Commonalities in content of International Children’s Book Awards

What does this tell us about children, culture and reading interests across the globe?

Abstract

Children’s book awards give us a mirror of the culture of a country and the books that children enjoy. While the majority of school librarians are very familiar with the books that win awards in their country, very few are cognizant of books that win awards in other countries. This paper examines major awards for children’s books in as many countries as these awards could be determined. This examination will look at numerous aspects of these books—genre, format (picture, chapter book, graphic novel), age and gender of protagonists, theme, philosophy and/or spiritual beliefs, personal values, traditions and customs.