John and Patricia Beatty Award (Children's & Young Adult Literature)

About this program

The California Library Association administers the John and Patricia Beatty Award, honoring authors and illustrators of distinguished children's (ages 0–12) and young adult (ages 13–18) books that promote awareness of California and its people; winners receive a $500 prize and a certificate presented at the CLA Beatty Award and California Young Reader Award breakfast during the CLA annual conference. A CLA committee selects winning titles from books published in the United States during the preceding year, and the program maintains the “Eureka! California in Children's Literature” bibliography of noteworthy titles. Eligible submissions are U.S.-published books from the qualifying calendar year that are set in California or highlight California’s cultural heritage or people; nominations for the 2026 cycle are accepted April 1, 2025 through February 28, 2026.