2023 Youth Media Awards

 

 

SLJ 2023 Youth Media Awards Coverage

2023 Youth Media Award Winners
Freewater Wins Newbery Medal; Hot Dog Awarded Caldecott; All My Rage Earns Printz at the 2023 Youth Media Awards
SLJ Reviews of the 2023 Youth Media Award Winners
Doug Salati on the Making of Hot Dog, 2023 Caldecott Winner | Youth Media Awards
Amina Luqman-Dawson: Newbery Winner Freewater Is Having Its Moment at Exactly the Right Time | Youth Media Awards
Printz Winner All My Rage Shares Universal Experiences and Message of Hope, Says Author Sabaa Tahir | Youth Media Awards
Overwhelmed Sacha Lamb “Still Processing” Award Recognition for When the Angels Left the Old Country

 

 

SLJ Individual Reviews of YMA Winners and Related Content
 

John Newbery Medal

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
     Amina Luqman-Dawson: Newbery Winner Freewater Is Having Its Moment at Exactly the Right Time | Youth Media Awards

     Newbery Honors

     Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango

     The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
We Need Diverse Books Announces 2023 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners
Top 10 Audiobooks of 2022
Ogress vs. Mapmaker: Battle of the Fantasies | Heavy Medal
Review of the Day: The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat | A Fuse #8 Production
45 Books Drawing on Asian Myth and Folklore

     Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee

SLJ’s Reviews of the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists
Longlist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Announced
Best Middle Grade Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance: A Practice Discussion | Heavy Medal

 

Randolph Caldecott Medal

Hot Dog by Doug Salati
        Doug Salati on the Making of Hot Dog, 2023 Caldecott Winner | Youth Media Awards
        Review of the Day: Hot Dog by Doug Salati | A Fuse #8 Production
        

     Caldecott Honors
     Ain’t Burned All the Bright, illustrated by Jason Griffin, written by Jason Reynolds

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: Ain't Burned All the Bright By Jason Reynolds
2023 Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Book List
Top 10 Audiobooks of 2022
Best Young Adult Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books
Star Journey: The Intense Collaboration Behind Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin 
Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir Win 2022 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards
Book Review: Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin | Teen Librarian Toolbox 
           

     Berry Songillustrated and written by Michaela Goade
            Picture Books for Older Students | Read Woke
            Best Picture Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books
            Michaela Goade on Berry Song and Getting The Caldecott Call for We Are Water Protectors | The Yarn
            Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: Berry Song by Michaela Goade       

     Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement, illustrated by Janelle Washington, written by Angela Joy

We Need Diverse Books Announces 2023 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners
Review of the Day: Choosing Brave by Angela Joy, illus. by Janelle Washington | A Fuse #8 Production

     Knight Owl, illustrated and written by Christopher Denise

Oh, What a Knight Owl Interview: Talking With Christopher Denise About Tiny Armored Birds | A Fuse #8 Production
            

Michael L. Printz Award

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Printz Winner All My Rage Shares Universal Experiences and Message of Hope, Says Author Sabaa Tahir | Youth Media Awards
12 YA Titles Publishing in 2022 That Feature Asian American Protagonists
Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir Win 2022 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards
SLJ’s Reviews of the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists
Longlist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Announced
Sabaa Tahir’s All My Rage Wins 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature
Best Young Adult Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books
History, Horror, and More Top Contenders | Pondering Printz
SLJ Book Reviews Editors’ Favorite Best Books Quotes 2022
We Need Diverse Books Announces 2023 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners

     Printz Honors

     Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson

     Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei

     When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

Standout Debuts & Titles from Acclaimed Authors | Pondering Printz
History, Horror, and More Top Contenders | Pondering Printz
Teen Girls and Magic in the 1900s, a Guest Post by Sacha Lamb | Teen Librarian Toolbox
Overwhelmed Sacha Lamb “Still Processing” Award Recognition for When the Angels Left the Old Country

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

Best Nonfiction 2022 | SLJ Best Books
Books on Film: Eliot Schrefer on The Daily Show | 100 Scope Notes

 

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Coretta Scott King Author Award

