The Golden Kite Awards are given annually by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, an international children's writing organization, to recognize excellence in children’s literature. The award is a golden medallion showing a child flying a kite. Instituted in 1973, the Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. Eligible books must be written or illustrated by SCBWI members, and submitted either by publishers or individuals.
The award currently recognizes literature in seven categories: "Young Reader and Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Nonfiction Text for Young Readers, Nonfiction text for Older Readers, Picture Book Text, Picture Book Illustration, and Illustration for Older Readers."
Winners are chosen by a panel of judges consisting of children’s book writers and illustrators. In addition to the Golden Kite Award winners, honor book recipients are named by the judges. Since 2006, each category's winner wins a $2,500 grant cash prize, as well as $1,000 to donate to their chosen non-profit organization. Honor winners receive $500, as well as $250 to donate.
Since 2003, the Sid Fleischman Award for excellence in humorous writing is given in conjunction with the Golden Kite Awards.
Recipients In the following table, the year represents the year the awards were given, which is the year following publication. For example, the 2000 awards are for books published in 1999. +Golden Kite Award winnersYearCategoryAuthorIllustratorTitle1974Summer of My German Soldier197519761977One More Flight1978FictionNonfictionPeeper, First Voice of Spring1979FictionAnd You Give Me a Pain, ElaineNonfictionHow I Came to Be a Writer1980FictionNonfictionRunaway Teens1981FictionArthur, For the Very First TimeNonfiction1982FictionLittle, LittleNonfictionBlissymbolics1983FictionRalph S. MouseNonfictionChimney SweepsPicture Book IllustrationGiorgio's Village1984FictionNonfictionPicture Book IllustrationLittle Red Riding Hood1985FictionTancyNonfictionWalls: Defenses Throughout HistoryPicture Book Illustration1986FictionSarah, Plain and TallNonfictionCommodore Perry in the Land of the ShogunPicture Book Illustration1987FictionAfter the Dancing DaysNonfictionPoverty in AmericaPicture Book IllustrationAlphabetics1988FictionRabble StarkeyNonfictionIncredible Journey of Lewis and ClarkPicture Book Illustration1989FictionBorrowed ChildrenNonfictionLet There Be LightPicture Book IllustrationForest of Dreams1990FictionJenny of the TetonsNonfictionPanama Canal: Gateway to the WorldPicture Book IllustrationTom Thumb1991FictionAviNonfictionPicture Book IllustrationHome Place1992FictionNonfictionPicture Book IllustrationMama Do You Love Me?1993FictionLetters From a Slave GirlNonfictionPicture Book IllustrationChicken Sunday1994FictionMake LemonadeNonfictionEleanor RooseveltPicture Book IllustrationBy the Light of the Halloween Moon1995FictionCatherine, Called BirdyNonfictionKids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child LaborPicture Book IllustrationBig Fat Hen1996FictionNonfictionAbigail AdamsPicture Book Illustration and Lauren MillsFairy Wings1997FictionNonfictionSmall Steps: The Year I Got PolioPicture Book IllustrationMarket DayPicture Book TextSaving Sweetness1998FictionStones in WaterNonfictionCarmine's Story: A Book About a Boy Living with AIDSPicture Book IllustrationPicture Book Text1999FictionRules of the RoadNonfictionMartha Graham: A Dancer's LifePicture Book IllustrationSnowPicture Book TextOld Elm Speaks: Tree Poems2000FictionSpeakNonfictionSpace Station Science: Life in Free FallPicture Book IllustrationPicture Book Text2001FictionNonfictionDarkness over DenmarkPicture Book IllustrationPicture Book TextRiver Friendly, River Wild2002FictionTrue BelieverNonfictionBlack Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish FaminePicture Book IllustrationPicture Book Text2003FictionFresh GirlNonfictionThis Land was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody GuthriePicture Book IllustrationMrs. BiddleboxPicture Book TextGeorge Hogglesberry: Grade School AlienSid Fleischman Humor Award2004FictionMilkweedNonfictionLeonardo: Beautiful DreamerPicture Book IllustrationI Dream Of TrainsPicture Book TextSid Fleischman Humor AwardMillicent Min, Girl Genius2005FictionBucking The SargeNonfictionDust To Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930sPicture Book IllustrationPicture Book TextApples to OregonSid Fleischman Humor AwardAl Capone Does My Shirts2006FictionNonfictionChildren of the Great DepressionPicture Book IllustrationBaby Bear's ChairsPicture Book TextDoña FlorSid Fleischman Humor AwardAbsolutely Positively Not2007FictionFiregirlNonfictionPicture Book IllustrationNot Afraid of DogsPicture Book TextJazzSid Fleischman Humor AwardClementine2008FictionHome of the BraveNonfictionMuckrackersPicture Book IllustrationLittle NightPicture Book TextPierre in Love2009FictionDown Sand MountainNonfictionPicture Book IllustrationLast NightPicture Book TextSid Fleischman Humor AwardAs If Being 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running