Moonbeam Children's Book Awards

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Celebrating youthful curiosity and discovery through books and reading since 2006. Submit your book today: https://moonbeamawards.com/

The Moonbeam Children's Book Awards started back in 2006, thanks to Jenkins Group and IndependentPublisher.com, to celebrate the unique and diverse world of children’s books. Having noticed that a lot of amazing kids' books were slipping through the cracks in bigger contests, the Moonbeam Awards was created to ensure those special stories got the recognition they deserved. Over the years, we’ve be

en thrilled to spotlight and promote hundreds of incredible children's books. Now, we’re excited to keep celebrating the creativity and passion that make children’s literature so magical!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to all of the 2025 Moonbeam medalists! ⭐️Whether you joined us at this month’s ...
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!

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

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

Meet author Sandra Hisakuni and illustrator Sofia Hisakuni, Silver Medalists in the 2024 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards...
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.

🎉 The results are in! 🎉We’re thrilled to announce the 2025 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards medalists!A heartfelt thank-y...
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

✨ Meet Astrid Sheckels, a 5-time Moonbeam Gold Medal-winning author and illustrator! ✨Her newest picture book, Sea Dog, ...
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

Crystal J. Bell’s debut novel, The Lamplighter, has already left its mark, earning a Gold Medal in the 2024 Moonbeam Awa...
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

The 2025 Moonbeam Awards judging is officially underway! ✨Over the next month, our esteemed judges will carefully evalua...
09/12/2025

The 2025 Moonbeam Awards judging is officially underway! ✨

Over the next month, our esteemed judges will carefully evaluate each entry, considering creativity, storytelling, design, and production quality. Stay tuned—medalists will be announced by 4 PM EST on October 9, 2025! 🏅

💡 The difference between a good children’s book and a great one? Characters that stick with kids long after the last pag...
09/10/2025

💡 The difference between a good children’s book and a great one? Characters that stick with kids long after the last page.

Dive into our latest blog to learn 7 secrets to writing memorable characters: https://bit.ly/4nqMLXj

Judging starts soon! 👏Make sure your book arrives by September 11 to be officially entered. If you’re unable to mail it,...
09/04/2025

Judging starts soon! 👏

Make sure your book arrives by September 11 to be officially entered. If you’re unable to mail it, you can send a PDF to [email protected].

Have any questions? View our guidelines: https://bit.ly/49uXJoX

📚 Back-to-school season isn’t just for students—it’s a prime time for children’s book creators!From school visits to dow...
08/14/2025

📚 Back-to-school season isn’t just for students—it’s a prime time for children’s book creators!

From school visits to downloadable activity packs, discover 5 creative ways to connect with classrooms, boost book sales, and grow your audience this fall.

https://bit.ly/4fCJgdH

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