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

     Coretta Scott King Author Honors

     Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi

Review of the Day: Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi | A Fuse #8 Production
Relationships. Identity. New Beginnings. What SLJ’s Starred 2022 Books Reveal About Trends in Children’s and YA Publishing
Best Nonfiction 2022 | SLJ Best Books
SLJ Book Reviews Editors’ Favorite 2022 Best Books Covers

     The Talk by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu

Best Picture Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books

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

Eight Graphic Works that Offer Fresh Perspectives on the Past | Stellar Panels
Book Review: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, Dawud Anyabwile | Teen Librarian Toolbox
Longlist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Announced
SLJ’s Reviews of the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists
A Conversation with Derrick Barnes | The Yarn
Best Graphic Novels 2022 | SLJ Best Books
YALSA Announces Five Finalists for 2023 Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
                    

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

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

     Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors

     Me and the Boss: A Story about Mending and Love, illustrated by April Harrison, written by Michelle Edwards

     Swim Team, illustrated and written by Johnnie Christmas

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas
Mock Newbery Nomination Surprises: Swim Team and Love in the Library
Longlist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Announced
SLJ’s Reviews of the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists
Coming Up for Air: A Johnnie Christmas Interview About the One and Only Swim Team | A Fuse #8 Production

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

Eight Graphic Works that Offer Fresh Perspectives on the Past | Stellar Panels
Book Review: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, Dawud Anyabwile | Teen Librarian Toolbox
Longlist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Announced
SLJ’s Reviews of the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists
A Conversation with Derrick Barnes | The Yarn
Best Graphic Novels 2022 | SLJ Best Books
YALSA Announces Five Finalists for 2023 Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
 

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
     Best Young Adult Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books
 

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement, illustrated by Janelle Washington, written by Angela Joy

     We Need Diverse Books Announces 2023 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners
     Review of the Day: Choosing Brave by Angela Joy, illus. by Janelle Washington | A Fuse #8 Production

 

Pura Belpré Awards

Youth Illustration

Where Wonder Grows, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia, written by Xelena González

     Honor Books
     The Coquíes Still Sing, illustrated by Krystal Quiles, written by Karina Nicole González

Resilience and Hope: 6 Titles to Commemorate the 5-Year Anniversary of Hurricane María

     A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters, illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh

     Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land, illustrated and written by Mirelle Ortega

     Phenomenal AOC: The Roots and Rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, illustrated by Loris Lora, written by Anika Aldamuy Denise

      Srta. Quinces, illustrated and written by Kat Fajardo

     Still Dreaming / Seguimos soñando, illustrated by Magdalena Mora, written by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez
 

Children's Author

Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega

26 Chapter Books, Middle Grade, and Graphic Novels for Latinx Heritage Month and Beyond
Best Graphic Novels 2022 | SLJ Best Books
SLJ Book Reviews Editors’ Favorite Books Read in 2022
Review of the Day: Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega, ill. Rose Bousamra | A Fuse #8 Production

     Honor Books
     The Coquíes Still Sing by Karina Nicole González, illustrated by Krystal Quiles

             Resilience and Hope: 6 Titles to Commemorate the 5-Year Anniversary of Hurricane María

     The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border by Stephen Briseño, illustrated by Magdalena Mora 

     Tumble by Celia C. Pérez

2 Middle Grade Novels About Becoming Big Sisters
       

Young Adult Author

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

     Two New YA Books That Put a Unique Twist on Zombie Stories: Burn Down, Rise Up and The Undead Truth of Us | Teen Librarian Toolbox

     Honor Books
     Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester

          Writing Disability and Immigration from a Place of Wholeness, a guest post by Natalia Sylvester | Teen Librarian Toolbox

      High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

26 Titles to Read This Caribbean American Heritage Month and Beyond

     The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes 

We Need Diverse Books Announces 2023 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners

 

Schneider Family Book Awards

Young Children (ages 0 to 8)

Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth

     Honor Book 
      In the Blue by Erin Hourigan
 

Middle grade (9-13)

Wildoak by C.C. Harrington

     Honor Books
     Hummingbird
by Natalie Lloyd

     Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn 

12 Books for Kids and Tweens That Celebrate Neurodiverse Minds
 

Teen (14-18)

