| 2023 |
Amina Luqman-Dawson, Freewater |
Doug Salati, Hot Dog |
| 2022 |
Donna Barba Higuera, The Last Cuentista |
Jason Chin, Watercress |
| 2021 |
Tae Keller, When You Trap a Tiger |
Michaela Goade, We Are Water Protectors |
| 2020 |
Jerry Craft, New Kid |
Kadir Nelson, The Undefeated |
| 2019 |
Meg Medina, Merci Suárez Changes Gears |
Sophie Blackall, Hello Lighthouse |
| 2018 |
Erin Entrada Kelly, Hello, Universe |
Matthew Cordell, Wolf in the Snow |
| 2017 |
Kelly Barnhill, The Girl Who Drank the Moon |
Javaka Steptoe, Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat |
| 2016 |
Matt de la Peña, Last Stop on Market Street |
Sophie Blackall, The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear |
| 2015 |
Kwame Alexander, The Crossover |
Dan Santat, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend |
| 2014 |
Kate DiCamillo, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures |
Brian Floca, Locomotive |
| 2013 |
Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan |
Jon Klassen, This is Not My Hat |
| 2012 |
Jack Gantos, Dead End in Norvelt |
Chris Raschka, A Ball for Daisy |
| 2011 |
Clare Vanderpool, Moon Over Manifest |
Erin E. Stead, A Sick Day for Amos McGee |
| 2010 |
Rebecca Stead, When You Reach Me |
Jerry Pinkney, The Lion & the Mouse |
| 2009 |
Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book |
Beth Krommes, The House in the Night |
| 2008 |
Laura Amy Schlitz, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village |
Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret |
| 2007 |
Susan Patron, The Higher Power of Lucky |
David Wiesner, Flotsam |
| 2006 |
Lynne Rae Perkins, Criss Cross |
Norton Juster, The Hello, Goodbye Window |
| 2005 |
Cynthia Kadohata, Kira-Kira |
Kevin Henkes, Kitten's First Full Moon |
| 2004 |
Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux |
Mordicai Gerstein, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers |
| 2003 |
Avi, Crispin: The Cross of Lead |
Eric Rohmann, My Friend Rabbit |
| 2002 |
Linda Sue Park, A Single Shard |
David Wiesner, The Three Pigs |
| 2001 |
Richard Peck, A Year Down Yonder |
David Small, So You Want to Be President? |
| 2000 |
Christopher Paul Curtis, Bud, Not Buddy |
Simms Taback, Joseph Had a Little Overcoat |
| 1999 |
Louis Sachar, Holes |
Mary Azarian, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Snowflake Bentley |
| 1998 |
Karen Hesse, Out of the Dust |
Paul O. Zelinsky, Rapunzel |
| 1997 |
Elaine Konigsburg, The View From Saturday |
David Wisniewski, Golem |
| 1996 |
Karen Cushman, The Midwife's Apprentice |
Peggy Rathman, Officer Buckle and Gloria |
| 1995 |
Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons |
David Diaz, Eve Bunting, Smoky Night |
| 1994 |
Lois Lowry, The Giver |
Allen Say, Grandfather's Journey |
| 1993 |
Cynthia Rylant, Missing May |
Emily Arnold McCully, Mirette on the High Wire |
| 1992 |
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh |
David Wiesner, Tuesday |
| 1991 |
Jerry Spinelli, Maniac Magee |
David Macaulay, Black and White |
| 1990 |
Lois Lowry, Number the Stars |
Ed Young, Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China |
| 1989 |
Paul Fleischman, Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices |
Stephen Gammell, Karen Ackerman, Song and Dance Man |
| 1988 |
Russell Freedman, Lincoln: A Photobiography |
John Schoenherr, Owl Moon |
| 1987 |
Sid Fleischman, The Whipping Boy |
Richard Egielski, Arthur Yorinks, Hey, Al |
| 1986 |
Patricia MacLachlan, Sarah, Plain and Tall |
Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express |
| 1985 |
Robin McKinley, The Hero and the Crown |
Trina Schart Hyman, Saint George and the Dragon |
| 1984 |
Beverly Cleary, Dear Mr. Henshaw |
Martin and Alice Provensen, The Glorious Flight |
| 1983 |
Cynthia Voigt, Dicey's Song |
Marcia Brown, Shadow |
| 1982 |
Nancy Willard, A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers |
Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji |
| 1981 |
Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved |
Arnold Lobel, Fables |
| 1980 |
Joan Blos, A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32 |
Barbara Cooney, Donald Hall, Ox-Cart Man Arnold Lobel, Fables |
| 1979 |
Ellen Raskin, The Westing Game |
Paul Goble, The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses |
| 1978 |
Katherine Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia |
Peter Spier, Noah's Ark |
| 1977 |
Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry |
Leo & Diane Dillon, Margaret Musgrove, Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions |
| 1976 |
Susan Cooper, The grey King |
Leo and Diane Dillon, retold by Verna Aardema, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears |
| 1975 |
Virginia Hamilton, M.C. Higgins the Great |
