The SLJ reviews editors rounded up our reviews of the books lauded at the 2026 Youth Media Awards. Here, the reviews of the Sydney Taylor Book Award and Honors recipients.

The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries, an ALA affiliate since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. 

Sydney Taylor Book Award Gold Medalist - Picture Book

Shabbat Shalom: Let’s Rest and Reset by Suzy Ultman. illus. by Suzy Ultman. ISBN 9780593751930.
Baby-K–Babies are the first demographic for this board book, but it also works for children up to kindergarten. This is a vibrant and descriptive introduction to Shabbat, the weekly holiday celebrated in Jewish culture. The developmentally appropriate text explains the purpose of Shabbat and how it is observed: “On Friday night, Shabbat begins, and we pause the doing to enjoy just being. / We start with dinner. There are candles, and braided bread called challah, and smiles.” The gentle, reflective narrative pairs beautifully with the cheerful illustrations, which feature a vivid and inviting color palette. VERDICT A warm and accessible celebration of tradition, this is a first purchase for libraries.-Brooke Newberry
 

Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medalists - Picture Book

The Book of Candles: Eight Poems for Hanukkah by Laurel Snyder. illus. by Leanne Hatch. HarperCollins/Clarion. ISBN 9780063278141.
K-Gr 3–Fun and realistic poems about a family during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each night features a new poem and adventure. On night three, they come home late with pizza; on night six, the family celebrates with Grandma, who lets a youngster light the candles; and on night seven, the family uses a banana as a hanukkiah. The poetry is vibrant, playful, and will be easily understood by most children. While the story will appeal to those of the Jewish faith, it will also appeal to those who are learning about Hanukkah. Each night has a sidebar that provides an interesting fact about the holiday, including how to light the candles and why some traditions are done the way they are. A few words that are not defined, such as Shehechiyanu and midrash, may be more difficult for non-Jewish readers. Illustrations of digital art with hand-painted textures make lovely spreads throughout. The artwork is bright and matches the tone of the winter candlelight well. Hatch pays attention to the details of many Jewish families, including latkes on the dinner table and a hair dryer melting off the old wax of years past. A concluding author’s note wishes readers a happy Hanukkah. The family is depicted with tan skin and dark hair; some supporting characters have brown skin. VERDICT A delightful picture book of Hanukkah poems that showcases Judaism and Hanukkah in an authentic way; a great addition for those who are looking to build up their holiday collections.-Sarah Clarke

The Keeper of Stories by Caroline Kusin Pritchard. illus. by Selina Alko. S. & S. ISBN 9781665914970.
Gr 1-3–In a warm celebration of community spirit, Pritchard and Alko look back to a devastating 1966 fire in the library of New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary and the ensuing collective effort that rescued 170,000 surviving but drenched books. Paired to an oracular narrative—“The charred shelves cradled hope/ hope/ hope. /Swollen pages, keep our stories alive”—the illustrations depict multiracial lines of students, neighbors, children, and other volunteers busily passing volumes down flights of stairs and outside to be fanned out, laid down in long rows, freeze-dried or, in what proved the most effective way to protect them from the ravages of water and mold, interleaved with paper towels by “thousands of hands.” Then “Side by side, they/ sang/ and studied and feasted/ and faltered/ and prayed/ and persisted,” the author writes, and so joined libraries themselves in becoming “keepers of these stories.” Period photos of ashy wreckage accompany the more detailed end notes, and images of a letter sent by a kindergarten class that held a bake sale to raise funds for the recovery close out this uplifting episode. VERDICT An inspirational instance of people spontaneously coming together to help out in the wake of a natural urban disaster.-John Edward Peters

My Body Can by Laura Gehl. illus. by Alexandra Colombo. Behrman House/Apples & Honey. ISBN 9781681156859.

Sydney Taylor Book Award Gold Medalist - Middle Grade

Neshama by Marcella Pixley. Candlewick. May 2025. ISBN 9781536236613.
Gr 3-7–Anna is a shayna neshama, a beautiful soul, but most people don’t see her that way. All they see is the weird girl who claims to see ghosts. School is miserable, and her home life is not much better, but Anna takes refuge in spending Shabbos with her Bubbe. Then, during a visit at Bubbe’s, Ruthie, the ghost of Anna’s aunt, asks to be let into Anna’s body so she can finally heal after dying at the young age of 11, and Anna agrees. But Ruthie is very angry, and what started as her helping Anna be brave is becoming more sinister. This novel in verse is a spiritual exploration of how the past can have lasting effects through generations of a family. It is a lesson in being oneself even when no one, not even those meant to love you, accept you for who you are. Anna is a beautiful, strong, and inspiring character; if only readers could spend more time with her. Unfortunately, the verse format leaves aspects of the story feeling rushed and unexplored. Anna and her family are Jewish. VERDICT A unique ghost story that may have been better served in a different format.-Mariah Smitala
 

Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medalists - Middle Grade

Beinoni by Mari Lowe. Levine Querido/Arthur A. Levine. ISBN 9781646145065. 
 

Sydney Taylor Book Award Gold Medalist - YA

D.J. Rosenblum Becomes the G.O.A.T. by Abby White. Levine Querido/Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of. ISBN 9781646145652.
  

Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medalists - YA

The Rebel Girls of Rome by Jordan Taylor. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780063340299.
 

Body of Work

The Body-of-Work Award winner is selected every two to four years and recognizes an author or entity who has made a substantial contribution over time to the genre of Children's Literature. 

Uri Shulevitz