Award-Winning Books Tips

The [British] Library Association, Youth Libraries Group Award

The Library Association, Youth Libraries Group Award was established 1937, and is presented annually to an outstanding book published in the United Kingdom. The award was initially limited to English writers published in England, but since 1969 any book written in English and published first, or concurrently, in the United Kingdom has been eligible. The award is presented during the summer of the year following publication.

For a list of winning titles, click Here.

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Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award

The Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award was established 1976, and is presented annually for a Canadian book published during the previous year. The books are judged by children, from a list compiled by booksellers.

For a list of winning titles, click Here.

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Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award

The Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award was established in 1980 by the Canadian Library Association, Young Adult Special Interest Group. It is presented annually for creative literature: novel, play, or poetry, written by a Canadian and published in Canada.

For a list of winning titles, click Here.

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Australian Children's Book of the Year Award for Older Readers

Australian Children's Book of the Year Award for Older Readers was established in 1946 and is presented annually in August for a children's book written by an Australian, or a resident of Australia.

For a list of winning titles, click Here.

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The National Book Awards

On March 16, 1950, a consortium of book publishing groups sponsored the first annual National Book Awards Ceremony and Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Their goal was to enhance the public´s awareness of exceptional books written by fellow Americans, and to increase the popularity of reading in general. The National Book Awards have become the nation´s preeminent literary prizes, and The National Book Awards Ceremony and Dinner the most important event on the literary calendar. The Awards are given to recognize achievements in four genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People´s Literature. The Winners, selected by five-member, independent judging panels for each genre, receive a cash award and a crystal sculpture.

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Phoenix Award for Children's Literature

Established in 1985, the Phoenix is awarded annually to an outstanding book, originally published in English twenty years previously, which did not receive a major award at the time of its publication.

For a list of winning titles, click Here.

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Agatha Award Winners, 2007 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Children's/Young Adult Novel: "A Light In The Cellar" by Sarah Masters Buckey

Best Short Story: "A Rat's Tale" by Donna Andrews, published in "Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine"

Best Nonfiction: "Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters" by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower, and Charles Foley

Best First Novel: "Prime Time" by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Best Novel: "A Fatal Grace" by Louise Penny

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Agatha Award Winners, 2006 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Children's/Young Adult Novel: "Pea Soup Poisonings" by Nancy Means Wright

Best Short Story: "Sleeping With the Plush" by Toni L.P. Kelner, published in "Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine"

Best Nonfiction: "Don't Murder Your Mystery" by Chris Roerden

Best Novel: "The Virgin of Small Plains" by Nancy Pickard

Best First Novel: "The Heat Of The Moon" by Sandra Parshall

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Agatha Award Winners, 2005 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Children's/Young Adult Novel: "Down the Rabbit Hole" by Peter Abrahams and "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

Best Short Story: "Driven to Distraction" by Marcia Talley, published in Chesapeake Crimes II

Best Nonfiction: "Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her" by Melanie Rehak

Best Novel: "The Body in the Snowdrift" by Katherine Hall Page

Best First Novel: "Better Off Wed" by Laura Durham

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Agatha Award Winners, 2004 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Children's/Young Adult Novel: "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett

Best Short Story: "Wedding Knife" by Elaine Viets, published in "Chesapeake Crimes"

Best Nonfiction: "Private Eye-Lashes: Radio's Lady Detectives" by Jack French

Best First Novel: "Dating Dead Men" by Harley Jane Kozak

Best Novel: "Birds of a Feather" by Jacqueline Winspear

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Agatha Award Winners, 2003 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Children's/Young Adult Novel: "The 7th Knot" by Kathleen Karr

Best Nonfiction: "Amelia Peabody's Egypt: A Compendium" edited by Elizabeth Peters and Kristen Whitbread, designed by Dennis Forbes

Best Short Story: "No Man's Land" by Elizabeth Foxwell, published in "Blood On Their Hands"

Best First Novel: "Maisie Dobbs"by Jacqueline Winspear

Best Novel: "Letter From Home" by Carolyn Hart

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Agatha Award Winners, 2002 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Children's/Young Adult Novel: "Red Card: A Zeke Armstrong Mystery" by Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot

Best Nonfiction: "They Died in Vain: Overlooked, Underappreciated, and Forgotten Mystery Novels" edited by Jim Huang

