These Books For Children, Tweens, and Teens Just Won Some Serious Awards
For those passionate about youth literature, the annual Youth Media Awards presented by librarians who are part of the American Library Association are like the Grammys, the Emmys, and the Oscars all at once. Over the course of the last year, librarians have dedicated their time and energy to reading a LOT of books. They engage in lively discussions about the requirements of the award for which they’re reading in order to determine which books deserve to be crowned the best of the best.
This year’s Youth Media Awards were presented on January 27, 2024. Here are the winners in a number of categories. Below the name of the award is a short description of what that award honors.
John Newbery Medal
This award honors the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children in a given year.
- Winner: The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
- Honors: Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar; Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller; One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome; and The Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Randolph Caldecott Medal
This award is given to the artist/illustrator for the most distinguished American picture book for children.
- Winner: Chooch Helped illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz, written by Andrea L. Rogers
- Honors: Home in a Lunchbox illustrated and written by Cherry Mo; My Daddy Is a Cowboy illustrated by CG Esperanza; Noodles on a Bicycle illustrated by Gracey Zhang; and Up, Up, Ever Up illustrated by Yuko Shimizu
Michael L. Printz Award
This award honors the most distinguished work of young adult literature in a year.
- Winner: Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia
- Honors: Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo; Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White; The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag; and Road Home by Rex Ogle
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
This award honors the author and illustrator of the best American book for beginning readers. It must be published in English in the US
- Winner: Vacation by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Mark Teague
- Honors: Fox versus Fox written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor and Towed by Toad written and illustrated by Jashar Awan
Children’s Literature Legacy Award
This award honors an author or an illustrator whose work has made a lasting contribution to literature for children.
- Winner: Carole Boston Weatherford
ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture Award
This honors a writer, critic, researcher, or other devotee of children’s literature with the opportunity to prepare a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children’s literature.
- Winner: Cynthia Leitich Smith
Margaret A. Edwards Award
This award is presented for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults.
- Winner: Tiffany D. Jackson
Robert F. Sibert Medal
This award honors the author and illustrator of the most distinguished informational book published in the US in English.
- Winner: Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Jason Chin
- Honors: Call Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos written by Nathalie Alonso, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez; The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II written by Candace Fleming; The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival written by Estelle Nadel and Sammy Savos with Bethany Strout, illustrated by Sammy Savos; and Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills written by Billy Mills and Donna Janell Bowman, illustrated by S.D. Nelson
Mildred L. Batchelder Award
This award goes to the publisher for a book published for children considered to be an outstanding contribution to translated literature.
- Winner: John the Skeleton, published by Yonder, an imprint of Restless Books for Young Readers, written by Triinu Laan, illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats, and translated by Adam Cullen
- Honors: Home published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, written and illustrated by Isabelle Simler and translated by Vineet Lal; Johnny, the Sea, and Me, published by Enchanted Lion Books, written by Melba Escobar, illustrated by Elizabeth Builes and translated by Sara Lissa Paulson; Mr. Lepron’s Mystery Soup published by Candlewick Studio and written by Giovanna Zoboli, illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio and translated by Denise Muir; and A Sleepless Night published by Transit Children’s Editions, written by Micaela Chirif, illustrated by Joaquín Camp and translated by Jordan Landsman.
Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
These awards honor the best in children’s literature about Asian American and Pacific Islander American culture and heritage.
- Picture Book Winner: Aloha Everything by Kaylin Melia George, illustrated by Mae Waite
- Picture Book Honor: The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Jiemei Lin
- Children’s Literature Winner: Continental Drifter written and illustrated by Kathy MacLeod
- Children’s Literature Honors: Mabuhay! written and illustrated by Zachary Sterling and Clairboyance by Kristiana Kahakauwila
- Young Adult Winner: Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
- Young Adult Honors: Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by LeUyen Pham and Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Sydney Taylor Book Awards
These awards honor the best in Jewish literature, highlighting the Jewish experience, for young readers.
- Gold Medalist for Picture Books: An Etrog from Across the Sea by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen
- Silver Medalists for Picture Books: Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan’s Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finkelstein, illustrated by Vesper Stamper; Joyful Song: A Naming Story by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal; Rising by Sidura Ludwig, illustrated by Sophia Vincent Guy; and The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig
- Gold Medalist for Middle Grade Literature: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel and Sammy Savos with Bethany Strout, illustrated by Sammy Savos
- Silver Medalists for Middle Grade Literature: Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar; Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy; and Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass
- Gold Medalist for Young Adult Literature: Night Owls by A.R. Vishny
- Silver Medalists for Young Adult Literature: The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb and Trajectory by Cambria Gordon
Pura Belpré Awards
These awards honors Latine authors and illustrators whose work celebrates the Latine experience.
