Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award, 1997-2025
Resources for a selection of the titles recognized by this award since its inception in 1997 -- recognizing books of enduring quality that deal explicitly with language, demonstrate uniqueness in the use of language or style, or invite child response or participation.
From Children's Literature Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

- 12,854 Resources including
- 1,353 Videos
- 771 Book Readings
- 1,684 Lesson Plans
- List Analysis Report
Showing 1-48 of 787 book results


Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper
(Selection, 2022)
65 Resources22 Awards

We Are Water Protectors
by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
(Selection, 2021)
64 Resources19 Awards



Ain't Burned All the Bright
by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin
(Selection, 2023)
55 Resources17 Awards


When Stars Are Scattered
by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, and Iman Geddy
(Selection, 2021)
54 Resources20 Awards






Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement
by Carole Boston Weatherford and Ekua Holmes
(Selection, 2016)
46 Resources16 Awards







The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus
by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet
(Selection, 2015)
42 Resources15 Awards

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
by Jason Reynolds and Alexander Nabaum
(Selection, 2020)
42 Resources12 Awards




A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of the Snowy Day
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Steve Johnson, and Lou Fancher
(Selection, 2017)
41 Resources8 Awards







Stella by Starlight
by Sharon M. Draper and Sarah Jane Coleman
(Selection, 2016)
39 Resources11 Awards

Before She Was Harriet
by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome
(Selection, 2018)
39 Resources13 Awards




Milo Imagines the World
by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson
(Selection, 2022)
39 Resources10 Awards




Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks
by Suzanne Slade and Cozbi A. Cabrera
(Selection, 2021)
38 Resources9 Awards


Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball
by Jen Bryant and Frank Morrison
(Selection, 2021)
38 Resources6 Awards