2022 ALA Award-Winning Multicultural Children’s & YA Books

Colours of Us

3 years ago

Each January, the American Library Association recognizes the most original and creative books and other media for children and teenagers. The ALA Youth Media Awards include the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards. Great to see so many multicultural children’s and young adult books amongst the winners!

2022 ALA Award-Winning Multicultural Children’s & YA Books

Preschool

My City Speaks
by Darren Lebeuf

Schneider Family Book Award (Young Children)

A visually impaired girl and her father spend a day in their city, visiting the playground, the community garden, the market, and an outdoor concert. As they do, the girl describes what she senses in delightfully precise, poetic detail. Her city, she says, “rushes and stops, and waits and goes.” It “pitters and patters, and drips and drains.” It “echoes” and “trills,” and is both “smelly” and “sweet.” Her city also speaks, as it “dings and dongs, and rattles and roars.” And sometimes, maybe even some of the best times, it just listens. With lyrical text and vividly cut-paper collage illustrations, My City Speaks is a wonderful ode to city life. ~ Diverse – Preschool

In the Meadow of Fantasies
by Mohammad Hadi Mohammadi

Mildred L. Batchelder Honour Book

A young girl with a physical handicap gazes up at a mobile of spinning horses from her little pink bed. As she watches them prance about, the tufted snout of a real live horse peeks through her bedroom door. Soon enough, the bright protagonist is cantering on an adventure with seven majestic horses. The first six are easily understood: their colours, dreams, families, and origins. The seventh horse, however, is an enigmatic creature with no clear hue or history, a lack that is soon filled in by the loving offerings of the other ponies. A story about dreaming and caring for others, In the Meadow of Fantasies will remind young readers of their own reveries and conjure new fantasies of friendly creatures in far off lands. ~ Asian – Preschool

Grandad’s Camper
by Harry Woodgate

Stonewall Honour Book

Gramps and Grandad were adventurers. They would surf, climb mountains, and tour the country in their amazing camper. Gramps just made everything extra special. But after Gramps died, granddad hasn’t felt like traveling anymore. So, their amazing granddaughter comes up with a clever plan to fix up the old camper and get Grandad excited to explore again. Grandad’s Camper is a beautiful picture book that honours love and reminds us not only to remember those we have lost, but to celebrate them. ~ Diverse – Preschool

Sato the Rabbit
by Yuki Ainoya

Mildred L. Batchelder Honour Book

“One day, Haneru Sato became a rabbit. He’s been a rabbit ever since.” Sato The Rabbit is a surreal collection of short vignettes, that transport young readers to the world of Sato the Rabbit, a world very much like our own, but imbued with an added dimension of wonder and curiosity. Ordinary objects and everyday routines can lead to magical encounters: a rain puddle, reflecting the sky, becomes a window that can be opened and peered through. A walnut is cracked open to reveal a tiny home, complete with a bathtub and a comfy bed. During a meteor shower, Sato catches stars in a net, illuminating the path home for a family taking an evening walk. ~ Asian – Preschool

More in the series: Sato the Rabbit, The Moon // Sato the Rabbit, A Sea of Tea

¡Vamos! Let’s Cross The Bridge
by Raúl the Third

Pura Belpré Illustrator Award

People are always crossing the bridge for work, to visit family, or for play. Some going this way; others going that way; on foot and on bicycles, in cars and trucks. Little Lobo and his dog Bernabé drive their new truck carrying party supplies over the bridge with their pals El Toro and La Oink Oink. Everyoneveryone gets stuck and eventually comes together for an epic party on the bridge between two different countries. Vibrantly illustrated ¡Vamos! Let’s Cross The Bridge is a joyful story about coming together and celebrating community. ~ Hispanic – Preschool

More in the series: ¡Vamos! Let’s Go To The Market // ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat

Boogie Boogie, Y’all
by C.G. Esperanza

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honour Book

The city is alive with vibrant art in every corner of the parks, the shops, the trains. But most people are too busy to see it—or worse, choose to ignore it! When three children stop to marvel at the art around their community, they realize it’s up to them to show everyone else how truly special it is when art and reality dance together so seamlessly. With infectious read-aloud beat and colourful illustrations, Boogie Boogie, Y’All is a dynamic ode to graffiti and the Boogie Down Bronx. ~ African – Preschool

