Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2019 Read Harder Challenge
>
Task #22: A children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009
date
newest »
newest »
message 51:
by
Sheri
(new)
Jan 22, 2019 11:38AM
I read Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender and Friendship which was on the list for a lgbtq+ diversity award. It was very sweet, and had charming art.
reply
|
flag
I read The Turtle of Oman, which won the Arab American Book Award for Children's/YA books in 2015.This is on the younger end of middle grade fiction, so it wasn't necessarily a personal favorite. But I absolutely see the appeal of protagonist Aref, struggling with saying goodbye to Oman, the only home he's known, to go live in the United States for three years while his parents work on earning dual PhDs. Moving away from everything is daunting enough when you stay within the same country, much less pick up to go to a new one. Luckily, Aref is close with his grandfather, Sidi, who takes him to see his favorite things one last time, from the camp they went to years before to the beach where turtles hatch their eggs. Aref's feelings are will resonate with young readers, as will his frenetic energy and swinging moods as the move draws close. The relationship with his grandfather is also incredibly touching. Just a sweet, slow read about all the little things that make home home.
I am going to read The Land Of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly. It won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature.
ALA's Youth Media Awards were yesterday morning, which means we have a slew of new contenders:The Stuff of Stars won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
Thank You, Omu! won the John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award (this is an adorable book! I have read it in storytime with great success)
Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship won the Schneider Family Book Award for younger readers
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle won the Schneider Family Book Award for middle grade
The Fox on the Swing won the Batchelder Award
Dreamers won the Belpre Illustrator Award (and made me cry, just FYI)
Julián Is a Mermaid won the Stonewall Book Award in the children's category
Drawn Together won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in the picture book category
Front Desk won the same award in the middle grade category (and I highly recommend it; wish I hadn't already read it last year!)
All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah won the Sydney Taylor Book Award for younger readers
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster won the same award in the middle grade category... and it will be my pick! I haven't read it yet and it sounds right up my alley.
Does the Jane Addams Children's Book Award count?
"The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards are given annually to the children's books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence. The Awards were first presented in 1953."
I have my eye on Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Méndez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation
Doris wrote: "Does the Jane Addams Children's Book Award count? "The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards are given annually to the children's books published the preceding year that effectively promote the caus..."
Yes, it's on the ALA list linked in the first post :) Great pick, the illustrations are awesome!
I have read two books this year that fit the bill that I highly recommend. The first is How I Became a Ghost about the Cherokee Trail of Tears which won the 2014 American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Middle School Book. The second is Piecing Me Together which is a coming of age story about a young black woman which won the 2018 Coretta Scott King Award (the protagonist is in high school, but the book won a Newberry so I think that puts it in the middle-grade category)
If it hasn't been suggested, I highly recommend The Poet X.
Beth wrote: "If it hasn't been suggested, I highly recommend The Poet X."A great book, but it's pretty solidly YA. Would definitely work for category 3, though, since it won the National Book Award in 2018 too!
I read Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire A. Nivola for this, and it was excellent. I've been a fan of Maathai's Green Belt Movement for years, so I was really excited to see that this won the Jane Addams Award for Younger Children in 2009 (thereby just scraping in the time period for this challenge!).
I'd really prefer to read an Australian book for this one... it's tricky to find any awards that suit, though... Looking at Oliver Phommavanh, but he hasn't been awarded anything yet (just shortlisted) and the awards themselves are just general children's literature ones.
I just read Front Desk by Kelly Yang for this challenge and it is rough. It's a fabulous book and an important perspective, but reading it as an adult, I was so furious with every single adult in the book. It's based on Yang's real-life experiences working at the motel where her parents worked and she does not pull any punches or sugarcoat the experience that her and other Chinese immigrant families survived.
Kate wrote: "Doris wrote: "Does the Jane Addams Children's Book Award count?"...
Yes, it's on the ALA list linked in the first post :) Great pick, the illustrations are awesome!
Well, duh. Thanks, Kate: I missed that (obviously!)
Doris wrote: "Does the Jane Addams Children's Book Award count? "The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards are given annually to the children's books published the preceding year that effectively promote the caus..."
I didn't know about this book! My husband just interviewed her last year so this would be really interesting.
Would Love he Prince & The Dressmaker work here?
Sherri wrote: "Would Love he Prince & The Dressmaker work here?"I don't think so. The award it won was a Harvey, which is for graphic novels but doesn't have anything to do with diversity.
I read The Tea Dragon Society for this prompt. It was incredible!
I am going to read The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog which was already on my TBR list. A friend read it with her nephew, and both really enjoyed it. When she mentioned it to me, I was hooked on the title alone, The fact that it also has a Canterbury Tale element is like icing on the cake for me.
Dreamland Burning is on my TBR list, but I think that’s YA? Also, I picked out Dactyl Hill Squad to read to my son. The author has won diversity awards, but I can’t tell about the specific book. I was also interested in Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson, but that seems to be the only book she wrote that didn’t win one of the awards on the list. Any suggestions? I have an 8 year old boy, so I want to read a middle grade book that would also interest him.
i read One Crazy Summer last year and loved it! i plan on reading the other two books in the trilogy this year - P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama, the second which won the coretta scott king book award.also on my list (and has been on my tbr for awhile...) is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe which won the stonewall book award.
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..." I have really enjoyed this author's adult fiction and she has a middle grade novel coming out this year. I wouldn't be surprised if it wins awards before it's release date https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
I read Julián Is a Mermaid for this task -- gorgeous illustrations! It won the Stonewall Award this year. (This would only work if you were counting picture books in this category.)
