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Award year
2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Winners
Browse the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year winners and nominees by category. Each category starts with the winner, followed by nominees and other recognized titles.
This page collects the full 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year results in one place. Each category starts with the winner, followed by the nominees, so readers can scan the results quickly.
Affirming Picture Books
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Affirming Picture Books category.
Bedtime Books
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Bedtime Books category.
Board Books
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Board Books category.
Book Club Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Book Club Fiction category.
Books for Beginning Readers
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Books for Beginning Readers category.
Debut Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Debut Fiction category.
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Environmental Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Environmental Fiction category.
Fiction in Translation
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Fiction in Translation category.
Fictional Families
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Fictional Families category.
Funniest Picture Books
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Funniest Picture Books category.
Historical Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Historical Fiction category.
Informational Picture Books
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Informational Picture Books category.
Joyous Picture Books
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Joyous Picture Books category.
Middle-Grade Family Stories
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Middle-Grade Family Stories category.
Middle-Grade Fantasy and SF
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Middle-Grade Fantasy and SF category.
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Middle-Grade Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Middle-Grade Fiction category.
Middle-Grade Graphic Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Middle-Grade Graphic Fiction category.
Middle-Grade Historical Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Middle-Grade Historical Fiction category.
Middle-Grade Novels About Growing Up
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Middle-Grade Novels About Growing Up category.
Mysteries and Thrillers
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers category.
Picture Books About Crossing Borders
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Picture Books About Crossing Borders category.
Picture Books Celebrating Community
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Picture Books Celebrating Community category.
Picture Books Celebrating Family
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Picture Books Celebrating Family category.
Picture Books for Starting Conversations
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Picture Books for Starting Conversations category.
Picture-Book Biographies
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Picture-Book Biographies category.
Romance
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Romance category.
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Science Fiction and Fantasy category.
Short Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Short Fiction category.
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Wordless Picture Books
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Wordless Picture Books category.
Writers to Discover
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Writers to Discover category.
YA Activist Reads
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Activist Reads category.
YA Fantasy and SF
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Fantasy and SF category.
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YA Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Fiction category.
YA Graphic Novels
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Graphic Novels category.
YA Historical Fiction
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Historical Fiction category.
YA Mystery and Thriller
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller category.
YA Reads About Family and Community
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Reads About Family and Community category.
YA Reads About Living Courageously
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Reads About Living Courageously category.
YA Romance
Winner and nominees for the 2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Romance category.
Browse Award Categories
YA Fiction
Archive
Middle-Grade Fiction
Archive
Debut Fiction
Archive
YA Fantasy and SF
Archive
Picture Books Celebrating Family
Archive
Book Club Fiction
Archive
Short Fiction
Archive
Middle-Grade Fantasy and SF
Archive
Middle-Grade Graphic Fiction
Archive
Mysteries and Thrillers
Archive
Historical Fiction
Archive
Romance
Archive