Theodor Seuss Geisel Awards

This award honors the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
Stop That Mop! by Jonathan Fenske. illus. by author. S. & S./Simon Spotlight. (Ready-to-Read). Jan. 2025. 32p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781665932721; pap. $5.99. ISBN 9781665932714.
PreS-Gr 2–Fed up with mopping slop and glop and never getting to stop, a disgruntled mop abandons its responsibilities and runs away. It is pursued by an assortment of animals, including a hopping rabbit and clopping horse, but the mop outruns and outwits them all. The highly decodable text is mostly limited to a few speech bubbles on each page, with particular emphasis on monosyllabic words ending in that “op” sound. Digitally rendered in comic-style panels, the characters display a wide range of emotion. The mop, which strongly resembles the title character from Fenske’s Barnacle Is Bored, is particularly expressive. Like his other early readers, this one is bound to delight fans of Mo Willems and Dr. Seuss. VERDICT Sure to elicit giggles from emerging readers.–Reviewed by Amy Reimann 

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honors
 Earl and Worm: The Big Mess and Other Stories by Greg Pizzoli. illus. by author. Knopf. Jul. 2025. 72p. Tr $10.99. ISBN 9780593649701.
K-Gr 2–In this second outing for Pizzoli’s odd couple, messy Earl and tidy Worm spend a day going through the junk pile Earl is throwing away. Worm comes across plenty of salvageable items and returns home at the end of the day to find that she now has a mess of her own to clean up, which makes her happy. The next story sees Earl finding a lucky penny. When the rest of his day casts the penny’s luckiness into doubt, chipper Earl understands that his friendship with Worm is his true luck. In the final story, Earl and Worm decide to stay up all night so they can watch the sunrise, but staying awake turns out to be more difficult than they anticipated. Readers will find their expectations joyfully upended at every turn in this charming title. Each line of text is limited to just a few words, making generous use of white space for new readers. Pizzoli’s familiar, cheerful cartoon-style complements the gentle humor of the text. VERDICT This new standout early reader series is highly recommended for general purchase.–Reviewed by Rachel Owens 

I Like Hoops by Juwanda G. Ford. illus. by Jada Jeni Bennett. Holiday House. Jun. 2025. 32p. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780823459582. 
PreS-Gr 1–A game of basketball is tied with only five minutes to go. Short, simple sentences describe the action as the visiting team scores a few baskets, the home team responds, and the crowd cheers enthusiastically. With only 10 seconds remaining, the home team shoots and scores, leading to a victory. Filled with sight words, a variation of short and long vowels, and repetition, this title is an excellent choice for new and emerging readers. Each spread features approximately one to three sentences with up to 10 words, many of which describe the images, such as “I jump” and “The ball goes in.” Colorful illustrations are lively and eye-catching; the characters have diverse backgrounds. While there is nothing groundbreaking here in terms of storytelling, readers are sure to enjoy the energetic illustrations and relatable story. VERDICT A fast-paced and compelling sports choice for early reader collections.–Reviewed by Olivia Gorecke

The Tunneler Tunnels in the Tunnel by Michael Rex. illus. by author. S. & S./Simon Spotlight. Jul. 2025. 32p. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9781665962094. 
PreS-K–The penguin is a tunneler. He tunnels through town and pops up while his neighbors go about their day. For instance, the gardener gardens, a shopper shops, and a camper camps, all while the tunneler pops his head up into a different scene. Early readers will enjoy looking at the pictures, but some of the words, such as gardener, may be difficult to pronounce at the appropriate ages for this book. Text is bold and clear, and this is a predictable story: by the end, readers should be able to anticipate what the text will say. VERDICT While the story is predictable, the text in this book might be difficult for early readers. Librarians may want to preview before putting it on shelves.–Reviewed by Kelly Richards 

Odyssey Award

This award is given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.

Children's (0-14) Award
Clack, Clack! Smack! A Cherokee Stickball Story by Traci Sorell. illus. by Joseph Erb. narrated by the author and a full cast. Live Oak Media. Jul 2025. 12 min. $12.95. ISBN9781430145660

Young Adult (12-18) Award
Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day by Alex. L. Combs and Andrew Eakett. narrated by the authors and a full cast. Listening Library. May 2025. 3:35 hrs. $15. ISBN 9780593414552.

Odyssey Honor Audiobooks
The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala. narrated by the author and a full cast. Scholastic Audio. Sept. 2025. 10:37 hrs. $30.31. ISBN 9798225001186.

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith. narrated by a full cast. HarperCollins/Heartdrum. Aug. 2025. 7:36 hrs. $25.99. ISBN 9780063314290.

Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson. illus. by Brian Rea. narrated by Jason Robinson. Listening Library. Mar. 2025. 3:34 hrs. ISBN 9798217018239.

Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds. narrated by a full cast. Listening Library. Jun. 2025. 6:29 hrs. $45. ISBN 9780593863473.
 Gr 7 Up–Reynolds’s (Twenty-Four Seconds from Now) audiobook original vibrates with energy, telling the story of a group of New York City teens who combine their talents, creativity, and hope as they form a band. Percussionist Stuy, narrated by Nile ­Bullock, finds a willing collaborator in his new ­neighbor, Dunks, a guitarist voiced by Mekhi Hewling. The search for a bass guitar brings Keith (Jade Williams) and trumpet player Alexis (­Brandon Miles) on board. Frankie, a younger boy narrated by Amir Royale, brings the group together with his infectious talents as a hype man. What follows is a story of the power and alchemy of ­musical collaboration, friendship, and performance, grounded by the complications of real life. A full cast of outstanding narrators effectively conveys the energy and emotions of the characters as they create music, forge bonds, and face unexpected challenges. While the narrative is compelling on its own, it is glorious in audio, leaping exuberantly from the page with Justin ­Ellington’s score and perfectly interwoven riffs from jazz ­musicians. Adding to the fun, listeners can experience the band’s changing sound when they take their pop-up concerts to the subway stations. Instead of keeping the ­music the same, they incorporate rhythms from the surrounding neighborhoods, producing vibrant and exciting creations each time. ­VERDICT An immersive must-listen that’s sure to ­delight.–Reviewed by Rachel Hitt 

Alex Awards

An annual honor recognizing adult books with appeal to young adult readers.

The 2026 winners are:

The Favorites by Layne Fargo. Random. Jan. 2025. 464p. Tr $28. ISBN 9780593732045.

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley. Knopf. Jun. 2025. 352p. Tr $28. ISBN 9780593801123.

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen. Gallery. Mar. 2025. Tr $27.99. ISBN 9781668061978. 

Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson. Doubleday. Oct. 2025. 288p. Tr  $30. ISBN 9780385551113.

Insectopolis: A Natural History by Peter Kuper. Norton. May 2025. 256p. Tr $35. ISBN 9781324035718.

Plum by Andy Anderegg. Hub City Pr. Apr. 2025. 232p. Tr $26. ISBN 9798885740463.

Sonita: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom by Sonita Alizada. HarperOne. Jul. 2025. 288p. Tr $29.99. ISBN 9780063439009.

These Heathens by Mia McKenzie. Random. Jun. 2025. 272p. Tr $29. ISBN 9780593596944. 

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown. Random.  Jun. 2025. 368p. Tr $30. ISBN 9780593449783. 

The Whyte Python World Tour by Travis Kennedy. Doubleday. Jun. 2025. 416p. Tr $30. ISBN 9780385551335.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award is awarded "to an American publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originating in a country other than the United States and in a language other than English and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States." 

2026 Batchelder Award Winner
Croco by Azul López. illus. by author. Tapioca Stories. Oct. 2025. 40p. tr. from Spanish by Kit Maude. Tr $18.95. ISBN 9798988749974.

Batchelder Honor Books
The Adventures of Cipollino by Gianni Rodari. illus. by Dasha Tolstikova. Enchanted Lion. Oct 2025. 256p. tr from Italian. by Antony Shugaar. Tr $29.99. ISBN 9781592704163.

From Memen to Mori by Shinsuke Yoshitake. illus. by author. Yen Pr. Sept. 2025. 136p. tr. from Japanese by Ajani Oloye. Tr $20. ISBN 9798855417401.

Picking Tea with Baba by Xu Bin. illus. by Yu Yin. Charlesbridge. May 2025. 48p. tr. from Chinese by Shan Chen. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781623546236.

 Pilgrim Codex by Vivian Mansour. illus. by Emmanuel Valtierra. Levine Querido. Feb. 2025. 48p. tr. from Spanish by Carlos Rodríguez Cortez. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781646145157.
Gr 3-8–An unnamed boy narrates his family’s journey from Mexico to the “other side” in this uniquely rendered immigration tale. The Vargas Ramírez family begins as a group of seven but are soon joined by neighbors also yearning for a better life in the United States. The countless perils—snakes, dehydration (“We had to drink water from puddles”), the freezing cold Rio Bravo at night (“Place Where the Waters Tangle”), and cruel coyotes—are compelling and described with empathic candor. Mansour’s evocative, image-rich language (“darkness as dense as an obsidian forest”) is expertly translated in the English edition, and echoes the cadence of a timeless folk story. The illustrations, created in the style of Mesoamerican codices, are colorful and ripe with symbolism and iconography, like the Virgin de Guadalupe and Uncle Sam. Appended is an author’s note, a glossary of Nahuatl terms and origins, and explanations of the terms referenced in the text and symbolism depicted in illustrations. Despite the known challenges, the narrator ends on a hopeful note: “It won’t be easy...But my eyes thirst for tomorrows.” VERDICT Readers of varying ages will find countless opportunities for engagement with these thematically multilayered and stunning works. Highly recommended for picture book collections.–Reviewed by Jessica Agudelo