Bright Star
by Yuyi Moralez

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honour Book

“Child, you are awake! / You are alive! / You are a bright star, / Inside our hearts.” In a world full of uncertainty, Bright Star offers reassurance and courage through exploring the borderlands—the plants, animals, and insects that make their home in the desert, and the people who live and travel through this unique and beautiful part of the world. With a voice full of calm, contemplative wisdom, readers are invited to listen and observe, to accept themselves—and to dare to shout! ~ Hispanic – Preschool

Coquí in the City
by Nomar Perez

Pura Belpré Children’s Author & Illustrator Honour Book

Miguel’s pet frog, Coquí, is always with him: as he greets his neighbours in San Juan, buys quesitos from the panadería, and listens to his abuelo’s story about meeting baseball legend Roberto Clemente. But then Miguel and his parents move to New York City, leaving his beloved grandparents, home in Puerto Rico, and even Coquí behind. Life in the city is overwhelming, with unfamiliar buildings, foods, and people. But when he and Mamá go exploring, they find a few familiar sights that remind them of home, and Miguel realizes there might be a way to keep a little bit of Puerto Rico with him. Coquí in the City is a heartfelt picture book based on the author’s own experience of immigration. ~ Hispanic – Preschool

May Your Life Be Deliciosa
by Michael Genhart

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honour Book

“What is the recipe?” I ask. Abuela laughs. “It is in my heart, Rosie. I use mis ojos, my eyes, to measure. Mis manos, my hands, to feel. Mi boca, my mouth, to taste. My abuela gave it to me, and I am giving it to you.” Each year on Christmas Eve, Rosie’s abuela, mamá, tía, sister, and cousins all gather together in Abuela’s kitchen to make tamales—cleaning corn husks, chopping onions and garlic, roasting chilis, kneading cornmeal dough, seasoning the filling, and folding it all—and tell stories. Rosie learns from her abuela not only how to make a delicious tamale, but how to make a delicious life, one filled with love, plenty of spice, and family. May Your Life Be Deliciosa is a vibrant picture book about family and traditions. ~ Hispanic – Preschool

Herizon
by Daniel W. Vandever

American Indian Youth Literature Award (Picture Book)

Self-published Herizon follows the journey of a Diné girl as she helps her grandmother retrieve a flock of sheep. Join in her venture across land and water with the help of a magical scarf that will expand your imagination and transform what you thought possible. … ~ Diverse – Preschool

A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi
by James Yang

Asian/Pacific American Honour Book

“If you are Isamu, stones are the most special of all. / How can they be so heavy? / Would they float if they had no weight?” With stunning artwork and heart-singing text, A Boy Named Isamu imagines a day in the boyhood of Japanese American artist, Isamu Noguchi. Wandering through an outdoor market, through the forest, and then by the ocean, Isamu sees things through the eyes of a young artist . . .but also in a way that many children will relate. ~ Asian – Preschool

Elementary School

The Me I Choose To Be
by N.A. Tarpley

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award

What will you choose to be? A free spirit? A weaver of words? A star dancing across the night sky? A limitless galaxy? The possibilities are endless in this uplifting ode to the power of potential. With lyrical text and expressive images, The Me I Choose To Be is an immersive call for self-love that highlights the inherent beauty of all Black and brown children. ~ African – Elementary School

A Sky-Blue Bench
by Bahram Rahman

Schneider Family Honour Book (Young Children)

Afghani schoolgirl Aria is excited to be back at school after her landmine accident but also worried about sitting on the hard floor all day with her new prosthetic “helper-leg.” Before the war changed many things in Afghanistan, schools like hers had benches for students to sit at. If she had a bench, her leg would not hurt so much. The answer is obvious: she will gather materials, talk to Kaka Najar, the carpenter in the old city, and learn to build a bench for herself. With a spunky main character and dynamic illustrations, A Sky-Blue Bench is an inspiring story of resilience. ~ Asian – Elementary School

The People Remember
by Ibi Zoboi

Coretta Scott King Author Honour Book

The People Remember tells the journey of African descendants in America by connecting their history to the seven principles of Kwanzaa. It begins in Africa, where people were taken from their homes and families. They spoke different languages and had different customs. Forced onto ships sailing into an unknown future, these people had to learn one common language and create a culture that combined their memories of home with new traditions. Sumptuously illustrated, this is a lyrical story of survival, joy, celebration, and innovation of Black people in America. ~ African – Elementary School

We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know
by Traci Sorell

Robert F. Sibert Honour Book / American Indian Youth Literature Honour Book

We Are Still Here is a companion book to the award-winning We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga that offers readers everything they never learned in school about Native American people’s past, present, and future. With lyrical text and gorgeous illustrations, twelve Native American kids present historical and contemporary laws, policies, struggles, and victories in Native life, each with a powerful refrain: We are still here! ~ Diverse – Elementary School

