While the inclination is to sweep the second year of life during 'Covid Times' under the rug, let's pause for a moment to honor some of the great books that were published in 2021. As the pandemic rages on, the annual midwinter conference of the American Library Association was held online once again. At the tail end of the event, the Youth Media Awards were announced on a Monday morning a few weeks ago. Top distinctions were bestowed upon authors and illustrators for their wonderful words and pictures published last year. The Library is pleased to note that we currently hold 40 of these award-winning titles which won altogether nearly 60 unique prizes.

Caldecott Medalist: Watercress illustrated by Jason Chin and written by Andrea Wang 
Caldecott Honor:
Mel Fell illustrated and written by Corey R. Tabor
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre illustrated by Floyd Cooper and written by Carole Boston Weatherford

Newbery Medalist: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Newbery Honor:
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
Watercress written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin

Printz Award: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Printz Honor:
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon; Starfish by Lisa Fipps

Coretta Scott King Author Book Award: Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre written by Carole Boston Weatherford
CSK Author Honor:
Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People written by Kekla Magoon
The People Remember written by Ibi Zoboi and illustrated by Loveis Wise
CSK Illustrator Book Award: Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre illustrated by Floyd Cooper and written by Carole Boston Weatherford
CSK Illustrator Honor: Nina: A Story of Nina Simone illustrated by Christian Robinson and written by Traci N. Todd
We Wait for the Sun illustrated by Raissa Figueroa and written by Dovey Johnson Roundtree & Katie McCabe
Soul Food Sunday illustrated by C.G. Esperanza and written by Winsome Bingham
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award: The Me I Choose to Be illustrated by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt and written by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Award for Illustration: ¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge written and illustrated by Raúl the Third
Illustration Honor: De Aquí Como El Coquí illustrated and written by Nomar Perez

Odyssey Audiobook Honor:
Boogie Boogie Y'all written and narrated by C.G. Esperanza
I Talk Like a River written and narrated by Jordan Scott

Batchelder Award Honor:
Sato the Rabbit written and illustrated by Yuki Ainoya and translated by Michael Blaskowsky
The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas written by María García Esperón and illustrated by Amanda Mijangos and translated by David Bowles
In the Meadow of Fantasies written by Hadi Mohammadi and illustrated by Nooshin Safakhoo and translated by Sara Khalili

Schneider Family Middle Grade Honor: Stuntboy, in the Meantime written by Jason Reynolds and illustrated by Raúl the Third

Sibert Informational Book Honors:
The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem written by Colleen Paeff and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown written by Steve Sheinkin
We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know written by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Frané Lessac
Summertime Sleepers: Animals That Estivate written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Stonewall Book Children’s Literature Award: Too Bright to See written by Kyle Lukoff
Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Young Adult Award: Last Night at the Telegraph Club written by Malinda Lo
Stonewall Honor: Grandad’s Camper written and illustrated by Harry Woodgate

Morris Award: Firekeeper’s Daughter written by Angeline Boulley

Geisel Award: Fox at Night written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor
Geisel Honor:
I Hop written and illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Nothing Fits a Dinosaur written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske

Sydney Taylor Award:
Picture Book Award: The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel and illustrated by Sean Rubin
Picture Book Honor: Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued written and illustrated by Peter Sis
The Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award: Jane Yolen

Asian Pacific American Award for Literature 
Picture Book Award: Watercress written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin
Youth Literature Award: Last Night at the Telegraph Club written by Malinda Lo
Youth Literature Honor: We Are Not Free written by Traci Chee

American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor:
We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell [Cherokee] and illustrated by Frané Lessac
Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer written by Traci Sorell [Cherokee] and illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Métis)
Middle Grade Honor: Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend written by Dawn Quigley [Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe] and illustrated by Tara Audibert [Wolastoqey]
Young Adult Honor: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley [Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians] with cover art by Moses Lunham [Ojibway and Chippewa]

YALSA Nonfiction Award Honor:
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement written by Paula Yoo
In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years after the 9/11 Attacks written and illustrated by Don Brown

The Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement was given to Nikki Grimes. The Children's Literature Legacy Award was bestowed upon Grace Lin and A.S. King received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. Author and illustrator Bryan Collier will deliver the 2023 ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture.

Alex Award titles available in both print and ebook:
How Lucky by Will Leitch
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Another seven books were all added to the Alex Award shelf in the Cloud Library:
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
The Library of the Dead by T.L Huchu
Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell
Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever by Kareem Rosser
Malice by Heather Walter

Stayed tuned to our newsletters and monthly new book lists where we will share upcoming award-winning acquisitions for the Children’s and YA libraries. Did one of your favorites from 2021 earn the prize you hoped it would? Let us know which books you can’t wait to check out. We’re happy to add them to a book bundle for you!