Task #22: A children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009

[Book Riot]

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 22nd Read Harder task. (Link to list of awards: http://dia.ala.org/sites/default/file...)

[Kate]

Just a note that some books that have won the Batchelder Award (given for works in translation) would also qualify for task #10.

[Brandon]

Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu
Full Cicada Moon
Blackbird Fly
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺]

I plan to read George, which was on the 2016 Rainbow Book List (honours books with significant and authentic LGBTQ content).

[Margaret]

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark won the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Younger Readers in 2017. Hope one of my nearby libraries has it!

[Tracy]

Wonderstruck won The Schneider Family Book award ( disability experience) among many others.

I could read a million books for this category, I love middle grade :-)

[Kate]

This will be a tough category for me; I'm a children's librarian and I try to read as many award winners and diverse titles as I can. If there's something I haven't read that wins the 2019 awards, I'll go with that; otherwise I'll have to go with an older title. Maybe Fish in a Tree (Schneider Book Award 2016), which I never got around to reading due to it having a constant wait list, or Zora and Me (John Steptoe Award for New Talent 2010).

ETA: Others I haven't read that would qualify (for my own reference):

The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog (Sydney Taylor Book Award 2017)
The Turtle of Oman (Arab American Book Award 2015)
Currently reading Blended, which could have a good shot at some 2019 awards.

[Doris]

A little off subject, but what's so magical about 2009?

[Cendaquenta]

Doris wrote: "A little off subject, but what's so magical about 2009?"

I suppose it's so that we have precisely a decade to work with.

[Maggie]

I've been meaning to read George and it looks like it won a couple awards in 2016 - the Stonewall Book Award and the Lambda Literary Award.

[Satrina]

Tracy wrote: "Wonderstruck won The Schneider Family Book award ( disability experience) among many others.

I could read a million books for this category, I love middle grade :-)"

I've been meaning to read Wonderstruck for a while... Thanks Tracy!

[Ava]

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ wrote: "I plan to read George, which was on the 2016 Rainbow Book List (honours books with significant and authentic LGBTQ content)."

This is my choice too. It also works for Task #18: A novel by a trans or nonbinary author, for those that want to double dip.

[Tabitha]

Full Cicada Moon sounds good so that's the one I'm using. =)

[Catie]

I think I'll read the middle grade Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar, which won the Pura Belpré award this year. (I believe this would also work for Task #3.)

[Stephanie]

I am reading Echo for this challenge. It won the Kirkus Prize for Young Reader's Literature in 2015.

[Teresa]

Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award
Big Wolf and Little Wolf The Mildred L. Batchelder Award

[Therese]

This is another category I am totally stumped on. Does anyone have a list that might be of help? Thank you.

[Wyn]

I don't have a list of books, but here is a really useful list of awards for diversity in kids books the American Library Association put together.

[Susanne]

I'll read The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan. It won the Pura Belpré Medal and the Américas Award in 2011.

[Hope]

I am going with a nuero-diverse read: The London Eye Mystery

It won several awards!

[Randy]

For the middle-grade series task in 2018's challenge, I read (and absolutely loved!) One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. For this 2019 task, I will read the second in the series (P.S. Be Eleven).
Each of the books in the series won the Coretta Scott King Book Award ("given annually to 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").

[Theresa]

Teresa wrote: "Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award
Big Wolf and Little Wolf The Mildred L. Batchelder Award"

The original Book Riot post announcing the challenge included a link to various diversity awards. I found it very helpful. https://bookriot.com/2018/12/12/2019-...

[Stephanie]

Doris wrote: "A little off subject, but what's so magical about 2009?"

I' assuming they want you to read a book no more than ten years old.

[Stephanie]

Hope wrote: "I am going with a nuero-diverse read: The London Eye Mystery

It won several awards!"

Cool, it looks pretty good and the Dolly Gray award is on the list BR provided.

Also, this one looks not too bad and won Stonewall award for children's lit: The Hammer of Thor

[Brandon]

Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire is an amazing book (see link in Post #3)! That's an early success for me in ReadHarder 2019.

[Stephanie]

Randy wrote: "For the middle-grade series task in 2018's challenge, I read (and absolutely loved!) One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. For this 2019 task, I will read the second in the serie..."

Thanks for the suggestion and the Kindle version is on sale!

[Lucia]

Hi there! I'm compiling lists of everyone's suggestions for each challenge in case that's easier for people (I know it is for me!) c:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Mandie]

Margaret wrote: "I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark won the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Younger Readers in 2017. Hope one of my nearby libraries has it!"

Yes, this has been on my list for awhile! I just found it on Overdrive for my library!

[Lorna]

Doris wrote: "A little off subject, but what's so magical about 2009?"
I think it just means the book was published in the last ten years, therefore it's recent.

[Karin]

Teresa wrote: "Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award
Big Wolf and Little Wolf The Mildred L. Batchelder Award"

Thanks for recommending Nasreen's Secret School--I'm awaiting my hold at the library!

[ProfBen10]

I've decided to read Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus (2010-2011 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature).

My mother is Asian American and I honestly haven't read much about Japanese or Korean culture. Hopefully this will be the start of a new trend!

[Shelley]

I just finished Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy from https://ameliabloomer.wordpress.com/2... awards

It was good, but yet another reminder why I'm not a fan of graphic novels. Just about the point where I'm getting into the characters, it ends on a cliffhanger and I have no easy way to get the next volume. I'm also really not invested enough to search for it.

[Ann]

I am choosing between The One and Only Ivan which one a Christopher Award in 2013 in the Books for Young People and The Red Bandanna which was a winner for the same award in 2018.
I chose the Christopher Award for the description alone as awards given to media "which affirms the highest values of the human spirit."

[Melissa]

I am going to read Zoe’s and Me, a fictionalized account of Zoe’s Neale Hurston’s childhood. It won the Corretta Scott King Award and I love Zora Neale Hurston :) so I think it will be a good match.

[Inez]

I'm going to read A Different Pond

It has won:
2018 Randolph Caldecott Medal Honor
2018 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Picture Book
2018 Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner
Ezra Jack Keats Honor Book 2018 Capitol Choices 2018, Seven to Ten
Booklist Top 10 Diverse Picture Books: 2018
ALSC Notable Children’s Books 2018, Middle
Goodreads Choice Awards 2017, Picture Books
Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2017, Picture Books Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2017, Picture Books
Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2017, Picture Books
CSMCL Best Multicultural Children’s Books of 2017
School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2017, Picture Books
Horn Book Fanfare List 2017, Picture Books
Shelf Awareness 2017 Best Books of the Year, Picture Books
Booklist Top of the List Editor’s Choice, Fiction Young Readers
New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2017
The Washington Post Best Books Children’s Books of 2017, Picture Books.

[Kate]

Ann wrote: "I am choosing between The One and Only Ivan which one a Christopher Award in 2013 in the Books for Young People and The Red Bandanna which was a winner for the same ..."

Sounds like a great award (and The One and Only Ivan is a great read!), but the challenge is to find a book that won a diversity award specifically. I don't see that the Christopher Award is a diversity award.

[Mandie]

Kate wrote: "Ann wrote: "I am choosing between The One and Only Ivan which one a Christopher Award in 2013 in the Books for Young People and The Red Bandanna which was a winner f..."

If you look at the first post, which has a link to a list of diversity awards, The Christopher Awards are in that list. Don't be so quick to put down someone's choice, especially when it does fit in with the theme of the category and where she obviously did her research.

[Kate]

Mandie wrote: "Kate wrote: "Ann wrote: "I am choosing between The One and Only Ivan which one a Christopher Award in 2013 in the Books for Young People and The Red Bandanna which w..."

I wasn't putting down her choice at all, sorry if it came across that way. I just wasn't familiar with the award, so I looked at the Christopher Award website and literally didn't see how it fit into a diversity category. But if it's on the list in the first post that makes sense!

[Bonnie G.]

Kate wrote: "Mandie wrote: "Kate wrote: "Ann wrote: "I am choosing between The One and Only Ivan which one a Christopher Award in 2013 in the Books for Young People and [book:The Red Bandanna|36..."

I appreciate you weighing in Kate, Its really hard to keep awards straight. I guess if BR mentioned the award it will work, but it is not in fact a diversity award. The award celebrates striving to be one's best. Just checked the Wiki, and in fact there is very little diversity to be found in the list of previous winners. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christo...

[Mandie]

According the ALA list, that BR linked, it is....

http://dia.ala.org/sites/default/file...

[Kate]

Mandie wrote: "According the ALA list, that BR linked, it is....

http://dia.ala.org/sites/default/file..."

Yes, I saw that. If BookRiot is using the ALA list as its benchmark, then it counts for challenge purposes, and the commenter should definitely feel free to use books that have been awarded that honor. I'm not trying to belittle the commenter's choice. However, I personally don't see how it is a diversity award, and disagree with ALA's stance on this award as a diversity award.

[Hebah]

I currently have #Notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women on hold at the library, which is on both the Amelia Bloomer (feminist) list and the American Indian Youth Literature list for 2018. Looking forward to it.

[Rachel]

I am currently reading Front Desk which possibly qualify for the "awards" portion, but it did earn the following:


Parents' Choice Gold Medal Fiction Award Winner
NPR Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year
Washington Post Best Books of the Year
Amazon Best Books of the Year
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Bookpage Best Books of the Year
New York Public Library Best Books of the Year
Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year
Top Ten Debut Novels 2018 - ALA Booklist

[Bonnie G.]

Hebah wrote: "I currently have #Notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women on hold at the library, which is on both the Amelia Bloomer (feminist) list and the American Indian Youth Literatu..."

Ooh, this looks great. Thanks!

[Hebah]

Bonnie wrote: "Hebah wrote: "I currently have #Notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women on hold at the library, which is on both the Amelia Bloomer (feminist) list and the American Indian ..."

Great, except I just caught the *NOT* YA bit. I mean, I'll still be reading it because it sounds intersectional and wonderful, but I'll need to find something else. Oh darn, more books to read, what a burden.

[Jessica]

Do picture books count?


Inez wrote: "I'm going to read A Different Pond

It has won:
2018 Randolph Caldecott Medal Honor
2018 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Picture Book
2018 Charlotte Zolotow Award Winne..."

Inez wrote: "I'm going to read A Different Pond

It has won:
2018 Randolph Caldecott Medal Honor
2018 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Picture Book
2018 Charlotte Zolotow Award Winne..."

[Inez]

Jessica wrote: "Do picture books count?


Inez wrote: "I'm going to read A Different Pond

It has won:
2018 Randolph Caldecott Medal Honor
2018 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Picture ..."

I'm assuming so. I understood the task to be a children's book (ie younger than middle grade, including picture books) or a middle grade book, but not YA. I love the illustrator's other work so definitely going with this one.

[Barbara]

I read I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy. It won the Sydney Taylor Book Award in 2017.

[Bonnie G.]

Hebah wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Hebah wrote: "I currently have #Notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women on hold at the library, which is on both the Amelia Bloomer (feminist) list and the A..."

Bummer! I still want to read it though. There are far too few books by indigenous women telling their own stories, and this sounds like a great one.

[Lauren]

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart - This is from the Rainbow Booklist 2017.