Best Short Story: "The Dog That Didn't Bark" by Margaret Maron, published in "Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine," and "Too Many Cooks" by Marcia Talley, published in "Much Ado About Murder"

Best First Novel: "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Best Novel: "You've Got Murder" by Donna Andrews

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Agatha Award Winners, 2001 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Children's/Young Adult Novel: "Mystery of the Haunted Caves: A Troop 13 Mystery" by Penny Warner

Best Nonfiction: "Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir" by Tony Hillerman

Best Short Story: "The Would-Be-Widower" by Katherine Hall Page, published in Malice Domestic X

Best First Novel: "Bubbles Unbound" by Sarah Strohmeyer

Best Novel: "Murphy's Law" by Rhys Bowen

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Agatha Award Winners, 2000 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Nonfiction: "100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century" edited by Jim Huang

Best Short Story: "The Man in the Civil Suit" by Jan Burke, published in Malice Domestic 9

Best First Novel: "Death on a Silver Tray" by Rosemary Stevens

Best Novel: "Storm Track" by Margaret Maron

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Agatha Award Winners, 1999 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Nonfiction: "Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle" by Daniel Stashower

Best Short Story: "Out of Africa" by Nancy Pickard, published in "Mom, Apple Pie, and Murder"

Best First Novel: "Murder with Peacocks" by Donna Andrews

Best Novel: "Mariner's Compass" by Earlene Fowler

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Agatha Award Winners, 1998 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Nonfiction: "Mystery Reader's Walking Guide to Washington D.C." by Alzina Stone Dale

Best Short Story: "Of Course You Know That Chocolate Is A Vegetable" by Barbara D'Amato, published in "Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine"

Best First Novel: "The Doctor Digs A Grave" by Robin Hathaway

Best Novel: "Butchers Hill" by Laura Lippman

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Agatha Award Winners, 1997 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Nonfiction: "Detecting Men" (Pocket Guide) by Willeta L. Heising

Best Short Story: "Tea for Two" by M.D. Lake, published in "Funnybones"

Best First Novel: "The Salaryman's Wife" by Sujata Massey

Best Novel: "The Devil In Music" by Kate Moss

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Agatha Award Winners, 1996 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Nonfiction: "Detecting Women 2" by Willetta L. Heising

Best Short Story: "Accidents Will Happen" by Carolyn Wheat, published in Malice Domestic 5

Best First Novel: "Murder On A Girl's Night Out" by Anne George

Best Novel: "Up Jumps The Devil" by Margaret Maron

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Agatha Award Winners, 1995 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Nonfiction: "Mystery Readers Walking Guide - Chicago" by Alzina Stone Dale

Best Short Story: "The Dog Who Remembered Too Much" by Elizabeth Daniels Squire, published in Malice Domestic 4

Best First Novel: "The Body in the Transept" by Jeanne M. Dams

Best Novel: "If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him" by Sharyn McCrumb

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Agatha Award Winners, 1994 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Nonfiction: "By A Woman's Hand" by Jean Swanson and Dean James

Best Short Story: "The Family Jewels" by Dorothy Cannell, published in Malice Domestic 3

Best First Novel: "Do Unto Others" by Jeff Abbott

Best Novel: "She Walks These Hills" by Sharyn McCrumb

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Agatha Award Winners, 1993 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Nonfiction: "The Doctor, The Murder, The Mystery," by Barbara D'Amato

Best Short Story: "Kim's Game" by M.D. Lake, published in Malice Domestic 2

Best First Novel: "Track of the Cat" by Nevada Barr

Best Novel: "Dead Man's Island" by Carolyn Hart

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Agatha Award Winners, 1992 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Short Story: "Nice Gorilla" by Aaron and Charlotte Elkins, published in "Malice Domestic 1"

Best First Novel: "Blanche On The Lam" by Barbara Neely

Best Novel: "Bootlegger's Daughter" by Margaret Maron

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Agatha Award Winners, 1991 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Short Story: "Deborah's Judgment" by Margaret Maron, published in "A Woman's Eye"

Best First Novel: "Zero at the Bone" by Mary Willis Walker

Best Novel: "I.O.U." by Nancy Pickard

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Agatha Award Winners, 1990 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Short Story: "Too Much To Bare" by Joan Hess, published in "Sisters in Crime 2"

