14 Award-Winning Children’s Books of 2021

“Water is the first medicine…We come from water.” So begins this lyrical picture book that reminds us of Earth’s most sacred resource and the urgent need to protect it before it is destroyed forever.

This is the true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel who provides safety to the abandoned cats of Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War. In the words of the author, the story is also about “war and people. But most of all, it is a story about love.”

Also a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, this lyrically written picture book celebrates the bond between mother and daughter. Mama is as bright as the sun, the little girl says, and “I want to be everywhere Mama is.”

Even as our lives are lived increasingly indoors, the author reminds us in this beautiful picture book of the beauty and wonder that awaits us outside. Readers will enjoy a contemplative journey into the ways we are tied to the natural world, the way we are part of it, and the way it touches us.

What happens when a child experiences a police shooting? This picture book reveals the grief and the healing that must take place as fear grows to anger, then pride, and finally peace.

Also the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature, this middle grade novel explores the power of stories and of having a voice. The main character deals with her grandmother’s terminal illness through magical interaction with a tiger and other elements of Korean folklore.

In this twist on Les Miserables, the author takes us through the fantastical story of a boy born in prison who escapes to a world no better than the one he left. Can there be true justice amidst the trappings of the law?

Three siblings tell their stories in this novel about science, exploration, family, and friendship. They each have their anxieties in a tense and dysfunctional household, and are surprised when their lives come together because of a science project.

In this raw novel about child sexual abuse, two sisters survive trauma and emerge stronger. While not every middle grade reader will be ready for this book, there are those who need it.

This is the story of how Henry Brown, who was born into enslavement, courageously shipped himself to freedom in a box. Written in stanzas of six lines each, the poet narrates his story of courage and freedom.

Also a Sibert Honor Book, this is the account of the 17-day rescue operation to save the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team, a feat involving thousands of people from around the world, including the kids themselves.

A tribute to the hardworking honeybee, the author describes the life cycle of the bee in poetically written language. Brilliantly detailed illustrations bring readers up close to the wonders of a honeybee’s adventurous life.

In this picture book biography about Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks, readers follow the poet from early childhood to adult life, celebrating her achievement as the first black person to win a Pulitzer.

This is a beautifully illustrated chronicle of one of the great feats accomplished by mankind. The author looks behind the scenes of the famous moon landing to investigate and tell the story of the thousands of people who made the extraordinary event possible.