It all started with the lemon pie, or so the story goes. The Guild's founders were three authors of children's books who met while working at adjoining desks in the Library of Congress Reading Room. The new friends lunched together in the cafeteria on Fridays (lemon pie day) to discuss their work. Before long they invited other writers and children's book specialists to join them, and . . .
The Guild was founded in 1945 as a professional organization to serve the community by promoting high standards in children's literature and to encourage the love of good books. Today there are over seventy active Guild members. About fifty are established authors, illustrators, and specialists in the field. Others represent public and school library systems, bookstores, and educational and governmental entities.
Over the years the Guild has initiated a number of projects, including Book Fairs (1950's) and the establishment of libraries in the District of Columbia's elementary schools (early 1960's.) The Guild, in connection with Montgomery College, sponsored seminars on children's literature for many years, and its Speakers Bureau recommends authors and illustrators for appearances at schools and book-related events. The Guild has sponsored seminars on writing and illustrating children's books with the Smithsonian Resident Associates and continues to collaborate with the National Museum of Women in the Arts on an annual Festival of Books for families.
The Guild also established The Washington Post-Children's Book Guild award for Nonfiction. This had its origins in 1977 when the Guild inaugurated an annual award "honoring an author or author-illustrator whose total work has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children." Since 1983 The Washington Post has joined in its sponsorship. The award's honorees have been:
- 1983: Patricia Lauber
- 1984: Jill Krementz
- 1985: Isaac Asimov
- 1986: Kathryn Lasky
- 1987: Gail Gibbons
- 1988: Jim Arnosky
- 1989: Leonard Everett Fisher
- 1990: Brent Ashabranner
- 1991: Joanna Cole
- 1992: Russell Freedman
- 1993: Seymour Simon
- 1994: Jim Haskins
- 1995: Albert Marrin
- 1996: James Cross Giblin
- 1997: Rhoda Blumberg
- 1998: Jean Craighead George
- 1999: Laurence Pringle
- 2000: Diane Stanley
- 2001: Jim Murphy
- 2002: George Ancona
- 2003: Steve Jenkins
- 2004: Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
- 2005: Caroline Arnold
- 2006: Sneed B. Collard III
- 2007: Doreen Rappaport