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The OWL Awards
Outstanding Works
Of Literature

bookpal owl awards

About The Awards

Our Outstanding Works of Literature (OWL) Awards spotlight the best books shaping society today. Every year, our book experts explore and assess the thousands of books published each year for titles that change the way organizations do business, educators create and teach curriculum, and communities understand and pursue wellbeing. We’ve done the work so you don’t have to! Come see what books of the year deserve to get noticed.

2024 Submissions are

Now Closed!

Stay tuned for our Longlist announcement 
hola papi the cost of knowing management mess think like a monk geraldine pu caste

How OWL Awards Work?

Submission Open

Publishers will submit nominations of noteworthy titles for the selected categories. Submissions open in August and close end of September.

Longlist Is Selected

Our team of book experts will carefully review each title submitted based on our criteria. Five books will move on to the next round.

Shortlisted Is Selected

The Longlist is narrowed down to the top three titles that deserve recognition for their unique impact.

Winners are Announced

One book per category is awarded the title of Outstanding Work of Literature!

Award Categories & Criteria

The Outstanding Works of Literature Awards are granted to titles that are, well... outstanding! They are impactful, distinguished, one-of-a-kind, admirable, and/or inspirational. Our categories were chosen based on topics that best resonate with the companies, schools, and organizations we partner with.

Business Categories

Business Categories

  • Big Idea
  • Leadership
  • Sales & Marketing
  • Management & Culture
  • Women in Business
kid reading

Education Categories

  • Picture Books
  • Elementary
  • Middle School
  • First Year Experience
  • Community Read
Award Criteria

Award Criteria

  • Originality
  • Engagement
  • Readability
  • Clarity
  • Relevancy

Winners Over The Years

Business

Big Idea

the-coming-wave

The Coming Wave

by Mustafa Suleyman
with Michael Bhaskar

Leadership

the-wisdom-of-the-bullfrog

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog

by Admiral William H. McRaven

Management & Culture

team-habits

Team Habits

by Charlie Gilkey

Sales & Marketing

creating-superfans

Creating Superfans

by Brittany Hodak

Women in Business

in-her-own-voice

In Her Own Voice

by Jennifer McCollum

Education

Picture Books

ninja-nate

Ninja Nate

by Markette Sheppard

Elementary

the-beach-dilemma

The Beach Dilemma

by Laura Wiltse Prior

Middle School

lasagna-means-i-love-you

Lasagna Means I Love You

by Kate O'Shaughnessy

First Year Experience

outsmart-your-brain

Outsmart Your Brain

by Daniel T. Willingham

Community Read

while-you-were-out

While You Were Out

by Meg Kissinger

Business

Big Idea

Stolen Focus

by Johann Hari

Leadership

Trust and Inspire

by Stephen M.R. Covey

Management & Culture

The Gift of Influence

by Tommy Spaulding

Sales & Marketing

Unreasonable Hospitality

by Will Guidara

Women in Business

Secrets of the Sprakkar

by Eliza Reid

Education

Picture Books

Out of a Jar

by Deborah Marcero

Elementary

Thirst

by Varsha Bajaj

Middle School

New From Here

by Kelly Yang

First Year Experience

Solito

by Javier Zamora

Community Read

Just Pursuit

by Laura Coates

Business

Big Idea

Rebel Ideas

by Matthew Syed

Leadership

Bringing Up the Boss

by Rachel Pacheco

Management & Culture

Just Work

Just Work

by Kim Scott

Sales & Marketing

Get Different

Get Different

by Mike Michalowicz

Women in Business

My Life in Full

My Life in Full

by Indra Nooyi

Education

Picture Books

The 1619 Project

The 1619 Project

by Nikole Hannah-Jones,
Renée Watson,
& Nikkolas Smith

Elementary

Gerladine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too!

Gerladine Pu and Her
Lunch Box, Too!

by Maggie P. Chang

Middle School

Dead Wednesday

Dead Wednesday

by Jerry Spinelli

High School

The Cost of Knowing

The Cost of Knowing

by Brittney Morris

Advanced Reading

We Are Not Like Them

We Are Not Like Them

by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza

Miscellaneous

Health & Wellness

What Happened to You?

What Happened to You?

by Oprah Winfrey &
Bruce D. Perry

Gift & Special Interest

Per My Last Email

Per My Last Email

by Stephanie K. Wright

Religion

Pillars

Pillars

by Rachel Pieh Jones

Politics & Current Events

The Sum of Us

The Sum of Us

by Heather McGhee

Biography & Memoir

Hola Papi

Hola Papi

by John Paul Brammer

Business

Big Idea

The Future is Faster Than You Think

The Future is Faster
Than You Think

by Peter H. Diamandis
& Steve Kotler

Leadership

Leading with Gratitude

Leading with Gratitude

by Adrian Gostick &
Chester Elton

Management & Culture

The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias

The Leader's Guide to
Unconscious Bias

by Pamela Fuller, Mark
Murphy, & Anne Chow

Sales & Marketing

The Forever Transaction

The Forever Transaction

by Robbie Kellman Baxter

Women in Business

Unapologetically Ambitious

Unapologetically Ambitious

by Shellye Archambeau

Education

Picture Books

I Am Every Good Thing

I Am Every Good Thing

by Derrick Barnes &
Gordon C. James

Elementary

Tune It Out

Tune It Out

by Jamie Sumner

Middle School

When Stars Are Scattered

by Victoria Jamieson &
Omar Mohamed

High School

We Are Not Free

We Are Not Free

by Traci Chee

Advanced Reading

Transcendent Kingdom

Transcendent Kingdom

by Yaa Gyasi

Miscellaneous

Health & Wellness

Think Like a Monk

Think Like a Monk

by Jay Shetty

Gift & Special Interest

The 99% Invisible City

The 99% Invisible City

by Roman Mars & Kurt
Kohlstedt

Religion

We Are Called to Be a Movement

We Are Called to Be a
Movement

by William J. Barber

Politics & Current Events

Caste

Caste

by Isabel Wilkerson

Biography & Memoir

Untamed

Untamed

by Glennon Doyle

Business

Big Idea

Indistractable

Indistractable

by Nir Eyal

Leadership

Management Mess to Leadership Success

Management Mess to
Leadership Success

by Scott Jeffrey Miller

Management & Culture

The Remix

The Remix

by Lindsey Pollak

Sales & Marketing

The Iconist

The Iconist

by Jamie Mustard

Women in Business

Everything is Figureoutable

Everything is
Figureoutable

by Marie Forleo

Education

Picture Books

Sulwe

Sulwe

by Lupita Nyong'o &
Vashti Harrison

Elementary

Guts

Guts

by Raina Telgemeier

Middle School

The Boy at the Back of the Class

The Boy at the Back of
the Class

by Onjali Q. Raúf

High School

Scars Like Wings

Scars Like Wings

by Erin Stewart

Advanced Reading

I'm Telling the Truth, But I'm Lying

I'm Telling the Truth,
But I'm Lying: Essays

by Bassey Ikpi

Miscellaneous

Health & Wellness

Permission to Feel

Permission to Feel

by Marc Brackett

Gift & Special Interest

1,000 Places to See Before You Die

1,000 Places to See
Before You Die
(Deluxe Edition)

by Patricia Schultz

Religion

Holy Envy

Holy Envy

by Barbara Brown Taylor

Politics & Current Events

The Threat

The Threat

by Andrew G. McCabe

Biography & Memoir

They Called Us Enemy

They Called Us Enemy

by George Takei,
Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott,
& Harmony Becker

Category Winners

Business

The Culture Code

The Culture Code

by Daniel Coyle

Children's Literature

Llamaphones

Llamaphones

by Janik Coat

Wellness

This is Me

This is Me

by Chrissy Metz

Religion

The Third Option

The Third Option

by Miles McPherson

Politics & Current Events

When They Call You a Terrorist

When They Call You a
Terrorist

by Patrisse Khan-Cullors
& asha bandele

Category Winners

Business

The Power of Moments

The Power of Moments

by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

Education

The Fire This Time

The Fire This Time

edited by Jesmyn Ward

Health

When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air

by Paul Kalanithi