#Farrar Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers

[richincolor]

New Releases

A whole slew of new books coming out this week and I see some I want to add to my TBR pile. How about you?

Something Like Right by H. D. Hunter Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

A contemporary young adult novel about one life-altering year of a biracial Black and white teen boy, showing a raw glimpse into the systemic inequality in racialized communities.

Zay’s ma always said his mouth would get him in trouble. Sure enough, it got him into his first and only fight in his junior year of high school. Expelled from his district, Zay’s only hope for redemption is to transfer to Broadlawn Alternative School and complete the year.

Zay isn’t thrilled about the disgusting school lunch and classroom trailers at Broadlawn, and boarding with his aunt Mel and her live-in boyfriend isn’t the greatest. But he’d rather be there than in the city dealing with his estranged father, his overbearing mother, and the fallout from his fight. Besides, Broadlawn has Feven, the beautiful new student Zay is starting to get to know—and fall for.

Still, first love is rarely a fairy tale, and as Zay’s time in Broadlawn comes to an end, he learns that shaping yourself within a new place is a lot harder than letting it shape you.

A tender contemplation of first love, broken families, and healing generational trauma by an incredible voice in young adult fiction.

Drown Me with Dreams (Sing Me to Sleep #2) by Gabi Burton Bloomsbury YA

In the second book in this dark and seductive YA fantasy duology, a siren must decide if saving her kingdom is worth betraying the boy she loves.

Saoirse Sorkova is on the run. Accused of several murders, her siren identity compromised, even the newly crowned King Hayes can’t protect her if she’s caught. The only way to save her life is to send her on a dangerous mission across the magical barrier that surrounds the kingdom.

Forced to travel with Carrick – once her best friend, now her greatest betrayer – she begins to unravel multiple plots that threaten the safety of her family, the livelihood of the entire kingdom, and her future with Hayes. And the more time she spends with Carrick, the harder it is to keep hating him . . .

Soon, Saoirse is forced to what if Hayes isn’t the right ruler for the kingdom? And if he’s not, is she willing to betray her king – and her heart?

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy series is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters Viking Books for Young Readers

Young Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue in this heart-pumping romance by award-winning author Julian Winters!

When roguish Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is left in America to clean up his image after a horribly public break-up gone viral, romance is not on the table. Carefully planned photo ops with puppies? Yes. Scheduled appearances with the Santa Monica elite Absolutely. Rendezvous with a pink-haired, film-obsessed hottie from the private school where he’s currently enrolled? Uhhhh . . .

Together with his entourage—a bitingly witty royal guard, Rêverie’s future queen (and Jadon’s brilliant older sister), and a quirky royal liaison—Jadon’s on a mission to turn things around and show his parents, and his country, that he’s more than just a royal screw-up. If he doesn’t prove that he’s the prince Rêverie deserves? Well, he may not be allowed home . . .

But falling for a not-so-royal American boy has Jadon redefining what it means to be a leader. If he can be someone’s Prince Charming just by being himself, maybe that’s all it takes to win over a nation. Or at least a prince can dream .

A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks

In this sweet sapphic romance about two foodies in love, Vivi meets Lan while studying abroad in Vietnam and they spend the semester unraveling their families’ histories—and eating all the street food in Sài Gòn.

In Sài Gòn, Lan is always trying to be the perfect daughter, dependable and willing to care for her widowed mother and their bánh mì stall. Her secret passion, however, is A Bánh Mì for Two, the food blog she started with her father but has stopped updating since his passing.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese American Vivi Huynh, has never been to Việt Nam. Her parents rarely talk about the homeland that clearly haunts them. So Vivi secretly goes to Vietnam for a study abroad program her freshman year of college. She’s determined to figure out why her parents left, and to try everything she’s seen on her favorite food blog, A Bánh Mì for Two.

When Vivi and Lan meet in Sài Gòn, they strike a deal. Lan will show Vivi around the city, helping her piece together her mother’s story through crumbling photographs and old memories. Vivi will help Lan start writing again so she can enter a food blogging contest. And slowly, as they explore the city and their pasts, Vivi and Lan fall in love.

Codex Black (Book Two): Bird of Ill Omen by Camilo Moncada Lozano IDW Publishing

Best friends Donají and Itzcacalotl stumble into dangerous political intrigue in this follow-up to the young adult epic Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds!

In 15th-century Mesoamerica, Donají and Itzcacalotl travel to the Oracle of Lyobaa in the hopes of learning the secret behind Donají’s missing father. But instead of receiving information, they find themselves roped into a quest to stop the assassination of the great Emperor Ahuizotl! This is easier said than done when faced with a mysterious group of black-clad killers who want nothing more than to send the known world tumbling into chaos.

Along the way, the two will have to navigate new friends, old enemies, and corn people as they try to save the emperor…before it’s too late!

Helga by Catherine Yu Page Street YA

Helga is not the obedient science experiment her father intended. And though she has only just awoken, he leaves her in the care of his lab assistant Penny to go on a business trip.

