| 2025 | Black Star | Coretta Scott King Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Honor · Author | |
| 2025 | How Sweet the Sound | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Kids | |
| 2025 | J vs. K | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2025 | How Sweet the Sound: A Soundtrack for America | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books for Youth: Young Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | How Sweet the Sound | Horn Book Fanfare source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | How Sweet the Sound | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2024 | An American Story | Coretta Scott King Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Illustrator | |
| 2024 | The Door of No Return | CILIP Carnegie Medals (Writing and Kate Greenaway Illustration) source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Carnegie Medal for Writing | |
| 2024 | Black Star | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Fiction for Older Readers | |
| 2024 | Black Star | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2024 | Black Star | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2023 | An American Story | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Kids | |
| 2023 | An American Story | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Informational Books for Younger Readers | |
| 2023 | An American Story | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2023 | An American Story | Horn Book Fanfare source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2023 | An American Story | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2023 | An American Story | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2023 | How to Write a Poem | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2023 | How to Write a Poem | School Library Journal Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Poetry | |
| 2022 | The Door of No Return | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Kids | |
| 2022 | The Door of No Return | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Fiction for Older Readers | |
| 2022 | The Door of No Return | Horn Book Fanfare source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2022 | The Door of No Return | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2022 | The Door of No Return | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2020 | The Undefeated | Coretta Scott King Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Illustrator | |
| 2020 | The Undefeated | Randolph Caldecott Medal source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Picture Book | |
| 2020 | The Undefeated | John Newbery Medal source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Honor · Children's Literature | |
| 2020 | The Undefeated | CILIP Carnegie Medals (Writing and Kate Greenaway Illustration) source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Kate Greenaway Medal for Illustration | |
| 2020 | Becoming Muhammad Ali | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2020 | Becoming Muhammad Ali | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | Kirkus Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Young Readers' Literature | |
| 2019 | Rebound | CILIP Carnegie Medals (Writing and Kate Greenaway Illustration) source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Carnegie Medal for Writing | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | National Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Young People's Literature | |
| 2019 | How to Read a Book | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Picture Books | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Picture Books | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Kids | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Informational Books for Younger Readers | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books for Youth: Nonfiction, Middle Readers | |
| 2019 | The Crossover | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | School Library Journal Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2019 | How To Read a Book | School Library Journal Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2019 | How to Read a Book | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2019 | The Undefeated | Horn Book Fanfare source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Poetry | |
| 2018 | Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets | Coretta Scott King Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Illustrator | |
| 2018 | Rebound | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Poetry | |
| 2018 | Rebound | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Fiction for Older Readers | |
| 2018 | Rebound | Horn Book Fanfare source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2017 | Solo | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Poetry | |
| 2017 | Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Informational Books for Older Readers | |
| 2017 | Out Of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2017 | Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books for Youth: Nonfiction, Middle Readers | |
| 2017 | Out of Wonder | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2017 | Solo | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Teen | |
| 2016 | Booked | National Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Young People's Literature | |
| 2016 | Booked | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Poetry | |
| 2016 | Booked | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2016 | Booked | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2016 | Surf’s Up | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Picture Books | |
| 2015 | The Crossover | John Newbery Medal source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Children's Literature | |
| 2015 | The Crossover | Coretta Scott King Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Honor · Author | |
| 2014 | The Crossover | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Middle Grade & Children's | |
| 2014 | The Crossover | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Kids | |
| 2014 | The Crossover | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Fiction for Older Readers | |
| 2014 | The Crossover | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2014 | The Crossover | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2014 | The Crossover | School Library Journal Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |