Independent Publishers Take Home 2015 Youth Media Awards

Youth Media Awards

The 2015 Youth Media Awards were announced at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference on Feb. 2 in Chicago. Several independently published books were recognized at this ceremony and won prestigious awards for their excellence in writing, illustration, translation, and diversity. Here is a comprehensive list of all the indies that won awards or honors this year.

John Newbery Honor

This award honors the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature.

el deafo cover

El Deafo by Cece Bell, published by Amulet Books

Randolph Caldecott Honor

This award honors the most distinguished American picture book for children.

sam and dave dig a hole cover

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen, published by Candlewick Press

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor

This award recognizes an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults.

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby, illustrated by Christian Robinson, published by Chronicle Books

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Kathryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Frank Morrison, published by Lee and Low Books

Michael L. Printz Honor

The award honors excellence in literature written for young adults.

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley, published by Elephant Rock Books

Schneider Family Book Award

This award recognizes books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.

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Girls Like Us by Gail Giles, published by Candlewick Press

Alex Award

This award is for the ten best books that appeal to teen audiences.

Lock in by John Scalzi, published by Tor Books

Mildred L. Batchelder Award

This award celebrates an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States.

Mikis and the Donkey by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson, published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Mildred L. Batchelder Honor

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Nine Open Arms by Benny Lindelauf, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen, published by Enchanted Lion Books

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor

This award honors a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

Green Is a Chile Pepper by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by John Parra, published by Chronicle Books

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh, published by Abrams

Robert F. Silbert Informational Book Award

This award recognizes the most distinguished informational book for children.

the right word cover

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Robert F. Silbert Informational Honor

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Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby, illustrated by Christian Robinson, published by Chronicle Books

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh, published by Abrams

Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award

This award is given to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the LGBT experience.

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This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten, published by Magination Press

Stonewall Honor

beyond magenta cover

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin, published by Candlewick Press

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchio, illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant, published by Groundwood Books

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

This award is for the most distinguished beginning reader book.

You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant, published by Two Lions

William C. Morris Award

This award honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.

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Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, published by Cinco Puntos Press

William C. Morris Honor

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley, published by Elephant Rock Books

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E. K. Johnston, published by Carolrhoda Lab

The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos, published Egmont Publishing

ava lavender cover

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton, published Candlewick Press

Aimee Jodoin

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