- Illustration winner: The Dream Catcher illustrated and written by Marcelo Verdad
- Illustration honors: Abuelo, the Sea, and Me illustrated by Tatiana Gardel, written by Ismée Williams and A Maleta Full of Treasures illustrated by Juana Medina, written by Natalia Sylvester
- Children’s Author winner: Lola by Karla Arenas Valenti
- Children’s Author honors: Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo and Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar
- Young Adult Author winner: Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta
- Young Adult Author honors: Libertad written by Bessie Flores Zaldívar and Wild Dreamers by Margarita Engle
Coretta Scott King Book Awards
These awards honor the best books by African American authors and illustrators.
- Coretta Scott King Author Winner: Twenty-four Seconds from Now… by Jason Reynolds
- Coretta Scott King Author Honors: Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome, and Black Star by Kwame Alexander
- Coretta Scott King Illustrator Winner: My Daddy Is a Cowboy illustrated by C.G. Esperanza
- Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors: Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King illustrated by Ekua Holmes, written by Coretta Scott King with the Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds; Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava illustrated by E.B. Lewis, written by Gary Golio; and Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller illustrated by April Harrison, written by Breanna J. McDaniel.
- Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer
- Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award: Jimmy’s Rhythm & Blues: The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin illustrated by Jamiel Law
- Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement: Carolyn L. Garnes
Schneider Family Book Awards
These awards honor the best books representing the disability experience.
- Schneider Family Book Award Winner: A Little Like Magic written and illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel
- Schneider Family Book Award Honors: Monster Hands by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan, illustrated by Dion MBD and You’re So Amazing! by James and Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George
- Schneider Middle Grade Award Winner: Popcorn written and illustrated by Rob Harrell
- Schneider Middle Grade Award Honor: Louder Than Hunger by John Schu
- Schneider Young Adult Award Winner: Chronically Dolores by Maya Van Wagenen
- Schneider Young Adult Award Honors: Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal and On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino
Stonewall Book Awards
These awards are for excellence in LGBTQ+ books published in English.
- Stonewall Book Award for Children’s Literature Winner: Lunar Boy written and illustrated by Jes and Cin Wibowo
- Stonewall Book Award for Children’s Literature Honors: Marley’s Pride written by Joëlle Retener, illustrated by DeAnn Wiley; Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy; The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon; and What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice by Jay Leslie, illustrated by Loveis Wise
- Stonewall Book Award for Young Adult Literature Winner: Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa
- Stonewall Book Award for Young Adult Literature Honors: Most Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa; Navigating with You by Jeremy Whitley; Road Home by Rex Ogle; and Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield
William C. Morris Award
This award is given to the best debut young adult book.
- Winner: Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
- Honors: Aisle Nine by Ian X. Cho; Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley; Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta; and The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
This award honors the best in nonfiction written for young adults.
- Winner: Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire by Paula Yoo
- Honors: A Greater Goal: The Epic Battle for Equal Pay in Women’s Soccer—and Beyond by Elizabeth Rusch; Homebody by Theo Parish; Shackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town that Looked Away by Candy J. Cooper and The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté.
Alex Awards
These awards honor the best books published for adults but with excellent appeal to young adults.
- Beautiful People: My Thirteen Truths About Disability by Melissa Blake
- Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined by David F. Walker
- Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung
- Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark
- I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle
- I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
- The Witch of Colchis by Rosie Hewlett
- The Witchstone by Henry H. Neff
- Woman, Life, Freedom by Marjane Satrapi
Odyssey Awards
These are given to outstanding audiobooks for children and young adults.
- Odyssey Award Winner for Children’s Literature: A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen produced by Andy T. Jones for Dreamscape Audio, written by Erin Frankel, illustrated by Paola Escobar and narrated by Luis Carlos de La Lombana
- Odyssey Award Winner for Young Adult Literature: How the Boogeyman Became a Poet produced by Abigail Marks for HarperAudio, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, written by Tony Keith Jr. and narrated by Tony Keith Jr.
- Odyssey Award Honors: Black Girl You Are Atlas produced by Brian Ramcharan for Listening Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House, written by Renée Watson, illustrated by Ekua Holmes and narrated by Renée Watson; Dispatches from Parts Unknown produced by Almeda Beynon for HarperAudio, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, written by Bryan Bliss and narrated by Joy Nash; Girls Like Her produced by Abigail Marks for HarperAudio, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, written by Melanie Sumrow and narrated by Melanie Sumrow and January LaVoy; and You Are Brave: A Book About Trying New Things produced by Paul Gagne and John Pels for Scholastic Inc., written by Margaret O’Hair and Sofia Sanchez, illustrated by Sofia Cardoso and narrated by Sofia Sanchez.
