The Awards

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CLEL Bell Awards

Awarded annually to books published in English for ages 0-5

Los Premios de CLEL Bell

Awarded bi-annually to books published in Spanish for ages 0-5

About

The CLEL Bell Awards are a recognition of five high-quality children’s books that provide excellent support of early literacy development in young children ages 0-5. Awards are given in the categories for the five early literacy practices – read, write, sing, talk and play (leer, escribir, cantar, hablar and jugar).

You can read more about these winning titles and access early literacy activity sheets on our winners pages for each award. The five winners are selected from a shortlist of 25 honored titles. The 25 titles in each shortlist are chosen from nominations put forward by our committees.

The English CLEL Bell Awards are awarded annually to books published in English.

Los Premios de CLEL Bell, or Spanish CLEL Bell Awards are awarded bi-annually to books published in Spanish.

To learn more about the awards criteria, award timelines, committees, winning titles, how to suggest a title and more, please visit the pages for each award (English, Spanish).

Our Mission

In support of the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) mission to strengthen children’s literacy through library services and community advocacy, the Bell Awards will:

  • Provide recognition to authors, illustrators, and publishers
  • Recognize children’s books that provide excellent support of early literacy development in young children ages 0-5
  • Serve as a collection development, program planning, and early literacy information resource for librarians, educators, and caregivers

News and Announcements

Announcing the 2025 English CLEL Bell Award Winners

We are pleased to announce the five winning picture books that exemplify the early literacy practices READ, WRITE, TALK, SING, and PLAY. Winners were selected from a 25-title shortlist put forth by the CLEL Bell Awards committee.

Each winning title also has an activity sheet with early literacy information to support librarians and caregivers promote early literacy for young children.

Announcing the 2025 English CLEL Bell Award Shortlist

We are pleased to announce the shortlist titles for the annual CLEL Bell Awards. The 2025 year was historic in its submissions and nominations, seeing a diverse array of titles that meet our criteria and celebrate the joys of early childhood. 

This shortlist of 25 titles, five for each early literacy practice – READ, WRITE, TALK, SING, and PLAY – was chosen from 122 nominations put forward by our committee.

Book cover images for 2025 Shortlist for CLEL Bells Awards

Announcing the 2024 Spanish CLEL Bell Awards – Las Campanitas de Plata

The Spanish CLEL Bell Committee is proud to announce the Silver Bells Award: Campanitas de Plata.

Patterned after the Silver Bells, which were awarded in 2013, the Campanitas de Plata are Spanish language books published within the previous 15 years, and still in print in 2023, that the Spanish CLEL Bell Awards Selection Committee consider to be excellent representations of the Bell Awards Selection Criteria. They serve as a recommended list for libraries and families alike seeking strong titles, specifically in Spanish, for young children from birth to age 5.


History

2013 – CLEL created the CLEL Bell Awards. The CLEL Bell Awards Committee named the Silver Bells for honorary titles from the previous 25 years.

2014 – The first annual CLEL Bell Award Winners and Shortlist were awarded (for English language books).

2024 – The CLEL Bell Awards celebrated 10 years! The Awards Committee formed separate committees to honor books in English and books in Spanish. Los Premios de CLEL Bell (the Spanish CLEL Bell Awards) was formed and its committee named Las Campanitas de Plata for honorary titles from the previous 15 years.


​How Can I Get Involved?

Be part of the conversation to support for early literacy in your community – join our professional community!

Here are a few ways to participate:

We intend for the CLEL Bell Awards to encourage professional conversation about excellent children’s books and to provide creative ideas for sharing titles with children and families in ways that support early literacy development. We value your contribution to these conversations!