The Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children, established in 2014 and organized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), is an annual American literary award for children's fiction books. According to NCTE, the "award recognizes fiction that has the potential to transform children’s lives by inviting compassion, imagination, and wonder."

The award honors Charlotte Huck, a former NCTE president and American author, university professor, and children's literature expert. Huck, who taught elementary school before joining the Faculty of Education at the Ohio State University, "believed that good literature should be at the heart and center of the elementary school curriculum." Given this belief, she established the university's first course in children's literature and eventually "develop[ed] master's and doctoral programs in children's literature."

Award eligibility and criteria To be eligible for the Charlotte Huck Award, books "must have been published or distributed in the United States or its territories during the preceding year." All genres of fictional books aimed at children are eligible for the award, including picture books, graphic novels, novels written in verse, etc. NCTE indicates nominated books "should have exemplary literary quality of text and illustrations" and "should connect children to their own humanity and offer them a rich experience with the power to influence their lives and stretch their thinking, feelings, and imagination."

Eligible books are judged on the following criteria: It "invites compassion, imagination, and wonder." It "connects children to their own humanity and offers them a rich experience with the power to influence their lives." It "stretches children’s thinking, feelings, and imagination." It "exhibits literary quality of text and illustrations." It has been "published in the United States or its territories during the previous calendar year." Its "primary audience is children ages three to twelve."