Bursting with curiosity, Helga quickly escapes from the well-meaning Penny and heads into Amaris City. There Helga finds she is as untamable as the invasive blackberry vines overtaking the island. And because of the misdeeds of her father’s scientific community, the natural world grows more volatile.

Helga soon discovers the night market, rowdy clubs, delicious food, and cute boys. Enamored with city life, she’ll do anything to find love―but she has only two weeks until her father gets back, and besides there are ominous rumblings from the volcanic island that could put her dating schemes, and even her own life, in grave peril.

We Are the Medicine (Surviving the City #3) written by Tasha Spillett & illustrated by Natasha Donovan HighWater Press

Miikwan and Dez are in their final year of high school. Poised at the edge of the rest of their lives, they have a lot to decide on. Miikwan and her boyfriend, Riel, are preparing for university, but Dez isn’t sure if that’s what they want for their future.

Grief and anger take precedence over their plans after the remains of 215 children are found at a former residential school in British Columbia. The teens struggle with feelings of helplessness in the face of injustice. Can they find the strength to channel their frustration into action towards a more hopeful future?

“We Are the Medicine” is the moving final volume of the best-selling Surviving the City series.

Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Stringfield Joy Revolution

Whitney Curry is primed to have an epic semester abroad. She’s created the perfectitinerary and many, many to-do lists after collecting every detail possible about Paris, France. Thus, she anticipates a grand adventure filled with vintage boutiques, her idol Josephine Baker’s old stomping grounds, and endless plays sure to inspire the ones she writes and—ahem—directs!

But all is not as she imagined when she’s dropped off at her prestigious new Parisian lycée. A fish out of water, Whitney struggles to juggle schoolwork, homesickness, and mastering the French language. Luckily, she lives for the drama. Literally.

Cue French tutor Thierry Magnon, a grumpy yet très handsome soccer star, who’s determined to show Whitney the real Paris. Is this type-A theater nerd ready to see how lessons on the City of Lights can turn into lessons on love?

[wellesleybooks]

The National Book Award finalists have been announced.

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Fiction:

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Chain-Gang All-Stars Pantheon Books / Penguin Random House

Aaliyah Bilal, Temple Folk Simon & Schuster

Eliot Duncan, Ponyboy W. W. Norton & Company

Paul Harding, This Other Eden W. W. Norton & Company

Tania James, Loot Knopf / Penguin Random House

Jayne Anne Phillips, Night Watch Knopf / Penguin Random House

Mona Susan Power, A Council of Dolls Mariner Books / HarperCollins Publishers

Hanna Pylväinen, The End of Drum-Time Henry Holt and Company / Macmillan Publishers

Justin Torres, Blackouts Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

LaToya Watkins, Holler, Child Tiny Reparations Books / Penguin Random House

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction:

Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History Yale University Press

Jonathan Eig, King: A Life Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Viet Thanh Nguyen, A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial Grove Press / Grove Atlantic

Prudence Peiffer, The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever Harper / HarperCollins Publishers

Donovan X. Ramsey, When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era One World / Penguin Random House

Cristina Rivera Garza, Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice Hogarth / Penguin Random House

Christina Sharpe, Ordinary Notes Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Raja Shehadeh, We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir Other Press

John Vaillant, Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World Knopf / Penguin Random House

Kidada E. Williams, I Saw Death Coming: A History of Terror and Survival in the War Against Reconstruction Bloomsbury Publishing

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Poetry:

John Lee Clark, How to Communicate W. W. Norton & Company

Oliver de la Paz, The Diaspora Sonnets Liveright / W. W. Norton & Company

Annelyse Gelman, Vexations University of Chicago Press

José Olivarez, Promises of Gold Henry Holt and Company / Macmillan Publishers

Craig Santos Perez, from unincorporated territory [åmot] Omnidawn Publishing

Paisley Rekdal, West: A Translation Copper Canyon Press

Brandon Som, Tripas Georgia Review Books / University of Georgia Press

Charif Shanahan, Trace Evidence Tin House Books

Evie Shockley, suddenly we Wesleyan University Press Monica Youn, From From Graywolf Press

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature:

Juan Cárdenas, The Devil of the Provinces Translated from the Spanish by Lizzie Davis Coffee House Press

Bora Chung, Cursed Bunny Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur Algonquin Books / Hachette Book Group

David Diop, Beyond the Door of No Return Translated from the French by Sam Taylor Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Jenny Erpenbeck, Kairos Translated from the German by Michael Hofmann New Directions Publishing

Stênio Gardel, The Words That Remain Translated from the Portuguese by Bruna Dantas Lobato New Vessel Press

Khaled Khalifa, No One Prayed Over Their Graves Translated from the Arabic by Leri Price Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Fernanda Melchor, This Is Not Miami Translated from the Spanish by Sophie Hughes New Directions Publishing

Pilar Quintana, Abyss Translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman World Editions

Astrid Roemer, On a Woman’s Madness Translated from the Dutch by Lucy Scott Two Lines Press

Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, The Most Secret Memory of Men Translated from the French by Lara Vergnaud Other Press

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature:

Erin Bow, Simon Sort of Says Disney-Hyperion Books / Disney Publishing Worldwide

Kenneth M. Cadow, Gather Candlewick Press

Alyson Derrick, Forget Me Not Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / Simon & Schuster

Huda Fahmy, Huda F Cares? Dial Books for Young Readers / Penguin Random House

Vashti Harrison, Big Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / Hachette Book Group

Katherine Marsh, The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan Publishers

Dan Nott, Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day Random House Graphic / Penguin Random House

Dan Santat, A First Time for Everything First Second / Macmillan Publishers

Betty C. Tang, Parachute Kids Graphix / Scholastic, Inc.

Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long, More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers / Macmillan Publishers

[literaticat]

i know it's a big no-no to cross age groups in comps. My MS is adult, but I read lots of YA. Recently I read a series I LOVED (Skybound Saga) but then I realized it's YA (seriously, nothing about the book, from the cover, to the contents, aside from the fact that the characters are young, tipped me off.) Since it's often not labeled on the cover, what's the best way to find out the age group of a book? Sometimes it's obvious but not always. And adult fiction ofc can have young characters.

Sometimes it's a bit hard to tell between adult and YA books, particularly in the SF and Fantasy space. This is, of course, quite on purpose, because the YA publisher WANTS adults to pick it up, or the adult publisher WANTS to appeal to teens as well! That's "crossover" appeal. :-)

There are ways to tell, though. First, by googling it, because teen books do SAY an age range and reading level on Amazon and other sites.

But let's say you are in some random place without internet and you just have a copy of the book. There are two tells: 1) The publisher, and 2) The price. You can tell the publisher / imprint either by looking at the colophon (that's the little logo on the spine), or by looking at the copyright page.

So you will see that in this case, the hardcover is published by Farrar Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers, and the paperback is published by Square Fish, which is the paperback imprint for Macmillan Children's. So... it's a YA book. Adult books are simply not published by children's imprints.

Additionally, the price. The list price for the hardcover of GOLD WINGS RISING, the third book in that trilogy, was $19.99 in hardcover and $11.99 in paperback. By comparison, an adult title, GIDEON THE NINTH, that came out around the same time, was $27.99 in hardcover, $17.99 in paperback.

While prices ARE going up across the board for a lot of reasons, it's still pretty rare for kids/teen hardcover books to have a list price of anything higher than "low 20s" -- like, 19.99 - 21.99 -- whereas adult hardcover books routinely sell for anywhere from $27 to the 30s! (SPARE is $36.00! WTF!)

[very-grownup]

Book 49, 2023

I mentioned when I started reading it that I had a fraught relationship with the presence of Noriko Ogiwara's "Dragon Sword and Wind Child" on my shelf. I've owned it for 20 years at this point. It has been on the shelf in every place I've lived aside from the house my parents were living in when I was born.

I'm glad I kept it, because this battered North Carolina library discard with the weakening binding feels like a rare glimpse of an English publisher taking a risk on juvenile Japanese fiction, long before manga publishers dipped their toes into light novel waters.

Ogiwara appears to be a successful writer of children's fantasy novels in Japan. "Dragon Sword and Wind Child" was published in English in 1993, at least a decade before western releases of anime and videogames began to consider 'maybe we don't have to call these rice balls jelly doughnuts'. It did not have its moment and Farrar, Straus and Giroux did not gamble on having its sequel translated. It seems like the book quickly went out of print, until Viz bought the rights to it and republished it in 2007. In 2011 they published a sequel, "Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince".

(Did you know Viz published novels? Viz might not. Some digging on their website shows the last one as the final book in "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" in 2019.)

You can get the Viz releases on kindle for $10.00. You can even get "Dragon Sword and Wind Child" in paperback for $20.00.

If you want a hardcopy of "Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince", you can currently buy a copy for $241.00.

There's a third book in the series.

It has not been licensed.

Thus ends the English language bibliography of Noriko Ogiwara. She appears to have at least two other successful fantasy series, which have both been adapted into anime.

Parents, don't let your children fall in love with Japanese genre fiction (unless it's detective fiction, in which case they might not suffer too much).

"Dragon Sword and Wind Child" is the story of Saya, an orphan adopted by an elderly couple in a small village. Saya doesn't quite fit in and may be an orphan of the enemy people who worship the Goddess of Darkness. Raised to worship the God of Light and his immortal twin children, Teruhi and Tsukishiro, Saya is a dutiful daughter, worshipper of her god, and content with the humble life she expects for herself, even though as she enters adolescence she becomes more aware of differences between her and her peers.

Everything changes when the visiting Tsukishiro becomes enamoured with Saya and takes her to be one of his handmaidens. But messengers from the Goddess of Darkness have also found Saya, and she becomes further drawn into the world of immortals, politics, and war.

What sounds like the premise of a Chosen Girl Dystopia Young Adult Series to a 2023 reader is a children's fantasy adventure novel in a world inspired by the Warring States period but equally inspired by English fantasy novels from the first half of the 20th century. In an afterword, Ogiwara specifically cites The Chronicles of Narnia as being the start of her love of fantasy and the inspiration of the sort of books she wanted to write.

I love that.

