021.

How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion
Shiraishi, Ashima. Illustrated by Yao Xiao. New York : Make Me a World, 2020.

I Am Every Good Thing
Barnes, Derrick. Illustrated by Gordon C. James. New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020.

Jabari Tries
Cornwall, Gaia. Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2020.

Memory Jars
Brosgol, Vera. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2021.

Negative Cat
Blackall, Sophie. New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021.

Paletero Man/¡Que Paletero tan Cool!
Diaz, Lucky. Illustrated by Micah Player. New York : HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021.

Sheepish (Wolf under Cover)
Yoon, Helen. Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2021.

What Can You Do With a Rock?
Miller, Pat Zietlow. Illustrated by Katie Kath. Naperville, IL : Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2021.

30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag
Davis, Amanda. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. New York : WorthyKids, 2021.

The Boy at the Back of the Class
Raúf, Onjali Q.. New York : Delacorte Press, 2020.

Dog Squad
Grabenstein, Chris. New York : Random House Children's Books, 2021.

The Elephant in the Room
Sloan, Holly Goldberg. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2021.

Invisible
Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. Illustrated by Gabriella Epstein. New York : Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, 2022.

The Last Beekeeper
Cartaya, Pablo. Waterville, ME : Thorndike Press, 2023.

A Rover's Story
Warga, Jasmine. New York : Balzer + Bray, 2022.

Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Los Angeles : Disney Hyperion, 2022.

Stand Up, Yumi Chung!
Kim, Jessica. New York : Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2020.

Starfish
Fipps, Lisa. New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021.

Swim Team
Christmas, Johnnie. New York : Harper Alley, 2022.

Your Place in the Universe
Chin, Jason. New York : Holiday House, 2020.

2023 Picture Book and Junior Book Winners!

The votes have been collected and tallied! We have our winners for the 2023 North Carolina Children's Book Awards. For the complete results, please visit the 2023 Results and Materials page.

The Box Turtle, written and illustrated by Vanessa Roeder, is the winner of the picture book category with 10,421 votes.

Unplugged, written by Gordon Korman, is the winner of the junior book category with 772 votes.

We would like to thank all of the children who participated by voting in schools and local public libraries or virtually on this website. Giving kids a voice in choosing their favorites is what this award is all about so THANK YOU for voting!

The committee will be meeting mid-May to select the nominees for the 2024 Awards. Check back in again soon!

2022 Winners Accept Awards

Mike Boldt accepts the 2022 North Carolina Children's Picture Book Award for Bad Dog.

Jerry Craft accepts the 2022 North Carolina Children's Junior Book Award for New Kid.

Favorites for 2024 Awards

Submit your favorite for 2024

We are starting to collect the titles of your favorite books published in the past three years for the 2024 North Carolina Children's Book Awards! Nominations are submitted by the children of North Carolina in grades K-6th. Teachers and librarians may help children enter their nominations, but no teacher or librarian should enter their own favorites. (Titles with publication dates of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023)

Kids may nominate more than one favorite.

Activities for the 2023 Nominees are ready!

We are excited to present read-alouds, book trailers, book talks and activities for the 2023 North Carolina Children's Book Award Nominees. Voting begins on March 1, 2023.

Activities for all 2023 Nominees

2023 Nominee flyer with covers (can be used as ballot)

Picture Book Nominees

Children may vote for their favorite title if they have read at least 5 of the 12 nominees.

eBooks and eAudiobooks available through NC Kids digital library.


The Box Turtle Read-aloud The Box Turtle Activities		The Boy Who Grew a Forest Read-aloud The Boy Who Grew a Forest Activities

Dozens of Doughnuts Read-aloud Dozens of Doughnuts Activities		Eat Your Rocks, Croc! Read-aloud Eat Your Rocks, Croc! Activities

Except Antarctica! Read-aloud Except Antarctica! Activities		How to Give Your Cat a Bath Read-aloud How to Give Your Cat a Bath Activities

I'm Trying to Love Garbage Read-aloud I'm Trying to Love Garbage Activities		It Fell From the Sky Read-aloud It Fell From the Sky Activities

Mars! Earthlings Welcome Read-aloud Mars! Earthlings Welcome Activities		Nigel and the Moon Read-aloud Nigel and the Moon Activities

A Song of Frutas Read-aloud A Song of Frutas Activities		Watercress Read-aloud Watercress Activities

Junior Book Nominees

Children may vote for their favorite title if they have read at least 3 of the 10 nominees.

eBooks and eAudiobooks available through NC Kids digital library.


Amari and the Night Brothers Book Trailer Amari and the Night Brothers Activities	Clean Getaway Book Trailer Clean Getaway Activities

Flower Talk Book Trailer Flower Talk Activities	How to Build an Insect Read-aloud How to Build an Insect Activities

Katie the Catsitter Book Trailer Katie the Catsitter Activities	A Place at the Table Book Trailer A Place at the Table Activities

Rez Dogs Book Talk Rez Dogs Activities	Skunk and Badger Book Trailer Skunk and Badger Activities

Unplugged Book Trailer Unplugged Activities	Willodeen Book Talk Willodeen Activities

A Wolf Called Wander Book Trailer A Wolf Called Wander Activities	The World Ends in April Book Trailer The World Ends in April Activities