Honorees +Charlotte Huck Award honoreesYearAuthorTitleResultRef.2015Rain ReignWinnerHonorEl DeafoHonorHonorAbsolutely AlmostHonorRevolutionHonorRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedOtis and the ScarecrowRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommended2016Stella by StarlightWinnerPaper ThingsHonorLittle TreeHonor, illus. by Taeeun YooStrictly No ElephantsHonor, illus. by Eric VelasquezNew ShoesHonor, illus. by Jamie HoganTiger BoyHonorCrenshawRecommendedCircus MirandusRecommended, illus. by Rafael Yockteng, trans. by Elisa AmadoTwo White RabbitsRecommendedLittle Elliot, Big FamilyRecommended, illus. by Christian RobinsonLast Stop on Market StreetRecommended, illus. by Chris Van DusenFrancine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume TwoRecommendedMelissaRecommended, illus. by Sydney SmithSidewalk FlowersRecommended2017GhostWinnerMs. Bixby’s Last DayHonorHonorHonor, Illus. by Mike CuratoWorm Loves WormHonorHonor, Illus. by Oliver DominguezLuis Paints the WorldRecommended, illus. by Hatem AlyRecommendedOne Half from the EastRecommendedRecommendedHoot and PeepRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedWolf HollowRecommended2018After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up AgainWinnerForever or a Long Long TimeHonor, illus. by Eugene YelchinHonorLittle Fox in the ForestHonorRefugeeHonorHonor, illus. by Charles SantosoWishtreeRecommended, Illus. by Gordon C. JamesCrown: An Ode to the Fresh CutRecommendedBig Cat, Little CatRecommended, illus. by Quin LengShelterRecommendedSaving MartyRecommendedAll’s Faire in Middle SchoolRecommendedAmina’s VoiceRecommendedStef Soto, The Taco QueenRecommended2019Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her MonsterWinner, illus. by Rebecca CobbHonorEverything Else in the UniverseHonor, Charles Waters, Sean Qualls, and Selina AlkoCan I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and FriendshipHonorMerci Suárez Changes GearHonorGhost BoysHonorIvy Aberdeen's Letter to the WorldRecommendedRecommendedLifeboat 12RecommendedKerascoëtI Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of KindnessRecommended, illus. by Dan SantatDrawn TogetherRecommendedAlma and How She Got Her NameRecommendedRecommended, illus. by Rafael LópezRecommended2020, Illus. by Terri Rose BayntonRoom on Our RockWinnerNew KidHonorI Can Make This PromiseHonor, illus. by Kaylani JuanitaWhen Aidan Became a BrotherHonor, illus. by Sara PalaciosBetween Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the BorderHonorOther Words for HomeHonorFor Black Girls Like MeRecommended, illus. by Juana Martinez-NealFry Bread: A Native American Family StoryRecommendedTristan Strong Punches a Hole in the SkyRecommended, illus. by Daniel EgnéusLubna and PebbleRecommended, illus. by Hatem Aly, with S. K. AliRecommendedPlanet Earth Is BlueRecommendedRecommendedRoll With ItRecommended2021, illus by Gordon C. JamesI Am Every Good ThingWinnerHonor and Omar MohamedWhen Stars Are ScatteredHonor, illus. by Michaela GoadeWe Are Water ProtectorsHonorQuintessenceHonorLand of the CranesHonorRecommendedEfrén DividedRecommendedWhen You Trap a TigerRecommended, illus. by Anait SemirdzhyanRecommendedHikeRecommended and Walker RansonBraver: A Wombat's TaleRecommendedWays to Make SunshineRecommendedAlice’s Farm: A Rabbit's TaleRecommended2022Cece Rios and the Desert of SoulsWinner, illus. by Julia IredaleAmber and ClayHonor, illus. by Nabi H. AliLaxmi’s MoochHonor, illus. by Akeem S. RobertsJ. D. and the Great Barber BattleHonorStarfishHonor, illus. by Tara AudibertJo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be-Best FriendHonorRecommendedDumplings for LiliRecommended, illus. by Natasha DonovanBordersRecommendedRecommendedRecommended, illus. by Jon KlassenPax, Journey HomeRecommended, illus. by Ana Ramírez GonzálezRecommended, illus. by Loren LongSomeone Builds the DreamRecommended2023Wayward CreaturesWinnerHonor, illus. by Wastana HaikalZara’s Rules for Record-Breaking FunHonor, illus. by Jonathan NelsonForever CousinsHonor, illus. by Luisa UribeMy Brother Is AwayHonor, illus. by Charlene ChuaLove, VioletHonor, illus. by Magdalena MoraRecommendedDrawRecommendedRecommendedWildoakRecommended, illus. by Tonya EngelMy Hands Tell a StoryRecommended, illus. by Il Sung NaBig Bear and Little FishRecommendedRecommended, illus. by Molly BrooksGrowing PangsRecommendedGibberishRecommended2024The Probability of EverythingWinner, ed.You Are HereHonor and MascotHonor, illus. by Steph LittlebirdMy Powerful HairHonor, illus. by Carlos Vélez AguileraAn Ofrenda for PerroHonor, illus. by Nikkolas SmithThat FlagHonor, illus. by Matt TavaresHoopsRecommended, illus. by Gillian ReidMolly's TuxedoRecommended, illus. by Eliza KinkzPapá's Magical Water-Jug ClockRecommended, illus. by Mariyah RahmanPlátanos Are LoveRecommendedThe Bright SideRecommendedThe Lost YearRecommended, illus. by Julia PattonThis Book Is BannedRecommended, illus. by Claudia DávilaThunderBoomRecommended2025, illus. by Jarrett & Jerome PumphreyThe Last StandWinnerAnd Then, Boom!Honor, illus. by Simji ParkDad, I Miss YouHonorPopcornHonor, illus. by Devon HolzwarthA Flicker of Hope: A Story of MigrationHonorSummer at SqueeHonorIsabel in BloomRecommendedDeer Run HomeRecommended, illus. by Leah GilesWhen Isaac Hears the RainRecommended, illus. by Rahele Jomepour BellMissing MommaRecommended, illus. by Rachelle BakerShow Up and VoteRecommended, illus. by Aaron BagleyDuelRecommended, illus. by Mrinali AlvarezMi TierraRecommended, illus. by Alejandra RuizAbuela's LetterRecommended2026A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto AlvarezWinnerThe Trouble with HeroesHonorAll the Blues in the SkyHonorDon't Cause TroubleHonor, illus. by Bárbara QuintinoKwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to SwimHonor, illus. by Clara DackenbergThe PlaydateHonor and , illus. by Isabelle MalenfantOne CanRecommended, illus. by Monica ArnaldoThe InterpreterRecommended, illus. by Aaron BeckerWe Go SlowRecommendedA Place for UsRecommended, illus. by Isabella FasslerRez KidRecommended, illus. by Abraham MatiasPopo the XoloRecommendedMaybe Just Ask Me!Recommended, illus. by Alida MassariDear New FriendRecommended

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