We're familiar with the fondness in Japanese culture for Jansson's Moomins and works such as "Anne of Green Gables", but I think a lot of that can be traced back to the wildly successful anime adaptations. I love those things, too, but there's something about reading this book written by a woman who, like my mother and aunts, read C.S. Lewis as a small girl and fell in love with Narnia, unrelated to the religious everything of it.

The world was so large, the distances between people and languages and countries so vast, back then.

I enjoyed Saya's journey, her adventures and her complicated relationship with worship and identity in her world, the very real and present gods, and the fact that death is alongside it all in that very matter-of-fact way you sometimes encounter in older children's fiction. The body count in "Dragon Sword and Wind Child" is high.

But what really made it special, the thing that made me glad I held onto the book for all these years, despite the upsetting memories associated with how it came into my life, was the awareness of how it came to exist in the world and what a unique work I was lucky enough to have access to.

I just think it's neat.

[robynmaereads]

Sachar, L. (1998) Holes. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Holes is the story of Stanley Yelnats, the infamous yellow-spotted lizard, and his no-good dirty-rotten pig-stealing great great grandfather. Stanley is faced with a choice - as punishment for a crime that he didn't commit, he can either go to jail, or spend the summer digging one hole a day at Camp Greenlake in the hot desert with limited water, 4 minute showers, and a bunkmate named Armpit. Stanley shoots for the latter, and the more time he spends at Camp Greenlake, the more he seems to feel a connection to his great great grandpa and his run-in with the outlaw Kissin' Kate Barlow. Stanley believes that this camp and the secrets of his ancestor's attacker may be connected, so he and his new friend Hector "Zero" Zeroni set up on a mission toward's God's thumb to uncover the truth.

Holes is an instand classic and a well-known beloved book amongst adolescents. The writing style is easy enough to understand the story well, while also being done well enough to make the reader feel like they are at the camp themselves. At first, it can be pre-judged that a book about digging holes every day may not be that exciting, but when you are transported into Stanley's world, you can feel what he feels - the pain and hurt of being forced to dig with little food and water, the fear of the adults in charge of the camp, and the draw of the tantalizing mystery at his fingertips. With plenty of loveable characters that you meet along the way, and a mystery that will have readers eager to connect all the dots, this book holds true for being known as an instant classic.

3.8/5 🕳🦎☀️

Awards:

John Newbery Medal, National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Dorothy Canfield Fish Children's Book Award

[darthnaderer]

A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta Elliott

Category: Caldecott Honor Book 2021

Summary: A young Black teenager explores the different feelings he experiences: joy, sorrow, fear, anger, hunger, pride, peace, compassion, hope, and love. The exploration and affirmation of these strong emotions is accompanied by powerful illustrations depicting him exploring each feeling, especially as it relates to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Justification: This culturally relevant book showcases the perspective of the Black Lives Matter movement through the eyes of a young Black teenager. As part of the #OwnVoices, Elliot composes a powerful free verse poem that many young children and teenagers may find themselves relating to, as well as providing a "mirror, window, and sliding glass door" by depicting the wide range of emotions the narrator experiences as normal, healthy, and understandable. Denmon, the illustrator, received a Caldecott Honor in 2021 for her beautiful illustrations that add to the strength of the poem's message.

Evaluation:

Illustrations Establish Mood - The characters are all drawn realistically, with many hints about the poem's connection to Black Lives Matter in the details, such as the sticker on the narrator's skateboard, the news on the TV during sorrow, and the signs at the protest during anger. Character movement also plays a key role in how our narrator feels, whether it's joyful or angry movements contrasted with the complete stillness of fear. Additionally, the portrait of Malcolm X is often shown, establishing the sense that the narrator relates to this Civil Rights leader.

Color - While many of the characters are drawn realistically in the foreground, many of the background characters are usually colored in a similar scheme as the rest of the background to keep the narrator in focus. The colors primarily used are blue, yellow, black, and an orange-red color that is particularly prominent in the fear section, where it resembles police lights flashing through the narrator's window while he is curled up in his bed in a dark room.

Figurative Language - Emotions are described as "seething, sizzling, burning"--sensations that we all recognize and incorporate elements of onomatopoeia. There are also many instances of similes and metaphors such as "there is joy inside of me...that glows bright & warm as the sun & shines delight on everything I see." Elliot even uses personification to describe fear as something that "stalks me like a sinister shadow." So even though there isn't much rhyme, the poem still uses figurative language to evoke powerful emotions to which readers can relate.

Elliott, Z. (2020). A place inside of me: A poem to heal the heart (N. Denmon, Illus.). Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.

[emilylovesbooks]

Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood by Gary Paulsen

Genre: biography

Targeted Age Group: older elementary and up

Summary: In this book Gary Paulsen tells the story of his childhood, from a turbulent childhood in Chicago, then moving to live with his aunt and uncle at the age of 5 where he fell in love with nature and the woods, knowing that would be a safe place for him forever. As he grows up and moves around, he sees and learns things no child should have to know about, and his tough life makes him continue to go back to the woods as his sanctuary.

