Kirkus Best Books of the Year Winners YA Historical Fiction

Awards List

2023

The Davenports

The Davenports (*)
Krystal Marquis

Feb-2023
/ Historical Romance

I'll Take Everything You Have

I'll Take Everything You Have (*)
James Klise

Mar-2023
/ General Fiction

Pedro & Daniel

Pedro & Daniel (*)
Federico Erebia

Jun-2023
/ General Fiction

Just a Hat

Just a Hat (*)
S. Khubiar

Jul-2023
/ General Fiction

Into the Bright Open

Into the Bright Open (*)
Cherie Dimaline

Sep-2023
/ General Fiction

The Prince and the Coyote

The Prince and the Coyote (*)
David Bowles

Sep-2023
/ Action Adventure

The Blood Years

The Blood Years (*)
Elana K. Arnold

Oct-2023
/ General Fiction

Charming Young Man

Charming Young Man (*)
Eliot Schrefer

Oct-2023
/ General Fiction

2022

The Deep Blue Between

The Deep Blue Between (*)
Ayesha Harruna Attah

Oct-2020
/ Suspense

The Silent Stars Go By

The Silent Stars Go By (*)
Sally Nicholls

Nov-2020
/ Historical

I Must Betray You

I Must Betray You (*)
Ruta Sepetys

Feb-2022
/ General Fiction

My Imaginary Mary

My Imaginary Mary (*)
Cynthia Hand

Aug-2022
/ Contemporary Romance

Destination Unknown

Destination Unknown (*)
Bill Konigsberg

Sep-2022
/ General Fiction

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix (*)
Anna-Marie McLemore

Sep-2022
/ General Fiction

My Good Man

My Good Man (*)
Eric Gansworth

Nov-2022
/ General Fiction

Torch

Torch (*)
Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Nov-2022
/ General Fiction

2021

The Awakening of Malcolm X

The Awakening of Malcolm X (*)
Ilyasah Shabazz

Jan-2021
/ General Fiction

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Last Night at the Telegraph Club (*)
Malinda Lo

Jan-2021
/ General Fiction

Mazie

Mazie (*)
Melanie Crowder

Mar-2021
/ General Fiction

A Sitting in St. James

A Sitting in St. James (*)
Rita Williams-Garcia

May-2021
/ General Fiction

Walls

Walls (*)
L.M. Elliott

Aug-2021
/ General Fiction

Beyond the Blue Border

Beyond the Blue Border (*)
Dorit Linke

Sep-2021
/ General Fiction

Traitors Among Us

Traitors Among Us (*)
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Sep-2021
/ Historical

Freedom Swimmer

Freedom Swimmer (*)
Wai Chim

Nov-2021
/ General Fiction

2020

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come (*)
Mildred D. Taylor

Jan-2020
/ General Fiction

Dark and Deepest Red

Dark and Deepest Red (*)
Anna-Marie McLemore

Jan-2020
/ Contemporary Romance

Kent State

Kent State (*)
Deborah Wiles

Apr-2020
/ Historical

Burn

Burn (*)
Patrick Ness

Jun-2020
/ Horror

We Are Not Free

We Are Not Free (*)
Traci Chee

Sep-2020
/ Historical

Daughters of Jubilation

Daughters of Jubilation (*)
Kara Lee Corthron

Oct-2020
/ Contemporary Romance

The Enigma Game

The Enigma Game (*)
Elizabeth Wein

Nov-2020
/ General Fiction

These Violent Delights

These Violent Delights (*)
Chloe Gong

Nov-2020
/ Fantasy

Award Categories

Affirming Picture Books

Beginning Readers

Book Club Fiction

Books for Beginning Readers

Empowering Picture Books

Environmental Fiction

Fiction in Translation

Fictional Families

Fictional Voices

Funniest Picture Books

Historical Fiction

Informational Picture Books

Joyous Picture Books

Middle-Grade About Speaking Up

Middle-Grade Activist

Middle-Grade Adventures

Middle-Grade Family Stories

Middle-Grade Fantasy and SF

Middle-Grade Fiction

Middle-Grade Friendship Stories

Middle-Grade Graphic Fiction

Award Years