There are so many American Children's Literary Awards! 

Basics:

• the American Library Association's committees read and debate for months to choose winners.  It is super secret; no committee members are allowed to talk about it, not even with their own family!
• the winners, and honor winners, are announced every January for books published the year before.  2010 winners were published in 2009.

The Newbery Award is for distinguished American children's literature

These winners are still asked for all the time.  1998's winner Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, about a boy who survives a plane crash, and 1961's winner Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, about a girl who lives all alone on an island.  Some runner-up honor books are just as famous as the winners: A Wrinkle in Time, The Sign of the Beaver, Ramona and Her Father, The Dark is Rising, Lily's Crossing and loads more.  

The Caldecott Award is for distinguished American picture book illustration

Caldecott winners that have become favorites with families are 1996's winner Office Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann about a dog who goes on school visits, and 1970's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, and 1963's The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. 

The Siebert Award is for distinguished English language non-fiction literature

Siebert winners are cool informational books.  They read like a story, and many are just down-right fun to browse.  Some that have stood out over the years are Team Moon: How 40,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh.  When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan a beautiful biography, and you can't forget Blizzard! by Jim Murphy.  It pictures CT towns and New York City covered in snow from the Blizzard of 1888!

See a list of American children's literary awards on the American Library Association website.

We didn't forget Nutmeg!  This CT state children's choice book award has its own website.