Barnes & Noble announced the winners of its annual Children’s & Young Adult Book Awards, given to “new voices and outstanding talent in children’s publishing.”
The overall winner and the winner in the picture book category was The Bakery Dragon, written and illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz. The book tells the story of a small, cute dragon with a talent for making delicious baked goods; a critic for Kirkus praised the book, writing, “Standout visuals bring a delectable tale to life.”
Sangu Mandanna was the winner in the young reader category for Vanya and the Wild Hunt, about an 11-year-old British Indian girl with ADHD who attends a magic school in India. A Kirkus reviewer called the book “an engaging, well-developed introduction to a magical world.”
Taking home the young adult prize was CG Drews for Don’t Let the Forest In, about two boarding school students who collaborate on a series of twisted fairy tales that come to life. A critic for Kirkus called the book “lush, angsty, queer horror.”
The Children’s & Young Adult Book Awards, voted on by the company’s booksellers, were established in 2021. Previous winners include Amari and the Night Brothers, written by B.B. Alston; Knight Owl, written and illustrated by Christopher Denise; and The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels, written by Beth Lincoln and illustrated by Claire Powell.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
