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2026- 2027

South Carolina

Picture Book

Award Nominees

Students: To be eligible to vote for your favorite book, you must read at least five of the nominee titles. Voting takes place in February.

All media specialists should review all titles and add them to their collection only if the titles meet the criteria established by District Board Policy and Library Media Center Policy & Procedure guidelines.

Book summaries and images courtesy of Novelist Plus database: www.scdiscus.org unless otherwise noted.

South Carolina Association of School Librarians PO Box 2442, Columbia, SC 29202 http://scasl.net/awards/book-awards/

Taking a wrong turn on his way for reprogramming, Robot encounters art and must learn to express himself and transform the warehouse instead of being recycled.

ARTificial Intelligence

by David Biedrzycki

The Book That Almost Rhymed

by Omar Abed

When his sister keeps interrupting his story with wild ideas that don't even rhyme, a big brother suddenly realizes she's actually improving his yarn and decides to share the narrative.

Buffalo Fluffalo

by Bess Kalb

Buffalo Gruffalo may seem like a big puffy grouch, but there's a sweet side beneath the bovine's gruff exterior.

The Curious Why

by Angela Di Terlizzi

A magical friend called the Curious Why encourages children's imaginations to fly, as they consider "how, what, where and when?" in relation to the world around them.

Flamingos are Pretty Funky: A (not so) Serious Guide

by Abi Cushman

This entertaining and educational introduction to the tall wading birds known for their bright pink color shows off their fabulous traits along with funny illustrations of flamingos in their natural habitats.

A Friend for Eddy

by Ann Kim Ha

When lonely Eddy spies two new friends on the other side of his fish bowl glass, he decides to leap out to meet them and gets quite a surprise to learn that friendship can be found in unexpected places.

Go and Get with Rex

by David LaRochelle

Jack, Jill, and Rex play Go and Get, a game where players race to find objects that start with a chosen letter. Jack and Jill follow the rules, but Rex’s surprising choices challenge expectations.

The Girl Who Figured It Out

by Minda Dentler

Minda Dentler made history when she became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the world's toughest triathlon, using only her arms.

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Home in a Lunchbox

by Cherry Mo

Moving to America, Jun, finds her new school foreign and frightening, but when she opens her lunchbox to find her favorite meals, she realizes home isn't so far away after all.

I’m Sorry You Got Mad

by Kyle Lukoff

After he hurts his friend Zoe's feelings, Jack discovers there's more to an apology than just saying “I’m sorry" in this engaging exploration of how an apology goes deeper than just words.

José Feeds the World

By David Unger

This is the true story of José Andrés, chef, food activist, and founder of World Central Kitchen, a disaster-relief organization that uses the power of food to nourish communities after catastrophe strikes.

The Man Who Didn’t Like Animals

by Deborah Underwood

There once was a man who loved his tidy home and who didn’t like animals. Then one day, animals started appearing and everything changed.

Monster Hands

by Karen Kane

When nighttime comes, Milo has a problem— he’s convinced there’s a monster under his bed! Luckily, his best friend Mel knows just what to do—scare the monster more than the monster scares you!

Neat Nick’s Big Mess

by Chad Otis

Nick manages his anxiety by keeping things neat and orderly, but he is taken out of his comfort zone when a big energetic dog joins his family.

One Day This Tree Will Fall

by Leslie Booth

A tree’s life story is told from its beginnings as a seed to its survival in the wilderness until it finally falls, but continues its life as a log, an animal habitat, and finally decomposes to provide nutrition for future trees.

Stokes: The Brief Career of the NBA’s First Black Superstar

by Ty Chapman

This biographical picture book shares insight into basketball history and tells the story of pioneering, Black basketball player Maurice Stokes and his teammate Jack Twyman, who helped Stokes after he was injured in a game.

There Are No Ants in This Book

by Rosemary Mosco

Nothing can ruin a picnic faster than a bunch of ants. It's a good thing there are no ants in this book... well, maybe there's only one. Or two.... Or ten?

Ursula Upside Down

by Corey R. Tabor

When one question turns happy catfish Ursula’s world upside down, she learns to find confidence in seeing the world her own way, in this flipped-format picture book that encourages readers to embrace their individuality.

When Black Girls Dream Big

by Tanisia Moore

An young girl finds inspiration and affirmation in the lives of historic women like Sojourner Truth, Michelle Obama, Billie Holiday and Zora Neale Hurston.

The Yellow Bus

by Loren Long

A forgotten school bus finds joy and purpose in the most unexpected places.