The cold weather has arrived, just in time for the National Book Awards to warm us up. Let’s have a look at the titles, announced last week in the Young People’s Literature category.
WINNER:
All my Rage by Sabaa Tahir
In unflinching prose, All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir layers
grief and love in a complex exploration of how we hurt each other and how
buried traumas can cloud all. Seamlessly traversing from Lahore, Pakistan to
Juniper, California, Tahir has created a compelling cross-generational story
where characters are interconnected in their search for community.
All My Rage is of the moment, urgent in its honest depiction
of abuse, debt, and the significance of forgiveness.
FINALISTS:
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Enriched by gentle humor and evocative storytelling, Kelly
Barnhill’s The Ogress and the Orphans turns the tired fairy tale trope of
monster versus hero upside down. Its quietly precise language and sizable cast
of totally individual characters—including an eloquent flock of crows and a
narrator no one (except the reader) ever seems to hear—make every page a
delight. Best of all, the healing power of generosity is the central message of
this good-hearted fantasy.
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
In The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, Sonora Reyes spins
a classic coming-of-age story with humor, specificity, and aching sincerity.
Sixteen-year-old Yamilet Flores walks us through the nuances of her social and
familial landscapes with wit and self-awareness, pierced by moments of
disarming earnestness. Her world is filled with layered, three-dimensional
characters, complex relationships, and genuine emotional growth. Reyes nimbly
balances lightness with depth; playful banter and romantic chaos exist
alongside rich explorations of religion, queerness, and cultural identity.
Victory. Stand!: Raising my Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, Dawud Anyabwile
Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice sets a new
standard for collaborative excellence. Vivid illustrations pair beautifully
with an evocative, triumphant tale. Starting the narrative with an injured
Smith wondering whether he had the “strength and speed to outrun a hail of
bullets” is the perfect, suspenseful pivot for flashbacks and the consequences
of Smith’s choice to merge the personal with the political. This is a
significant book of resilience and love blended with historical and
contemporary relevance.
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee
With humor, warmth, and deceptive simplicity, Maizy Chen’s
Last Chance offers a delectable story of food, family, and community that
deftly interweaves Maizy’s modern-day fight against racism with her ancestor’s
struggle to live under the Chinese Exclusion Act. Prickly relationships,
intergenerational tensions, intriguing mysteries, and deep love imbue Yee’s
poignant novel with the messy contradictions of real life while anchoring the
Chen family’s present within the enduring legacy of its past—and the history of
Chinese immigrants in America.
LONGLIST:
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum
Hoodie Rosen’s life isn’t that bad. Sure, his entire
Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly
non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie’s world hasn’t changed that much. He’s
got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious
kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren’t happy that so many Orthodox
Jews are moving in at once, but that’s not Hoodie’s problem.
That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie
Diaz-O’Leary—who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to
keep Hoodie’s community out of the town. And things only get more complicated
when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate
to deadly violence.
As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy,
Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he’s ever
known.
Isaac Blum delivers a wry, witty debut novel about a deeply
important and timely subject, in a story of hatred and betrayal—and the
friendships we find in the most unexpected places.
A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
In the realm of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans
exist side by side, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, if
uneventful, existence as an innkeeper’s daughter.
But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a
demon with a deadly touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and
return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously
thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters,
and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again.
With her transformation comes power and freedom she never
even dreamed of, and she’ll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying
to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her… and perhaps
never did.
Swim by Johnnie Christmas
Bree can’t wait for her first day at her new middle school,
Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees—until she’s stuck with the only
elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming
makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she’s forced to dive headfirst into
one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her
apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help.
With Etta’s training and a lot of hard work, Bree suddenly
finds her swim-crazed community counting on her to turn the school’s failing
team around. But that’s easier said than done, especially when their rival, the
prestigious Holyoke Prep, has everything they need to leave the Mighty Manatees
in their wake.
Can Bree defy the odds and guide her team to a state
championship, or have the Manatees swum their last lap—for good?
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
New York City, 1922. Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old
transgender boy from Wisconsin, has no interest in the city’s glamor. Going to
New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional, which could
set up his future—and his life as a man—and benefit his family.
Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old
cousin, Daisy Fabrega, who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy
fiancé, Tom—and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay,
has erased all signs of her Latine heritage, and now passes seamlessly as
white.
Nick’s neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named
Jay Gatsby, whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant
that they both dazzle and terrify Nick. At one of these parties, Nick learns
that the spectacle is all meant to impress a girl from Jay’s past—Daisy. And he
learns something else: Jay is also transgender.
As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of
decadence, he spends more time with Jay, aiming to help his new friend
reconnect with his lost love. But Nick’s feelings grow more complicated when he
finds himself falling hard for Jay’s openness, idealism, and unfounded faith in
the American Dream.
Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston
Lotus Bloom just wants to express herself–with her violin,
her retro style, and her peaceful vibe, not to mention her fabulous hair.
This school year, Lotus is taking her talent and spirit to
the seventh grade at a new school of the arts. The one where she just might get
to play under the famous maestro, a violin virtuoso and conductor of the
orchestra. But Lotus’s best friend, Rebel, thinks Lotus should stay at their
school. Why should this fancy new school get all the funding and pull the
brightest kids out? Rebel wants Lotus to help her protest, but Lotus isn’t
sure. If she’s going to be in the spotlight, she’d rather it be for her music.
Then, when boys throw paper wads and airplanes into Lotus’s
afro, Lotus finds herself in trouble for a dress code violation. Lotus must
choose–should she stay quiet and risk her beloved hair, or put aside her
peaceful vibe and risk everything to fight back?
Inspired by real stories of Black girls fighting dress codes
that discriminate against their hair and culture, beloved author Sherri Winston
introduces a memorable character who finds her way to speak up for what’s
right, no matter what it takes.
To view all categories, click here.
