Golden Duck Award

The Golden Duck Awards for Excellence in Children's Science Fiction were given annually from 1992 to 2017. The awards were presented every year at either Worldcon or the North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC). In 2018 they were replaced by Notable Book Lists of the same names sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA).

The Golden Duck Awards were funded by Super-Con-Duck-Tivity, Inc., the sponsor of the U.S. midwest regional science fiction convention DucKon. Winners were selected by a group of teachers, librarians, parents, high tech workers and reviewers.

Categories

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The categories are:

There was also a provision for a Special Award if a book was found to be outstanding but did not fit any of the standard categories.

Winners

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Picture Book Award

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The Picture Book Award is sometimes given to a book with non-fictional science content with a story "wrapper" as well as traditional science fiction themes.

  • 1992Time Train by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Claire Ewart
  • 1993June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner
  • 1994Richie's Rocket by Joan Anderson, photographed by George Ancona
  • 1995Time Flies by Eric Rohmann
  • 1996Insects from Outer Space by Vladimir Vagin and Frank Asch
  • 1997Grandpa Takes Me to the Moon by Timothy Gaffney, illustrated by Barry Root
  • 1998Floating Home by David Getz, illustrated by Michael Rex
  • 1999Noah and the Space Ark by Laura Cecil, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark
  • 2000Hush, Little Alien by Daniel Kirk
  • 2001Rex by Robert Gould and Kathleen Duey, illustrated by Eugene Epstein
  • 2002Baloney (Henry P.) by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith
  • 2003Incredible Cross-Sections of Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones by Curtis Saxton and Richard Chasemore
  • 2004Hazel Nutt, Mad Scientist by David Elliot, illustrated by True Kelley (Holliday House, ISBN 0-8234-1711-5)
  • 2005Science Verse by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith (Viking)
  • 2006Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery by Kevin O'Malley, illustrated by Patrick O'Brien
  • 2007Night of the Homework Zombies by Scott Nickel, illustrated by Steve Harpster (ISBN 9781598890358)
  • 2008Mars Needs Moms by Berkeley Breathed
  • 2009We're Off to Look for Aliens by Colin McNaughton
  • 2010Swamps of Sleethe by Jack Prelutsky
  • 2011Oh No! (Or, How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat
  • 2012Earth to Clunk by Pam Smallcomb, illustrated by Joe Berger
  • 2013Oh No! Not Again!: (Or How I Built a Time Machine to Save History) (Or At Least My History Grade) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat
  • 2014Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown
  • 2015Max Goes to the Space Station by Jeffrey Bennett, illustrated by Michael Carroll
  • 2016Interstellar Cinderella, by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt
  • 2017Blip! written and illustrated by Barnaby Richards

Eleanor Cameron Award

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This award is given to chapter books and middle grade novels. The protagonists are science users and problem solvers. Occasionally, books with fantasy elements but a science fiction theme have won.

Whales on Stilts by M. T. Anderson, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus (Harcourt, 2005. ISBN 0-15-205340-9)
The Fran That Time Forgot by Jim Benton (Aladdin, ISBN 0-689-86298-9)
Shanghaied to the Moon by Michael J. Daley
Gravity Buster: Journal #2 of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch
  • 2009Lighter than Air by Henry Melton
  • 2010Z Rex by Steve Cole
  • 2011Alien Encounter by Pamela Service and Mike Gorman
  • 2012Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure #2: Mars! by Hena Kahn and David Borgenicht
  • 2013Alien on a Rampage from the Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast series by Clete Barrett Smith
  • 2014 – Two books from the Galaxy Zack series: Hello, Nebulon! and Journey to Juno by Ray O'Ryan and Colin Jack
  • 2015Ambassador by William Alexander
  • 2016Fuzzy Mud, by Louis Sacher

Hal Clement Award

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Hal Clement's own writings were not YA, but his high school science teaching career strongly connects him to the YA age group. The primary story elements are correct science with science fictional extrapolations and characters who solve problems on their own.

The Winds of Mars by H. M. Hoover
The Night Room by E. M. Goldman
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-439-02348-1)
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7653-1985-2)
A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber
A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Special awards

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  • 1997 Strong Female CharactersKipton and the Android by Charles L. Fontenay (Royal Fireworks Press, 1996)
  • 1999 Australian Contribution to Children's Science FictionGarth Nix
  • 2000 Promotion of ReadingHarry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
  • 2003 Best Science and Technology EducationTales from the Wonder Zone (entire series) by Julie E. Czerneda (Trifolium Books)
  • 2007 NonfictionWrite Your Own Science Fiction Story by Tish Farrell (Compass Point Books, 2006; ISBN 978-0-7565-1643-7)
  • 2008 NonfictionWorld of Science Fiction – 12 titles by John Hamilton (ABDO Publishing Company)
+ Stone Arch Books for publishing quality science fiction graphic novels
  • 2010 NonfictionYou Write It: Science Fiction by John Hamilton (ABDO Publishing Company)
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