Why I chose this book: I chose this book because I have read and loved many of Gary Paulsen's other books. He is well known for his extreme survival stories, which he tells well enough to earn Newbery awards.

Evaluation:

In this book Paulsen does an excelling job describing the setting, especially in the first section of the book about his time in Northern Minnesota. He makes the reader feel as if they are really there, without being overly descriptive. Paulsen grew up in many different settings, and gives the reader his own childhood perspective of each.

The plot of this book is different from a regular novel since it is a true story and not one fabricated by the author for entertainment or teaching. But there is still a clear "Major Dramatic Question" that is answered in the end of the book. That question is: how will young Gary Paulsen learn to write and share stories that will lead to his success as an author.

In some parts of the story the the pacing is quick as Paulsen moves from one important moment in his life to another, but at key moments the pacing slows down. Because this is a biography, meant to describe how he became who he was as an adult, it is important to highlight key formational moments in his childhood. Perhaps the most significant is when he describes the moment he fell in love with nature. Paulsen takes over two pages to describe a moment were he is in a canoe with his uncle in the wilderness and sees a deer drinking water from a stream. That moment did not last very long, but the impact lasted a lifetime, as is shown throughout the rest of the book (and in Paulsen's other book, for those who have read them).

Citation: Paulsen, G. (2021). Gone to the Woods. Farrar Straus & Giroux. 

[stevensalerno]

Just the ENDS! -a look at endpapers created for many of my picture books

Not every one of the 38 picture books I’ve illustrated to date have end papers art included… perhaps only about a third do. (usually it’s a publisher’s budgetary issue) But when the publisher does give the green light on a picture book project to include the end papers, I’m thrilled! It’s always fun and challenging to devise and create a thematic pattern reflecting the subject and feel of the story.

Posted here are some endpapers I’ve created over the years for various picture books:

^ above: endpapers from, Wild Child -written & illustrated by Steven Salerno -August 2015 Abrams Books for Young Readers. (gouache & digital)

^ above: endpapers from, Wild Horse Annie Friend of the Mustangs (nonfiction) written by Tracey Fern & illustrated by Steven Salerno - April 2019 by Farrar Straus Giroux. (gouache & digital)

^ above: endpapers from, The Secret Code Inside You -all about your DNA (nonfiction) written by Rajani LaRocca, MD & illustrated by Steven Salerno -Released in 2021 by Little Bee Books. (digital)

^ above: endpapers from, Pantaloon -written by Kathryn Jackson & illustrated by Steven Salerno -March 2010 Golden Books/Random House.  (gouache & digital)

^ above: endpapers from, Love from MADELINE -written by John Bemelmans Marciano & illustrated by Steven Salerno (in the style of the creator of MADELINE, Ludwig Bemelmans) Released in Jan 2022 by Viking Books for Young Readers (Penguin-Random House) (gouache & digital)

^ above: endpapers from, PRIDE The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag (nonfiction) written by Rob Sanders & illustrated by Steven Salerno -April 2018 by Random House.  (digital)

^ above: endpapers from, Harry Hungry! -written & illustrated by Steven Salerno -February 2009 Harcourt Children’s Books.  (gouache & digital)

^ above: endpapers from, BOOM! -written by Mary Lyn Ray & illustrated by Steven Salerno -June 2013 Hyperion Books/Disney. (gouache & digital)

^ above: endpapers from, PASS GO And Collect $200 The Real Story of How MONOPOLY Was Invented (nonfiction) written by Tanya Lee Stone & illustrated by Steven Salerno -July 2018 by Henry Holt & Co/Christy Ottaviano Books. (digital)

^ above: endpapers from, Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates -written by April Jones Prince & illustrated by Steven Salerno -October 2017 Farrar Straus Giroux/Margaret Ferguson Books.  (gouache & digital)

[yacovergalore]

[lilibetbombshell]

[literary-lion]

After the Woods | Book Review

After the Woods | Book Review

After the Woods is a book that starts with a clear, direct premise and then is abruptly thrown off the rails into an entirely different story. Sometimes, a twist like this can be good. Exciting. It’s nice to be surprised and have no idea where something is going – unfortunately After the Woods manages to mostly be frustrating and unsatisfying with the route it chooses to take and I’m left feeling…

[richincolor]

New Releases for the Week of February 20, 2024

I'm interested in all of the new releases this week--especially A Tempest of Tea--since tea is in my cup every day. It's another to add to our list of books featuring tea. Along with the vampire and tearoom book, we have a contemporary story and another fantasy with demons and curses. It looks like a good week to read.

Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle Margaret K. McElderry Books 

Brynn Kwan is desperate for her high school persona to be real. That Brynn is head of the yearbook committee, the favorite for prom queen, and definitely not crumbling from a secret disability that’s rapidly wearing her down. If no one knows the truth about her condition, Brynn doesn’t have to worry about the pitying looks or accusations of being a faker that already destroyed her childhood friendships. She’s even willing to let go of her four-year relationship with her first love, Oliver, rather than reveal that a necessary surgery was the reason she ignored his existence for the entire summer.

