UW–Madison’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, which is recognized as the world’s largest honor for children’s and young adult literature.
This prestigious, international award is given annually to a person or organization, and comes with a prize of five million Swedish kronor (about $450,000).
Housed in the School of Education, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) is a unique and vital gathering place for books, ideas, and expertise in the field of children’s and young adult literature.
“It’s an honor to receive this nomination,” says Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, the director of the CCBC. “We see it as a testament to the CCBC’s decades-long commitment to promoting literacy and high-quality literature for youth, and children and teens’ access to books, including books reflecting diverse identities and experiences”
She adds: “Visionary CCBC leaders and librarians have carried out that work across the years. As the current stewards of the CCBC, our staff today never stops thinking about how to best carry the CCBC into the future through efforts that continue to meaningfully support the work of educators and librarians as it intersects with literature for youth.”
Through its non-circulating collections and its services, the CCBC supports teaching, learning, and research related to children’s and young adult literature. The center also provides informational and educational services for preservice and practicing teachers, and school and public librarians across Wisconsin.
These efforts include opportunities for hands-on book examination, curated book recommendations, and intellectual freedom information and assistance at the time of materials concerns or challenges. The CCBC is also known nationally and internationally for its work documenting diversity in children’s literature.
Astrid Lindgren is recognized as being vital in the development of children’s literature as an art form. The influential Swedish writer of children’s books is perhaps most well-known for creating such memorable characters as Pippi Longstocking.
The Swedish government in 2002 created the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award to promote every child’s right to great stories. The Award is administered by the Swedish Arts Council.
A total of 265 candidates from 72 countries and regions were nominated for the 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. The list includes authors and illustrators, as well as storytellers and reading promoters. The CCBC is one of just 11 candidates nominated from the United States.
The winner of the 2025 award will be announced on April 1.
