2023 Youth Media Awards

 

 

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature: 

 Winner: Freewater  written by Amina Luqman-Dawson 

 

 Honor Books: 1. Iveliz Explains It All written by Andrea Beatriz Arango; 2. The Last Mapmaker written by Christina Soontornvat; and 3. Maizy Chen’s Last Chance written by Lisa Yee.

 

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children: 

 

Winner: Hot Dog illustrated and written by Doug Salati     

 

Honor Books: 1. Ain’t Burned All the Bright illustrated by Jason Griffin, written by Jason Reynolds; 2. Berry Song illustrated and written by Michaela Goade;  3.  Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement illustrated by Janelle Washington, written by Angela Joy;  Knight Owl illustrated and written by Christopher Denise

 

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

 

    Printz Winner: All My Rage written by Sabaa Tahir

 

    Printz Honor Books: 1. Scout’s Honor written by Lily Anderson

     2. Icebreaker written by A.L.Graziadei 

     3. When the Angels Left the Old Country written by Sacha Lamb  

    4. Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

 

 

Coretta Scott King (Author and Illustrator) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults.     

 

King Author Winner: Freewater written by Amina Luqman-Dawson 

 

King Author Honor Books: 1. Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler written by Ibi Zoboi;  2. The Talk written by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu;  3. Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile  

 

King Illustrator Winner: Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Carole Boston Weatherford  

 

King Illustrator Honor Books: 1. Me and the Boss: A Story about Mending and Love illustrated by April Harrison, written by Michelle Edwards;  2. Swim Team illustrated and written by Johnnie Christmas;  3. Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author/Illustrator Awards:

 

 Winner Steptoe Author: We Deserve Monuments written by Jas Hammonds

 

 Winner Steptoe Illustrator: Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement illustrated by Janelle Washington

 

 

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: 

 

    Schneider Winner for Young children (ages 0 to 8): How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion written by Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth; Honor book:  In the Blue written and illustrated by Erin Hourigan 

  

    Schneider Winner for Middle grade children (ages 9-13): Wildoak written by C.C. Harrington 

Honor books:  1. Hummingbird written by Natalie Lloyd; 2. Honestly Elliott written by Gillian McDunn

 

    Schneider winner for young adults: The Words We Keep written by Erin Stewart. Honor book: Breathe and Count Back from Ten written by Natalia Sylvester

 

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

• A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin
• Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang
• Chef’s Kiss written by Jarrett Melendez, illustrated by Danica Brine
• Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
• Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora
• The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere written and illustrated by James Spooner 
• The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
• True Biz by Sara Nović
• Wash Day Diaries written by Jamila Rowser, illustrated by Robyn Smith 

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: 

 

The 2023 winner is Jason Reynolds, whose books include: “Long Way Down,” “Ghost,” “All American Boys” and “When I Was the Greatest,” among other titles.

 

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States: 

 

Batchelder winner: Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II was published in Italian as “Una bambina e basta. Raccontata agli altri bambini e basta written by Lia Levi, illustrated by Jess Mason, translated by Sylvia Notini. Honor books: 1. Different: A Story of the Spanish Civil War written by Mónica Montañés, illustrated by Eva Sánchez Gómez and translated by Lawrence Schimel; 2. Dragonfly Eyes written by Cao Wenxuan and translated by Helen Wang; 3. João by a
Thread written and illustrated by Roger Mello and translated by Daniel Hahn.
 

Odyssey Award for the best audiobooks produced for children and young adults, available in English in the United States:

 

Odyssey award for children winner: Stuntboy, in the Meantime written by Jason Reynolds and narrated by Guy Lockard, Nile Bullock and Angel Pean with a full cast. 

 

Odyssey award winner for young adults: The Honeys written by Ryan La Sala and narrated by Pete Cross.

  

Odyssey Honor Audiobooks: 1. The Three Billy Goats Gruff retold and narrated by Mac
Barnett; 2. Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel written by Leigh Bardugo, adaptation by
Garet Scott and narrated by Ben Barnes and a full cast; 3. Inheritance: A Visual Poem written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo; and 4. The First Helping (Lunch Lady Books 1 & 2) written Jarrett J. Krosoczka and narrated by Kate Flannery, the authorand a full cast.

 

Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latinx writers and illustrators whose children's and young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: 

 

Pura Belpré Youth Illustration Award winner: Where Wonder Grows illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia written by Xelena González. 

 

Belpré Youth Illustration Honor Books: 1. The Coquíes Still Sing illustrated by Krystal
Quiles, written by Karina Nicole González; 2. A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh; 3.Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land illustrated and written by Mirelle Ortega; 4. Phenomenal AOC: The Roots and Rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez illustrated by Loris Lora, written by Anika Aldamuy Denise; 5. Srta. Quinces illustrated and written by Kat Fajardo; 6. Still Dreaming / Seguimos soñando illustrated by Magdalena Mora, written by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez, translated by Luis Humberto Crosthwaite.
 

Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award winner: Frizzy written by Claribel A. Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra.

