2024 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

The 2024 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction went to L.M. Elliott for Bea and the New Deal Horse. Set during the Great Depression, the novel follows a girl whose bond with a remarkable horse, and with the people who come to feel like family, carries her through a difficult time. As is usual for this award, the committee chose a single winner and named no honor books. The selection committee was chaired by Maria Trivisonno of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, and the award was announced by Kent State University's Reinberger Children's Library Center, which has run the prize since 2022. The winning author receives $5,000.