2024 Winners Accept Awards

Sophie Blackall accepts the 2024 North Carolina Children's Picture Book Award for Negative Cat. 

 

   Sophie Blackall acceptance video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christina Diaz Gonzalez, author of Invisible, accepts the 2024 North Carolina Children's Junior Book Award. 

 

Gabriela Epstein, illustrator of Invisible, accepts the 2024 North Carolina Children's Junior Book Award. 

Activities for 2025 Nominees are ready!

We are excited to present read-alouds, book trailers, book talks and activities for the 2025 North Carolina Children's Book Award Nominees. Voting begins on March 1, 2025.  

2025 Activity Booklet  (your one resource for all of the 2025 Nominees) 

2025 bookmarks/ballots  |  flyer with book covers (can be used as ballot)

Picture Book Nominees

Picture Book annotated list

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


Acorn Was a Little Wild Read-aloud

Acorn Was a Little Wild Activities

Beneath Read-aloud

  Beneath Activities

How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Read-aloud

How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Activities

I Cannot Draw a Horse Read-aloud

I Cannot Draw a Horse Activities

I Want 100 Dogs Read-aloud

I Want 100 Dogs Activities

Jumper Read-aloud

Jumper Activities

My Hands Tell a Story Read-aloud

My Hands Tell a Story Activities

Place Hand Here author video

Place Hand Here Activities

This Story is Not About a Kitten Read-aloud

This Story is Not About a Kitten Activities

A Unicorn, a Dinosaur, and a Shark Read-aloud

A Unicorn, a Dinosaur, and a Shark Activities
 

A Very Cranky Book Read-aloud

A Very Cranky Book Activities

Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius Read-aloud

Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius Activities


Junior Book Nominees

Junior Book annotated list 

Children may vote for their favorite title if they have read at least 3 of the 12 nominees.

Air Book Trailer

Air Activities
Chunky Book Trailer

Chunky Activities
Finally Seen Book Talk

Finally Seen Activities
The Fire of Stars Book Trailer

The Fire of Stars Activities
Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts Book Trailer

Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts Activities
Lost Library Book Trailer

Lost Library Activities
Magical Imperfect Book Trailer

Magical Imperfect Activities
The Marvellers Book Trailer

The Marvellers Activities
Maya and the Robot Book Trailer

Maya and the Robot Activities
My Head Has a Bellyache Sneak Peak

My Head Has a Bellyache Activities
Odder Book Trailer

Odder Activities
Shine On, Luz Veliz! Book Trailer

Shine On, Luz Veliz! Activities


2025 Picture Book and Junior Book Nominees

We are very pleased to announce the nominees for the 2025 North Carolina Children's Book Awards.    In order to vote in March 2025, 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

  • Acorn Was a Little Wild
    Jen Arena
    Illustrated by Jessica Gibson

  • Beneath
    Cori Doerrfeld

  • How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide
    Ame Dyckman
    Illustrated by Jennifer Harney

  • I Cannot Draw a Horse
    Charise Mericle Harper

  • I Want 100 Dogs
    Stacy McAnulty
    Illustrated by Claire Keane

  • Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider
    Jessica Lanan

  • My Hands Tell a Story
    Kelly Starling Lyons
    Illustrated by Tonya Engel

  • Place Hand Here
    Katie Yamasaki

  • This Story is Not About a Kitten
    Randall de Sève
    Illustrated by Carson Ellis

  • A Unicorn, a Dinosaur, and a Shark Walk Into a Book
    Jonathan Fenske

  • A Very Cranky Book
    Angela DiTerlizzi
    Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

  • Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: a True Story About an Amazing Swimmer
    Lynne Cox
    Illustrated by Richard Jones

  • Air
    Monica Roe

  • Chunky
    Yehudi Mercado

  • Finally Seen
    Kelly Yang

  • The Fire of Stars: the Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars are Made Of
    Kirsten W. Larson
    Illustrated by Katherine Roy

  • Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts
    Jessica Kulekjian
    Illustrated by Zoe Si

  • The Lost Library
    Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

  • The Magical Imperfect
    Chris Baron

  • The Marvellers
    Dhonielle Clayton

  • Maya and the Robot
    Eve L. Ewing
    Illustrated Christine Almeda

  • My Head Has a Bellyache: More Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-ups
    Chris Harris
    Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi

  • Odder
    Katherine Applegate

  • Shine On, Luz Véliz!
    Rebecca Balcárcel

2024 Picture Book and Junior Book Winners

We have our winners for the 2024 North Carolina Children's Book Awards.  For the complete results, please visit the 2024 Results and Materials page.

Negative Cat, written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall , is the winner of the picture book category with 11,844 votes.



 Invisible, written by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and illustrated by Gabriela Epstein, is the winner of the junior book category with 900 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 2025 Awards.  Check back in again soon!