Kirkus Best Books of the Year Winners Beginning Readers

Awards List

2023

Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends

Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends (*)
Kaz Windness

Feb-2023
/ General Fiction

Henry, Like Always

Henry, Like Always (*)
Jenn Bailey

Mar-2023
/ General Fiction

Too Small Tola Gets Tough

Too Small Tola Gets Tough (*)
Atinuke

Mar-2023
/ General Fiction

See the Ghost

See the Ghost (*)
David LaRochelle

Jul-2023
/ General Fiction

The Stars and Other Stories

The Stars and Other Stories (*)
Jarvis

Oct-2023
/ General Fiction

Forever Friends

Forever Friends (*)
Susan Lubner

Nov-2023
/ General Fiction

Hornbeam All In

Hornbeam All In (*)
Cynthia Rylant

Dec-2023
/ General Fiction

2022

Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls

Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls (*)
Atinuke

Jan-2021
/ General Fiction

Shahrzad and the Angry King

Shahrzad and the Angry King (*)
Nahid Kazemi

May-2021
/ General Fiction

Cornbread & Poppy

Cornbread & Poppy (*)
Matthew Cordell

Jan-2022
/ General Fiction

Maddie and Mabel

Maddie and Mabel (*)
Kari Allen

Mar-2022
/ General Fiction

Gigi and Ojiji

Gigi and Ojiji (*)
Melissa Iwai

May-2022
/ General Fiction

Reina Ramos Works It Out

Reina Ramos Works It Out (*)
Emma Otheguy

Sep-2022
/ General Fiction

I Did It!

I Did It! (*)
Michael Emberley

Oct-2022
/ General Fiction

Oh, Sal

Oh, Sal (*)
Kevin Henkes

Oct-2022
/ General Fiction

A Place to Call Home

A Place to Call Home (*)
Lauren Castillo

Oct-2022
/ General Fiction

Award Categories

Affirming Picture Books

Beginning Readers

Book Club Fiction

Books for Beginning Readers

Empowering Picture Books

Environmental Fiction

Fiction in Translation

Fictional Families

Fictional Voices

Funniest Picture Books

Historical Fiction

Informational Picture Books

Joyous Picture Books

Middle-Grade About Speaking Up

Middle-Grade Activist

Middle-Grade Adventures

Middle-Grade Family Stories

Middle-Grade Fantasy and SF

Middle-Grade Fiction

Middle-Grade Friendship Stories

Middle-Grade Graphic Fiction

Award Years