Awards
🏆 An Award-Winning Year for the So You Want To Be A… Series
It has been an extraordinary year for the series, with recognition from twelve review and awards programs across dozens of titles. I'm grateful and a little astonished, and I want to name each honor here.
2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards — Grand Prize
The So You Want To Be A… series was named Grand Prize Winner of the 2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, and also took First Place in the Careers category — both awarded to the series as a whole.
2026 CIPA EVVY Awards — Finalist, Children's Nonfiction
The So You Want To Be A… series has been announced as a Finalist in the Children's Nonfiction category of the 2026 CIPA EVVY Awards — again, a recognition of the series as a whole rather than a single title.
Kirkus Starred Review
So You Want To Be An Astronaut received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.
2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards — First Place by Title
Twelve individual titles took First Place across four categories:
STEM — Astronaut · Marine Biologist · Robot Builder (Robotics Engineer) · Roller Coaster Designer (Theme Park Engineer) · Scientist · Video Game Designer
Animals/Pets — Marine Biologist · Shark Researcher · Veterinarian · Zookeeper
Arts/Music — Actor · Singer · Voice Actor
Green Books/Environmental — Marine Biologist · Shark Researcher
Mom's Choice Award® — Gold
Twelve titles have received the Mom's Choice Award Gold, honoring excellence in family-friendly media:
Astronaut · Veterinarian · Doctor · Marine Biologist · Police Officer · Zookeeper · Robot Builder · Roller Coaster Designer · Spy · Actor · Surgeon · Inventor
Creative Child Magazine — 2026 Book of the Year
Three titles have been named 2026 Book of the Year by Creative Child Magazine, whose awards are determined not by a single judge but by a panel of parent and early-education-professional reviewers evaluating each book on how well it nurtures creativity and learning in children:
Veterinarian · Astronaut · Roller Coaster Designer (Theme Park Engineer)
The Chrysalis BREW Project — Seal of Excellence & Readers' Choice Award
Two titles have earned both the BREW Seal of Excellence and the BREW Readers' Choice Award from The Chrysalis BREW Project, honors reserved for books that reach the program's highest review threshold:
Singer · Voice Actor
2026 PenCraft Seasonal Book Awards — Summer
Five titles were named Best Book in their categories:
Astronaut (Children, 4th–6th) · Veterinarian (Children, Animal Books) · Stunt Performer (Children, Concept) · Dinosaur Hunter (Children, Mysteries & Wonders) · Marine Biologist (Children, PreTeen)
Literary Titan Gold Book Award
Forty-two titles have won the Literary Titan Gold Book Award:
Ballet Dancer · Crime Scene Investigator · Firefighter · Animator · Pilot · Vaccine Developer · Deep Sea Diver · Treasure Hunter · Professional Athlete · Toy Designer · Spy · Doctor · Actor · Roller Coaster Designer · Marine Biologist · Dinosaur Hunter · Video Game Designer · Ice Cream Flavor Inventor · Candy Scientist · Animal Rescue Worker · Fashion Designer · Diplomat · Coder · Waterslide Tester · Astronomer & Exoplanet Hunter · Race Car Driver · Surgeon · Architect · Psychotherapist · Journalist · Lawyer · Activist · Geologist · Librarian · Magician · Police Officer · Psychologist · Singer · Teacher · Veterinarian · Zookeeper · Astronaut
2026 Literary Global Children's Book Awards
Winner — Sports: Race Car Driver
Finalists: Stunt Performer (Adventure & Sports) · Explorer (Adventure) · Veterinarian (Animals & Educational) · Robot Builder (Educational & Nonfiction) · Astronaut (Educational) · Spy (Educational) · Surgeon (Nonfiction)
2026 Readers' Choice Book Awards — Gold
Three titles were named Gold Winners in the Age 8 to 12 category, each earning a five-star review:
Pilot · Roller Coaster Designer (Theme Park Engineer) · Robot Builder (Robotics Engineer)
2026 NYC Big Book Awards
Five titles were named Winners in the 2026 NYC Big Book Award, across three Educational Series categories:
Educational Series (Career) — Stunt Performer · Surgeon · Singer
Educational Series (Pre-Teen Nonfiction) — Marine Biologist
Educational Series (Childrens Motivational) — Astronaut
Every title entered was named a Winner, and the series swept the Educational Series (Career) category.
2026 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest
Two titles were honored in the 2026 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest.
Gold Medal, Children — Non-Fiction: Doctor
Award Winner, Children — Social Issues: Police Officer
So You Want To Be A Police Officer was also one of ten award-winning titles selected for evaluation by Headline Books, an independent traditional publisher of nearly forty years, for possible publication.
To see the series recognized this widely, across multiple programs and categories in a single year, is more than I could have hoped for. My deepest thanks to the awards committees, the many thoughtful and dedicated reviewers, the librarians and educators who place these books into curious hands, and the families who have made this series part of their children's reading lives. There are many more titles ahead, and your support makes every one of them possible.