The Golden Cowbell Book Award

 

The Golden Cowbell Book Award was created by the SGIS (Swiss Group of International Schools) Librarians as a means of promoting great literature and cross-cultural ties within the international school community of Switzerland. By reading a variety of nominated books each year, children in all participating international schools in Switzerland are given the opportunity to vote for their favourites. All votes are gathered from each of the participating schools and winning titles and authors are selected. Winning authors are then notified that they have won the coveted Golden Cowbell Award for that year! Voting takes place in May and in order to be eligible to vote, students must read at least 4 titles for the Brauveih (Younger Readers) books, and at least 3 titles for the Evolene (Upper Primary) books.  There are also two older readers categories Herens Category (ages 11-14) and Simmental Category (age 15+).

The library I visit each week has generously created stickers for the covers of their books which show awards given to each title. I just read El Deafo by Cece Bell. It has a Red Dot Award (2013); A Cybils Award (2014); Will Eisner Winner sticker 2015; and The Golden Cowbell Award (2016). El Deafo also received a Newbery Honor and a Charlotte Huck Award honor.  Here is the Kirkus review for El Deafo. 

I had not heard of the Golden Cowbell Award but now I discover this children's choice award has selected some wonderful titles. I think these awards began in 2013 or 2014. I was pleased to see I had read some of the past winners:

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Alone by Megan E Freeman

The Last Bear by Hannah Gold illustrated by Levi Pinfold

Potato Pants by Laurie Keller

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf

Beetle Boy by M G Leonard

The war that saved my life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's library by Chris Grabenstein

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Here are the current nominees for 2023-2024. I have talked about Owl Knight.