The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart

      Honor Book
      Breathe and Count Back from Ten
by Natalia Sylvester

Writing Disability and Immigration from a Place of Wholeness, a guest post by Natalia Sylvester | Teen Librarian Toolbox

 

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

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

     Best Nonfiction 2022 | SLJ Best Books
     SLJ Book Reviews Editors’ Favorite 2022 Best Books Covers
     Review of the Day: Seen and Unseen by Elizabeth Partridge, ill. Lauren Tamaki | A Fuse #8 Production
 

     Honor Books
     Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy, illus. by Janelle Washington

We Need Diverse Books Announces 2023 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners
Review of the Day: Choosing Brave by Angela Joy, illus. by Janelle Washington | A Fuse #8 Production

     A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis

    Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Mara Rockliff, illus. by R. Gregory Christie 

    The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs by Chana Stiefel, illus. by Susan Gal

Two Titles Share Inaugural Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World
Best Nonfiction 2022 | SLJ Best Books
Remember: 10 Titles to Read for Holocaust Remembrance Day

 

Mildred L. Batchelder Award

Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II by Lia Levi, illustrated by Jess Mason, translated by Sylvia Notini
      Remember: 10 Titles to Read for Holocaust Remembrance Day
      2 World War II Memoirs for Middle Grade & YA Readers

     Honor Books
     
Different: A Story of the Spanish Civil War by Mónica Montañés, illustrated by Eva Sánchez Gómez and translated by Lawrence Schimel
     Dragonfly Eyes by Cao Wenxuan and translated by Helen Wang
     João by a Thread written and illustrated by Roger Mello and translated by Daniel Hahn.

 

Odyssey Award

Children

Stuntboy, in the Meantime produced by Taryn Beato. The book is written by Jason Reynolds and narrated by Guy Lockard, Nile Bullock and Angel Pean with a full cast

      10 Middle Grade Novels That Address Mental Health with Compassion
 

Young Adults

The Honeys produced by Melissa Ellard. The book is by Ryan La Sala and narrated by Pete Cross 
       Best Young Adult Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books

     Honor Books   
     The Three Billy Goats Gruff produced by Melissa Ellard and Paul Gagne, retold and narrated by Mac Barnett
          Giving Me Gruff: A Jon Klassen/Mac Barnett Interview About Their Latest Goat-Related Venture | A Fuse #8 Production
     Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel produced by Steve Wagner and Michelle Altman, adaptation by Garet Scott and narrated by Ben Barnes and a full cast
     Inheritance: A Visual Poem produced by Caitlin Garing, written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo
           26 Titles to Read This Caribbean American Heritage Month and Beyond
           Best Poetry 2022 | SLJ Best Books
           SLJ Book Reviews Editors’ Favorite Best Books Quotes 2022
    The First Helping (Lunch Lady Books 1 & 2) produced by Jarrett J. Krosoczka and Lauren Klein, written Jarrett J. Krosoczka and narrated by Kate Flannery, the author and a full cast.

 

 

Stonewall Book Award

Children

Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild
     18 Titles to Celebrate Valentine’s Day, Holi, St. Patrick’s Day, and More | Spring Holiday Roundup

     Honor Books
     In the Key of Us
by Mariama J. Lockington
     Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, illus. by Daniel Sousa

45 Books Drawing on Asian Myth and Folklore
APA Creators Draw on Myth and Folklore to Craft Personal, yet Universal Stories
22 Audiobooks Inspired by Fairy Tales and Mythology
Best Picture Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books
Top 10 Audiobooks of 2022

     The Real Riley Mayes by Rachel Elliott

     Strong by Rob Kearney & Eric Rosswood, illus. by Nidhi Chanani

Picture Books for Older Students | Read Woke

 

Young Adult

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

     Standout Debuts & Titles from Acclaimed Authors | Pondering Printz
     History, Horror, and More Top Contenders | Pondering Printz
     Teen Girls and Magic in the 1900s, a guest post by Sacha Lamb | Teen Librarian Toolbox
     Overwhelmed Sacha Lamb “Still Processing” Award Recognition for When the Angels Left the Old Country