For President2010FictionSea of the DeadNonfictionWords to My Life's SongPicture Book IllustrationGracias ThanksPicture Book TextSid Fleischman Humor AwardFood, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have2011FictionTurtle in ParadiseNonfictionThe Good, The Bad, and The Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact On UsPicture Book IllustrationPocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery RhymesPicture Book TextBig Red LollipopSid Fleischman Humor AwardMilo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze2012FictionBetween Shades of GrayNonfictionAmelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia EarhartPicture Book IllustrationBalloons Over BroadwayPicture Book TextOver and Under the SnowSid Fleischman Humor Award2013FictionNonfictionNoah Webster and His WordsPicture Book IllustrationLester's Dreadful SweatersPicture Book TextMe and Momma and Big JohnSid Fleischman Humor AwardGoldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs2014FictionBetter Nate Than EverNonfictionCall of the KlondikePicture Book IllustrationMr. Tiger Goes WildPicture Book TextSophie's SquashSid Fleischman Humor AwardOpenly Straight2015FictionRevolutionNonfictionPicture Book IllustrationPicture Book TextSid Fleischman Humor AwardEvil Librarian2016Middle Grade FictionNonfictionEnchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A MemoirPicture Book IllustrationMarvelous CorneliusPicture Book TextBoats for PapaSid Fleischman Humor AwardTeddy Mars: Almost a World Record BeakerYoung Adult FictionChallenger Deep2017Middle Grade FictionPicture Book IllustrationNonfictionWe Will Not Be SilentPicture Book TextSid Fleischman Humor AwardWelcome to Wonderland: Home Sweet MotelYoung Adult FictionSalt to the Sea2018Middle Grade FictionSee You in the CosmosNonfiction Text for Older ReadersVincent and Theo: The Van Gogh BrothersNonfiction Text for Younger ReadersSchomburg: The Man Who Built a LibraryPicture Book IllustrationGoodbye Autumn, Hello WinterPicture Book TextThere Might Be LobstersSid Fleischman Humor AwardYoung Adult FictionWhat Girls Are Made Of2019Middle Grade FictionLifeboat 12Nonfiction Text for Older ReadersBoots on the Ground: America's War in VietnamNonfiction Text for Younger ReadersOtis and Will Discover the DeepPicture Book IllustrationMade by Hand: A Crafts SamplerPicture Book TextSid Fleischman Humor AwardStella Diaz Has Something to SayYoung Adult FictionMapping the Bones2020Nonfiction Text for Older ReadersTorpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of the Children's ShipNonfiction Text for Younger ReadersMario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our PlanetPicture Book IllustrationClever Little WitchPicture Book TextSid Fleischman Humor AwardPie in the SkyYoung Adult FictionLovely WarYoung Reader and Middle Grade Fiction2021Illustrated Book for Older ReadersChance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee ChildhoodMiddle Grade/Young Readers FictionWays to Make SunshineNonfiction Text for Older ReadersAll Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer TeamNonfiction Text for Younger ReadersDon TateWilliam Still and His Freedom StoriesPicture Book IllustrationPicture Book TextAll Because You MatterSid Fleischman Humor AwardLupe Wong Won't DanceYoung Adult Fiction2022Illustrated Book for Older ReadersSamira SurfsMiddle Grade FictionRed, White, and WholeNonfiction Text for Older ReadersNonfiction Text for Older ReadersEverything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers EditionNonfiction Text for Younger ReadersPicture Book IllustrationKing of Ragtime: The Story of Scott JoplinPicture Book TextEyes That Kiss in the CornersYoung Adult FictionWhen You Look Like Us2023Illustrated Book for Older ReadersMiddle Grade FictionNonfiction Text for Older ReadersAbsurd Words: A Kids’ Fun and Hilarious Vocabulary Builder for Future Word Nerds Nonfiction Text for Younger ReadersOur Planet: There’s No Place Like EarthPicture Book IllustrationKumo the Bashful CloudPicture Book TextFlySid Fleischman Humor AwardFreddie vs. the Family CurseYoung Adult FictionBeneath the Wide Silk Sky2024Illustrated Book for Older ReadersCurlfriends (New in Town)Middle Grade FictionNonfiction Text for Older ReadersNonfiction Text for Younger ReadersTomfoolery: Randolph Caldecott and the Rambunctious Coming-of-Age of Children's BooksPicture Book IllustrationBigPicture Book TextNell Plants a TreeSid Fleischman Humor AwardTo Catch a ThiefYoung Adult Fiction2025Illustrated Book for Older ReadersSong of a Blackbird Middle Grade FictionOnce for Yes Nonfiction Text for Older ReadersWhite Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the History Nonfiction Text for Younger ReadersSome of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States Picture Book Illustration and Denene Millner When Alexander Graced the TablePicture Book TextWe Go Slow Sid Fleischman Humor AwardNever Take Your Rhino on a Plane Young Adult FictionSong of a Blackbird
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