'Counting Winter' wins 2025 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book have announced the 2025 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, presented annually to an American poet or anthologist for the most outstanding new book of poetry for children published in the previous calendar year. This year’s winner is “Counting Winter,” written by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Claudia McGehee and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. 

“A sensory delight for young children and adults alike, Ms. Carlstrom's poetry for children was a standout.” said one judge. “Counting Winter showcases melodic, expressive poetry that portrays the serenity and wonder of Alaska’s winter landscape. Her succinct verses incorporate striking imagery and subtle repetition, establishing a gentle rhythm that echoes the movements of the animals she depicts and the chilly weather she describes.” 

The author will be awarded a $1,000 prize, courtesy of Lee Bennett Hopkins’ estate, and an engraved commemorative. 

Additionally, judges named one honor book: “Black Girl You Are Atlas,” written by Renée Watson, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House. 

A judge said, “Renée Watson’s ‘Black Girl You are Atlas’ is a powerful and lyrical exploration of Black girlhood, using diverse poetic forms to convey resilience, identity, and cultural strength. Her evocative language and masterful storytelling create deeply moving verses that honor both personal and collective experiences. A vital contribution to contemporary poetry, this collection affirms the beauty and complexity of Black identity while showcasing Watson’s exceptional poetic craft.” 

The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award was named for the late internationally renowned educator, poet, anthologist and passionate advocate of poetry for young people. Established in 1993, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award was the first of its kind in the United States. The Pennsylvania Center for the Book and Penn State University Libraries share joint administration of the annual award, and its winning titles are selected by a panel of authors, librarians, teachers and scholars. 

The 2025 judges for the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award are Karla M. Schmit, Penn State education librarian emerita and director emerita of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Oakes, North Dakota (chair); Dr. Wan Hsiang, Chou, author, translator, and blogger/reviewer, San Jose, California; Leslie Helakoski, author/illustrator, Lafayette, Louisiana; Dr. Timothy Vetere, Clinical Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and ESOL/Bilingual Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Camille-Yvette Welsch, Teaching Professor of English, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. 

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book established in 1977 at the Library of Congress, encourages Pennsylvania’s citizens and residents to study, honor, celebrate and promote books, reading, libraries and literacy. In addition to the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, it administers A Baker’s Dozen: The Thirteen Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, and the interactive Literary & Cultural Heritage Map of Pennsylvania. 

For more information about the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award, contact Ellysa Cahoy, director of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, at ellysa@psu.edu or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website.