     Honor Books
      I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

     Kings of B’more by R. Eric Thomas

Reading on People and Topics Outside Traditional Gender Boundaries | Read Woke

     Man o’ War by Cory McCarthy

     The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson 

20 Audiobooks Featuring Multiracial Characters for Elementary, Middle Grade, and YA Listeners
Debut Authors Counter Harmful Narratives with Kid Lit | A Guest Essay by Susan Azim Boyer
Best Young Adult Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books

 

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

I Did It! by Michael Emberley

      Honor Books
      Fish and Wave by Sergio Ruzzier

      Gigi and Ojiji by Melissa Iwai

9 Books for Young Readers That Celebrate Grandparents

      Owl and Penguin by Vikram Madan

      A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis

 

William C. Morris Award

The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum

History, Horror, and More Top Contenders | Pondering Printz
Longlist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Announced
SLJ’s Reviews of the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Longlisters

 

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

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

                    Eight Graphic Works that Offer Fresh Perspectives on the Past | Stellar Panels
                    Book Review: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, Dawud Anyabwile | Teen Librarian Toolbox
                    Longlist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Announced
                    SLJ’s Reviews of the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists
                    A Conversation with Derrick Barnes | The Yarn
                    Best Graphic Novels 2022 | SLJ Best Books
                    YALSA Announces Five Finalists for 2023 Award for Excellence in Nonfiction

 

The Sydney Taylor Book Award

Picture Book

Gold medalist
The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs by Chana Stiefel, illus. by Susan Gal

Two Titles Share Inaugural Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World
Best Nonfiction 2022 | SLJ Best Books
Remember: 10 Titles to Read for Holocaust Remembrance Day

      Silver medalists/Honors Books

      Big Dreams, Small Fish by Paula Cohen

      The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda by Shoshana Nambi, illus. by Moran Yogev

      Sitting Shiva by Erin Silver, illus. by Michelle Theodore
 

Middle Grade

Gold Medalist
Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe 

     Review of the Day: Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe | A Fuse #8 Production
     29 Books that Celebrate All Aspects of Jewish Life | Jewish American Heritage Month
     Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe

      Silver medalists/Honor Books

      Honey and Me by Meira Drazin

      Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack
History, Horror, and More Top Contenders | Pondering Printz

      Ellen Outside the Lines by A. J. Sass

             12 Books for Kids and Tweens That Celebrate Neurodiverse Minds
             Best Middle Grade Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books
 

Young Adult

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

Standout Debuts & Titles from Acclaimed Authors | Pondering Printz
History, Horror, and More Top Contenders | Pondering Printz
Teen Girls and Magic in the 1900s, a guest post by Sacha Lamb | Teen Librarian Toolbox
Overwhelmed Sacha Lamb “Still Processing” Award Recognition for When the Angels Left the Old Country

     Silver medalists/Honor books

     My Fine Fellow: A Delicious Entanglement by Jennieke Cohen

     Some Kind of Hate by Sarah Darer Littman

     Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds 

6 Hanukkah Books for Young Readers

 

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature

Picture Book

From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang, illus. by Rachel Wada

     2022 Irma Black Award and Cook Prize Winners Announced

     Honor Book

     Nana, Nenek & Nina by Liza Ferneyhough
 

Children's Literature
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee

     SLJ’s Reviews of the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists
     Longlist for the 2022 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Announced
     Best Middle Grade Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books
     Maizy Chen’s Last Chance: A Practice Discussion | Heavy Medal

       Honor Book
       Troublemaker by John Cho

John Cho Talks Trouble in Timely Middle Grade Debut

     
Youth Literature
Himawari House by Harmony Becker

     Himawari House Wins 2022 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature
     First Second ‘Star’ Editor Kiara Valdez Strikes Comics Gold with Webcomics Format
     A Graphic Novel, Fantasy Debut, and More | Pondering Printz
     Best Graphic Novels 2021 | SLJ Best Books
     Q&A: Harmony Becker, Creator of Himawari House

     Honor Book
     The Silence that Binds Us by Joanna Ho 
       

Alex Awards

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez

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. by James Spooner

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

True Biz by Sara Nović

     Deaf Authors Talk About Imagination and Creativity

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser

 

 

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