Book Award Winners (YA)

You might find yourself having to read an award winning book for school at some time, so we thought we'd help out a bit and produce a list of recent award-winning books (with one or two critically acclaimed almost-award-winning books) from our Young Adult Fiction collection.

For space reasons we haven't included all past winners of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults -- but you can find them all in this list if you're looking for them.

Updated June 19, 2024
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Wellington City Libraries Youth team at Wellington City Libraries
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I must betray you
Sepetys, Ruta
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal! A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Salt to...

The Carnegie Medal (UK) -- 2023 Shadowers' Choice

Firekeeper's daughter
Boulley, Angeline
Paper Book
An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller! A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick! A Printz Medal AND Morris Award Winner! Soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground.

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Book Awards (USA) -- 2022 Printz and Morris Award winner

Goodreads Choice Awards -- 2021 YA Fiction winner

We are okay
LaCour, Nina
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * An achingly beautiful novel about grief, the enduring power of friendship, and the healing effects of kindness, from the award-winning author of Hold Still WINNER OF THE MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD * ONE OF TIME'S BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF ALL TIME *...

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Book Awards (USA) -- 2020 Printz Award winner

The prison healer
Noni, Lynette
Paper Book
"Lynette Noni is a masterful storyteller. A must-read for any fantasy lover!" -- SARAH J. MAAS, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer. ...

Australian Book Industry Awards: Book of the Year for Older Children (AU) -- 2022 winner

The left-handed booksellers of London
Nix, Garth
Paper Book
A girl's quest to find her father leads her to an extended family of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World of England when it intrudes on the modern world. From the bestselling master of teen fantasy, Garth Nix. Now available in paperback. In a slightly...

Australian Book Industry Awards: Book of the Year for Older Children (AU) -- 2021 winner

Look both ways : a tale told in ten blocks
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
A National Book Award Finalist Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book UK Carnegie Medal winner An NPR Favorite Book of 2019 A New York Times Best Children's Book of 2019 A Time Best Children's Book of 2019 A...

The Carnegie Medal (UK) -- 2021 winner

The poet X
Acevedo, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award. "A story that will slam the power of poetry and love back into your heart." --Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Chains The Poet X is the astonishing New...

The Carnegie Medal (UK) -- 2019 winner

YALSA Book Awards (USA) -- 2019 Printz Award winner

Loveless
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
For fans of Love, Simon and I Wish You All the Best, a funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of a girl who realizes that love can be found in many ways that don't involve sex or romance. From the marvelous author of Heartstopper comes an exceptional YA novel about...

YA Book Prize (UK and Ireland) -- 2021 winner

The life and crimes of Hoodie Rosen
Blum, Isaac
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD! A WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD WINNER! The Chosen meets Adam Silvera in this irreverent and timely story of worlds colliding in friendship, betrayal, and the hatred that divides us. Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad....

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Book Awards (USA) -- 2023 Morris Award winner

Man made monsters
Rogers, Andrea L.
Paper Book
18 illustrated horror stories follow one Cherokee family through the atrocities -- supernatural and manmade -- each generation encounters -- ALSO AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK! Imagine a chilling horror collection that weaves classic monsters like werewolves and...

The International Literacy Association Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards -- 2023 winner

We deserve monuments
Hammonds, Jas
Paper Book
"An absolute must read." --Buzzfeed "A gripping portrayal of the South's inherent racism and a love story for queer Black girls." --Teen Vogue Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery...

The International Literacy Association Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards -- 2023 Honour Award

The magic fish
Trung, Le Nguyen
Paper Book
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by New York Public Library . Kirkus Reviews . Booklist . Publishers Weekly In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, fairy tales are the only way one boy can communicate with his Vietnamese immigrant parents. But how will he find the...

The International Literacy Association Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards -- 2021 winner

How to make friends with the dark
Glasgow, Kathleen
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces comes a novel about love and loss and learning how to continue when it feels like you're surrounded by darkness. "A rare and powerful novel." --Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of...

The International Literacy Association Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards -- 2020 Honour Award

The final gambit
Barnes, Jennifer Lynn
Paper Book
OVER 6 MILLION COPIES SOLD OF THE #1 BESTSELLING SERIES! Avery's fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about. To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few...

Goodreads Choice Awards -- 2022 YA Fiction winner

Rule of wolves
Bardugo, Leigh
Paper Book
Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller! Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Young Adult Fantasy! See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 streaming now! Discover what comes...

Goodreads Choice Awards -- 2021 YA Fantasy winner


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