Children’s Book Award Nominees
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2023 Children’s Book Award Nominees
The OTTER Award

This Washington State award is given yearly to a transitional chapter book for all students in grades K-5.
- Starla Jean (Starla Jean, book #1) by Elana K. Arnold, illustrated by A.N. Kang
- Monster and Boy (Monster and Boy, book #1) by Hannah Barnaby, illustrated by Anoosha Syed
- Max Meow Book #1: Cat Crusader by John Gallagher
- Missed Meal Mayhem (The Hunger Heroes, book #1) by Jarrett Lerner
- The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian #1: The Fuzzy Apocalypse by Jonathan Messinger, illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff
- Trouble at Table 5 #1: The Candy Caper by Tom Watson, illustrated by Marta Kissi
Sasquatch Book Award

This Washington State kids’ choice award is given yearly to a 4th-6th grade chapter book.
- Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass
- Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
- Cleo Porter and the Body Electric by Jake Burt
- Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster
- Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
- Lupe Wong Won’t Dance by Donna Barba Higuera
- Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley
- One Last Shot by John David Anderson
- Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian
- Show Me a Sign by Clare LeZotte
- Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim
- Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
The William C. Towner Award

This Washington State award is given yearly to an informational text for grades 2-6.
- Battle of the Butts: The Science Behind Animal Behinds by Jocelyn Rish
- The Little Spacecraft that Could by Joyce Lapin
- Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack by Stacy McAnulty
- The Magic of Sleep: A Fascinating Guide to the World of Slumber by Vicki Woodgate
- Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme by Melissa Stewart
- Scurry! The Truth About Spiders by Annette Whipple
- The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung
- The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation by Alice B. McGinty
- I am Smoke by Henry Herz
- Zion Unmatched by Zion Clark and James S. Hirsch
Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award

This Washington State award is given yearly to a picture book for all students in grades K-3.
- AAAlligator by Judith Henderson
- Amara and the Bats by Emma Reynolds
- Butterflies are Pretty Gross by Rosemary Mosco
- Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator by Emma Bland Smith
- Don’t Hug Doug: (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison
- First Blade of Sweetgrass: A Native American Story by Suzanne Greenlaw
- The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field by Scott Riley
- Fluffy McWhiskers: Cuteness Explosion by Stephen W. Martin
- Help Wanted, Must Love Books by Janet Sumner Johnson
- The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gould
- My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World by Malcolm Mitchell
- The Mysterious Sea Bunny by Peter Raymundo
- Norman Didn’t Do It!: (Yes, He Did) by Ryan T. Higgins
- The Old Man and the Penguin: A True Story of True Friendship by Julie Abery
- Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan
- Seven Golden Rings: A Tale of Music and Math by Rajani LaRocca
- Sloth & Squirrel in a Pickle by Cathy Ballou Mealey
- Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler
- Ten Beautiful Things by Molly Beth Griffin
- XO, Exoplanet by Deborah Underwood
Young Readers Choice Award

This Pacific Northwest Library Association award is given yearly to a Junior Division chapter book for all students in grades 4-6.
- Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron
- City Spies by James Ponti
- When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
- From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
- Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
- The Barren Grounds by David Robertson
- Wink by Rob Harrell
- When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed