Short Lists

Here you'll find our short lists of nominated books.

2025-2026

Delta Nile:

I Absolutely Positively Love My Spots by Lid'ya C Rivera
I Can Be All Three by Salima Alikhan
The Rumbling Rhino by Roslynne Toerien
The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leun
The Walking Schoolbus by Aaron Friedland & Ndileka Mandela

Blue Nile:

Pets Rule: My Kingdom of Darkness by Susan Tan
Kwame's Magic Quest: Rise of the Green Flame by Benard Mensah
Jada Jones Nature Lover by Kelly Staling Lyons
Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd
The Journal of Anxious Izzy Parker by Alma Fullerton

White Nile:

Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas
Where the Black Flowers Bloom by Ronald Smith
The Cedarville Shop and Wheelbarrow Swap by Bridget Krone
Flying Up the Mountain by Elizabeth Irene Baitie
Abeni's Song by Djeli Clark

2024-2025

Nile Delta:

Hana's Hundreds of Hijabs by Razeena Omar Gutta
Steve the Dung Beetle: On A Roll by Susan R. Stoltz
A Journey Under the Sea by Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck
Lion Lights by Richard Turere and Shelly Pollock
Wondering Around by Meg Fleming

Blue Nile:

Too Small Tola by Atinuke
The Party Diaries #1: Awesome Orange Birthday: A Branches Book by Mitali Banerjee Ruths
Surviving the Wild #1: Star The Elephant by Remy Lai
Maker Comics: Conduct a Science Experiment! by Der-shing Helmer
Lolo #1: Here Comes Lolo by Niki Daly

White Nile:

The Elephant Girl by James Patterson
Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask by Shiko Nguru
Berani by Michelle Kadarusman
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu
BenBee and the Teacher Griefer by K.A. Holt

2023-2024

Nile Delta:

Idia of the Benin Kingdom by Ekiuwa Aire
Nosotros Means Us by Paloma Valdivia
Arlo: The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep by Catherine Rayner
Smile with African Style by Mylo Freeman
What the Elephant Heard by Charlotte Guillain

Blue Nile:

The Great Pet Heist by Emily Ecton
The Fabled Stables: Willa the Wisp by Jonathan Auxier
Willowdeen by Katherine Applegate
Leon the Extraordinary by Jamar Nicholas
Emma Every Day: Party Problems by C.L. Reid

White Nile:

Kodi by Jared Cullum
The Eagle Huntress by Nurgaivyn Aisholpan
The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan
The Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia

2022-2023

The Nile Book Awards took a hiatus

2021-2022

Nile Delta:

The Boy Who Grew a Forest by Sophia Gholz (Champion)
As Big as the Sky by Carolyn Rose
I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott
There Must be More Than That! by Shinsuke Yoshitake
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

Blue Nile

Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake
Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song
Pea, Bee & Jay by Brian Smitty Smith
Stay by Bobbie Pyron (Champion)
Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson

White Nile

Shine by JJ and Chris Grabenstein
When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (Champion)
Bugs in Danger by Mark Kurlansky
Lightfall by Tim Probert
We're Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey

2020-2021

Delta Nile:

Sticks by Diane Alber

Elmore by Holly Hobbie

The Ugly Five by Julia Donaldson (Champion)

Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o

Blue Nile:

Dear Justice League by Michael Northrop (Champion)

Ra the Mummy Cat Detective by Amy Butler Greenfield

Mega Bat by Anna Humphrey

Knights vs. Dinosaurs by Matt Phelan

White Nile:

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman (Champion)

Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

New Kid by Jerry Craft

2019-2020

Nile Delta:

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Under My Hijab by Hena Khan and Aaliya Jaleel

Sing to the Moon by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl and Sandra van Doorn

The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt and Adam Rex (Champion)

Crown: Ode to a Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James

Blue Nile:

Enginerds by Jarrett Lerner

A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold

Narwhal: Peanut Butter and Jelly by Ben Clanton (Champion)

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey

White Nile:

Akissi: Tales of Mischief by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin

Ban This Book by Alan Gratz (Champion)

Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo

Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart

2018-2019

Blue Nile:

King Coo by Adam Stower (Champion)

Hippopotamister by John Patrick Green (Champion)

Adventures of Sophie Mouse: A New Friend by Poppy Green

See You When I See You by Rose Lagercrantz

White Nile:

Restart by Gordon Korman (Champion)

Hello Universe by Erin Estrada Kelly

Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag

Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson

2017-2018

Blue Nile:

Infamous Ratsos by Kara LaReau

Sam the Man and the Chicken Plan by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina

Ivy by Katherine Coville (Champion)

White Nile:

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (Champion)

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

2016-2017

Blue Nile:

Diva and Flea by Mo Willems (Champion)

Jasper John Dooley You're in Trouble by Caroline Anderson

Claude, Lights, Camera, Action by Alex Smith

Lola Levine is not Mean by Monica Brown

White Nile:

Pax by Sara Pennypacker (Champion)

Imagination Box by Martin Ford

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones

Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye

2015-2016

Blue Nile:

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

Operation Bunny: Wings & Co. by Sally Gardner

Beasts of Olympus: Beast Keeper by Lucy Coats

White Nile:

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Witchworld: She's in for a Spell of Trouble by Emma Fischel

The Big Wish by Brandon Robshaw

Nile Delta:

Hana's Hundreds of Hijabs by Razeena Omar Gutta
Steve the Dung Beetle: On A Roll by Susan R. Stoltz
A Journey Under the Sea by Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck
Lion Lights by Richard Turere and Shelly Pollock
Wondering Around by Meg Fleming

Blue Nile:

Too Small Tola by Atinuke
The Party Diaries #1: Awesome Orange Birthday: A Branches Book by Mitali Banerjee Ruths
Surviving the Wild #1: Star The Elephant by Remy Lai
Maker Comics: Conduct a Science Experiment! by Der-shing Helmer
Lolo #1: Here Comes Lolo by Niki Daly

White Nile:

The Elephant Girl by James Patterson
Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask by Shiko Nguru
Berani by Michelle Kadarusman
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu
BenBee and the Teacher Griefer by K.A. Holt

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