Nina: A Story of Nina Simone
by Traci N. Todd

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honour Book

Little Eunice sang before she talked and learned to play piano at a very young age. With the support of her family and community, she received music lessons and went on to perform under the name Nina Simone. Nina’s voice soon became a thunderous roar as she raised her voice in powerful protest in the fight against racial inequality and discrimination. With expressive illustrations, Nina: A Story of Nina Simone tells the extraordinary story of acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy. ~ African – Elementary School

We Wait for the Sun
by Dovey Johnson Roundtree & Katie McCabe

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honour Book

With warm, vibrant illustrations, We Wait For The Sun tells the uplifting story of Dovey Johnson Roundtree’s childhood and the joy that pulsed through her life, even under the shadow of Jim Crow. With Grandma Rachel’s lessons as her guiding light, Dovey Mae went on to become a trailblazer of the civil rights movement―fighting for justice and equality in the military, the courtroom, and the church. ~ African – Elementary School

Soul Food Sunday
by Winsome Bingham

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honour Book

At Granny’s, Sunday isn’t Sunday without a big family gathering over a lovingly prepared meal. Old enough now, the young narrator is invited to help cook the dishes for the first time: He grates the cheese, cleans the greens, and primes the meat for Roscoe Ray’s grill. But just when Granny says they’re finished, her grandson makes his own contribution, sweetening this Sunday gathering—and the many more to come. Evocatively written and vividly illustrated, Soul Food Sunday is a mouthwatering celebration of food, traditions, and family. ~ African – Elementary School

Watercress
by Andrea Wang

Randolph Caldecott Medal / Newbery Honour Book / Asian/Pacific American Picture Book Award

Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl’s parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch. The whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the snail covered watercress as they can. At first, the young girl is embarrassed. Why can’t her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family’s time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Beautifully illustrated Watercress is a moving autobiographical story of a child of immigrants discovering and connecting with her heritage. ~ Asian – Elementary School

Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua
by Gloria Amescua

Pura Belpré Children’s Author Honour Book

As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to grind corn in a metate, to twist yarn with her toes, and to weave on a loom. By the fire at night, she listened to stories of her community’s joys, suffering, and survival, and wove them into her heart. But when the Mexican Revolution came to her village, Luz and her family were forced to flee and start a new life. In Mexico City, Luz became a model for painters, sculptors, and photographers such as Diego Rivera, Jean Charlot, and Tina Modotti. These artists were interested in showing the true face of Mexico. Through her work, Luz found a way to preserve her people’s culture by sharing her native language, stories, and traditions. Brought to life by Tonatiuh’s gorgeous illustrations, Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua tells the remarkable story of how model and teacher Luz Jiménez became “the soul of Mexico”. ~ Hispanic – Elementary School

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
by Carole Boston Weatherford

Coretta Scott King Author & Illustrator Award / Caldecott Honour Book / Robert F. Sibert Honour Book

Unspeakable provides a powerful look at the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in America’s history. The book traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa’s Greenwood district and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921 when a white mob attacked the Black community. News of what happened was largely suppressed, and no official investigation occurred for seventy-five years. This picture book sensitively introduces young readers to this tragedy and concludes with a call for a better future. ~ African – Elementary School, Middle School

Middle School

The Last Cuentista
by Donna Barbara Higuera

John Newbery Medal / Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award

Petra Peña wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra’s world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet – and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over, bent on erasing the sins of humanity’s past. Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again? The Last Cuentista is a gripping journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human. ~ Hispanic – Middle School

Red, White, and Whole
by Rajani LaRocca

Newbery Honour Book

Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linked—Reha means “star” and Punam means “moon”—but they are a universe apart. When Reha finds out that her Amma is very sick, she is determined to make well again by being the perfect daughter. Red, White, and Whole is a heartbreaking yet hopeful novel in verse about a girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia. ~ Asian – Middle School

Stuntboy, in the Meantime
by Jason Reynolds

Schneider Family Award Honour Book (Middle Grade)

