Boston Globe–Horn Book Award facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boston Globe–Horn Book Award |
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| Presented by | The Horn Book Magazine |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | 1967 |
The Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards are special prizes given each year to amazing books for kids and young adults. These awards started in 1967. They are presented by two well-known groups: The Boston Globe newspaper and The Horn Book Magazine, which is a magazine all about children's books.
These awards are considered some of the most important honors in children's and young adult literature. They celebrate books that show "excellence in literature."
How the Awards Work
The awards follow a school-year schedule. This means books published from June of one year to May of the next year can be considered. For example, books released between June 2011 and May 2012 were eligible for the 2012 awards.
Publishers send in books they think are worthy. However, the judges can also choose any other eligible book they find. Before 2011, publishers could only send in a limited number of books. Now, they can submit more. The winners are usually announced in June, around the time school ends in the U.S.
Award Categories Over Time
When the awards first began in 1967, there were only two main categories:
- Fiction
- Picture Book
In 1976, a new category was added for Nonfiction books. This meant that books based on facts and real events could also be honored.
Later, in 2001, the "Fiction" category changed to "Fiction and Poetry." This change allowed books that tell stories through poems to be recognized. An example of a book that won in this new category was Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson.
Sometimes, there have been "Special Citations." These are like extra awards given out in certain years, recognizing a fourth book that stood out. This happened five times between 1977 and 1999.
Notable Winners and Authors
Many wonderful books and talented authors have won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award over the years. The awards celebrate a wide range of stories and topics for young readers.
Some authors and illustrators have even won multiple times. For example, author Virginia Hamilton and illustrator Ed Young have each won three awards. They won in different categories, showing their diverse talents.
Other authors who have won twice include Mitsumasa Anno, Avi, Jean Fritz, Cynthia Rylant, Allen Say, and Vera B. Williams. These repeat winners show how consistently good their work is in children's literature.
Some famous books that have won include:
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969, Fiction)
- The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973, Fiction)
- M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton (1974, Fiction)
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1978, Fiction)
- The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (1979, Picture Book)
- Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (1990, Fiction)
- Holes by Louis Sachar (1999, Fiction)
- The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein (2004, Picture Book)
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2008, Fiction and Poetry)
- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (2010, Fiction and Poetry)
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017, Fiction)
- King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (2020, Fiction and Poetry)
These are just a few examples of the many amazing books that have been honored with this prestigious award.
See also
In Spanish: Premios Boston Globe-Horn Book para niños
