Kirkus Best Books of the Year - Beginning Readers (Awarded by Kirkus)

Awards List

2024

Orris and Timble: The Beginning
(*)
Kate DiCamillo

Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple
(*)
Liz Garton Scanlon

Little Shrew
(*)
Akiko Miyakoshi

John the Skeleton
(*)
Triinu Laan

Beti and the Little Round House
(*)
Atinuke

Lone Wolf Goes to School
(*)
Kiah Thomas

Stella & Marigold
(*)
Annie Barrows

2023

Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends
(*)
Kaz Windness

Henry, Like Always
(*)
Jenn Bailey

Too Small Tola Gets Tough
(*)
Atinuke

See the Ghost
(*)
David LaRochelle

The Stars and Other Stories
(*)
Jarvis

Forever Friends
(*)
Susan Lubner

Hornbeam All In
(*)
Cynthia Rylant

2022

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

Shahrzad and the Angry King
(*)
Nahid Kazemi

Cornbread & Poppy
(*)
Matthew Cordell

Maddie and Mabel
(*)
Kari Allen

Gigi and Ojiji
(*)
Melissa Iwai

Reina Ramos Works It Out
(*)
Emma Otheguy

I Did It!
(*)
Michael Emberley

Oh, Sal
(*)
Kevin Henkes

A Place to Call Home
(*)
Lauren Castillo

Award Categories

Affirming Picture Books

Bedtime Books

Beginning Readers

Board Books

Book Club Fiction

Books for Beginning Readers

Debut Fiction

Empowering Picture Books

Environmental Fiction

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

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019