The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults, including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards at LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience in Phoenix today.
A list of 2025 award winners follows:
- John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature - The First State of Being, written by Erin Entrada Kelly.
- Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children - Chooch Helped, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz and written by Andrea L. Rogers.
- Mildred L. Batchelder Award to the publisher of an outstanding translated book - John the Skeleton is the Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Estonian as “Luukere Juhani juhtumised,” the book was written by Triinu Laan, illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats, translated by Adam Cullen and published by Yonder, an imprint of Restless Books for Young Readers.
- Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for most distinguished beginning reader book - Vacation, written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Mark Teague
- Pura Belpré Author Award (cosponsored by REFORMA) for outstanding writing by a Latino author - Lola, written by Karla Arenas Valenti.
- Pura Belpré Illustrator Award (cosponsored by REFORMA) for outstanding illustration by a Latino artist - The Dream Catcher, illustrated and written by Marcelo Verdad.
- Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award (cosponsored by REFORMA) for outstanding young adult writing by a Latino author - Shut Up, This Is Serious, written by Carolina Ixta.
- Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children - Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall, written by Lynn Brunelle and illustrated by Jason Chin.
- Michael L. Printz Award for literary excellence in young adult literature - Brownstone, written by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia.
- YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction - Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire, written by Paula Yoo.
- Odyssey Award for outstanding audio book - A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, produced by Andy T. Jones for Dreamscape Audio, written by Erin Frankel, illustrated by Paola Escobar and narrated by Luis Carlos de La Lombana, is the 2025 Odyssey Award winner for children. How the Boogeyman Became a Poet, produced by Abigail Marks for HarperAudio, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, written by Tony Keith Jr. and narrated by Tony Keith Jr. is the 2025 Odyssey Award winner for young adults.
- Coretta Scott King Author Award for outstanding writing by an African American author - Twenty-four Seconds from Now..., written by Jason Reynolds.
- Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for outstanding illustrations by an African American artist - My Daddy Is a Cowboy, illustrated by C.G. Esperanza and written by Stephanie Seales.
- Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience - A Little Like Magic, written and illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel, wins the award for young children (ages 0 to 8); Popcorn, written and illustrated by Rob Harrell, is the winner for middle grades (ages 9 to 13); Chronically Dolores, written by Maya Van Wagenen, is the winner for teens (ages 14-18).
- Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award for English-language children's and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience - Lunar Boy, written and illustrated by Jes and Cin Wibowo is the 2025 recipient of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s Literature Award. Canto Contigo, written by Jonny Garza Villa is the 2024 recipient of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Young Adult Literature Award.
- William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens - Not Like Other Girls, written by Meredith Adamo.
- Children's Literature Legacy Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences - this year’s winner is Carole Boston Weatherford.
- Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award is given to a digital media producer that has created distinguished digital media for an early learning audience - the winner is “Carl the Collector,” produced by Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures.
- American Indian Youth Literature Award presented by the American Indian Library Association (AILA) - are announced in even years (e.g. 2022, 2024, 2026) and were established to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives.
- Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature presented by the Asian/Pacific Americans Librarians Association (APALA) - Aloha Everything, written by Kaylin Melia George, illustrated by Mae Waite wins the award for Picture Book; Continental Drifter, written and illustrated by Kathy MacLeod is the winner for Children's Literature; and Everything We Never Had, written by Randy Ribay is the Young Adult Literature winner.
- Sydney Taylor Award presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) - An Etrog from Across the Sea, written by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen wins the Picture Book category; The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival, written by Estelle Nadel and Sammy Savos with Bethany Strout, illustrated by Sammy Savos wins the Middle Grade category, and Night Owls, written by A.R. Vishny wins the Young Adult category.
Read more about all of the 2025 winners and honors in the American Library Association press release.