But after Brynn tries to break up a fight at a pep rally and winds up barred from all her clubs and senior prom, she has nothing left to prop up her illusion of being just like everyone else. During a week-long suspension from school, she realizes that she doesn’t quite recognize the face in the mirror—and it’s not because of her black eye from the fight. With a healthy sister who simply doesn’t understand and a confused ex-boyfriend who won’t just take a hint and go away like a normal human being, Brynn begins to wonder if it’s possible to reinvent her world by being the person she thought no one herself.

The Diablo’s Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa Random House Books for Young Readers

From the author of The Wicked Bargain comes a high-stakes race to defeat a curse designed to kill about a teen demon who wants to be human, a boy cursed to die young, and the murderous island destined to bury them both.

Dami is a demon determined to cancel every deal they’ve ever made in order to tether their soul to earth and become human again. There’s just one person standing in their Silas. An irresistibly (and stubborn) cute boy cursed to die young, except for the deal with Dami that is keeping him alive. If they cancel the deal, Silas is dead. Unless… they can destroy the curse that has plagued Silas’s family for generations. But to do so, Dami and Silas are going to have to work together. That is, if the curse doesn’t kill them first. . . . 

A Tempest of Tea (Blood and Tea #1) by Hafsah Faizal Farrar, Straus and Giroux

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city’s most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.

From the New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance, revenge, and an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

[thebookshire]

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

A Girl Like That is a hard-hitting diverse story about two teenagers who end up dead from a car accident in Saudi Arabia. You start right in the heart of the aftermath of their deaths – watching, from their point of view, as their guardians grieve by their bodies and the police angrily accuse them of letting two adolescents of the opposite sex spend time together alone (which is against the law…

[jennietheblogginglibrarian]

A Wrinkle in Time: Review

Rating: ★★★

The novel A Wrinkle in Time was written by Madeleine L’Engle in 1962. Despite being a Newbery Medal winning book, this fantasy novel has been challenged throughout time for a variety of reasons. After her father disappears, young Meg Murry, her brother and friend Charles Wallace goes on a mission through space and time to rescue her father from the evil antagonist, “IT”. The trio encounter a variety of eccentric characters along the way, travelling through time and space in order to complete their quest. A Wrinkle in Time takes readers on a vividly depicted journey where reality and fantasy collide and has been created quite a stir since the beginning of its release.

This is a story that inspires readers to use their imaginations and defy expectations. The fast-paced story and complex language has also been a topic of issue for this book. A Wrinkle in Time explores many different worlds, themes and concepts throughout its 202 pages. During the 1960’s, women’s roles and placement were beginning to evolve from but there was still a large pushback on women being the forefront. The main protagonist Meg Murry in the story is a young girl who, despite setbacks, enemies and challenges, fulfills her quest to find her father. Despite being described as “plain”, Meg shows that she is extraordinary. Meg is seen as an intelligent, strong willed young woman who is willing to do whatever it takes for her family. This major theme gives A Wrinkle in Time the diving force to still be relevant today. 

Awards: Newbery Medal (1963); Sequoyah Book Award (1965); Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1965).

Reference: L'Engle, Madeleine. (1962). A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. 

[blackchildrensbooksandauthors]

📢New July  Picture Book Release

A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart

Zetta Elliott

Noa Denmon

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

July 21, 2020

There is a place inside of me

a space deep down inside of me

where all my feelings hide.

Summertime is filled with joy―skateboarding and playing basketball―until his community is deeply wounded by a police shooting. As fall turns to winter and then spring, fear grows into anger, then pride and peace. In her stunning debut, illustrator Noa Denmon articulates the depth and nuances of a child’s experiences following a police shooting―through grief and protests, healing and community―with washes of color as vibrant as his words. Here is a groundbreaking narrative that can help all readers―children and adults alike―talk about the feelings hiding deep inside each of us.

Available for Pre-order👉🏿 Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Find more children’s and young adult books by Black authors here

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[wellesleybooks]

The Newbery, the Caldecott, the Printz, oh my!

The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits taking place virtually from Chicago.

A list of all the 2021 award winners follows:

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

“When You Trap a Tiger,” written by Tae Keller, is the 2021 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.

Five Newbery Honor Books also were named:

“All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team,” written by Christina Soontornvat and published by Candlewick Press; “BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom,” written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Michele Wood and published by Candlewick Press;  “Fighting Words,” written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House;  “We Dream of Space,” written by Erin Entrada Kelly, illustrated by Erin Entrada Kelly and Celia Krampien and published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers;  and “A Wish in the Dark,” written by Christina Soontornvat and published by Candlewick Press.

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

“We Are Water Protectors,” illustrated by Michaela Goade is the 2021 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Carole Lindstrom and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings.

Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named:

“A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart,” illustrated by Noa Denmon, written by Zetta Elliott and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group; “The Cat Man of Aleppo,” illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, written by Irene Latham & Karim Shamsi-Basha and published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House; “Me & Mama,” illustrated and written by Cozbi A. Cabrera and published by Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; and “Outside In,” illustrated by Cindy Derby, written by Deborah Underwood and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Coretta Scott King Book Awards recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award:

“Before the Ever After,” written by Jacqueline Woodson, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.  

