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2008 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Results are in!

2009 Call for Entries

Announcing the call for entries into the third annual Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, designed to honor the year's best children’s books, authors and illustrators. This exciting new book awards program is accepting entries until August 8th, 2009 for books with 2008 or 2009 copyrights or that were released in 2008 or 2009, and is open to authors, illustrators, and publishers of children’s books written in English or Spanish and intended for the North American market.

Illustration by 2007 'Best Illustrator'
Award-Winner Becky Kelly from the
book, Heavenly Skies & Lullabies
www.beckykelly.com

Presented by Jenkins Group and Independent Publisher Online, the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are designed to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. Awards will be given in 36 categories covering the full range of subjects, styles and age groups that children’s books are written and published in today.

As our society has gotten more complex and growing up has become more complicated, children’s book authors and publishers have risen to the occasion, creating books that not only celebrate the joys of childhood, but also help kids and families deal with its challenges. The Moonbeam Awards will recognize and reward the best of these books and bring them to the attention of parents, booksellers, librarians, parents and children.

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are presented by publishing services company Jenkins Group, Inc. of Traverse City, Michigan. Jenkins Group has been involved in book packaging, marketing and distribution since 1988, and many of its founders and employees now have children and grandchildren who strongly influence the company culture with their youthful exuberance and love of books.

Writing and publishing books that teach and inspire our children is an extremely important task, and these awards are conducted in appreciation of those efforts. Thank you and best of luck in the Moonbeam Awards!

Click here to receive email updates about the 2009 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for 2008/2009 copyrights and releases.

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards So Far

The inaugural Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards drew a total of 862 entries from authors and publishers in 45 U.S. states, 6 Canadian provinces, and 7 countries overseas. An awards presentation was held on Saturday, November 3rd, in conjunction with the 2007 Children's Humanities Festival in Chicago.

The 2nd annual Moonbeam Awards attracted 1,085 entries. Moonbeam medals were awarded to authors and publishers from 30 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, and four countries overseas. The cause of promoting childhood literacy knows no boundaries, and the award winners illustrate that point well, coming not only from long-established publishers and university presses, but from small presses, foundations, museums, and self-published entrepreneurs.

In addition to the regular publishing categories, Moonbeam Spirit Awards are given to books that are hard to categorize, but impress judges with their dedication to children, literacy, and book arts. The Peacemaker Award for the best book promoting world peace and human tolerance is given in honor of Mattie J.T. Stepanek (1990-2004) whose message of hope and peace has inspired millions of people around the world, and was an impetus in the creation of these awards.