We’re big fans of the award stamp on the cover. When librarians, educators, and children’s literature experts all agree that a story matters, that’s a pretty great starting point for your next read! And when those award-winning books also happen to open a window into the wider world (into lives, traditions, and landscapes your child might not encounter otherwise), well, that’s exactly the kind of book we love to share.
We’ve pulled together some of our very favorite award winners across age groups, from Caldecott Medal picture books to Newbery-honored middle-grade novels. Every one of these books is terrific on its own terms, and every one of them will take your young reader somewhere wonderful.
Ages 3-5: Picture Books That Win Hearts and Awards
Picture books for the littlest readers are some of the most gorgeous books out there, and these three are real standouts. They’ve all earned major awards, and it’s easy to see why: they’re beautiful, they’re true to the cultures they come from, and kids absolutely love them.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale
Hush A Thai Lullaby
Elena’s Serenade (Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Commended)
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears is a Caldecott Medal winner based on a West African folktale, and the chain-of-events storytelling is so much fun to read aloud. Kids love joining in once they catch the pattern! Hush! A Thai Lullaby is a gentle, rhythmic bedtime book set in the natural world of Thailand, and it’s one we come back to again and again. And Elena’s Serenade, commended by the Americas Award, follows a young girl in Mexico who’s determined to become a glassblower, a wonderful story about pursuing what you love, no matter what anyone else thinks.
Ages 5-9: Stories That Expand the World
Kids in this age range are ready for longer stories with bigger emotions, and these four books really deliver. They’ve all won or been honored by major awards, and what we love about each of them is that they put a real kid (or a real person) at the center, someone whose story helps young readers see the world a little differently.
Mirette On The Highwire Caldecott Medal Book
Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World
Crow Boy (Picture Puffin Books)
Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Mirette on the High Wire, the 1993 Caldecott Medal winner, is set in 19th-century Paris. It’s a fantastic story about courage and the way it gets passed from one generation to the next. We love Seeds of Change for introducing kids to Wangari Maathai’s incredible life; it’s a great bridge from picture books to longer nonfiction, and the message about caring for the environment really sticks. Taro Yashima’s Crow Boy is a classic that’s never gone out of print, and for good reason. It’s the quiet, moving story of a boy in rural Japan who doesn’t fit in but finds his own way to shine. And Emmanuel’s Dream, a true story from Ghana, is just terrific: it shows kids how one person’s refusal to accept limitations changed an entire country’s conversation about disability.
Ages 8-12: Award Honorees for Independent Readers
Once kids are reading independently, they’re ready for books that ask bigger questions, then stay with them long after the last page. These three are some of our absolute favorites, and each one is grounded in a specific time and place that makes the story even richer.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Reader’s Edition
The Wall Growing Up Behind The Iron Curtain Caldecott Honor Book
Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a National Book Award finalist that weaves Chinese folklore into an adventure story that’s just bursting with imagination. We can’t recommend it enough. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, adapted from William Kamkwamba’s memoir, tells the incredible true story of a Malawian teenager who built a wind turbine from scrap to save his village from famine. It’s one of those books that inspires kids no matter where they’re from. And The Wall, a Caldecott Honor Book by Peter Sis, uses spare, powerful illustrations and his own memories to show what it was like growing up behind the Iron Curtain in Communist Czechoslovakia. Kids can grasp it, and adults will find it deeply moving.
Ages 11-14: Award-Winning Books for Older Readers
Older readers are ready for books that dig into history, identity, and the messy complexity of the real world. These three have all received major award recognition, and they’re among the books we recommend most often for this age group, and each one is truly special.
A Single Shard
Persepolis The Story Of A Childhood Pantheon Graphic Novels
Enchanted Air Two Cultures Two Wings A Memoir
Linda Sue Park’s A Single Shard, the 2002 Newbery Medal winner, follows a young orphan in 12th-century Korea who dreams of becoming a master celadon potter. It’s a patient, beautiful book. The way Park writes about the craft of ceramics makes you feel like you’re right there in the workshop. Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis is the kind of graphic novel that belongs on every shelf. Her autobiographical account of growing up during the Iranian Revolution has introduced millions of readers to a history they might never have encountered otherwise, and it’s as gripping as it is eye-opening. And Margarita Engle’s Enchanted Air, a Pura Belpre Award-winning verse memoir about growing up between Cuba and the United States during the Cold War, is wonderful. It shows older readers how living between two worlds can become a source of real creative power.
Build an Award-Winning Shelf
Every child is different, and no award can guarantee a perfect match, but these books have all been crafted with real care, and they’ve earned the respect of people who know children’s literature inside and out. We think they’re some of the best world culture books you can find: entertaining, eye-opening, and full of heart.
Browse the full collection by age group to find the right fit for your young reader!