Blueberry Awards

The 2026 Blueberry Award winners were recently announced, and every year this award reminds us how powerful nature-centered books can be for kids.

The Blueberry Awards recognize children’s books that help build connections to nature, conservation, and the environment. Created by the Evanston Public Library, the award celebrates stories that encourage curiosity about the natural world and inspire environmental stewardship in age-appropriate, hopeful ways.

At Outdoor School Shop, we’ve always believed outdoor learning doesn’t stop when kids come inside. Books can extend those experiences by helping children notice wildlife, understand ecosystems, ask questions about weather and seasons, and build empathy for the world around them.

What we especially appreciate about the Blueberry Awards is that the selected books invite children into relationship with nature through observation, wonder, storytelling, and curiosity.

If you’re building a home or classroom library for outdoor kids, the Blueberry Award lists are a wonderful resource to explore.

You can view the full 2026 Blueberry Award winners here.

And if you’ve discovered a favorite nature book through the Blueberry Awards over the years, we’d love to hear which ones your family comes back to again and again.