Feast on Amazing Kidlit: Links to the ALA Youth Media Awards 2021
“In January it’s so nice while slipping on the sliding ice to sip hot chicken soup with rice!” So wrote masterful author-illustrator Maurice Sendak more than fifty years ag0. But January also brings a tasty list of freshly awarded children’s books to feast upon.
On January 25th, the American Library Association revealed the 2021 ALA Youth Media Awards, citing exemplary literature in book and digital formats for children and teens. These prestigious awards commend works published in the United States during the prior publishing year (November 1 – October 31).
To make the content even easier to digest and access, explore my linked list of 2021 winners and honorees. The titles jump to book descriptions and purchase options at bookshop.org and Libro.fm, two online platforms that share sale profits with book creators.
I can’t wait to feed my bookshelves. Are you ready to dig in?
John Newbery Medal:
for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature
Since 1922, the coveted Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
2021 Newberry Medal Winner:
- When You Trap a Tiger, written by Tae Keller and published by Random House Children’s Books
2021 Newbery Honor Books:
- 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
- We Dream of Space, written by Erin Entrada Kelly, illustrated by Erin Entrada Kelly and Celia Krampien, and published by Greenwillow Books
- 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
The Caldecott Medal celebrates artists of a distinguished American picture books for children published the preceding year. First awarded in 1938, the award was named for Randolph Caldecott, a nineteenth-century English illustrator.
2021 Caldecott Medal Winner:
- We Are Water Protectors, illustrated by Michaela Goade, written by Carole Lindstrom, and published by Roaring Brook Press
2021 Caldecott Honor Books:
- 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
- The Cat Man of Aleppo, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, written by Irene Latham & Karim Shamsi-Basha and published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
- Me & Mama, illustrated and written by Cozbi A. Cabrera, and published by Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Outside In, illustrated by Cindy Derby, written by Deborah Underwood and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Children’s Literature Legacy Award:
for a long-term contribution to kidlit
Since 1954, the Children’s Literature Legacy Award honors an author or illustrator published in America, who made, over time, “a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences. “
2021 Legacy Award Winner:
- Mildred D. Taylor, whose award-winning works include Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, 1977 Newbery Medal winner and a Coretta Scott King (CSK) Author honor; The Land, 2002 CSK Author Award winner; The Road to Memphis, 1991 CSK Author Award winner; All the Days Past, All the Days to Come; and The Gold Cadillac.
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award:
for talented creators of beginning readers
Named for Dr Seuss, this yearly award since 2006, recognizes the distinguished creator(s) of a beginning reader book.
2021 Theodor Seuss Geisel Winner:
- See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog, written by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, and published by Candlewick Press.
2021 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Books:
- The Bear in My Family, written and illustrated by Maya Tatsukawa and published by Dial Books for Young Readers
- Ty’s Travels: Zip, Zoom! written by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Nina Mata, and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books
- What About Worms!? written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins and published by Hyperion Books for Children
- Where’s Baby?, written and illustrated by Anne Hunter and published by Tundra Books of Northern New York
Coretta Scott King Book Awards:
to honor African American creators of books for children and teens
Since 1970, Coretta Scott King Book Awards annually recognize outstanding books by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience.
2021 Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award Winner:
- Before the Ever After, written by Jacqueline Woodson and published by Nancy Paulsen Books of Penguin Random House LLC.
2021 King Author (Author) Honor Books:
- All the Days Past, All the Days to Come, written by Mildred D. Taylor, published by Viking of Penguin Random House LLC
- King and the Dragonflies, written by Kacen Callender, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
- Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box, written by Evette Dionne, published by Viking
2021 Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Award Winner:
- R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Carole Boston Weatherford, and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
2021 King (Illustrator) Honor Books:
- 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
- Me & Mama, illustrated and written by Cozbi A. Cabrera and published by Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
2021 King/Steptoe Author Award:
- Legendborn, written by Tracy Deonn, and published by Margaret K. McElderry Books
The Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
Since 2012, this annual award pays tribute to the beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. In even years, it award “an African American author, illustrator or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults, and who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution. In odd years, it awards a “a practitioner for substantial contributions through active engagement with youth using award winning African American literature for children and/or young adults, via implementation of reading and reading related activities/programs.”
2021 King/Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Winner:
- Dorothy L. Guthrie, a retired award-winning librarian, district administrator, and author of Integrating African American Literature in the Library and Classroom, founded the first African American museum in Gaston County, NC.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award:
for a noteworthy informational book for children and teens
Since 2001, the Sibert Award honors the most distinguished informational book published in English, during the preceding year, for its contribution to children’s literature.
