The National Council of Teachers of English Announces Winners of Prestigious Literary Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 26, 2024
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media@ncte.org
November 26 (Boston, MA)—The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) announced the winners of the 2025 Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children and the 2025 Charlotte Huck Award® for Outstanding Fiction for Children, as well as the 2025 Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children and the 2025 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels list at the NCTE Annual Convention on November 23, 2024.
The awards recognize outstanding literary works expressly created for children that set a standard for excellence in the field. The award-winning titles will enhance any library, classroom, or home literary collection. The honorees were selected by three committees of teacher experts and authors appointed by NCTE.
“At a time when there has been an abundance of first-rate children’s literature published, the committees have selected the titles that stand out in the ways they engage and educate young learners,” said NCTE Executive Director Emily Kirkpatrick. “The winning books teach children about culture, compassion, and the power of storytelling.”
The Last Stand by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey, is the winner of the 2025 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award® for Outstanding Fiction for Children.
Eady said, “Receiving the 2025 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award is such an honor. It’s incredible for others to see the work we’re doing, the conversations we’re having, and the lives we’re transforming through children’s literature, especially today. So much of the heavy lifting’s been done. And that’s a testament to Dr. Charlotte Huck’s legacy. I’m excited to continue that work, and I’m grateful to many, like Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey, for joining me along the way. Thank you to the committee and, of course, thank you to our young dreamers and teachers. I look forward to meeting you all one day!”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Charlotte Huck Award, established in 2014 to promote and recognize fiction that has the potential to transform children’s lives by inviting compassion, imagination, and wonder. The award honors Dr. Charlotte Huck, a professor at The Ohio State University who devoted her career to promoting the role of children’s books in young people’s academic, social, and emotional development. Each year, the committee selects a winner, up to five Honor Books, and up to eight Recommended titles appropriate for ages three to twelve. The full list is available on the award page.
“When choosing this year’s winner, the committee felt it was important to offer a multilayered story that captures a strong sense of intergenerational community and the possibilities for abundance this stance brings. Author Antwan Eady has crafted a call for action and a love letter to Black farm workers,” said Cecilia M. Espinosa, chair of the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Committee. Espinosa adds, “Black farmers are at the center of his story. Little Earl is determined to keep his grandfather’s dream alive; the community needs their products.”
Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools, written and illustrated by Dan SaSuWeh Jones, is the winner of the 2025 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children.
“It is overwhelming that Stealing Little Moon has received the Orbis Pictus Award. I came to NCTE to appeal to the educators of America that the story of American Indians, and what happened to them, needs to be taught in schools—that it was time to let the truth telling begin. Thank you for honoring the truth of my family and that of the hundreds of thousands of American Indians who endured the boarding school era,” said Dan SaSuWeh Jones.
The Orbis Pictus Award, established in 1989, is the oldest children’s book award for nonfiction. It pays homage to John Amos Comenius’s Orbis Pictus—The World in Pictures (1657), considered to be the first book planned for children. Each year, the committee selects a winner, up to five Honor Books, and up to eight Recommended titles ideal for classroom use for grades K–8. The full list is available on the award page.
“This year’s winner was selected from a wide variety of diverse texts and a strong slate of entries in the nonfiction category,” said Julia López-Robertson, chair of the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Committee. “In Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools, Dan SaSuWeh Jones creates a compelling depiction of the miseducation and mistreatment of American Indian children and youth, while highlighting their resilience and strengths. This book is a must for every classroom.”
Charles R. Smith Jr. is the winner of the 2025 Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children.
“I’m honored to be recognized for my body of work spanning the past 25 years and humbled to join such esteemed company. I’m especially proud that this award is given by teachers who are using my books in the classroom,” said Charles R. Smith Jr.
NCTE established the Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 1977 to honor a living American poet for their aggregate work for children ages 3–13.
During the same event, NCTE unveiled its 2025 list of Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels, selected by the NCTE Children’s Poetry Awards Committee. The list is available here.
“In our selection process, we carefully reviewed and evaluated the relationship between the illustrations and the mood and content of the poems, along with the use of language. We also focused on inclusiveness and diversity, considering the backgrounds of the poets and characters, including aspects such as gender, race, ethnicity, language, community, and more,” said Junko Sakoi, chair of the NCTE Children’s Poetry Awards Committee. “We hope educators will be inspired to incorporate the 2025 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels into their classrooms, using them to share fresh perspectives and meaningful connections to life experiences. These works have the potential to foster empathy, promote critical literacy, and evoke thoughtful and insightful responses from children.”
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The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is the nation’s professional organization for literacy teachers spanning preK through college. Through the expertise and advocacy from its members’ professional research, practice, and knowledge, NCTE has served at the forefront of every major improvement in the teaching and learning of English and the language arts since 1911.
For more information, please visit www.ncte.org