| 2025 | The Poisoned King | The Telegraph Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2025 | The Poisoned King | Mint Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books for Young Readers | |
| 2025 | The Poisoned King | The Guardian Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Children's | |
| 2025 | The Poisoned King | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | Barnes & Noble Book of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Children's Book of the Year | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | British Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Children's Fiction Book of the Year | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | Barnes & Noble Book of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Book of the Year | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | Wainwright Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Children's Writing on Nature and Conservation | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | The New Yorker Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Also Recommended | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Kids | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Fiction for Older Readers | |
| 2024 | The Zebra's Great Escape | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Fiction for Younger Readers | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2024 | Impossible Creatures | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2023 | Impossible Creatures | Waterstones Book of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Book of the Year | |
| 2023 | Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne | British Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Non-Fiction: Narrative Book of the Year | |
| 2023 | The Golden Mole: And Other Living Treasure | Wainwright Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Nature Writing | |
| 2023 | The Golden Mole | British Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Non-Fiction: Lifestyle & Illustrated Book of the Year | |
| 2023 | The Zebra's Great Escape | Wainwright Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Children's Writing on Nature and Conservation | |
| 2023 | Impossible Creatures | The Telegraph Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2022 | Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne | Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Non-Fiction | |
| 2022 | The Golden Mole | Waterstones Book of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Book of the Year | |
| 2022 | Super-Infinite | The Wall Street Journal Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · 10 Best Books | |
| 2022 | Super-Infinite | The New Yorker Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Also Recommended | |
| 2022 | Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne | Chicago Tribune Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2022 | Super-Infinite | The Guardian Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Biography and memoir | |
| 2022 | Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne | Financial Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Literary non-fiction | |
| 2022 | Super-Infinite | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2022 | Super-Infinite | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2021 | The Book of Hope | British Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Children's Illustrated & Non-Fiction Book of the Year | |
| 2020 | The Book of Hopes | Waterstones Book of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Book of the Year | |
| 2020 | The Good Thieves | British Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Children's Fiction Book of the Year | |
| 2020 | The Book of Hopes | The Guardian Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Children's and young adult | |
| 2019 | The Good Thieves | The Telegraph Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2018 | Into the Jungle | The Telegraph Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2017 | The Explorer | Costa Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Children's | |
| 2017 | The Explorer | The Telegraph Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2017 | One Christmas Wish | The Guardian Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Children's | |
| 2016 | The Wolf Wilder | The Irish Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books of the Year | |
| 2015 | Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms | Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Fiction and Poetry | |
| 2015 | The Wolf Wilder | The Telegraph Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2015 | The Wolf Wilder | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books for Youth: Fiction, Middle Readers | |
| 2014 | Rooftoppers | CILIP Carnegie Medals (Writing and Kate Greenaway Illustration) source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Carnegie Medal for Writing | |
| 2014 | Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms | School Library Journal Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |
| 2013 | Rooftoppers | School Library Journal Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2013 | Rooftoppers | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Middle Grade | |