2026 Picture Book and Junior Book Winners!

We have our winners for the 2026 North Carolina Children's Book Awards.  For the complete results, please visit the 2026 Results and Materials page.

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli, written by David LaRochelle and illustrated by Lian Cho, is the winner of the picture book category with 11,825 votes.

 Squished, written by Megan Wagner Lloyd and illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter, is the winner of the junior book category with 571 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 2027 Awards.  Check back in again soon!

2026 Voting is OPEN!

 It's time for kids to vote for their favorite books!  

Kids may vote online, through their school librarians, or at their public library.

The deadline for voting is April 15, 2026.

Kids read or listen to at least 5 Picture Book Nominees then VOTE HERE.
(If you still need to read the nominees, please go to the 2026 Picture Book Nominees tab.)

Kids read or listen to at least 3 Junior Book Nominees then VOTE HERE.
(If you still need to read the nominees, please go to the 2026 Junior Book Nominees tab.)

 

NEXT YEAR'S AWARDS:  Submit your favorites for 2027  

Kids should use THIS FORM to nominate titles for next year (2027).  

Librarians/Teachers:  please submit the votes you collected from your students/patrons using the Librarian Vote Tally Form located on the Librarian/Teacher Resource page.

Submit Favorites for 2027 Awards

 Submit your favorite for 2027

We are collecting the titles of your favorite books published in the past three years for the 2027 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 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026)

Kids may nominate more than one favorite. 

 

Activities for 2026 NCCBA Nominees are Ready!

We are excited to present read-alouds, book trailers, book talks and activities for the 2026 North Carolina Children's Book Award Nominees. Voting begins on March 1, 2026.  

2026 Activity Guide  (your one resource for all of the 2026 Nominees) 

2026 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.  

 

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.

 

2026 Picture Book and Junior Book Nominees

We are very pleased to announce the nominees for the 2026 North Carolina Children's Book Awards.    In order to vote in March 2026, 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

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli David LaRochelle Illustrated by Lian Cho Buffalo Fluffalo Bess Kalb Illustrated by Erin Kraan Don't Trust Cats: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog Dev Petty Illustrated by Mike Boldt Home in a Lunchbox Cherry Mo Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the World Judy Campbell-Smith Illustrated by Lucy Semple The Man Who Didn't Like Animals Deborah Underwood Illustrated by LeUyen Pham The Three Billy Goats Gruff Mac Barnett Illustrated by Jon Klassen Two New Years Richard Ho Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas Zachariah OHora Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham The Yellow Bus Loren Long Zap! Clap! Boom!: The Story of a Thunderstorm Laura Purdie Salas Illustrated by Elly MacKay

Ferris Kate DiCamillo Haiku, Ew!: Celebrating the Disgusting Side of Nature Lynn Brunelle Illustrated by Julia Patton Hummingbird Natalie Lloyd The Last Dragon on Mars Scott Reintgen The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum Lisa Yee Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic Candace Fleming Illustrated by Deena So'Oteh Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy Angie Thomas No Matter the Distance Cindy Baldwin Squished Megan Wagner Lloyd Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter Things in the Basement Ben Hatke We Own the Sky Rodman Philbrick Wild Brunch: Poems About How Creatures Eat David L. Harrison Illustrated by Giles Laroche