Book challenges and awards
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award, 2025-2026 nominees (teen)
The Colorado Blue Spruce Award is chosen by Colorado teens from a nominee list of ten young adult books. These are written for teens, so they are flagged for parents. The 2025-26 winner is Louder Than Hunger by John Schu; the Readers' Choice Award went to Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.
Taken from the Denver Public Library's page for the 2025-2026 Blue Spruce nominees and winners, Oct 2026. A 2026-27 list may now exist; check the award site. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.
Sunrise on the Reaping
Suzanne Collins · Ages 13+
Readers' Choice winner 2025-26. A Hunger Games prequel.
Watch for: Violence and death.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
A Fate so Cold
Amanda Foody · Ages 14+
Sky's End
Marc J. Gregson · Ages 13+
Not Quite Dead Yet
Holly Jackson · Ages 14+
2025-26 nominee, a mystery.
Watch for: Teen mystery with violence; preview.
Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Holly Jackson · Ages 14+
The Forbidden Book
Sacha Lamb · Ages 14+
Never Thought I'd End Up Here
Ann Liang · Ages 14+
Everything We Never Had
Randy Ribay · Ages 14+
Louder Than Hunger
John Schu · Ages 13+
Under the Surface
Diana Urban · Ages 14+
More lists
Newbery Medal winners, 2017 to 2026
The Newbery Medal goes each year to the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, chosen by a committee of librarians.
Newbery Honor Books, 2023 to 2026
Honor books are the runners-up the Newbery committee also names.
Newbery Medal winners worth reading before middle school
Newbery winners go back to 1922, and many older ones feel dated.
Caldecott Medal winners, 2017 to 2026
The Caldecott Medal honors the most distinguished American picture book for children, judged on the illustrations.
Caldecott Honor Books, 2022 to 2026
Honor books are the Caldecott committee's runners-up, and many of them are the ones children ask to hear again.
Caldecott Medal winners from 1980 to 2016 that are still shelf favorites
Older Caldecott winners are the ones many families already own.
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winners, 2019 to 2026
The Geisel Award goes to the best book for beginning readers each year.
Geisel Honor Books, 2023 to 2026
The Geisel committee also names honor books, which is where many of the funniest early readers show up.