Best First Novel: "The Body In The Belfry" by Katherine Hall Page

Best Novel: "Bum Steer" by Nancy Pickard

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Agatha Award Winners, 1989 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Short Story: "A Wee Doch and Doris" by Sharyn McCrumb, published in "Mistletoe Mysteries"

Best First Novel: "Grime and Punishment" by Jill Churchill

Best Novel: "Naked Once More" by Elizabeth Peters

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Agatha Award Winners, 1988 (Mystery)

The Agatha Award is given yearly by Malice Domestic to honor the traditional mystery as typified by the works of Agatha Christie.



Best Short Story: "More Final Than Divorce" by Robert Barnard, published in "Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine"

Best First Novel: "A Great Deliverance" by Elizabeth George

Best Novel: "Something Wicked" by Carolyn Hart

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Nero Awards - 2000-2009 (Mystery)

The "Nero" is an annual award presented by the Nero Wolfe Society to an author for literary excellence in the mystery genre. The award is presented at the Black Orchid Banquet, which is traditionally held on the first Saturday in December in New York City.



2000: Coyote Revenge - Fred Harris

2001: Sugar House - Laura Lippman

2002: The Deadhouse - Linda Fairstein

2003: Winter and Night - S.J. Rozan

2004: Fear Itself - Walter Mosley

2005: The Enemy - Lee Child

2006: Vanish - Tess Gerritsen

2007: All Mortal Flesh - Julia Spencer-Fleming

2008: Anatomy of Fear - Jonathan Santlofer

2009: not yet available

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Nero Awards - 1990-1999 (Mystery)

The "Nero" is an annual award presented by the Nero Wolfe Society to an author for literary excellence in the mystery genre. The award is presented at the Black Orchid Banquet, which is traditionally held on the first Saturday in December in New York City.



1990: No award given

1991: Coyote Waits - Tony Hillerman

1992: A Scandal in Belgravia - Robert Barnard

1993: Book to Die - John Dunning

1994: Old Scores - Aaron Elkins

1995: She Walks These Hills - Sharyn McCrumb

1996: A Monstrous Regiment of Women - Laurie B. King

1997: The Poet - Michael Connelly

1998: Sacred - Dennis Lehane

199: The Bone Collector - Jeffery Deaver

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Nero Awards - 1979-1989 (Mystery)

The "Nero" is an annual award presented by the Nero Wolfe Society to an author for literary excellence in the mystery genre. The award is presented at the Black Orchid Banquet, which is traditionally held on the first Saturday in December in New York City.



1979: The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling - Lawrence Block

1980: Burn This - Helen McCloy

1981: Death in a Tenured Position - Amanda Cross

1982: Past, Present and Murder - Hugh Pentecost

1983: The Anodyne Necklace - Martha Grimes

1984: Emily Dickinson is Dead - Jane Langton

1985: Sleeping Dog - Dick Lochte

1986: Murder in E Minor - Robert Goldsborough

1987: The Corpse in Oozak's Pone - Charlotte MacLeod

1988: No award given

1989: No award given

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Best Selling Children's Books

While there are lists galore floating around which examine every category of book imaginable, two of the best resources are the archives of either the New York Times or Publishers Weekly.

According to the latter, the best-selling children's hardcover books in 2003 were:

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J. K. Rowling

2. The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10), Lemony Snicket; illustrated by Brett Helquist

3. Eragon, Christopher Paolini

4. The English Roses, Madonna; illustrated by Jeffrey Fulvimari

5. Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code, Eoin Colfer

6. Good Night, Sweet Butterflies, Dawn Bentley; illustrated by Heather Cahoon

7. Mr. Peabody's Apples, Madonna; illustrated by Loren Long

8. The Cat in the Hat Movie: Storybook, Justine and Ron Fontes

9. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, Ann Brashares

10. Storybook Treasury of Dick and Jane and Friends, Grosset & Dunlap

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Newbery Medalists (Children's books)

Presented annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in the United States in the preceding year. The recipient must be a citizen or resident of the United States. The winner is announced at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting (January/February), and presented at the ALA summer conference.

For a list of winning titles, click Here.

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