• This year’s winner is <em>Welcome to the Wonder House,</em> written by <a href=https://www.rebeccakaidotlich.com/>Rebecca Kai Dotlich</a> and <a href=https://www.georgiaheard.com/>Georgia Heard</a>, illustrated by <a href=https://www.deborahfreedman.net/>Deborah Freedman</a>, and published by Wordsong, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers.

    2024 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

    This year’s winner is Welcome to the Wonder House, written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard, illustrated by Deborah Freedman, and published by Wordsong, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers.

    <em>My Head Has a Bellyache: And More Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups</em>, written by Chris Harris, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi, and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, is "meant to be shared with the cleverest of kids and adults."

    2024 Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor Award

    My Head Has a Bellyache: And More Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups, written by Chris Harris, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi, and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, is "meant to be shared with the cleverest of kids and adults."

    The 2024 honor <em>The Museum on the Moon: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface</em>, written by Irene Latham, illustrated by Miriam Wares, and published by Moonshower, an imprint of Bushel & Peck Publishers, uses "a unique, wonderful approach to the continuous mystery of the moon for children."

    2024 Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor Award

    The 2024 honor The Museum on the Moon: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface, written by Irene Latham, illustrated by Miriam Wares, and published by Moonshower, an imprint of Bushel & Peck Publishers, uses "a unique, wonderful approach to the continuous mystery of the moon for children."

    Delve into the universe's origins with author Joel Priddy at our author talk and book signing for <em>First There Was Chaos</em> (Uncivilized Books).  Joel Priddy's contributions to the world of comics have earned him accolades including the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut and nominations for Eisner Awards. His artistry has been featured in notable publications like <em>The Best American Comics</em> and <em>The New York Times.</em>

    Graphic Novel Event!

    Delve into the universe's origins with author Joel Priddy at our author talk and book signing for First There Was Chaos (Uncivilized Books). Joel Priddy's contributions to the world of comics have earned him accolades including the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut and nominations for Eisner Awards. His artistry has been featured in notable publications like The Best American Comics and The New York Times.

Welcome

With a mission to study, honor, celebrate, and promote books, reading, libraries, and literacy in Pennsylvania (PA), the PA Center for the Book sponsors several literary awards and events, and develops a wide range of educational content across multiple media to connect with its broad audience and to celebrate PA’s continued contributions to culture and literature.

Explore this site to learn more about the Center’s Literary & Cultural Heritage Map of PA, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award for Children’s Poetry, Baker’s Dozen List of Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy, and so much more!

Read more about the Center’s background here…

Events

Join us for an author talk featuring Joel Priddy, an award-winning illustrator and cartoonist known for his outstanding works such as Pulpatoon: Pilgrimage (AdHouse Books) and The Gift of the Magi (HarperCollins). Discover First There Was Chaos, Joel Priddy's latest exploration of primordial forces preceding the Olympian gods. These creation tales vividly illustrate the universal struggles of all creators, giving cosmic form to the creative process.

Date: Wednesday, April 24th
Time: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Location: Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, Penn State University Park campus

After the talk, copies of Joel's works will be available for purchase, with the opportunity for book signings.

What's New?

The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for Children’s Poetry, presented annually to an American poet or anthologist for the most outstanding new book of poetry for children published in the previous calendar year. This year’s winner is Welcome to the Wonder House, written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard, illustrated by Deborah Freedman, and published by Wordsong, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. 

“The language and illustrations beautifully complement each other, which makes the book an absolute delight. The book of poetry divides the house into rooms that explore different STEAM topics. The language of the book allowed me to visualize and reimagine my own house where different rooms became the staging area for astronomy, creativity, geology, and so on.”  - 2024 jury member