Moonbeam Children's Book Awards

12/29/2025

Meet Annie Fox, a lifelong storyteller and two-time Moonbeam Awards medalist! 🌙✨

After more than half a century of creating stories for young readers, Annie’s work earned not one, but two Moonbeam honors in 2025. She received Silver in YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi for Leeta Simtar: A Life on Two Planets and Bronze in YA Mature Issues for The Little Things That Kill: A Teen Friendship Afterlife Apology Tour.

For Annie, the recognition is both affirming and motivating. “For now I’m feeling a great sense of satisfaction that my novels have achieved this level of recognition for excellence,” she shares. “Thank you for the honor and the implicit encouragement to keep on doing what I’m doing.”

She’s already putting her Moonbeam wins to work—sharing the news on her social channels, adding the medallions to her website, and is planning on mentioning the awards in future interviews.

Congratulations, Annie! We can’t wait to follow along as you continue to inspire young readers with your stories.

12/23/2025

✨ Meet Kayla Silber, Gold Medalist in the 2025 Moonbeam Awards for Rosie & Raven: An Interactive Animated Fairytale! ✨

Kayla is celebrating a magical milestone this holiday season. Just two years into her journey as an author, her debut book Rosie & Raven has already earned one of Moonbeam’s highest honors, taking home a Gold Spirit Award for Imagination.

And it’s no wonder why. Rosie & Raven is redefining what a children’s book can be by blending art, music, and technology into a one-of-a-kind interactive experience that captivates readers of all ages. This beautifully illustrated hardcover can be enjoyed as a traditional storybook, yet when viewed through a smartphone or tablet, the pages come alive with animation and original songs sung by Kayla herself.

Winning a Moonbeam Award has been a major boost for her debut. "Winning a Moonbeam Award lends my independently-published book instant credibility in a flooded and competitive market. It also gave me much-needed confidence and validation as a first-time author!" she shared. The honor is also helping her reach more readers. "The credibility of the award makes it much easier to get into bookstores and parents trust award-winning books," Kayla added.

Adding to the incredible year, Rosie & Raven was also recognized as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2025, a trusted honor for families everywhere.

Congratulations, Kayla! We can’t wait to see where your journey goes next.

12/19/2025

Cozy up and get ready for holiday magic! ✨

Our latest blog spotlights four award-winning children’s books from the 2025 Moonbeam Awards that are full of magic, creativity, and heart.

Keep reading to discover your next holiday favorite.
🎁 https://bit.ly/4p39aKM

11/26/2025

🌟 Black Friday savings start today! Use code BF20 for 20% OFF your Moonbeam Awards entry until 12/3.

Celebrate the magic of your children’s book —enter now: https://bit.ly/3M2WoOo

11/25/2025

From Moonbeam Gold to Oprah’s Favorite Things! 🌟

We’re thrilled to celebrate Kayla Silber and her enchanting book Rosie & Raven, recognized as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2025.

Read the inspiring story behind its creation: https://bit.ly/49wRGSO

Discover why 'Rosie & Raven' is the must-have children's book of 2025, now featured on Oprah's Favorite Things List. Find out more about this incredible, groundbreaking interactive fairy tale.

11/21/2025

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to all of the 2025 Moonbeam medalists! ⭐️

Whether you joined us at this month’s celebration or were cheering from home, we want you to know how grateful we are for each and every one of you.

What makes this community truly special is the passion behind every story. We know how much heart, imagination, and hard work go into creating a children’s book, and it meant so much to us to celebrate yours.

Looking ahead, we’re also excited to share that submissions for the 2026 Moonbeam Awards are now open. If you know authors creating wonderful children’s stories, we’d love for you to pass the contest along.

Congratulations again on your well-deserved win!

11/14/2025

Thank you to our amazing 2025 Moonbeam medalists who joined us last weekend for the Children’s Book Festival in Traverse City! 💛

It was such a joy to have you share your books, meet young readers, and help make the day unforgettable. We’re honored to showcase your work!

11/13/2025

We’re thrilled to share that submissions for the 2026 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards are now open! 🎉

Following an incredible 2025 season, we can’t wait to honor more amazing books that inspire the next generation of readers. With over 45 categories, there’s a place for every kind of children’s book.

Submit your children’s book before prices increase on 1/11, and let’s make magic happen!
https://bit.ly/3Pa7wYe

10/22/2025

Meet author Sandra Hisakuni and illustrator Sofia Hisakuni, Silver Medalists in the 2024 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards for The Northland Beckons: An Illustrated Haiku Journey!

This mother-daughter duo's poetic celebration of the Northwoods earned recognition in the Children’s Poetry category; a moment Sandra describes as “a huge affirmation that our work is beautiful and impactful.”

Winning their first Moonbeam Award has inspired them to keep going: “The award has given us the courage to continue in our work, and we're already working on book two!”

Since receiving the honor, they’ve proudly featured their award-winning status in their press kit, website, and bookstore promotions, and added those shiny Moonbeam seals to each cover.

Congratulations, Sandra and Sofia, on this well-deserved recognition! We can’t wait to dive into your next book.

10/15/2025

🎉 The results are in! 🎉

We’re thrilled to announce the 2025 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards medalists!

A heartfelt thank-you to all the talented authors, illustrators, and publishers who shared their stories with us this year. Our judges were inspired by the imagination, creativity, and care poured into every entry. Whether or not you earned a medal, your work plays an important role in shaping the next generation of readers.

✨ See the full list of medalists: https://bit.ly/3ILVFQD

09/24/2025

✨ Meet Astrid Sheckels, a 5-time Moonbeam Gold Medal-winning author and illustrator! ✨

Her newest picture book, Sea Dog, began with a single illustration of a fisherman pup that captured so many hearts, people demanded to know his story. That sketch grew into a full-fledged adventure—and earned Astrid another Gold Medal in the 2024 Moonbeam Awards.

We sat down with Astrid to talk about how Sea Dog came to life, what winning multiple Moonbeam Awards means to her, and how inspiration can spark from the simplest idea.

👉 Read the full feature here: https://bit.ly/3KDZ5VR

09/16/2025

Crystal J. Bell’s debut novel, The Lamplighter, has already left its mark, earning a Gold Medal in the 2024 Moonbeam Awards for Young Adult Fiction – Horror/Mystery. Inspired by Mystic Seaport and her fascination with history and the sea, Bell’s story transforms a familiar setting into a haunting world grounded in both realism and hope.

For Bell, the recognition carried a special meaning. “Being published has been such a dream of mine, I never really looked past that for anything else,” she says. “To receive an award for my debut was the cherry on top for me.”

Read more about Bell’s writing journey, her revision process, and why she encourages other authors to “shoot their shot” with the Moonbeam Awards on our blog. https://bit.ly/3K9eDkd