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General Recommendations
2025 Youth Media Award Winners
By:
StarkStaff_Dee64

Stark Library
Staff-created list
The American Library Association's 2025 Youth Media Awards were announced on Monday. Here are the winners on children's literature's biggest day. For a complete list of winners go to https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/2025-Youth-Media-Awards-Winners
By:
StarkStaff_Dee64

Stark Library
10 items
10 items
by Teer, Samuel
Graphic Novel - 2024
Winner of the MIchael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature, presented to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. Almu...Show more
Winner of the MIchael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature, presented to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met.
Now, with her white mother headed on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, she’s left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. And all along, she must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanish—which she doesn’t speak.
As Almudena tries to adjust to this new reality, she gets to know the residents of Xavier’s Latin American neighborhood. Each member of the community has their own joys and heartbreaks as well as their own strong opinions on how this young Latina should talk, dress, and behave. Some can’t understand why she doesn’t know where she comes from. Others think she’s “not brown enough” to fit in.
But time is running out for Almudena and Xavier to get to know each other, and the key to their connection may ultimately lie in bringing all these different elements together. Fixing a broken building is one thing, but turning these stubborn individuals into a found family might take more than this one summer.
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Winner of the MIchael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature, presented to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. Almu...Show more
Winner of the MIchael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature, presented to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met.
Now, with her white mother headed on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, she’s left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. And all along, she must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanish—which she doesn’t speak.
As Almudena tries to adjust to this new reality, she gets to know the residents of Xavier’s Latin American neighborhood. Each member of the community has their own joys and heartbreaks as well as their own strong opinions on how this young Latina should talk, dress, and behave. Some can’t understand why she doesn’t know where she comes from. Others think she’s “not brown enough” to fit in.
But time is running out for Almudena and Xavier to get to know each other, and the key to their connection may ultimately lie in bringing all these different elements together. Fixing a broken building is one thing, but turning these stubborn individuals into a found family might take more than this one summer.
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Available
in some locations
Place hold
Book - 2024
Winner of the John Newbery Award for Children's Literature, which honors the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for chil...Show more
Winner of the John Newbery Award for Children's Literature, which honors the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.. It's August 1999. For twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever—except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his sixteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby.
It turns out that Ridge is carefree, confident, and bold, things Michael wishes he could be. Unlike Michael, however, Ridge isn’t where he belongs. When Ridge reveals that he’s the world’s first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. As Ridge immerses himself in 1999—fascinated by microwaves, basketballs, and malls—Michael discovers that his new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next twenty years, and his curiosity morphs into something else: focused determination. Michael wants—no, needs—to get his hands on that book. How else can he prepare for the future? But how far is he willing to go to get it?
A story of time travel, friendship, found family, and first loves, this thematically rich novel is distinguished by its voice, character development, setting, and exploration of the issues that resonate with middle grade readers.
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Winner of the John Newbery Award for Children's Literature, which honors the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for chil...Show more
Winner of the John Newbery Award for Children's Literature, which honors the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.. It's August 1999. For twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever—except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his sixteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby.
It turns out that Ridge is carefree, confident, and bold, things Michael wishes he could be. Unlike Michael, however, Ridge isn’t where he belongs. When Ridge reveals that he’s the world’s first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. As Ridge immerses himself in 1999—fascinated by microwaves, basketballs, and malls—Michael discovers that his new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next twenty years, and his curiosity morphs into something else: focused determination. Michael wants—no, needs—to get his hands on that book. How else can he prepare for the future? But how far is he willing to go to get it?
A story of time travel, friendship, found family, and first loves, this thematically rich novel is distinguished by its voice, character development, setting, and exploration of the issues that resonate with middle grade readers.
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Available
in some locations
Place hold
Picture Book - 2024
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. The Coretta Scott King Awards recognize outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books...Show more
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. The Coretta Scott King Awards recognize outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. In the early hours before dawn, a young girl and her father greet their horses and ride together through the waking city streets. As they trot along, Daddy tells cowboy stories filled with fun and community, friendship, discovery, and pride.
Seeing her city from a new vantage point and feeling seen in a new way, the child discovers that she too is a cowboy—strong and confident in who she is.
Thoughtfully and lyrically written by debut author Stephanie Seales, with vibrant illustrations from award-winning artist C. G. Esperanza, this beautiful picture book is a celebration of Black joy, outdoor play, and quality time spent between child and parent.
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Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. The Coretta Scott King Awards recognize outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books...Show more
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. The Coretta Scott King Awards recognize outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. In the early hours before dawn, a young girl and her father greet their horses and ride together through the waking city streets. As they trot along, Daddy tells cowboy stories filled with fun and community, friendship, discovery, and pride.
Seeing her city from a new vantage point and feeling seen in a new way, the child discovers that she too is a cowboy—strong and confident in who she is.
Thoughtfully and lyrically written by debut author Stephanie Seales, with vibrant illustrations from award-winning artist C. G. Esperanza, this beautiful picture book is a celebration of Black joy, outdoor play, and quality time spent between child and parent.
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Available
in some locations
Place hold
Picture Book - 2024
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for Younger Children., which honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of ...Show more
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for Younger Children., which honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. In this breathtaking story of finding inspiration in art and natural beauty, a young girl reluctantly agrees to attend an ice festival where she sees sparkling, glorious sculptures that feel like magic, resulting in a special surprise that stays with her long after the ice melts. Simultaneous eBook. Illustrations.
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Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for Younger Children., which honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of ...Show more
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for Younger Children., which honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. In this breathtaking story of finding inspiration in art and natural beauty, a young girl reluctantly agrees to attend an ice festival where she sees sparkling, glorious sculptures that feel like magic, resulting in a special surprise that stays with her long after the ice melts. Simultaneous eBook. Illustrations.
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All copies in use
Availability details
Holds: 1 on 5 copies
Place hold
eBook - 2024
Winner of the Stonewall Book Award for Children's Literature, which is given to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating...Show more
Winner of the Stonewall Book Award for Children's Literature, which is given to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience. Indu, a boy from the moon, feels like he doesn’t belong. He hasn’t since he and his adoptive mom disembarked from their spaceship—their home—to live on Earth with their new blended family. The kids at school think he’s weird, he has a crush on his pen pal who might not like him back, and his stepfamily doesn’t seem to know what to do with him. Worst of all, Indu can’t even talk to his mom about how he’s feeling because she’s so busy.
In a moment of loneliness, Indu calls out to the moon, begging them to take him back. And against all odds, the moon hears him and agrees to bring him home on the first day of the New Year. But as the promised day draws nearer, Indu finds friendship in unlikely places and discovers that home is more than where you come from. And when the moon calls again, Indu must decide: Is he willing to give up what he’s just found?
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Winner of the Stonewall Book Award for Children's Literature, which is given to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating...Show more
Winner of the Stonewall Book Award for Children's Literature, which is given to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience. Indu, a boy from the moon, feels like he doesn’t belong. He hasn’t since he and his adoptive mom disembarked from their spaceship—their home—to live on Earth with their new blended family. The kids at school think he’s weird, he has a crush on his pen pal who might not like him back, and his stepfamily doesn’t seem to know what to do with him. Worst of all, Indu can’t even talk to his mom about how he’s feeling because she’s so busy.
In a moment of loneliness, Indu calls out to the moon, begging them to take him back. And against all odds, the moon hears him and agrees to bring him home on the first day of the New Year. But as the promised day draws nearer, Indu finds friendship in unlikely places and discovers that home is more than where you come from. And when the moon calls again, Indu must decide: Is he willing to give up what he’s just found?
Show less
Picture Book - 2024
Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which honors and recognizes individual works by Asian/Pacific American authors that highlight A...Show more
Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which honors and recognizes individual works by Asian/Pacific American authors that highlight Asian/Pacific American cultures and experiences. In this exciting adventure, you'll encounter mighty canoes crashing over ocean waves, regal hawks soaring high above the clouds, and brilliant lizards jumping nimbly through forest trees! Most importantly, you'll meet a courageous young girl named Ano who learns, grows, and comes to love her island home with all her heart.
Since the day that Ano was born, her heart has been connected to her home. But, this adventurous child has a lot to learn! When Ano begins to dance hula — a storytelling dance form that carries the knowledge, history, and folklore of the Hawaiian people — Ano comes to understand the true meaning of aloha.
Aloha Everything is both a captivating read and a fantastic educational resource for learning about Hawaiian history, ecology, and culture.
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Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which honors and recognizes individual works by Asian/Pacific American authors that highlight A...Show more
Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which honors and recognizes individual works by Asian/Pacific American authors that highlight Asian/Pacific American cultures and experiences. In this exciting adventure, you'll encounter mighty canoes crashing over ocean waves, regal hawks soaring high above the clouds, and brilliant lizards jumping nimbly through forest trees! Most importantly, you'll meet a courageous young girl named Ano who learns, grows, and comes to love her island home with all her heart.
Since the day that Ano was born, her heart has been connected to her home. But, this adventurous child has a lot to learn! When Ano begins to dance hula — a storytelling dance form that carries the knowledge, history, and folklore of the Hawaiian people — Ano comes to understand the true meaning of aloha.
Aloha Everything is both a captivating read and a fantastic educational resource for learning about Hawaiian history, ecology, and culture.
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Available
in some locations
Place hold
Book - 2024
Winner of the Pura Belpré Award, children's author. Presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates ...Show more
Winner of the Pura Belpré Award, children's author. Presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. Ten-year-old Lola has always been touched by magic. In her Mexico City home, built around a towering tree, she is accustomed to enchanted blooms that change with the seasons, a sandbox that spits out mysterious treasures, and mischievous chaneques that scuttle about unseen by all but her. Magic has always been a part of her life, but now she must embrace the extraordinary as never before.
Ever since The Thing That Happened, Lola's brother Alex has been sick. As his condition worsens, something begins eating away at the tree, causing its leaves and blossoms to crumble like ash. The two are related, Lola is sure of it, but how? Seeking a cure, she visits a grocery store oracle who bids her to follow the chaneques down one of their secret passages... into a hidden world.
Here in Floresta, a land of myths and monsters and marvels untold, lies the key to healing her brother. But the kingdom's young queen stands in the way. Lola must use her wits and face her deepest fears if there's any hope of saving Alex in time.
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Winner of the Pura Belpré Award, children's author. Presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates ...Show more
Winner of the Pura Belpré Award, children's author. Presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. Ten-year-old Lola has always been touched by magic. In her Mexico City home, built around a towering tree, she is accustomed to enchanted blooms that change with the seasons, a sandbox that spits out mysterious treasures, and mischievous chaneques that scuttle about unseen by all but her. Magic has always been a part of her life, but now she must embrace the extraordinary as never before.
Ever since The Thing That Happened, Lola's brother Alex has been sick. As his condition worsens, something begins eating away at the tree, causing its leaves and blossoms to crumble like ash. The two are related, Lola is sure of it, but how? Seeking a cure, she visits a grocery store oracle who bids her to follow the chaneques down one of their secret passages... into a hidden world.
Here in Floresta, a land of myths and monsters and marvels untold, lies the key to healing her brother. But the kingdom's young queen stands in the way. Lola must use her wits and face her deepest fears if there's any hope of saving Alex in time.
Show less
Available
in some locations
Place hold
The Amazing Ecosystem of A Whale Fall
Book - 2024
Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal, awarded to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United Sta...Show more
Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal, awarded to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English. All living things must one day die, and Earth’s largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at each stage to a vast diversity of organisms, over the course of a century and beyond.
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Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal, awarded to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United Sta...Show more
Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal, awarded to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English. All living things must one day die, and Earth’s largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at each stage to a vast diversity of organisms, over the course of a century and beyond.
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Available
in some locations
Place hold
A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival
Book - 2024
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award, children's author. This award recognizes titles for children and teens that exemplify high literary standards whil...Show more
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award, children's author. This award recognizes titles for children and teens that exemplify high literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience.Born to a Jewish family in a small Polish village, Estelle Nadel―then known as Enia Feld―was just seven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. Once a vibrant child with a song for every occasion, Estelle would eventually lose her voice as, over the next five years, she would survive the deaths of their mother, father, their eldest brother and sister, and countless others.
A child at the mercy of her neighbors during a terrifying time in history, The Girl Who Sang is an enthralling first-hand account of Estelle's fight for survival during World War II. She would weather loss, betrayal, near-execution, and spend two years away from the warmth of the sun―all before the age of eleven. And once the war was over, Estelle would walk barefoot across European borders and find remnants of home in an Austrian displaced persons camp before finally crossing the Atlantic to arrive in New York City―a young woman carrying the unseen scars of war.
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Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award, children's author. This award recognizes titles for children and teens that exemplify high literary standards whil...Show more
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award, children's author. This award recognizes titles for children and teens that exemplify high literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience.Born to a Jewish family in a small Polish village, Estelle Nadel―then known as Enia Feld―was just seven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. Once a vibrant child with a song for every occasion, Estelle would eventually lose her voice as, over the next five years, she would survive the deaths of their mother, father, their eldest brother and sister, and countless others.
A child at the mercy of her neighbors during a terrifying time in history, The Girl Who Sang is an enthralling first-hand account of Estelle's fight for survival during World War II. She would weather loss, betrayal, near-execution, and spend two years away from the warmth of the sun―all before the age of eleven. And once the war was over, Estelle would walk barefoot across European borders and find remnants of home in an Austrian displaced persons camp before finally crossing the Atlantic to arrive in New York City―a young woman carrying the unseen scars of war.
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Available
in some locations
Place hold
by Laan, Triinu
Picture Book - 2024
Winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of thos...Show more
Winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States. Everyone deserves a quiet, restful retirement. But for John, a newly retired classroom skeleton, life is just beginning. When John is adopted by Grams and Gramps and leaves the classroom to live on their farm, every day is an exciting new adventure: John rides in the car for the first time, makes a snow angel, scares away crooks, and becomes a source of comfort for Grams, Gramps, and their grandkids. With delightful illustrations and a charming cast of characters, John the Skeleton is a quirky, touching, and unforgettable book. Triinu Laan thoughtfully weaves aging and death into the fabric of life, crafting a tender portrait of what it means to care for one another, grow old together, and appreciate the little things.
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Winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of thos...Show more
Winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States. Everyone deserves a quiet, restful retirement. But for John, a newly retired classroom skeleton, life is just beginning. When John is adopted by Grams and Gramps and leaves the classroom to live on their farm, every day is an exciting new adventure: John rides in the car for the first time, makes a snow angel, scares away crooks, and becomes a source of comfort for Grams, Gramps, and their grandkids. With delightful illustrations and a charming cast of characters, John the Skeleton is a quirky, touching, and unforgettable book. Triinu Laan thoughtfully weaves aging and death into the fabric of life, crafting a tender portrait of what it means to care for one another, grow old together, and appreciate the little things.
Show less
All copies in use
Availability details
Holds: 1 on 3 copies
Place hold