Mod
Stephanie wrote: "I am reading Echo for this challenge. It won the Kirkus Prize for Young Reader's Literature in 2015."I read Echo in February, is the kirkus prize a diversity award? Sorry I'm not that well versed on literary awards form the US.
No, the Kirkus prize is Kirkus reviews keeping their brand important. To win requires having previously received a Kirkus star, which requires having been reviewed by Kirkus. It has nothing to do with diversity.
Jennie, yes, they are. From the caba website :"The awards were created by Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association (ASA) to encourage the publication and use of accurate, balanced children’s materials about Africa. "
Penny wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "I am reading Echo for this challenge. It won the Kirkus Prize for Young Reader's Literature in 2015."I read Echo in February, is the kirkus prize a diversity awa..."
Echo also won the Americas Award from the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs in 2016 so it should work.
I read One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia for this prompt (Coretta Scott King Award in 2011 + a ton of other well-deserved awards in 2011 and 2014). I opted for a bonus read for this prompt and read La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal (Pura Belpré Award for Illustrator in 2018).
Hebah wrote: "I read The Turtle of Oman, which won the Arab American Book Award for Children's/YA books in 2015.This is on the younger end of middle grade fiction, so it wasn't necessarily a pe..."
I just finished this! What a beautiful story.
I listened to Brown Girl Dreaming and am counting it for this. It won the Coretta Scott King Award. It was available through my library on Libby and was read by the author.
I finished Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster (Sydney Taylor Book Award 2019) over the weekend and loved it! Set in Victorian London in the world of chimney sweeps and street urchin children, and with a sad ending that I was well prepared for given the text, but was no less the gut-punch. Well worth a read!
Thanks to Octavia's comment I found Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai and read it. It's wonderful and made me want to read more about Maathai's work.
Gretel wrote: "Thanks to Octavia's comment I found Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai and read it. It's wonderful and made me want to read more about Maathai's work." Her memoir, Unbowed: A Memoir, is really wonderful!
Lauconn wrote: "Her memoir, Unbowed: A Memoir, is really wonderful!"Yesss, thank you! Adding it to the list. :D
Talitha wrote: "I read Julián Is a Mermaid for this task -- gorgeous illustrations! It won the Stonewall Award this year. (This would only work if you were counting picture books in this category.)"I read this too - it's really sweet! Also my husband is called Julian so the title made me laugh.
Hi, would love if anyone could recommend a read in this category that would be age appropriate (illustrated) for me to include my 3 year old in this topic? It’s a good chance for me to start exploring diversity with him anyway, but just not sure where to start as many of them seem a bit beyond his age.
Georgia wrote: "Hi, would love if anyone could recommend a read in this category that would be age appropriate (illustrated) for me to include my 3 year old in this topic? It’s a good chance for me to start explor..."I'd look at books that have won the Coretta Scott King Book Award for illustration or the John Steptoe New Talent Award for illustration! Plenty of those would be great for a 3-year-old. I have read Thank You, Omu! in preschool storytime with lots of success :)
Georgia wrote: "Hi, would love if anyone could recommend a read in this category that would be age appropriate (illustrated) for me to include my 3 year old in this topic? It’s a good chance for me to start explor..."Georgia, I just read What Can You Do with a Paleta? for this challenge & it is very appropriate for a 3-year-old. This particular title won the Tomas Rivera Mexican American children's award, so it meets this challenge. Be prepared to crave paletas (popsicles) after reading it! :)
There are lots of other picture books that show children of color just being children. Here are some additional options that may or may not have won awards:
https://medium.com/embrace-race/child...
Georgia wrote: "Hi, would love if anyone could recommend a read in this category that would be age appropriate (illustrated) for me to include my 3 year old in this topic? It’s a good chance for me to start explor..."I read Trombone Shorty to a 4-year-old and it was very well received.
I finished Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar. It was very good.
Where do you draw the line between middle-grade and YA? I just finished The Poet X (which I can use for #3, I think) but initially thought I could use it for this challenge, too. I had forgotten the challenge said "not YA". And it's written in verse -- but I don't think it's a collection of poetry (#24). I've got other middle-grade I can read, but curious what you all thought of this.
Lisa wrote: "Where do you draw the line between middle-grade and YA? I just finished The Poet X (which I can use for #3, I think) but initially thought I could use it for this challenge, too. I ..."middle grade books are intended for readers 8 to 12 years old. while a child that age could read The Poet X, the book isn't intended for that audience, so it doesn't qualify as middle grade.
Lisa wrote: "Where do you draw the line between middle-grade and YA? I just finished The Poet X (which I can use for #3, I think) but initially thought I could use it for this challenge, too. I ..."Poet X, while an absolutely amazing read, is pretty solidly YA. Don't forget that "children's" doesn't have to be middle-grade - there are picture books and juvenile nonfiction that would work for this category too!
Georgia wrote: "Hi, would love if anyone could recommend a read in this category that would be age appropriate (illustrated) for me to include my 3 year old in this topic? It’s a good chance for me to start explor..."My colleague has read "Julian Is A Mermaid" to her 2 year old. It's mostly pictures.
Georgia wrote: "Hi, would love if anyone could recommend a read in this category that would be age appropriate (illustrated) for me to include my 3 year old in this topic? It’s a good chance for me to start explor..."Oh, so many great ones! You might try some of these:
This is one of my all-time faves: Last Stop on Market Street
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut
Trombone Shorty
Each Kindness
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut (other topics)Trombone Shorty (other topics)
Each Kindness (other topics)
Last Stop on Market Street (other topics)
The Poet X (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rita Williams-Garcia (other topics)Susan Middleton Elya (other topics)
Juana Martinez-Neal (other topics)
Oliver Phommavanh (other topics)
Ruth Behar (other topics)