Three King Author Honor Books were selected:

“All the Days Past, All the Days to Come,” written by Mildred D. Taylor, published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC; “King and the Dragonflies,” written by Kacen Callender, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; and “Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box,” written by Evette Dionne, published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul,” illustrated by Frank Morrison, is the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Three King Illustrator Honor Books were selected:

“Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration,” illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, written by Samara Cole Doyon and published by Tilbury House Publishers; “Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks,” illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, written by Suzanne Slade and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; and “Me & Mama,” illustrated and written by Cozbi A. Cabrera and published by Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:

“Legendborn,” written by Tracy Deonn, is the Steptoe author award winner. The book is published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Dorothy L. Guthrie is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

Dorothy L. Guthrie is an award-winning retired librarian, district administrator, author and school board member. A respected children’s literature advocate, Guthrie promotes and affirms the rich perspectives of African Americans. Her work, “Integrating African American Literature in the Library and Classroom,” inspires educators with African American literature. Guthrie founded the first African American museum in her home, Gaston County, North Carolina.

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

“Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story),” by Daniel Nayeri, is the 2021 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Levine Querido.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named:

“Apple (Skin to the Core),” by Eric Gansworth and published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Levine Querido; “Dragon Hoops,” created by Gene Luen Yang, color by Lark Pien and published by First Second Books, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; “Every Body Looking,” by Candice Iloh and published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House; and “We Are Not Free,” by Traci Chee and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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

“I Talk Like a River,” written by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith and published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, wins the award for young children (ages 0 to 10). Two honor books for young children were selected: “All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything,” written by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali and published by Sourcebooks eXplore, an imprint of Sourcebook Kids, and “Itzhak: A Boy who Loved the Violin,” written by Tracy Newman, illustrated by Abigail Halpin and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Abrams.

“Show Me a Sign,” written by Ann Clare LeZotte and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., is the winner for middle grades (ages 11-13). Two honor books for middle grades were selected: “Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!,” written by Sarah Kapit and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, and “When Stars Are Scattered,” written by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, color by Iman Geddy and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

“This Is My Brain in Love,” written by I.W. Gregorio and published by Little Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, is the winner for teens (ages 13-18). No honor book for teens was selected.

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

“Black Sun,” by Rebecca Roanhorse, published by Saga Press/Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

“The House in the Cerulean Sea,” by TJ Klune, published by Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, a division of Macmillan

“The Impossible First: From Fire to Ice - Crossing Antarctica Alone,” by Colin O’Brady, published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

“Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio,” by Derf Backderf, published by Abrams Comicarts

“The Kids Are Gonna Ask,” by Gretchen Anthony, published by Park Row Books, an imprint of Harlequin, a division of HarperCollins Publishers

“The Only Good Indians,” by Stephen Graham Jones, published by Saga Press/Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

“Plain Bad Heroines,” by emily m. danforth, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins

“Riot Baby,” by Tochi Onyebuchi, published by Tordotcom, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, a division of Macmillan

“Solutions and Other Problems,” by Allie Brosh, published by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

“We Ride Upon Sticks:  A Novel,” by Quan Barry, published by Pantheon Books, a division of Penguin Random House

Children’s Literature Legacy Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences.

The 2021 winner is Mildred D. Taylor, whose award-winning works include "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,” the 1977 Newbery Medal winner and a Coretta Scott King (CSK) Author honor; "The Land," the 2002 CSK Author Award winner; "The Road to Memphis," the 1991 CSK Author Award winner; “All the Days Past, All the Days to Come”; and “The Gold Cadillac,” among other titles.

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

 The 2021 winner is Kekla Magoon. Her books include: “X: A Novel,” co-written by Ilyasah Shabazz and published by Candlewick Press; “How It Went Down,” published by Henry Holt and Co. Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; “The Rock and the River” and “Fire in the Streets,” both published by Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

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:

“Telephone Tales” is the 2021 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Italian as “Favole al telefono,” the book was written by Gianni Rodari, illustrated by Valerio Vidali, translated by Antony Shugaar and published by Enchanted Lion Books.

One Honor Book also was selected: “Catherine’s War,” published by HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, written by Julia Billet, illustrated by Claire Fauvel and translated from French by Ivanka Hahnenberger.  

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

“Kent State,” produced by Paul R. Gagne for Scholastic Audio, is the 2021 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Deborah Wiles and narrated by Christopher Gebauer, Lauren Ezzo, Christina DeLaine, Johnny Heller, Roger Wayne, Korey Jackson, and David de Vries.

Four Odyssey Honor Audiobooks also were selected:

“Clap When You Land,” produced by Caitlin Garing for HarperAudio, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, written by Elizabeth Acevedo and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte; “Fighting Words,” produced by Karen Dziekonski for Listening Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House Audio, written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and narrated by Bahni Turpin; “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You,” produced by Robert Van Kolken for Hachette Audio, written by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi and narrated by Jason Reynolds with an introduction by Ibram X. Kendi; and “When Stars Are Scattered,” produced by Kelly Gildea & Julie Wilson for Listening Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House Audio, written by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed and narrated by Faysal Ahmed, Barkhad Abdi and a full cast.  