Portico Reeves’s secret superpower is making sure all the other superheroes—like his parents and two best friends—stay super. And safe. Super safe. No one in his civilian life knows he’s actually…Stuntboy! But Portico has another, not-so-super secret. His parents are fighting all the time. They’re trying to hide it by repeatedly telling Portico to go check on a neighbour “in the meantime.” Portico knows that it is his superhero responsibility to save them —as soon as he figures out how. But all these secrets give Portico the worry wiggles, the frets. Plus, like all superheroes, Portico has an arch-nemesis who is determined to prove that there is nothing super about him at all. With dynamic illustrations, StuntBoy, In The Meantime is a hilarious and action-packed middle grade novel about the greatest young superhero you’ve never heard of. ~ African – Middle School

Temple Alley Summer
by Sachiko Kashiwaba

Mildred L. Batchelder Award

Kazu knows something odd is going on when he sees a girl in a white kimono sneak out of his house in the middle of the night―was he dreaming? Did he see a ghost? Things get even stranger when he shows up to school the next day to see the very same figure sitting in his classroom. No one else thinks it’s weird, and, even though Kazu doesn’t remember ever seeing her before, they all seem convinced that the ghost-girl Akari has been their friend for years. When Kazu’s summer project about Kimyo Temple draws the attention of his mysterious neighbour Ms. Minakami and his secretive new classmate Akari, Kazu soon learns that not everything is as it seems in his hometown.Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure filled with the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat. ~ Asian – Middle School

The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas
by David Bowles

Mildred L. Batchelder Honour Book

Fifteen thousand years before Europeans stepped foot in the Americas, people had already spread from tip to tip and coast to coast. Like all humans, these Native Americans sought to understand their place in the universe, the nature of their relationship with the divine, and the origin of the world into which their ancestors had emerged. The answers lay in their sacred stories. The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas is a fascinating collection of stories from nations and cultures across two continents, from the Andes all the way up to Alaska. ~ Diverse – Middle School

Finding Junie Kim
by Ellen Oh

Asian/Pacific American Honour Book

Junie Kim usually tries not to draw attention to herself. But when racist graffiti appears at her middle school, Junie must decide between staying silent or speaking out. When Junie interviews her grandparents for a history project, she learns about their unbelievable experiences as kids during the Korean War. Junie comes to admire her grandma’s fierce determination to overcome impossible odds, and her grandpa’s unwavering compassion during wartime. And as racism becomes more pervasive at school, Junie taps into the strength of her ancestors and finds the courage to do what is right. Finding Junie Kim is a powerful reminder that we can overcome hardship and emerge triumphant. ~ Asian – Middle School

Almost Flying
by Jake Maia Arlow

A Stonewall Honor Book

Would-be amusement park aficionado Dalia only has two items on her summer bucket list: (1) finally ride a roller coaster and (2) figure out how to make a new best friend. But then her dad suddenly gets engaged and wants Dalia to spend the summer with her future stepsister, Alexa. Dalia comes up with a new plan: If she brings Rani, the new girl from her swim team, along maybe she can have the perfect summer after all. But what starts out as a week of funnel cakes and Lazy River rides goes off the rails when Dalia discovers that Alexa’s girlfriend is joining the trip. And keeping Alexa’s secret makes Dalia realize one of her own: She might have more-than-friend feelings for Rani. Almost Flying is an unabashedly queer middle grade debut about a teenage girl’s journey to self-discovery. ~ Diverse – Middle School

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna
by Alda P. Dobbs

Pura Belpré Children’s Author Honour Book

It is 1913, and twelve-year-old Petra Luna’s mama has died while the Revolution rages in Mexico. When her papa is dragged away by soldiers, Petra, her abuelita, little sister Amelia, and baby brother Luisito flee north through the unforgiving desert. Through battlefields, hunger and fear, Petra will stop at nothing to keep her family safe and lead them to a better life across the U.S. border—a life where her dreams could finally become reality. Based on a true story, Barefoot Dreams is the gripping tale of one girl’s perilous journey during the Mexican Revolution. ~ Hispanic – Middle School

Healer of the Water Monster
by Brian Young

American Indian Youth Literature Award (Middle Grade)

When Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he’s in for a pretty uneventful summer, with no electricity or cell service. Still, he loves spending time with Nali and with his uncle Jet, though it’s clear when Jet arrives that he brings his problems with him. One night, while lost in the nearby desert, Nathan finds someone extraordinary: a Holy Being from the Navajo Creation Story—a Water Monster—in need of help. Now Nathan must summon all his courage to save his new friend. With the help of other Navajo Holy Beings, Nathan is determined to save the Water Monster, and to support Uncle Jet in healing from his own pain. Healer of the Water Monster is a powerful debut about a seemingly ordinary Navajo boy who comes to realize he’s a hero at heart. ~ Diverse – Middle School

