As your child becomes an independent reader, you’ll want to include some chapter books in their collection. Exposing your child to various genres and styles of books helps them sharpen their comprehension and vocabulary while introducing them to higher concepts and important social issues, like race, discrimination, poverty, civil rights, and more.
From fascinating nonfiction to imaginative fiction and beyond, these award-winning chapter books add richness to your child's reading repertoire while improving their reading skill sets. The award winners in this list run the gamut of accolades, including the Caldecott Medal, Coretta Scott King Award, the John Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and many more.
For example, One Crazy Summer is perfect for younger readers in grades 3-5. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Award among others, One Crazy Summer is an enthralling historical fiction book about three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to search for their long-lost mother. When they finally arrive, they learn more about their family, themselves, and the world around them when their mother signs them up for a camp run by the Black Panthers.
Meanwhile, the newly released King and the Dragonflies tells the story of pre-teen Kingston "King" James, whose older brother, Khalid, unexpectedly passes away. King is convinced Khalid visits him in his dreams as a dragonfly. King still has his best friend, Sandy, to help him through his grief. But when Sandy suddenly goes missing to escape his abusive father and shows back up a few days later at King's door, the pair run away to live in the bayou among the dragonflies, where they must help each other through the most difficult times of their lives. This National Book Award winner will teach kids about coping with grief and carving out one’s identity.
Readers in grades 4-7 will get lost in the pages of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, which has themes based on traditional Chinese folklore. Minli and her family spend their days working in the rice fields, barely able to feed themselves. Minli's father regales her with stories about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these folktales, Minli sets out to meet the Old Man and ask him about how to change her family's fortune.
Shop Newbery award winners and more — perfect for any independent reader — below! You can find all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.