2021 Sibert Award Winner:
- Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera, written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohmann, published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House
2021 Sibert Honor Books:
- 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
- Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, written by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers
- All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team, written by Christina Soontornvat, published by Candlewick Press
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
for best YA nonfiction (ages 12-18)
Established in 2010, this annual award celebrates the best nonfiction published for teens awarded by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the ALA.
2021 YALSA Nonfiction Award Winner:
- The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, written by Candace Fleming, published by Schwartz and Wade of Random House Children’s Books
2021 YALSA Nonfiction Honor Books:
- 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 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
- 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
Michael L. Printz Award:
for literature of merit written for young adults
First awarded in 2000, this award honors excellence in YA literature. It is named for Michael Printz, a once longstanding member of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).
2021 Printz Award Winner:
- Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story), by Daniel Nayeri and published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Levine Querido
2021 Printz Honor Books:
- 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 of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
- Every Body Looking, by Candice Iloh and published by Dutton Books for Young Readers of Penguin Random House
- We Are Not Free, by Traci Chee and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Margaret A. Edwards Award:
to honor lifetime achievement in writing for young adults
Since 1988, the Margaret A. Edwards Award honors an author and body of work “helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.”
2021 Edwards Award Winner:
- Kekla Magoon, whose 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.; The Rock and the River and Fire in the Streets, both published by Aladdin of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
Schneider Family Book Awards:
for outstanding books about people with disabilities
This award, founded by Dr. Katherine Schneider in 2010, honors work that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for children and teens.
2021 Schneider Award Winners
Younger children winner (ages 0-10):
- I Talk Like a River, written by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith and published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House
Younger children honorees:
- 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
- Itzhak: A Boy who Loved the Violin, written by Tracy Newman, illustrated by Abigail Halpin and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers
Middle grade winner (ages 11-13):
- Show Me a Sign, written by Ann Clare LeZotte and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Middle grade honoress:
- Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!, written by Sarah Kapit and published by Dial Books for Young Readers
- 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.
Teen winner (13-18):
- This Is My Brain in Love, written by I.W. Gregorio and published by Little Brown and Company
Pura Belpré Awards:
celebrating Latinx children’s book creators
Established in 1996 and named for the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library, the Pura Belpré Award recognizes Latinx authors and illustrators “who best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.”
2021 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner:
- ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat, illustrated and written by Raúl Gonzalez, published by Versify of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2021 Pura Belpré Author Award Winner:
- Efrén Divided, written by Ernesto Cisneros, published by Harper of HarperCollins Publishers
2021 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book:
- Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, written by Monica Brown and published by Children’s Book Press at Lee & Low Books, Inc.
2021 Pura Belpré Author Honor Books:
- The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, written by Adrianna Cuevas and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers
- Lupe Wong Won’t Dance, written by Donna Barba Higuera and published by Levine Querido
2021 Pura Belpré Young Adult Winner:
- Furia, written by Yamile Saied Méndez and published by Algonquin Young Readers
2021 Pura Belpré Young Adult Honor Books:
- Never Look Back, written by Lilliam Rivera and published by Bloomsbury YA
- We Are Not from Here, written by Jenny Torres Sanchez and published by Philomel Books
Stonewall Book Award –
Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & YA Literature Award:
for LTGBTQ youth books of exceptional merit
The inaugural Stonewall Book Award title was named in 1971. The Stonewall Children’s and YA (CYA) Award recognizes works of superior merit related to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience for children or teens.
2021 Stonewall Award Winner:
- We Are Little Feminists: Families, written by Archaa Shrivastav, designed by Lindsey Blakely and published by Little Feminist
2021 Stonewall Honor Books:
- Beetle & The Hollowbones, illustrated and written by Aliza Layne and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
- Darius the Great Deserves Better, written by Adib Khorram and published by Dial Books LLC
- Felix Ever After, written by Kacen Callender and published by Balzer + Bray of HarperCollins Publishers
- You Should See Me in a Crown, written by Leah Johnson and published by Scholastic Press
William C. Morris Award:
for a great debut young adult book
The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first awarded in 2009, honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.
