Emily Carter 
The Schneider Family Book Award is one of the most meaningful recognitions in American children’s literature. It honors books that portray the disability experience with artistic excellence, giving families, librarians, and educators a trusted guide to authentic representation. I spent weeks reading past winners, ALA jury statements, and discussions in librarian forums to understand exactly … Read more
When was the last time a grown-up let you pick the winner of an award? That is exactly what the California Young Reader Medal does. Since 1974, this program has handed the power to the readers themselves, letting California students pick the books they think deserve a medal. I have spent weeks reading through the … Read more
The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the single best nonfiction book published for young adults each year, and the selection process is more deliberate than most readers realize. I dug into the official YALSA policies, the ALA archives, and the past winners lists to walk you through exactly how the YALSA Award for … Read more
Middle grade vs young adult is a question I hear constantly from parents picking books, teachers building classroom libraries, and writers trying to place their manuscripts. The two categories sit side by side on bookstore shelves, yet they target very different readers with distinct writing styles, content rules, and emotional stakes. In our team conversations … Read more
Picture books are a format, not an age category. That single distinction changes everything about how we think about who picture books are for. Yet somewhere along the way, a widespread assumption took hold: if a book has illustrations on every page, it must be meant for toddlers. This assumption pushes children away from picture … Read more
Own Voices (often written as #OwnVoices) is a term coined by author Corinne Duyvis in 2015 to describe children’s books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as their main characters. When a Black author writes a Black protagonist, or an autistic writer creates an autistic main character, that book is considered Own … Read more
Every year, a small group of dedicated librarians gathers to read hundreds of books and decide which African American authors and illustrators deserve to be honored with one of children’s literature’s most prestigious awards. The Coretta Scott King Book Award has shaped what gets published, taught, and treasured in classrooms across America since 1970. Whether … Read more
The William C. Morris YA Debut Award is an annual literary honor given to a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens. First given in 2009, the award celebrates impressive new voices in young adult literature and signals that a debut novel has earned recognition from librarians and the broader YA community. … Read more
The Alex Award exists because some of the best books for teen readers are written for adults. Each year the American Library Association, through its Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), honors ten adult titles with special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18. I have followed this list for years as a parent, … Read more