Congratulations to our 2023 ALA Award Winners and Honorees!

2022 was a terrific year for our authors and illustrators, and we are so thrilled that the amazingly smart and dedicated librarians serving on ALA committees honored this selection of books from our creators. See all the winners and honorees below, and click to learn more about these award-winning titles!

Johnnie Christmas, SWIM TEAM
 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book

A must for graphic novel fans, SWIM TEAM tells the story of a young girl confronting her fear of swimming, while at the same time confronting the long-standing barriers of systemic racism set within the public pool system.

Queer Ducks

Eliot Schrefer, QUEER DUCKS (AND OTHER ANIMALS)
Michael L. Printz Honor

This groundbreaking illustrated YA nonfiction title from two-time National Book Award finalist and Stonewall Honoree Eliot Schrefer is a well-researched and teen-friendly exploration of the gamut of queer behaviors observed in animals.

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet

Jen Ferguson, THE SUMMER OF BITTER AND SWEET
William C. Morris Award Finalist
Stonewall Book Award Honor

In this complex and emotionally resonant novel about a Métis girl living on the Canadian prairies, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person—and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

Sonora Reyes, THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL
William C. Morris Award Finalist
Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Honor

A sharply funny and moving debut novel about a queer Mexican American girl navigating Catholic school while falling in love and learning to celebrate her true self.

Breathe and Count Back from Ten

Natalia Sylvester, BREATHE AND COUNT
BACK FROM TEN
Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Honor
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book for Teens

A poignant and authentic novel about a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia who auditions to become a mermaid at a theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out how to feel safe in her own body.


Phenomenal AOC

Loris Lora, PHENOMENAL AOC: The Roots and Rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor

An inspiring picture book biography of the trailblazing Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez by an award-winning creative team.

Gigi and Ojiji

Melissa Iwai, GIGI AND OJIJI
 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor

Gigi, a biracial six-year-old girl, learns about her Japanese culture from her grandfather when he comes to visit in this enchanting early reader.

Fish and Wave

Sergio Ruzzier, FISH AND WAVE
 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor

When a tiny wave grows bigger and bigger, what’s a fish to do? Fish and Wave by award-winning creator Sergio Ruzzier is a playful exploration of what it really means to go with the flow.

The Real Riley Mayes

Rachel Elliott, THE REAL RILEY MAYES
  Stonewall Book Award Honor

Funny and full of heart, this debut graphic novel is a story about friendship, identity, and embracing all the parts of yourself that make you special.

The Silence that Binds Us

Joanna Ho, THE SILENCE THAT BINDS US
  Asian/Pacific American Award
for Youth Literature Honor

Award-winning author Joanna Ho’s debut YA novel about finding one’s voice through the darkest grief will inspire all to speak truth to power.

My Fine Fellow

Jennieke Cohen, MY FINE FELLOW
Sydney Taylor Honor for Young Adult

Culinary delights abound, romance lingers in the air, and plans go terribly, wonderfully astray in this punchy and clever gender-bent take on My Fair Lady.

Sofiya Pasternack, BLACK BIRD, BLUE ROAD
Sydney Taylor Honor for Middle Grade

In this historical fantasy novel from celebrated author Sofiya Pasternack, Ziva will do anything to save her twin brother from his illness—even facing the Angel of Death himself.

Sydney Taylor Notable Book, ALIAS ANNA

An inspirational nonfiction novel-in-verse about a young Ukrainian Jewish girl whose phenomenal piano-playing skills saved her life and the life of her sister during the Holocaust.

2024 Children’s Literature Lecture Award

Author of the award-winning novels One Crazy Summer, P.S. Be Eleven, Gone Crazy in Alabama, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, Jumped and A Sitting in St. James, Rita Williams Garcia is one of the premier voices of children’s literature writing today. We can’t wait to hear her lecture next year!

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