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The OTTER Award

Announcing the 2026 WLA OTTER Award Nominees 

The OTTER Award – Our Time To Enjoy Reading – is sponsored by the Washington Library Association: School Libraries Division. Established in 2015, the committee is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 nominated titles.

Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Liz Garton Scanlon Bailey, illustrated by Dung Ho (Knopf Books for Young Readers / Penguin Random House)

First Day, Worst Day (The Very Worst Ever, Book 1) by Andy Nonamus, illustrated by Amy Jindra (Little Simon / Simon & Schuster)

Orris and Timble: The Beginning  By Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Carmen Mok (Candlewick)

Shermy & Shake, the Not-So-Nice Neighbor by Kirby Larson, illustrated by Shinja Fujioka (Candlewick)

Welcome to Scare School (Scare School Diaries 1) by Jarrett Lerner (Aladdin / Simon & Schuster)

Wildfire Rescue: A Branches Book (Disaster Squad #1) by Rekha S. Rajan, illustrated by Courtney Lovett (Scholastic)