The American Booksellers Book of the Year (ABBY) Award was established in 1991 to honor the "hidden treasures" that ABA bookstore members most enjoyed recommending to their customers during the previous year. The children's award was added in 1993. Four ABBY Honor Books also were designated in each category. Starting in 2000, the award was changed to the Booksellers Book of the Year (BSBY) Award.
Children's ABBY Winner: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling, illus. by Mary Grandpré
Children's ABBY Winner: The Hat, Jan Brett
Children's ABBY Winner: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Kevin Henkes
Children's ABBY Winner: Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney, illus. by Anita Jeram
Children's ABBY Winner: The Rainbow Fish, Marcus Pfister
1994 Adult Trade ABBY Winner: Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel
Children's ABBY Winner: Stellaluna, Janell Cannon
Children's ABBY Winner: Old Turtle, Douglas Wood, illus. by Cheng-Khee Chee
**Note:The Education of Little Tree was honored in April 1991 as an outstanding memoir. It was subsequently proved that author Forrest Carter was, in fact, Asa Earl Carter, an Alabama native, and that the account of his life was a hoax.