Pura Belpré Awards honoring a Latinx writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

“¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat,” illustrated and written by Raúl Gonzalez, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was published by Versify, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

One Belpré Illustrator Honor Book was named:

“Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello,” illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, written by Monica Brown and published by Children’s Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low Books, Inc.

"Efrén Divided,” written by Ernesto Cisneros, is the Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award winner. The book is published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Two Belpré Children’s Author Honor Books were named:

"The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez," written by Adrianna Cuevas and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, and "Lupe Wong Won’t Dance," written by Donna Barba Higuera and published by Levine Querido.

"Furia,” written by Yamile Saied Méndez, is the Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award winner. The book is published by Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Two Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Books were named:

"Never Look Back," written by Lilliam Rivera and published by Bloomsbury YA, and "We Are Not from Here," written by Jenny Torres Sanchez and published by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

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

“Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera,” written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohmann, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House.

Three Sibert Honor Books were named:

“How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure,” written and illustrated by John Rocco, published by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House; “Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks,” written by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; and “All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team,” written by Christina Soontornvat, published by Candlewick Press.

The Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award is given to a digital media producer that has created distinguished digital media for an early learning audience.

The 2021 Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award winner is “The Imagine Neighborhood,” produced by Committee for Children.

One honor title was named: “Sesame Street Family Play: Caring for Each Other,” produced by Sesame Workshop.

Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

“We Are Little Feminists: Families,” written by Archaa Shrivastav, designed by Lindsey Blakely and published by Little Feminist, is the 2021 recipient of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award.

Four Honor Books were selected:

“Beetle & The Hollowbones,” illustrated and written by Aliza Layne and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “Darius the Great Deserves Better,” written by Adib Khorram and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC; “Felix Ever After,” written by Kacen Callender and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and “You Should See Me in a Crown,” written by Leah Johnson and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

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

“See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog,” written by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka and published by Candlewick Press.

Four Geisel Honor Books were named:

“The Bear in My Family,” written and illustrated by Maya Tatsukawa and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House; “Ty’s Travels: Zip, Zoom!” written by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Nina Mata and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; “"What About Worms!?” written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group; and “Where’s Baby?” written and illustrated by Anne Hunter and published by Tundra Books of Northern New York, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, a Penguin Random House Company.

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

“If These Wings Could Fly,” written by Kyrie McCauley, is the 2021 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Four other books were finalists for the award:  

“Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard,” written by Echo Brown and published by Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt and Co. Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; “The Black Kids,” written by Christina Hammonds Reed and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; “It Sounded Better in My Head,” written by Nina Kenwood and published by Flatiron Books, Macmillan Publishers; and “Woven in Moonlight,” written by Isabel Ibañez and published by Page Street Publishing.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:

“The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh,” written by Candace Fleming, is the 2021 Excellence winner. The book is published by Schwartz and Wade, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.

Four other books were finalists for the award:  

“All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team,” written by Christina Soontornvat and published by Candlewick Press; “The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival,” written by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan and published by Bloomsbury YA; “How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity's Greatest Adventure,” written and illustrated by John Rocco and published by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House; and “You Call This Democracy?: How to Fix Our Democracy and Deliver Power to the People,” written by Elizabeth Rusch and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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 award is administered by the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), an affiliate of the American Library Association.  This year’s winners include:

The Picture Book winner is “Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist,” written by Julie Leung, illustrated by Chris Sasaki and published by Schwartz & Wade, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House. The committee selected one Picture Book honor title: “Danbi Leads the School Parade,” written and illustrated by Anna Kim and published by Viking Children's Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

The Children’s Literature winner is “When You Trap a Tiger,” written by Tae Keller and published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House. The committee selected one children’s literature honor title: “Prairie Lotus,” written by Linda Sue Park and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Youth Literature winner is “This Light Between Us,” written by Andrew Fukuda and published by Tor Teen. The committee selected one Youth Literature honor title: “Displacement,” written by Kiku Hughes and published by First Second, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

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

This year’s Gold Medalists include: in the Picture Book category, “Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail,” by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal and published by Charlesbridge; in the Middle Grades category, “Turtle Boy,” by M. Evan Wolkenstein and published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC; and in the Young Adult category, “Dancing at the Pity Party,” written and illustrated by Tyler Feder and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medalists include: in the Picture Book category, “I Am the Tree of Life: My Jewish Yoga Book,” by Mychal Copeland, illustrated by André Ceolin and published by Apples and Honey Press, an imprint of Behrman House, and “Miriam at the River,” by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Khoa Le and published by Kar-Ben Publishing, a division of Lerner Publishing Group; in the Middle Grades category, “No Vacancy,” by Tziporah Cohen and published by Groundwood Books; “Anya and the Nightingale,” by Sofiya Pasternack and published by Versify, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; and “The Blackbird Girls,” by Anne Blankman and published by Viking Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House LLC; and in the Young Adult category, “They Went Left,” by Monica Hesse and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work.  For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma.