Celebrating the Unconventional
New for 2025 – Quirky Categories for Children’s Books, Too!
2nd Quarter 2025 International Firebird Book Awards
DEADLINE JUNE 30th
Exciting News! In addition to our usual book categories, we’ve added some fun and quirky options to the mix.
Open to first-time entrants and previous winners. Prior winners may re-enter their winning books into one or more of our new categories.
The International Firebird Book Awards are open to all!
Best Book Club Pick Award
Best Back Cover Award
Best Book Title Award
Best Book Trailer Award
Best Chapter Titles Award
Best for Reading Aloud Award
Best for Provoking Philosophical Discussions Award
Best Plot Twist Award
Best Unconventional Love Story Award
Favorite Book Title to Say Out Loud Award
Best Use of Poetry in a Novel Award
Best to Read While You Wait Award
Book that Feels Like a Work of Art Award
Most Unforgettable Opening Line Award
Most Heartwarming Award
Most Likely to Inspire a Sequel Award
Most Quotable Book Award
Most Likely to Make You Cry Award
Most Misleading Title Award
Best Underrepresented Perspective
Quirkiest Character Names Award
QUIRKY CHILDREN’S BOOK CATEGORIES
CELEBRATING CONTENT, ILLUSTRATIONS, & LAYOUT
CELEBRATING CONTENT
Epic Escapades Award
Books featuring exciting and daring adventures that go beyond the ordinary.
Fanciful Fun Award
Books that are simply fun, full of humor, and imagination.
Furry Friends Award
Books featuring animals that do extraordinary things.
Monster Mash-Up Award
Books about friendly or funny monsters who are a little out of the ordinary.
Mystery Mayhem Award
Books full of puzzling adventures and unexpected twists.
Out-of-the-Box Adventures Award
Books where characters do things in the most unexpected and creative ways.
Superheroes and Sidekicks Award
Books featuring ordinary kids with extraordinary powers or funny sidekicks who steal the show.
Unlikely Friendships Award
Books about unusual pairs of characters who form the most unexpected bonds.
Unlikely Heroes Award
Books where the hero is someone (or something) you least expect.
Whimsical Wonders Award
Books that are filled with magic, wonder, and quirky characters.
CELEBRATING ILLUSTRATIONS
Art that Pops Award
Books where the illustrations have a three-dimensional or lively feel, leaping off the page in exciting ways.
Artful Adventures Award
Books where the illustrations create their own narrative, making the artwork just as essential as the words.
Dazzling Details Award
Books with intricate, detailed illustrations.
Epic Expressions Award
Books where the characters’ emotions are captured with exceptional expressiveness through illustrations.
Illustration Innovation Award
Books with groundbreaking or unconventional illustration styles that push artistic boundaries.
Picture Perfect Pizzazz Award
Books where the illustrations steal the show, full of vibrant colors, dynamic scenes, and creative compositions.
Whimsical Wonders on Every Page Award
Books where every illustration feels like a magical or whimsical work of art.
CELEBRATING LAYOUT
Creative Composition Award
Books where the layout cleverly enhances the narrative with thoughtful arrangements of text and illustrations.
Dynamic Design Award
Books with layouts that feel energetic and full of movement, with text and illustrations that shift and change in exciting ways.
Interactive Impressions Award
Books where the layout invites interaction, such as flip pages, pop-ups, or dynamic designs that engage the reader in a fun, physical way.
Visual Vibes Award
Books where the layout is not only functional but also conveys the mood of the story through the use of space, color, and design.
Use the ENTRY FORM and PAY Block and enter as many quirky categories or traditional categories that best fit your book.
QUIRKY CATEGORIES WINNERS 4th QUARTER 2024
Best Back Cover – Miki Taylor
Best Book Club Pick – Jeannee Sacken – Loretta Goldberg – Marilea C. Rabasa and Gene Dunne – John Thomas Hoffman
Best Book Title – Kathy Finley –
Best Book Trailer – Debbie Berlin – Dina Greenberg – Jodi Lea Stewart – Betta Ferrendelli
Click the award boxes below to visit the trailers
Best Chapter Titles – John David Graham – Kathy Finley – Valerie Taylor
Best for Provoking Philosophical Discussion – Macaulay Christian
Best for Reading Aloud Award – Sarah Tinney
Best Plot Twist – Danissa Wilson – Iris Dorbian – Jodi Lea Stewart
Best Unconventional Love Story – Winona Howe – Valerie Taylor – Kahlani B. Steele
Best Use of Poetry in a Novel – R.W. Meek
Book that Feels Like a Work of Art – Kristi Shimada – C.O. MOED
Favorite Book Title to Say Out Loud – Charlotte Stuart – Ames Sheldon
Most Heartwarming – John Graham – Marilea C. Rabasa and Gene Dunne – Jodi Lea Stewart
Most Likely to Inspire a Sequel – Debbie Berlin – Franke James – Jeannee Sacken
Most Likely to Make You Cry – C.J. Hudson – C.O. Moed – Jasmine C. Caldwell
Most Quotable Book Award – John David Graham
Most Unforgettable Opening Line – Jodi Lea Stewart Gold – Lukman Clark – M.C. Ryder
Jodi Lea Stewart – I didn’t drown in the South China Sea holding Babe’s rooster in the air, but nearly.
Lukman Clark – In my thirty-first year, a monster from my youth contrived to get himself ordained as Bishop of Alexandria.
M.C. Ryder – Being human, sucks.
Most Unusual Setting – Jodi Lea Stewart
Quirky Categories Honorable Recognition
Best Book Club Pick – James Ciccone
Best Plot Twist – Jody Summers
Book Trailers Honorable Recognition in alphabetical order