Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis facts for kids

The Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (which means German Youth Literature Award) is a special prize given out every year. It started in 1956 and is given to amazing books for children and young adults. This award is unique because it's the only literary prize in Germany that is paid for by the government. Authors from many different countries, even those who don't speak German, have won this award.

How the Award Works

The award is managed by a group called the Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur, or AKJ. This group gets money from the German government to help run the award and pay the prize money.

The award is given in five main groups:

• Best Picture Book
• Best Children's Book
• Best Youth Book (for older teens)
• Best Non-Fiction Book
• Choice of the Youth Jury (chosen by young people themselves)

Up to six books are chosen as nominees in each group every March at the Leipzig Book Fair. The winners are announced later at the Frankfurt Book Fair by a government minister. Each winning author gets 10,000 euros (a lot of money!). They also receive a cool bronze statue. This statue looks like Momo, a character from a famous book by Michael Ende.

There are also two special awards. These awards are given to German authors, illustrators, or translators. One is for someone's lifetime achievements in children's literature, and it's worth 12,000 euros. The other is a newer award for talented new writers, and it's worth 10,000 euros. The government also pays for these special awards.

Award History

The Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis has changed a lot since it began. When it started in 1956, it was called the Deutscher Jugendbuchpreis. Back then, there were only two main groups: Best Children's Book and Best Youth Book. A special prize was given each year for different things.

In 1964, the Best Picture Book and Best Non-Fiction Book groups were added. The "Choice of the Youth Jury" group is the newest, added in 2003. It was first called the Young People's Prize. In 1991, the special award for lifetime achievement was brought back. Then, in 2017, the special award for new talents was created to celebrate the award's 60th birthday.

Who Decides the Winners?

Three different groups of judges decide who wins the awards:

• The Kritikerjury (Critics' Jury)
• The Jugendjury (Youth Jury)
• The Sonderpreisjury (Special Award Jury)

The Critics' Jury chooses the nominees and most of the winners. The Youth Jury only picks the winner for their own special prize. The Special Award Jury decides who gets the awards for lifetime achievement and new talents.

The Critics' Jury has nine members. They are chosen every two years by the AKJ. This jury includes a leader and eight expert judges, with two for each main award group.

The Youth Jury is made up of members from six different youth book clubs in Germany. This jury also changes every two years.

The Special Award Jury has three members and changes every year.

Recent Awards

2010–2018 Winners

2018

• Picture Book: Der siebente Bruder oder Das Herz im Marmeladenglas by Øyvind Torseter (Text, Illustration), translated by Maike Dörries
• Special award for lifetime achievement: Gudrun Pausewang (author)

2017

• Picture Book: Don't Cross The Line by Isabel Minhós Martins, illustrated by Bernardo P. Carvalho, translated by Franziska Hauffe
• Children's Book: The Murderer's Ape by Jakob Wegelius, illustrated by Jakob Wegelius, translated by Gabriele Haefs
• Youth Book: The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, translated by Sonja Finck
• Non-fiction Book: The Book of Bees! by Piotr Socha, illustrated by Piotr Socha, translated by Thomas Weiler
• Youth Jury Prize: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, translated by Ingo Herzke
• New Talent Award: Lizzy Carbon und der Klub der Verlierer by Mario Fesler

2016

• Picture Book: The Dog That Nino Didn't Have by Edward van de Vendel, illustrated by Anton van Hertbruggen, translated by Rolf Erdorf
• Children's Book: The Green Bicycle by Hayfa Al Mansour, translated by Catrin Frischer
• Youth Book: Mädchenmeute by Kirsten Fuchs
• Non-fiction Book: Im Eisland by Kristina Gehrmann
• Youth Jury Award: Sommer unter schwarzen Flügeln by Peer Martin
• Special award for lifetime achievement: Klaus Kordon (author)

2015

• Picture Book: Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner, illustrated by David Wiesner, translated by Paula Hagemeier
• Children's Book: The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sís, translated by Anne Braun
• Youth Book: Schneeriese by Susan Kreller
• Non-fiction Book: Und dann platzt der Kopf by Christina Röckl, illustrated by Christina Röckl
• Youth Jury Award: Every Day by David Levithan, translated by Martina Tichy
• Special award for lifetime achievement: Sabine Friedrichson (illustrator)

2014

• Picture Book: Akim rennt by Claude K. Dubois, illustrated by Claude K. Dubois, translated by Tobias Scheffel
• Children's Book: Königin des Sprungturms by Martina Wildner
• Youth Book: Wie ein unsichtbares Band by Inés Garland, translated by Ilse Layer
• Non-fiction Book: Gerda Gelse: Allgemeine Weisheiten über Stechmücken by Heidi Trpak, illustrated by Laura Momo Aufderhaar
• Youth Jury Award: Wonder by Raquel J. Palacio, translated by André Mumot
• Special award for lifetime achievement: Angelika Kutsch (translator)

2013

• Picture Book: Wo ist mein Hut by Jon Klassen, illustrated by Jon Klassen
• Children's Book: Der unvergessene Mantel by Frank Cottrell Boyce, illustrated by Carl Hunter and Clare Heney (Photographers), translated by Salah Naoura
• Youth Book: Abzählen by Tamta Melaschwili, translated by Natia Mikeladse-Bachsoliani
• Non-fiction Book: The Boxer: The True Story of Holocaust Survivor Harry Haft by Reinhard Kleist, illustrated by Reinhard Kleist
• Youth Jury Award: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, translated by Sophie Zeitz
• Special award for lifetime achievement: Andreas Steinhöfel (author)

2012

• Picture Book: Mia schläft woanders by Pija Lindenbaum, illustrated by Pija Lindenbaum, translated by Kerstin Behnken
• Children's Book: Frerk, du Zwerg! by Finn-Ole Heinrich, illustrated by Rán Flygenring
• Youth Book: Es war einmal Indianerland by Nils Mohl
• Non-fiction Book: Was, wenn es nur so aussieht, als wäre ich da? by Oscar Brenifier, illustrated by Jacques Després, translated by Norbert Bolz
• Youth Jury Prize: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay, translated by Bettina Abarbanell
• Special award for lifetime achievement: Norman Junge (illustrator)

2011

• Youth Jury: Margos Spuren (Margo's Footsteps) by John Green, translated by Sophie Zeitz
• Picture book: Meine große kleine Welt (My big little world) by Marianne Dubuc
• Children's book: Ich, Gorilla und der Affenstern (Me, Gorilla and Monkey-star) by Frida Nilsson, illustrated by Ulf K., translated by Fred Buchinger
• Youth book: Tschick (Why We Took the Car) by Wolfgang Herrndorf
• Non-fiction book: Das große Buch der Bilder und Wörter (The big book of pictures and words) by Ole Könnecke

2010

• Youth Jury: Einmal (Once) by Morris Gleitzman
• Picture book: Johanna im Zug by Kathrin Schärer
• Children's book: Die Bibel: Das Alte Testament by Sybil Gräfin Schönfeldt, illustrated by Klaus Ensikat
• Youth book: Nathan und seine Kinder by Mirjam Pressler
• Non-fiction book: Achtung, fertig, Baustelle! Wie ein Haus geplant und gebaut wird by Rolf Toyka, illustrated by Ferenc B. Regös, photography by Heike Ossenkop

See also

In Spanish: Premio Alemán de Literatura Juvenil para niños