As mentioned in a recent post, October is National Book Month. The first National Book Month was celebrated in 2003 and was started by the National Book Foundation. This foundation came into being to administer the National Book Awards that have a long history (born in 1950). Whew… a little bit too much of those two words here… you know which ones!
The 5 National Book Award Winners
So here are 5 books selected at random (I do love them all; and of course being award winners, they are seriously read-worthy) for young readers of all ages.
It is just a coincidence that four of these books have a female protagonist (well Hugo has one pretty main female protagonist too, but in the others, the female is the main protagonist). It is also just a coincidence that three of these books are written in verse (the middle three).
NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and purchase a book, I’ll receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting my blog.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Print Length: 525 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Category: Children’s Fiction
Age Range: 9 – 12 years (and above)
This book is a regular on my blog. I talked about it simply because, to compare it with the movie, as part of a movie vs book poll series, and many top 10 lists.
The Poet X
Title: The Poet X
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Print Length: 368 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (March 6, 2018)
Category: YA/Teen fiction
Age Range: upper middle-schoolers and above
A book whose powerful magic still has a hold over me, even though it has been a while now since I read it. I gushed about it some, and then some more.
Inside Out and Back Again
Title: Inside Out & Back Again
Author: Thanha Lai
Print Length: 272 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Category: Children’s Fiction; Asia
Age Range: 8 – 12 years (and above)
This book is mentioned regularly in my blog as well, each time with either a promise to write or an embarrassing admission of not having written a review for this book that I totally fell in love with. (Note: this is one more time I am admitting it – no review yet!)
Brown Girl Dreaming
Title: Brown Girl Dreaming
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Print Length: 272 pages
Publisher: Puffin Books
Category: Children’s Multicultural Biographies
Age Range: 10 and above
Another book that I loved and failed to review. And talk about having not reviewed it (just like the one above, oops!)
Miss Rumphius
Title: Miss Rumphius
Author: Barbara Cooney
Print Length: 32 pages
Publisher: Puffin Books
Category: Children’s Classics
Age Range: 5 – 8 years (and above too)
I read and reviewed this one a while ago, when my teens were littler. It is one of the stories in a book I bought, titled ‘The Book of Children’s Classics’ (a must-have in any library, if you ask me). One of those books that is similar to an indulgent yet healthy dessert 🙂
Inktober
The one where I draw
The writer’s edition
And Yes, The (Almost) End of this Post
Dear reader, which of these books have you read? Which award winning books are your favorites? Or which of your favorite books for young readers have won awards? I would like to hear them all (and add them to my TBR if I have not read them already!)
My previous posts for this month
I have read none of them. But, I put them on the list to obtain for my grandson.
I actually haven’t heard of most of these! I’ll have to check them out though.
I’ve not read any of them but they all look so good. I read a lot of reviews for Poet X.
I haven’t read any of these books yet, but I’ve read some amazing reviews of them!
I watched the movie for Hugo and loved it.
Looks like a good group of books!
These books look amazing!
Great post. Enjoy Inktober!
I haven’t read any of these!
Great post I haven’t read none of these books but all the books looks and sounds absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
Great list! Thanks for sharing