The Golden Duck Awards for Excellence in Children's Science Fiction were given annually from 1992 to 2017. The awards were presented every year at either Worldcon or the North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC). In 2018 they were replaced by Notable Book Lists of the same names sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA).
The Golden Duck Awards were funded by Super-Con-Duck-Tivity, Inc., the sponsor of the U.S. midwest regional science fiction convention DucKon. Winners were selected by a group of teachers, librarians, parents, high tech workers and reviewers.
Categories The categories are: Picture Book Middle Grades (the Eleanor Cameron Award) Young Adult (the Hal Clement Award)
There was also a provision for a Special Award if a book was found to be outstanding but did not fit any of the standard categories.
Winners Picture Book Award The Picture Book Award is sometimes given to a book with non-fictional science content with a story "wrapper" as well as traditional science fiction themes. 1992 – Time Train by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Claire Ewart 1993 – June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner 1994 – Richie's Rocket by Joan Anderson, photographed by George Ancona 1995 – Time Flies by Eric Rohmann 1996 – Insects from Outer Space by Vladimir Vagin and Frank Asch 1997 – Grandpa Takes Me to the Moon by Timothy Gaffney, illustrated by Barry Root 1998 – Floating Home by David Getz, illustrated by Michael Rex 1999 – Noah and the Space Ark by Laura Cecil, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark 2000 – Hush, Little Alien by Daniel Kirk 2001 – Rex by Robert Gould and Kathleen Duey, illustrated by Eugene Epstein 2002 – Baloney (Henry P.) by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith 2003 – Incredible Cross-Sections of Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones by Curtis Saxton and Richard Chasemore 2004 – Hazel Nutt, Mad Scientist by David Elliot, illustrated by True Kelley (Holliday House, ) 2005 – Science Verse by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith (Viking) 2006 – Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery by Kevin O'Malley, illustrated by Patrick O'Brien 2007 – Night of the Homework Zombies by Scott Nickel, illustrated by Steve Harpster () 2008 – Mars Needs Moms by Berkeley Breathed 2009 – We're Off to Look for Aliens by Colin McNaughton 2010 – Swamps of Sleethe by Jack Prelutsky 2011 – Oh No! (Or, How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat 2012 – Earth to Clunk by Pam Smallcomb, illustrated by Joe Berger 2013 – Oh No! Not Again!: (Or How I Built a Time Machine to Save History) (Or At Least My History Grade) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat 2014 – Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown 2015 – Max Goes to the Space Station by Jeffrey Bennett, illustrated by Michael Carroll 2016 – Interstellar Cinderella, by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt 2017 – Blip! written and illustrated by Barnaby Richards
Eleanor Cameron Award This award is given to chapter books and middle grade novels. The protagonists are science users and problem solvers. Occasionally, books with fantasy elements but a science fiction theme have won. 1992 – My Teacher Glows in the Dark by Bruce Coville 1993 – Weirdos of the Universe Unite! by Pamela Service 1994 – Worf's First Adventure by Peter David 1995 – Shape Changer by Bill Brittain 1996 – Star Hatchling by Margaret Bechard 1997 – Kipton and the Tower of Time by Charles L. Fontenay 1998 – The Andalite Chronicles by Katherine Applegate 1999 – Young Jedi Knights series by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta 2000 – I Was a Sixth Grade Alien by Bruce Coville 2001 – The Power of Un by Nancy Etchemendy 2002 – Beatnik Rutabagas from Beyond the Stars by Quentin Dodd 2003 – Andrew Lost series: Andrew Lost on the Dog; Andrew Lost in the Bathroom; Andrew Lost in the Kitchen by J. C. Greenburg 2004 – Escape from Memory by Margaret Peterson Haddix 2005 – The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer (Hyperion) 2006 – (tie) Whales on Stilts by M. T. Anderson, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus (Harcourt, 2005. ) The Fran That Time Forgot by Jim Benton (Aladdin, ) 2007 – Apers by Mark Jansen with Barbara Day Zinicola (Dailey Swan Publishing, 2006; ) 2008 – (tie) Shanghaied to the Moon by Michael J. Daley Gravity Buster: Journal #2 of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch 2009 – Lighter than Air by Henry Melton 2010 – Z Rex by Steve Cole 2011 – Alien Encounter by Pamela Service and Mike Gorman 2012 – Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure #2: Mars! by Hena Kahn and David Borgenicht 2013 – Alien on a Rampage from the Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast series by Clete Barrett Smith 2014 – Two books from the Galaxy Zack series: Hello, Nebulon! and Journey to Juno by Ray O'Ryan and Colin Jack 2015 – Ambassador by William Alexander 2016 – Fuzzy Mud, by Louis Sacher
Hal Clement Award Hal Clement's own writings were not YA, but his high school science teaching career strongly connects him to the YA age group. The primary story elements are correct science with science fictional extrapolations and characters who solve problems on their own. 1992 – Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes 1993 – River Rats by Caroline Stevermer 1994 – The Giver by Lois Lowry 1995 – The Ear, the Eye and the Arm by Nancy Farmer 1996 – (tie) The Winds of Mars by H. M. Hoover The Night Room by E. M. Goldman 1997 – Wildside by Steven Gould 1998 – Shade's Children by Garth Nix 1999 – Alien Dreams by Larry Segriff 2000 – The Game of Worlds by Roger McBride Allen from David Brin's Out of Time series 2001 – Jumping Off the Planet by David Gerrold 2002 – This Side of Paradise by Steven Layne 2003 – Feed by M. T. Anderson 2004 – Gunpowder Empire by Harry Turtledove (Tor Books) 2005 – Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Meisha Merlin, 2004) 2006 – Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse) 2007 – Rash by Pete Hautman (Simon & Schuster, 2006; ) 2008 – Sky Horizon by David Brin and illustrated by Scott Hampton (Subterranean Press, 2007, ) 2009 – (tie) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2008, ) Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC, 2008, ) 2010 – Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 2011 – WWW: Watch by Robert J. Sawyer 2012 – (tie) A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan 2013 – Cinder by Marissa Meyer 2014 – The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos 2015 – Expiration Day by William Campbell Powell 2016 – Armada, by Ernest Cline
Special awards 1997 Strong Female Characters – Kipton and the Android by Charles L. Fontenay (Royal Fireworks Press, 1996) 1999 Australian Contribution to Children's Science Fiction – Garth Nix 2000 Promotion of Reading – Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling 2003 Best Science and Technology Education – Tales from the Wonder Zone (entire series) by Julie E. Czerneda (Trifolium Books) 2007 Nonfiction – Write Your Own Science Fiction Story by Tish Farrell (Compass Point Books, 2006; ) 2008 Nonfiction – World of Science Fiction – 12 titles by John Hamilton (ABDO Publishing Company) + Stone Arch Books for publishing quality science fiction graphic novels 2010 Nonfiction – You Write It: Science Fiction by John Hamilton (ABDO Publishing Company)
External links
Science Fiction Awards Database listings for the Golden Duck Awards LITA Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists