Congrats to Our ALA Award Winners!

By Kat La Mantia | February 23 2023 | Children'sGeneralAllBlog

We are privileged to publish so many incredible books for young readers that have been honored this year by the American Library Association! Congratulations to all of our authors and illustrators who continue to create outstanding work for children and teens.

Explore some of our award-winning titles below, and see a full list of this year’s winners here! Honored titles include Hot Dog, a Caldecott Award Winner, Iveliz Explains It All and Maizy Chen’s Last Chance, which both received Newery Honors, Star Child, recipient of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, Man o’ War, which received a Stonewall Young Adult Honor, and so many more.

ALA Award Winners 2023

Hot Dog
(Winner of the 2023 Caldecott Medal)
978-0-593-30843-1
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE 2023 CALDECOTT MEDAL • This glowing and playful picture book features an overheated—and overwhelmed—pup who finds his calm with some sea, sand, and fresh air. Destined to become a classic!NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Publishers Weekly • Kirkus Reviews • New York Public Library“An utter joy from beginning to end!” —Sophie Blackall, two-time Caldecott Medal winner
$18.99 US
May 24, 2022
9 x 10
Hardcover
40 Pages
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Age 4-8 years

Iveliz Explains It All
(Newbery Honor Award Winner)
978-0-593-56397-7
NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER • In this timely and moving novel in verse, a preteen girl navigates seventh grade while facing mental health challenges. A hopeful, poetic story about learning to advocate for the help and understanding you deserve. "Powerful." —Lisa Fipps, Printz Honor-winning author of StarfishHow do you speak up when it feels like no one is listening?
$16.99 US
Sep 13, 2022
5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Hardcover
272 Pages
Random House Books for Young Readers
Age 10-14 years

Maizy Chen's Last Chance
(Newbery Honor Award Winner)
978-1-9848-3025-8
NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR YOUTH LITERATURETwelve year-old Maizy discovers her family’s Chinese restaurant is full of secrets in this irresistible novel that celebrates food, fortune, and family.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal • Booklist • The Horn Book • New York Public Library
$16.99 US
Feb 01, 2022
5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Hardcover
288 Pages
Random House Books for Young Readers
Age 8-12 years

All My Rage
A Novel
978-0-593-20234-0
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir comes a brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary YA novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents.
$19.99 US
Mar 01, 2022
5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Hardcover
384 Pages
Razorbill
Age 14 and up

Star Child
A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler
978-0-399-18738-4
From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia E. Butler.
$17.99 US
Jan 25, 2022
6 x 9
Hardcover
128 Pages
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Age 10 and up

Standing in the Need of Prayer
A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual
978-0-593-30634-5
From an award-winning author and critically acclaimed artist comes a stunning and deeply moving picture book based on the popular spiritual "Standing in the Need of Prayer." The classic lyrics have been reworked to chronicle the milestones, struggles, tragedies, and triumphs of African American history. A perfect gift or timeless keepsake!
$18.99 US
Sep 20, 2022
9 x 12
Hardcover
32 Pages
Crown Books for Young Readers
Age 6-9 years

Nana, Nenek & Nina
978-0-593-35394-3
***ALA Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature honor***Nina loves visiting her two faraway grandmas—one in Malaysia and one in England. Spot the similarities and differences between their homes in this cozy and beautifully illustrated picture book!
$17.99 US
Aug 09, 2022
8-1/2 x 11
Hardcover
32 Pages
Dial Books
Age 4-8 years

Sweet Justice
Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
978-1-5247-2064-3
An inspiring picture-book biography about the woman whose cooking helped feed and fund the Montgomery bus boycott of 1956, from an award-winning illustrator.
$18.99 US
Jan 11, 2022
9 x 11
Hardcover
40 Pages
Random House Studio
Age 4-8 years

Man o' War
978-0-593-35370-7
An achingly honest and frequently hilarious coming-of-age novel about an Arab American trans swimmer fighting to keep their head above water in a landlocked Midwestern town.
$18.99 US
May 31, 2022
5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Hardcover
336 Pages
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Age 14 and up

Kings of B'more
978-0-593-32618-3
"Infused with all the joy of the best teen movies, Kings of B'more is sure to be a big hit." —BuzzFeedTwo Black queer best friends face their last day together with an epic journey through Baltimore in this magnetic YA debut by bestselling author of Here for It, R. Eric Thomas.
$18.99 US
May 31, 2022
5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Hardcover
416 Pages
Kokila
Age 12 and up

Kapaemahu
978-0-593-53006-1
An Indigenous legend about how four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit, or mahu, brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii, based on the Academy Award–contending short film.
$17.99 US
Jun 07, 2022
9 x 9
Hardcover
40 Pages
Kokila
Age 4-8 years

Tía Fortuna's New Home
A Jewish Cuban Journey
978-0-593-17241-4
A poignant multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home as one girl helps her Tía move away from her beloved Miami apartment.
$18.99 US
Jan 25, 2022
8-1/2 x 11
Hardcover
32 Pages
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Age 4-8 years

I Did It!
978-0-8234-4651-3
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winner!Learning to ride a bike is hard. Can I do it? Yes, I can! A fun comic that kindergarteners and first graders can read on their own.
$14.99 US
Oct 11, 2022
6 x 9
Hardcover
40 Pages
Holiday House
Age 4-8 years

Hell Followed with Us
978-1-68263-324-3
A furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation.
$18.99 US
Jun 07, 2022
5-1/4 x 8
Hardcover
416 Pages
Peachtree Teen
Age 14 and up

Eight Nights of Flirting
978-0-593-34975-5
A Sydney Taylor Honor BookA sixteen-year-old girl is on a mission to find the perfect boyfriend this Hanukkah, but love might not go according to plan, in this charming winter romcom from the author of The Summer of Lost Letters.
$19.99 US
Oct 25, 2022
5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Hardcover
400 Pages
Razorbill
Age 12 and up

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
978-0-679-82311-7
An inspiring tale of creativity and determination on the Underground Railroad from Coretta Scott King winner James Ransome and acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson.
$16.99 US
Sep 25, 2018
8-1/2 x 10-1/2
Hardcover
40 Pages
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Age 3-7 years