The Sea in Winter
by Christine Day

American Indian Youth Literature Honour Book

Ever since Maisie Cannon hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions, she’s been feeling down and hopeless. Maisie is not excited for the family midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up. But soon, Maisie’s anxieties and dark moods start to hurt as much as the pain in her knee. How can she keep pretending to be strong when on the inside she feels as roiling and cold as the ocean? The Sea In Winter is an evocative and heartwarming novel about a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again. ~ Diverse – Middle School

How to Find What You’re Not Looking For
by Veera Hiranandani

Sydney Taylor Book Award (Middle Grade)

Twelve-year-old Ariel Goldberg’s family’s Jewish bakery runs into financial trouble, and her older sister has eloped with a young man from India following the Supreme Court decision that strikes down laws banning interracial marriage. As change becomes Ariel’s only constant, she grapples with both her family’s prejudice and the antisemitism she experiences, while learning to define her own beliefs. How To Find What You’re Not Looking For is a deeply moving historical fiction novel about family, identity, and finding your own voice. ~ Diverse – Middle School

Amina’s Song
by Hena Khan

Asian/Pacific American Children’s Literature Award

Amina has loved every minute of her vacation in Pakistan — the food, the shops, the time she’s spent with her family. She is sad to leave, but also excited to share the wonders of Pakistan with her friends back in Greendale. But they don’t seem overly interested in her trip. And when she decides to do a presentation on Pakistani hero Malala Yousafzai, her classmates focus on the worst parts of the story. How can Amina share the beauty of Pakistan when no one wants to listen? Companion novel to the award-winning Amina’s Voice, Amina’s Song is once again about using your voice to bridge places, people, and communities —this time across continents. ~ Asian – Middle School

High School

A Snake Falls to Earth
by Darcie Little Badger

Newbery Honour Book

Lipan girl Nina always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories. Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he’s been cast from home. He’s found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven’t been in centuries. And there are some who will kill to keep them apart. A Snake Falls To Earth is a breathtaking work of Indigenous futurism that weaves an unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. ~ Diverse – High School

Home Is Not a Country
by Safia Elhillo

Coretta Scott King Author Honour Book

“my mother meant to name me for her favorite flower / its sweetness garlands made for pretty girls / i imagine her yasmeen bright & alive / & i ache to have been born her instead.” 15-year-old Nima doesn’t feel understood by her mother, who grew up in a different land, and she doesn’t feel accepted in her suburban town. Nima grapples with the phantom of a life not chosen—the name her parents meant to give her at birth—Yasmeen. But that other girl might be more real than Nima knows. From Sudanese American poet Elhillo comes Home Is Not A Country, a mesmerizing novel-in-verse about one girl’s journey to face the ephemeral girl she might have been. ~ African – High School

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People
by Kekla Magoon

Coretta Scott King Author Honour Book / Michael L. Printz Honour Book / Walter Dean Myers Honour Book

With passion and precision, Revolution in our Time relays an essential account of the Black Panthers—as militant revolutionaries and as human rights advocates protecting their community. For too long the Panthers’ story has been a footnote to the civil rights movement rather than what it was: a revolutionary socialist movement that drew thousands of members—mostly women—and became the target of one of the most sustained repression efforts ever made by the U.S. government against its own citizens. Kekla Magoon’s eye-opening work invites readers grappling with injustices in the U.S. to learn from the Panthers’ courage, inspiring them to take their own place in the ongoing fight for justice. ~ African – High School

Me (Moth)
by Amber McBride

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted. Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable. Me (Moth) is an uplifting novel-in-verse about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe. ~ African – High School

Firekeeper’s Daughter
by Angeline Boulley

Michael L. Printz Award / William C. Morris Award

18-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new guy on her brother Levi’s hockey team. But when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into an FBI investigation more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims. As the deceptions―and deaths―keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known. Firekeeper’s Daughter is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community. ~ Diverse – High School

Concrete Rose
by Angie Thomas

Michael L. Printz Honour Book

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison. Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control. Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. Concrete Rose is a searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood that revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give. ~ African – High School

Last Night at the Telegraph Club
by Malinda Lo

Michael L. Printz Honour Book / Stonewall Young Adult Award / Asian/Pacific American Youth Literature Award

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu fell in love with Kathleen Miller under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. Suddenly everything seemed possible. But 1954 America is not a safe place for two girls in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day. Last Night At The Telegraph Club is heartfelt romantic queer young adult novel that is hard to put down. ~ Asian – High School

