There’s an Award for That!
Discovering Excellent Diverse Youth Literature from Picture to Young Adult Books
Have you ever wanted to discover a book that represented a specific group of people? Maybe it was Black History Month; maybe your in-laws hail from another country; maybe you are looking for a book that can make you or your kid feel seen; or maybe you are a reader who wants to expand your own horizons or possibly those of your children, too. Whatever the case, there most likely is a literary award that can help you find noteworthy books in whatever category you are looking for!
As a library associate and a graduate student, I often find myself checking these awards for book recommendations and my own course work. Currently, I am enrolled in a Master of Information program concentrating on Library and Information Science. While I already possess a Master’s in English, a graduate degree in library science is a requirement to work as a librarian in New Jersey. Last Spring, I was lucky enough to take a course focused on Young Adult Literature, and this Fall I am taking a course on Children’s Literature. Both classes have emphasized the importance of literary awards for us students and, in many cases for both myself and my fellow classmates, as library workers.
For literary awards focused on cultural or racial backgrounds, there is the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, given to all age ranges including adult literature, and the Coretta Scott King Awards which are “given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.” Furthermore, the Middle East Book Award is “working to increase public knowledge about the peoples, places, and cultures of the Middle East, including the Arab world, Israel, Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan.” There are three categories of books that are eligible for the award: Picture Book, Youth Nonfiction, and Youth Literature. The National Jewish Book Awards “recognize authors, and encourage reading, of outstanding English-language books of Jewish interest.” These awards are given to all reading levels from picture through adult books. The Pura Belpré Award “is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.” The Walter Awards are given to middle grade or young adult books by diverse authors who have written diverse books. The Walter committee defines diverse as: “Person of color, Native American, LGBTQIA+, Person with a disability, or Marginalized religious or cultural minority in the United States.” There are many more awards than these focused on promoting literature connected to a variety of cultural and racial backgrounds; a good starting place to search is to visit the American Library Association (ALA)’s website or ask a librarian.
By perusing The Walter Awards definition of diverse (above), one can see that there are other instances of diverse peoples who deserve literature representing and celebrating them. Here, I strongly endorse the Schneider Family Book Award which “honor[s] an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.” Another fantastic literary award worth noting is The Stonewall Book Awards: “The first and most enduring award for LGBTQIA+ books is the Stonewall Book Awards. . . The Stonewall Book Award-Barbara Gittings Literature Award, the Stonewall Book Award-Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award and the Stonewall Book Award-Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award are presented to English language works published the year prior to the announcement date.” With literature and life, there are so many intersectionalities, and now we have books that show them!
Reading diversely is something that I actively choose to do and aspire to do more of. With diverse books on the rise in 2022, there are more options out there than ever, but the growth has been slow and is still not representative of society as a whole: “40% of the 2022 releases have a BIPOC author, illustrator, or compiler.” As readers we hold the unique privilege of being able to drive the publishing industry to continue its upward trend towards publishing more diverse stories by diverse authors. Some of the ways that we can do this are by checking out diverse and intersectional books from our libraries, working with librarians to show a need for more diverse books to help justify purchasing, reviewing books online, and, if possible, purchasing books as gifts or for your home collection. In this vein, please find a list of eight suggested books from picture through young adult that have each won at least one of the awards mentioned here.
Recommended Picture Books
Dear Mr. Dickens by Nancy Churnin
Praise: 2021 National Jewish Book Award Winner - Children's Picture Book, 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor for Picture Books, and The Best Jewish Children's Books of 2021, Tablet Magazine.
Summary: “Eliza was Jewish, and her heart hurt to see a Jewish character in Oliver Twist portrayed as ugly and selfish. She wanted to speak out about how unfair that was, even if it meant speaking out against the great man himself. So, she wrote a letter to Charles Dickens. What happened next is history.”
Recommended for: Readers 4 and older who want to learn the power in using one’s voice, as well as the humility it takes to accept when one was wrong and the work necessary to do better going forward.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Praise: A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, Winner of the Newbery Medal, and a Caldecott Honor Book.
Summary: “A young boy, CJ, rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.”
Recommended for: Readers of all ages who want to appreciate stunning artwork and enjoy a heartwarming story full of discovery and important lessons.
Bonus: Watch Dolly Parton do a read along of this great book. She does a little singing at the end!
Recommended Juvenile Books
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
Praise: Schneider Family Book Award Nominee for Middle Grades.
Summary: “When twelve-year-old Olive, who suffers from brittle bone disease and has been homeschooled all her life, finally attends school in person she soon discovers fitting in is not that easy, but if she can find the magical wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives nearby, and prove herself worthy, maybe her deepest wish will be granted.”
Recommended for: Readers ages 8-108 who are looking for a heroine they won’t soon forget.
Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee
Praise: Asian/Pacific American Award for Youth Literature Winner, Newbery Honor Award, and National Book Award Finalist.
Summary: “Twelve-year-old Maizy discovers her family’s Chinese restaurant is full of secrets in this irresistible novel that celebrates food, fortune, and family.”
Recommended for: Readers ages 8 and up who are interested in a book looking at how history impacts the present with lots of family bonding and finding oneself.
Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices
Praise: Winner of Middle East Book Honor Award, Kirkus best book of the year, CCBC best book of the year, School Library Journal best book of the year.
Summary: “A joyous short story collection by and about Muslims, edited by New York Times bestselling authors Aisha Saeed and William C. Morris Award finalist S.K. Ali, Once Upon an Eid showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid!”
Recommended for: Readers eight and up who are looking for delightful and different stories about the Muslim holiday Eid.
Recommended Young Adult Books
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Praise: 2023 Walter Honor Book, Teen Category; National Book Award Winner; Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Winner.
Summary: “From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir comes a brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents.”
Recommended for: Readers ages 14-114 who want to read a book that will break their heart but offer hope, too.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Praise: Winner of the National Book Award, Winner of the Stonewall Book Award, Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, A We Need Diverse Books Walter Dean Myers Honor Book.
Summary: “Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown.”
Recommended for: Young adult readers 14-114 years old who want a historical fiction book with an inclusive romance story blended in.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Praise: Pura Belpré Award Winner, National Book Award Winner, Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Winner, Michael L. Printz Award Winner, and Golden Kite Award Honor Book.
Summary: “Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing New York Times-bestselling novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.”
Recommended for: Readers ages 13-113 who enjoy reading about a young woman finding her own power.
These are all wonderful books that I have personally enjoyed, but there are so many more out there. While literary awards are useful tools and certainly well-deserved recognition, when you are seeking out the right book, ask a librarian - we are always happy to help!
- by Ms. Bekka, Hickory Corner Branch
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