2026 Southern California Book Festival Announces Awards

Stories of Jesus by Karna Bodman Winner Best Children’s Book

LOS ANGELES_ Headline Books titles, Stories of Jesus by Karna, named Winner for Best Children’s Book in the 2026 Southern California Book Festival, which honors the best books of the fall! Runners Up in the category include The Heart of a Leader by Dr. Josh McConkey, illustrated by Joseph Yakovetic and It’s Okay to Have Feelings by Patricia Miller. Honorable Mention goes to Lawrence Likes to Dance by Don Stansberry.

Other Headline Books titles winning awards include:

GENERAL NONFICTION:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Hardy’s Heroes: Book 2 – The War After June 6, 1944, D-Day – Rick Shockey

GENERAL FICTION:

RUNNERS-UP:

• Under Strange, Strange Skies – Don Stansberry

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Breathe Easy – Tammy Donahue
• GENE-IUS – Sharon L. Wenger
• The Return of the Flying Boat – Dale Morton
• Charlie’s Wings – Karl L. Stewart
• The Pulse of the City – C.D. “Tony” Hylton III

CHILDREN’S BOOKS:

WINNER: Stories of Jesus – Kama Bodman

RUNNERS-UP:

• It’s Okay to Have Feelings – Patricia L. Miller
• The Heart of a Leader – Dr. Josh McConkey

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Lawrence Likes to Dance – Don Stansberry

REGIONAL LITERATURE:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Can Skinwalkers Swim? – Michael Wescott Loder

The story of a young pastry chef’s struggles to establish herself in a major L.A. kitchen is the top book. See all the winners here https://www.southerncaliforniabookfestival.com/