2021 Morris Award Winner:
- If These Wings Could Fly, written by Kyrie McCauley, published by Katherine Tegen Books
2021 Morris Award Honor Books:
- Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard, written by Echo Brown and published by Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt
- The Black Kids, written by Christina Hammonds Reed and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- It Sounded Better in My Head, written by Nina Kenwood and published by Flatiron Books, Macmillan Publishers
- Woven in Moonlight, written by Isabel Ibañez and published by Page Street Publishing
Asian/Pacific American Award:
for fine literature promoting Asian/Pacific heritage
This 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.
2021 A/P American Award Winners:
- Picture book, Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist, written by Julie Leung, illustrated by Chris Sasaki and published by Schwartz & Wade
- Middle grade book, When You Trap a Tiger, written by Tae Keller and published by Random House Children’s Books
- Young adult book, This Light Between Us: A Novel of World War II, written by Andrew Fukuda and published by Tor Teen
2021 A/P American Honor Books:
- Picture book, Danbi Leads the School Parade, written and illustrated by Anna Kim and published by Viking Children’s Books
- Middle grade book, Prairie Lotus, written by Linda Sue Park and published by Clarion Books
- Young adult book, Displacement, written by Kiku Hughes and published by First Second of Macmillan Children’s Publishing
Sydney Taylor Book Award:
for superb children’s books about the Jewish experience
Presented since 1968, this award touts books for children and teens that portray the Jewish experience with authenticity.
2021 Taylor Award Winners:
- Picture book, Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail, by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal and published by Charlesbridge
- Middle grade book, Turtle Boy, by M. Evan Wolkenstein and published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
- Young adult book, Dancing at the Pity Party, written and illustrated by Tyler Feder and published by Dial Books
2021 Taylor Honor Books:
- Picture book, I Am the Tree of Life: My Jewish Yoga Book, by Mychal Copeland, illustrated by André Ceolin and published by Apples and Honey Press of Behrman House
- Picture book, Miriam at the River, by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Khoa Le and published by Kar-Ben Publishing
- Middle grade book, No Vacancy, by Tziporah Cohen and published by Groundwood Books
- Middle grade book, Anya and the Nightingale, by Sofiya Pasternack and published by Versify, of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Middle grade book, The Blackbird Girls, by Anne Blankman and published by Viking Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House LLC
- Young adult book, They Went Left, by Monica Hesse and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Alex Awards:
for adult books that appeal to teen audiences
Since 1998, Alex Awards are given annually to ten books written for adults that would appeal to young adults readers, ages 12 through 18.
2021 Alex Award Winners:
- Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse, published by Saga Press/Gallery Books
- The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune, published by Tor Books
- The Impossible First: From Fire to Ice – Crossing Antarctica Alone, by Colin O’Brady, published by Scribner
- 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
- The Only Good Indians, by Stephen Graham Jones, published by Saga Press/Gallery Books
- Plain Bad Heroines, by Emily Danforth, published by William Morrow
- Riot Baby, by Tochi Onyebuchi, published by Tordotcom
- Solutions and Other Problems, by Allie Brosh, published by Gallery Books
- We Ride Upon Sticks: A Novel, by Quan Barry, published by Pantheon Books
Odyssey Award:
for excellence in audiobook production
Since 2008, this annual award is given to the producer of the best audiobook for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.
2021 Odyssey Award Winner:
- Kent State, written by Deborah Wiles, narrated by Christopher Gebauer, Lauren Ezzo, Christina Delaine, Johnny Heller, Roger Wayne, Korey Jackson, and David de Vries, and produced by Paul R. Gagne for Scholastic Audio
2021 Odyssey Honor Books:
- 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
- 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
Mildred L. Batchelder Award:
for a foreign children’s book translated into English
Since 1968, this ALA award recognizes the publisher of an outstanding work first published in a foreign language and country then translated into English for publication in the United States
2021 Batchelder Award Winner:
- Telephone Tales, originally published in Italian as Favole al Telefono, written by Gianni Rodari, illustrated by Valerio Vidali, translated by Antony Shugaar, and published by Enchanted Lion Books
2021 Batchelder Award Honor Book:
- Catherine’s War, written by Julia Billet, illustrated by Claire Fauvel, translated from French by Ivanka Hahnenberger, and published by HarperAlley
The Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award:
for digital media in the early childhood sphere
First awarded in 2019, this award is given to a “digital media producer that has created distinguished digital media for an early learning audience.”
2021 Early Learning Winner:
- The Imagine Neighborhood, a podcast produced by Committee for Children
2021 Early Learning Honoree:
- Sesame Street Family Play: Caring for Each Other, an application produced by Sesame Workshop
*Feature image from Pexels.com
