ALA Youth Media Awards: Read the Winners on Epic

Set in Afghanistan, this story follows Aria as she returns to school after an accident. In her class, students sit on the floor, and she’s worried that with her new prosthetic “helper leg” it’ll be too uncomfortable for her. So she decides to build herself a bench. This bright, hopeful picture book shows kids the value of perseverance and grit, while introducing them to the struggles people in Afghanistan face in an age-appropriate way.

With simple, poignant language “Bright Star” tells the story of a fawn as she makes her way through a place filled with dangers, beauty and potential. At the gentle urging of a mysterious voice, the fawn continues on, facing fears and overcoming obstacles along the way. This inspiring kids’ book offers reassurance during a time of uncertainty, while teaching young readers the value of hope, determination and courage. 

In this enchanting book, little ones can explore the relationships between childhood and nature. With vivid pencil illustrations and simple text, it tells the story of a child experiencing a flower using all five senses, from its colors to its fragrance and more. This profound tale shows kids how something as small as a single flower can grow and change your perspective in surprising ways.

A young girl who is visually impaired explores the city with her father. Together they go to the playground, the market, a garden and an outdoor concert. Along the way, the girl enthusiastically describes her city. With rhythmic, lyrical text and bright collage illustrations, this colorful children’s book encourages kids to use their senses to describe and appreciate their own experiences.

Most grade schoolers are familiar with winter hibernation, but what about sleeping all summer? This book introduces kids to a phenomenon known as estivation, a state of prolonged sleep during hot, dry periods. With engaging watercolor illustrations and fun facts throughout, it’ll teach your kid about twelve estivating creatures and critters and their habits, from ladybugs and salamanders to desert hedgehogs.

A girl named Petra Peña longs to be a cuentista (storyteller), but there’s no time. Earth has been destroyed and only a select few, including Petra, will travel to a new planet and carry on the human race. Hundreds of years later, she wakes up to discover a malevolent collective is determined to erase the sins of humanity’s past by purging memories. Petra is the only one who remembers Earth, and now alone must carry the stories of our past into the future.

In this is a collection of stories from Native nations and cultures across the Americas, kids can get a glimpse into what the Aztecs termed “the Sea-Ringed World,” the land spanning from Alaska to the edge of Argentina. With narratives passed down from generation to generation, these ancestral tales will introduce them to the wisdom and lore that has guided Native people for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

This powerful middle-grade book chronicles the devastating events of 1921, when a white mob attacked a Black community in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Now known as one of the worst cases of racial violence in U.S. history, news of what took place at the time was widely suppressed, and it wasn’t investigated for 75 years. This sensitive, age-appropriate book introduces young readers to the events of this tragic day, and inspires them to help build a better future.

This moving true story follows a child of immigrants as she travels with her family through Ohio in an old Pontiac. Young Andrea’s parents stop when they see watercress growing by the side of the road, and the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of it as they can. This embarrasses her until, when her mother shares about her family’s life in China, Andrea comes to appreciate the value of the fresh food they foraged, as well as her heritage.

From the author of the award-winning book “We Are Grateful,” comes this important book on the history, struggles and triumphs of Native life: past, present and future. Told from the perspective of 12 Native kids, this brightly illustrated picture book covers a myriad of subject matter not taught in most schools. Topics include issues of forced assimilation, land allotment, civil rights, self-determination, and more.