Blueberry Awards Announced 2026 Nominees

The committee has unveiled the list of books selected for the 2026 Preschool Blueberry Votes and Blueberry Votes awards.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Environmental

Gouache-painted illustration of an open, blank hardcover book and a single green sprig on a wooden table, representing children's nature literature. — The Blueberry Awards Committee has announced the list of nominees for its 2026 awards, which honor environmental literature written for children aged three to ten. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should local children's literacy programs prioritize books focused on nature and climate change?

The Blueberry Awards Committee has released its official list of nominees for the 2026 awards cycle. The program highlights nature and climate literature for children ages three to ten.

Why it matters

The committee created these awards to address a significant gap in existing children's literature honors regarding environmental and climate-themed works.

The awards program includes five nominees for the main Blueberry Votes category and three for the Preschool Blueberry Votes segment. These books are curated for a target audience age range of three to ten years old.

The players

Blueberry Awards Committee

This group based at the Evanston Public Library promotes environmental literacy for children.

The details

Educators participate in the program by registering their organizations with the committee via email and reading the nominated selections to children. Winners are ultimately determined through votes submitted by participants using an online form.

The Blueberry Awards program was founded in 2020.
The Blueberry Votes program was initiated in 2024.
The Preschool Blueberry Votes program was initiated in 2025.
Voting results must be submitted by Jan. 15, 2027.
Winners will be revealed on March 12, 2027.

The Big Picture

This program builds upon the Blueberry Awards Committee's eco-literature initiative, which works to formalize environmental education within children's media. The expansion of these categories reflects a targeted effort to bridge gaps between mainstream children's book awards and environmental literacy.

Local educators and parents can engage with these selections to introduce climate and nature topics to children in a structured, accessible format. By participating in the voting process, the public directly influences which titles receive recognition in the 2026 cycle.

The takeaway

Engaging children with nature literature at a young age fosters long-term environmental awareness and scientific curiosity. Parents and educators can utilize these curated nominee lists as a reliable guide for selecting high-quality, relevant educational materials.

What happens next

Participants must submit their voting results by Jan. 15, 2027, to be counted toward the final results. The committee will meet in late January 2027 to tabulate these votes, followed by the official reveal of the winners on March 12, 2027.