We’re excited to share some big news—Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264 by Sands Hetherington has won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for Best Juvenile Fiction in the Summer 2025 awards!
Presented by the North American Bookdealers Exchange (NABE), the Pinnacle Awards recognize outstanding books each season across a wide range of categories. Winning in the Juvenile Fiction category is a wonderful honor that highlights what Night Buddies has always been about: encouraging kids to love reading through imaginative, wacky adventures they can’t put down.
Why This Award Matters
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Spotlight on Storytelling: Pinnacle judges look for creativity, originality, and quality in children’s literature—qualities that make Crosley and John’s adventures shine.
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Recognition for Young Readers: Awards like this help parents, teachers, and librarians find engaging, fun books to share with middle graders.
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Celebrating Imagination: From talking crocodiles to nighttime escapades, Night Buddies proves that the wildest stories can inspire even reluctant readers to pick up a book.
A Thank You to Our Readers
We couldn’t have done this without you! Every parent who’s read along, every teacher who’s shared Night Buddies in the classroom, and every kid who’s stayed up late to finish “just one more chapter”—this award is yours too.
And while we’re celebrating, we also encourage you to check out the other incredible winners on this year’s Pinnacle Awards list. The range of creativity and storytelling across all categories is inspiring, and we’re proud to be in such good company.
If you haven’t yet joined Crosley the crocodile and John on their latest escapade, now’s the perfect time. See why the Pinnacle judges named Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264 one of the best books in Juvenile Fiction this year.