Gerald McDermott, Arrow to the Sun |
| 1974 |
Paula Fox, The Slave Dancer |
Margot Zemach, Harve Zemach, Duffy and the Devil |
| 1973 |
Jean George, Julie of the Wolves |
Blair Lent, retold by Arlene Mosel, The Funny Little Woman |
| 1972 |
Robert C. O'Brien, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH |
Nonny Hogrogian, One Fine Day |
| 1971 |
Betsy Byars, Summer of the Swans |
Gail E. Haley, A story - A Story |
| 1970 |
William H. Armstrong, Sounder |
William Steig, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble |
| 1969 |
Lloyd Alexander, The High King |
Uri Shulevitz, Arthur Ransome, The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship |
| 1968 |
E.L. Konigsburg, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler |
Ed Emberley, Barbara Emberley, Drummer Hoff |
| 1967 |
Irene Hunt, Up a Road Slowly |
Evaline Ness, Sam, Bangs & Moonshine |
| 1966 |
Elizabeth Borten de Trevino, I, Juan de Pareja |
Nonny Hogrogian, Sorche Nic Leodhas, Always Room for One More |
| 1965 |
Maia Wojciechowska, Shadow of a Bull |
Beni Montresor, Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, May I Bring a Friend? |
| 1964 |
Emily Cheney Neville, It's Like This, Cat |
Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are |
| 1963 |
Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time |
Ezra Jack Keats, The Snowy Day |
| 1962 |
Elizabeth George Speare, The Bronze Bow |
Marcia Brown, Once a Mouse… |
| 1961 |
Scott O'Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins |
Nicolas Sidjakov, Ruth Robbins, Baboushka and the Three Kings |
| 1960 |
Joseph Krumgold, Onion John |
Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida, Nine Days to Christmas |
| 1959 |
Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond |
Barbara Cooney (adapted from Geoffrey Chaucer), Chanticleer and the Fox |
| 1958 |
Harold Keith, Rifles for Watie |
Robert McCloskey, Time of Wonder |
| 1957 |
Virginia Sorensen, Miracles on Maple Hill |
Marc Simont, Janice May Udry, A Tree is Nice |
| 1956 |
Jean Lee Latham, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch |
Feodor Rojankovsky, John Langstaff, Frog Went A-Courtin' |
| 1955 |
Meindert DeJong, The Wheel on the School |
Marcia Brown, Charles Perault, Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper |
| 1954 |
Joseph Krumgold, And Now Miguel |
Ludwig Bemelmans, Madeline's Rescue |
| 1953 |
Ann Nolan Clark, Secret of the Andes |
Lynd Ward, The Biggest Bear |
| 1952 |
Eleanor Estes, Ginger Pye |
Nicolas Mordvinoff, Will Mordvinoff, Finders Keepers |
| 1951 |
Elizabeth Yates, Amos Fortune, Free Man |
Katherine Milhous, The Egg Tree |
| 1950 |
Marguerite de Angeli, The Door in the Wall |
Leo Politi, Song of the Swallows |
| 1949 |
Marguerite Henry, King of the Wind |
Bert and Elmer Hader, The Big Show |
| 1948 |
William Pène du Bois, The 21 Balloons |
Roger Duvoisin, Alvin Tresselt, White Snow, Bright Snow |
| 1947 |
Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, Miss Hickory |
Leonard Weisgard, Golden MacDonald, The Little Island |
| 1946 |
Lois Lenski, Strawberry Girl |
Maude and Miska Petersham, The Rooster Crow (traditional Mother Goose) |
| 1945 |
Robert Lawson, Rabbit Hill |
Elizabeth Orton Jones, Rachel Jones, Prayer for a Child |
| 1944 |
Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain |
Louis Slobodkin, James Thurber, Many Moons |
| 1943 |
Elizabeth Janet Gray, Adam of the Road |
Virginia Lee Burton, The Little House |
| 1942 |
Walter D. Edmonds, The Matchlock Gun |
Robert McCloskey, Make Way for Ducklings |
| 1941 |
Armstrong Sperry, Call It Courage |
Robert Lawson, They Were Strong and Good |
| 1940 |
James Daugherty, Daniel Boone |
Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Abraham Lincoln |
| 1939 |
Elizabeth Enright, Thimble Summer |
Thomas Handforth, Mei Li |
| 1938 |
Kate Seredy, The White Stag |
Dorothy Lathrop, Helen Dean Fish, Animals of the Bible |
| 1937 |
Ruth Sawyer, Roller Skates |
|
| 1936 |
Carol Brink, Caddie Woodlawn |
|
| 1935 |
Monica Shannon, Dobry |
|
| 1934 |
Cornelia Meigs, Invincible Louisa |
|
| 1933 |
Elizabeth Foreman Lewis, Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze |
|
| 1932 |
Laura Adams Armer, Waterless Mountain |
|
| 1931 |
Elizabeth Coatsworth, The Cat Who Went to Heaven |
|
| 1930 |
Rachel Field, Hitty, Her First Hundred Years |
|
| 1929 |
Eric P. Kelly, The Trumpeter of Krakow |
|
| 1928 |
Dhan Gopal Mukerji, Gayneck, The Story of a Pigeon |
|
| 1927 |
Will James, Smoky, The Cowhorse |
|
| 1926 |
Arthur Bowie Chrisman, Shen of the Sea |
|
| 1925 |
Charles Finger, Tales from Silver Lands |
|
| 1924 |
Charles Hawes, The Dark Frigate |
|
| 1923 |
Hugh Lofting, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle |
|
| 1922 |
Willem Van Loon, The Story of Mankind |
|