How Moon Fuentez Fell In Love With The Universe
by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award

When her twin sister reaches social media stardom, Moon Fuentez accepts her fate as the ugly, unwanted sister hidden in the background, destined to be nothing more than her sister’s camerawoman. But this summer, Moon also takes a job as the “merch girl” on a tour bus full of beautiful influencers and her fate begins to shift in the best way possible. How Moon Fuentez Fell In Love With The Universe is an irresistible romance starring a Mexican American teen who discovers love and profound truths about the universe while road tripping across the country. ~ Hispanic – High School

Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun: A Novel
by Jonny Garza Villa

Pura Belpré Young Adult Honour Book

Julián Luna has a plan for his life: Graduate. Get into UCLA. And have the chance to move away from Corpus Christi, Texas, and the suffocating expectations of others that have forced Jules into an inauthentic life. Then in one reckless moment, with one impulsive tweet, his plans for a low-key nine months are thrown—literally—out the closet. And when Jules’s fears about coming out come true, the person he needs most – Mat, his empathetic Twitter crush from L.A. is fifteen hundred miles away. Jules has to face them alone. Fifteen Hundred Miles From The Sun is a poignant and funny novel about coming out, first love, and being your one and only best and true self. ~ Hispanic – High School

Where I Belong
by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

Pura Belpré Young Adult Honour Book

Guatemalan American high school senior Milagros “Millie” Vargas has lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, ever since her parents sought asylum there. Millie devotes herself to school and caring for her younger siblings while her mom works as a housekeeper for the wealthy Wheeler family. She is disturbed by what’s happening to asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, but she doesn’t see herself as an activist. But when Mr. Wheeler, a U.S. Senate candidate, mentions Millie’s achievements in a campaign speech about “deserving” immigrants, Millie is suddenly faced with journalists, trolls, anonymous threats, and the Wheelers’ good intentions. Where I Belong is a heartfealt story an immigrant teen who has to confront the complexity of her past, the uncertainty of her future, and her place in the country that she believed was home. ~ Hispanic – High School

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet
by Laekan Zea Kemp

Pura Belpré Young Adult Honour Book

Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. Her mom and dad have different plans though—leaving Pen to choose between not disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. But then she meets the cute new hire at Nacho’s who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she’s been too afraid to ask herself. For Xander Amaro, his job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for a chance at a normal life. When both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, the two teenagers must discover where they belong in order to save the place they all call home. Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet is a stunning story of first love, identity, family, and the power of food. ~ Hispanic – High School

The Darkness Outside Us
by Eliot Schrefer

Stonewall Honour Book

Two boys, alone in space. Sworn enemies sent on the same rescue mission. Ambrose wakes up on the Coordinated Endeavor with no memory of a launch. Evidence indicates strangers have been on board, the ship’s operating system is voiced by his mother, and his handsome, brooding shipmate has barricaded himself away. But nothing will stop Ambrose from making his mission succeed – not when he’s rescuing his own sister. In order to survive the ship’s secrets, Ambrose and Kodiak will need to work together and learn to trust each other…especially once they discover what they are truly up against. Love might be the only way to survive. The Darkness Outside Us is a mind-bending sci-fi mystery and tender love story. ~ Diverse – High School

Apple: (Skin to the Core)
by Eric Gansworth

American Indian Youth Literature Award (Young Adult)

The term “Apple” is a slur in Native communities across the country. It’s for someone supposedly “red on the outside, white on the inside.” Eric Gansworth reclaims that slur in heartbreaking verse, prose and imagery. Award-winning Apple tells the story of the author’s family, of Onondaga among Tuscaroras, of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young man fighting to be an artist who balances multiple worlds. This moving novel will stay with readers long after they finished it. ~ Diverse – High School

Elatsoe
by Darcie Little Badger

American Indian Youth Literature Honour Book

Elatsoe can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family. Beautifully written and illustrated, Elatsoe is an exciting supernatural murder mystery that teenagers will find hard to put down. ~ Diverse – High School

We Are Not Free
by Traci Chee

Asian/Pacific American Honour Book

“All around me, my friends are talking, joking, laughing. Outside is the camp, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the city, the country that hates us. We are not free. But we are not alone.” 14 teens from Japantown, San Francisco, are among the over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry that are forced into desolate incarceration camps. In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart. We Are Not Free is the collective account of a tight-knit group of young, second-generation Japanese American boys, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II. ~ Asian – High School