The American Library Association announced the 2024 Youth Media Awards this week. Here are a few highlights:
Caldecott Award Winner: Big written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. A powerful and sweet story that illustrates the power of words to hurt and inspire with illustrations that really play with the frame and space of the page. Big also won Coretta Scott King Author AND Illustrator Honors.
Newbery Award Winner: The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave Eggers. This middle-grade story for all ages is told by Johannes, a free dog, who patrols a large park as The Eyes and reports to three Bison, the elders of the animal community that lives there.
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Award Winner: An American Story written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Dare Coulter. Powerful mixed media illustrations support this verse exploration of the legacy of slavery.
Pura Belpre (Author AND Illustrator) Award: Mexikid by Pedro Martin. This graphic novel memoir for middle grade started as an online comic series. It also won a Newbery Honor and an Odyssey (for the audiobook) Honor.
American Indian Youth Literature Awards are announced in even years. This year, the winners are:
Picture Book Winner: Forever Cousins written by Laurel Goodluck (Mandan & Hidatsa and Tsimshian) and illustrated by Jonathan Nelson (Navajo/Dine) AND A Letter for Bob written by Kim Rogers (Wichita & Affiliated Tribes) and illustrated by Jonathan Nelson (Navajo/Dine)
Middle Grade Winner: We Still Belong by Christine Day (Upper Skagit)
If you’d like to see the full list of all the awards for yourself, it can be found here, along with a recording of the live webcast announcement: https://ala.unikron.com/ . And check out the display (while it lasts) in the Children’s Room of all the Juvenile award winners that are currently available for check-out at HPL (other titles can be placed on hold).