 

Belpré Children’s Author Honor Books:  1. The Coquíes Still Sing written by Karina
Nicole González, illustrated by Krystal Quiles; 2. The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border written by Stephen Briseño, illustrated by Magdalena Mora; 3. Tumble written by Celia C. Pérez.

 

Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award winner: Burn Down, Rise Up written by Vincent Tirado.

  

Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Book: 1. Breathe and Count Back from Ten written by Natalia Sylvester; 2. High Spirits written by Camille Gomera-Tavarez; 3. The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School written by Sonora Reyes.

 
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:

  

Sibert Award winner: Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams’s Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration written by Elizabeth Partridge and illustrated by Lauren Tamaki.

  

Sibert Honor Books: 1. Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till
Sparked the Civil Rights Movement written by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington; 2. A Seed Grows written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis; 3. Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott written by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie; 4. The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs written by Chana Stiefel, illustrated by Susan Gal. 

 

Stonewall Book Awards - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.

  

Stonewall Book Award winner for children's literature: Love, Violet written by Charlotte Sullivan Wild, illustrated by Charlene Chua.
 

Stonewall Honor Books for children’s literature: 1. In the Key of Us written by Mariama J.Lockington; 2. Kapaemahu written by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, illustrated by Daniel Sousa; 3. The Real Riley Mayes written and illustrated by Rachel Elliott; 4. Strong written by Rob Kearney & Eric Rosswood, illustrated by Nidhi Chanani.  

 

Stonewall Book Award winner for young adults: When the Angels Left the Old Country written by Sacha Lamb.

  

Honor Books for Young Adult Literature: 1. I Kissed Shara Wheeler written by Casey McQuiston; 2. Kings of B’more written by R. Eric Thomas; 3. Man o’ War written by Cory McCarthy; 4. The Summer of Bitter and Sweet written by Jen Ferguson (Métis/white)

 
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book: 

 

Geisel Award winner: I Did It! written and illustrated by Michael Emberley.
 

Geisel Honor Books: 1. Fish and Wave written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier; 2.

Gigi and Ojiji written and illustrated by Melissa Iwai; 3. Owl and Penguin written and illustrated by Vikram Madan; 4. A Seed Grows written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:

  

Morris Award winner: The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen written by Isaac Blum.

 

Morris finalists: 1. The Summer of Bitter and Sweet written by Jen Ferguson (Métis/white); 2. Wake the Bones written by Elizabeth Kilcoyne; 3. The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School written by Sonora
Reyes; 4. Hell Followed with Us written by Andrew Joseph White.

 

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: 

 

Excellence award winner: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile.

  

Finalists for the award: 1. Abuela, Don't Forget Me by Rex Ogle; 2. American Murderer: The
Parasite that Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow; 3. A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome by Ariel Henley; 4. Unequal: A Story of America by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau.

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit. The award offers three youth categories including Picture Book, Children’s Literature and Youth Literature. 

 

The Picture Book winner is: From the Tops of the Trees written by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by
Rachel Wada. 

 

Picture Book honor title: Nana, Nenek & Nina written and illustrated by Liza Ferneyhough..
 

The Children’s Literature winner is: Maizy Chen's Last Chance written by Lisa Yee.

 

Children’s Literature honor title: Troublemaker written by John Cho, with Sarah Suk. 

 

The Youth Literature winner is: Himawari House written and illustrated by Harmony Becker.

 

The Youth Literature honor title: The Silence that Binds Us written by Joanna Ho. 

 

The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. 

 

This year’s Gold Medalists include: 

• Picture Book winner: The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs by Chana Stiefel, illustrated by Susan Galand. 
• Middle Grade winner: Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe. 
• Young Adult winner: When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb. 

Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medalists include:

• Picture Book honors: 1. Big Dreams, Small Fish; 2. The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda by Shoshana Nambi, illustrated by Moran Yogev; 3. Sitting Shiva by Erin Silver, illustrated by Michelle Theodore. 
• Middle Grade honors: 1. Honey and Me by Meira Drazin; 2. Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack; 3. Ellen Outside the Lines by A. J. Sass.   
• Young Adult honors: 1. My Fine Fellow: A Delicious Entanglement by Jennieke Cohen; 2. Some Kind of Hate by Sarah Darer Littman; 3. Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds.

Books from this lists that I read and recommend:

• All the Rage (Printz Award)
  
• Ain't Burned All the Bright (Caldecott Medal)
• Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler (King Author Honor)
• Victory! Stand: Raising My Fist for Justice (King Author Honor; King Illustrator Honor; YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award winner)
• Inheritance: a Visual Poem (Odyssey Honor Audiobook)
• Abuela, Don't Forget Me (YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults finalist)
• Jason Reynolds (Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, most recent book I read by him -- My Name is Jason. Mine too. : Our Story. Our Way.)

Long gone are the days when I would attempt to read as many of these titles, especially the YA ones, but I shall mine this list of award winners for future reading options.

-Anne