On Monday, January 24, 2022, the American Library Association (ALA) announced this year’s winners of the Youth Media Awards.
If the news of these awards whets your appetite for new reading recommendations, then look no further! AACPL has you covered with our lists of Winners and Honor Books, along with a sampler of titles from the lists arranged by age group, many of which were honored with multiple awards:
Young Children & Early Readers (Ages 0-8)
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Fox at Night (written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor) - winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book
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My City Speaks (written by Darren Lebeuf and illustrated by Ashley Barron) – winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for books related to the disability experience
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Watercress (written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin) – winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal honoring the most distinguished American picture book; also a Newbery Honor book, and a Picture Book winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
Middle Grades (Ages 8-13)
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Amina’s Song (by Hena Khan) – Children’s Literature winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
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The Last Cuentista (by Donna Barba Higuera) - John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature; also the Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award winner, which honors Latinx writers and illustrators whose works focus on Latino cultural experience
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Too Bright to See (by Kyle Lukoff) – winner of the Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s Literature Award for LGBTQ+ stories
Teens & Young Adults (Ages 13+)
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Firekeeper’s Daughter (by Angeline Boulley) – winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature; also the winner of the William C. Morris Award for a debut book geared toward teens, and an Honor book for the American Indian Youth Literature Awards
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Last Night at the Telegraph Club (by Malinda Lo) – winner of the Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Young Adult Literature Award for LGBTQ+ stories; also Youth Literature winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature as well as a Printz Honor book
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Me (Moth) (by Amber McBride) – winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award for outstanding African American authors and illustrators; also a finalist for the William C. Morris Award for a debut book geared toward teens
Our lists also include at least three selections from the authors and illustrators who received special accolades from the YMAs. These include, for example, the following:
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Nikki Grimes is the winner of the 2022 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, with over 77 children’s and young adult books published, many with a distinctive combination of prose and poetry.
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Grace Lin is the 2022 author/illustrator recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award. Lin has authored and/or illustrated 40+ books for children, and in previous years has also authored a Newbery Honor book, a Geisel Honor book, and a Caldecott Honor book.
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Jane Yolen is the 2022 winner of the Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award, which annually honors a noteworthy contributor to the genre of Jewish children’s literature. Yolen is a prolific author with more than 400 published titles for readers of all ages.
The evolution of the YMAs, particularly in the past ten years, are a microcosm of how our society’s values and priorities have evolved as well. In that time, there has been an increasing emphasis on diverse representation – in both authors and story themes. This includes diversity not only racially and ethnically, but also in terms of sexual and gender orientation, citizenship status, and more.
Additionally, there have been many changes in publishing trends since the awards began, such as the genre interests of readers shifting what constitutes a deserving winner. For example, in 2020, a graphic novel won the Newbery Medal for the first time.
In short, we at AACPL recommend not taking any list of awardees as gospel for what constitutes quality literature, but rather as a starting point for exploration into some of the new, fun options for diving into reading!
Remember that your friendly librarians are always here to help with personalized reader’s advisory for bookworms of all ages. You are welcome to reach out for advice based on your interests via email, chat, phone, Facebook Messenger, or by making an appointment in person with one of our staff.