2023 ALA Youth Media Awards

It’s like the Oscars of Children’s literature. The only thing missing is the red carpets. Virtually and in person, librarians, publishers, booksellers, and anyone who is interested in children’s literature tune in to catch who and what books have garnered awards for their work.

Years ago, considering a graphic novel wasn’t heard of. But today not only has a graphic novel been awarded the Printz Award (American Born Chinese 2007) and Newbery Award (New Kid 2020), graphic novels regularly appear as honors and on best-of lists. Here, I’ll highlight the graphic novels that have been honored this year.

(Descriptions of the award are mainly lifted from the ALA page.)

Alex Awards

The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. 

Chef’s Kiss  written by Jarrett Melendez

The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere  written and illustrated by James Spooner

Wash Day Diaries written by Jamila Rowser, illustrated by Robyn Smith

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature

An affiliate award of ALA, the award honors and recognizes individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit.

The Youth Literature winner is:

Himawari House by Harmony Becker is a young adult graphic novel about 3 exchange students who adapt to life in Japan. 

Coretta Scott King AwardsCoretta Scott King Book Award

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are 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. Three awards are given annually. Graphic Novel artists were awarded the illustrator honors.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award

Swim Team illustrated and written by Johnnie Christmas (honor book)

Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written

by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes (honor book)

Margaret A. Edwards Award

This award honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contributions to young adult literature.

Jason Reynolds Though not honored for his titles that are comic-oriented, Stuntboy in the Meantime is a hybrid comic novel and Reynolds wrote the novelization for Miles Morales. 

Odyssey Award 

The Odyssey Award is given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.  

Stuntboy, in the Meantime written by Jason Reynolds and illustrated by Raύl the Third. Narrated by Guy Lockard, Nile Bullock and Angel Pean with a full cast.

Odyssey honor books:

Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel written by Leigh Bardugo and produced by Steve Wagner and Michelle Altman. Adaptation by Garet Scott and narrated by Ben Barnes and a full cast.

Inheritance: A Visual Poem written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo

The First Helping (Lunch Lady Books 1 & 2) written by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (GC4K preview)

Out of the 5 titles named, 3 fall into the graphic novel category and 1 is a visual poem. It made me think of the roundtable we conducted in 2020: Can you listen to a graphic novel?

Pura Belpré Awards 

The award is presented annually 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. 

Frizzy written by Claribel A. Ortega; illustrated by Rose Bousamra

Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo (honor book) (GC4K Review)

(Randolph) Caldecott Medal 

Awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Learn more about the Caldecott Medal

Ain’t Burned All the Bright illustrated by Jason Griffin, and written by Jason Reynolds isn’t purely a graphic novel… it’s more like an illustrated poem. But I threw it on the list, because it incorporates pictures and words. 

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams’s Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Partridge & Lauren Tamaki

Stonewall Book Award – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature AwardStonewall medal

Stonewall Book Award is given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience. 

The Real Riley Mayes written and illustrated by Rachel Elliott (children’s honor)

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award 

The award is given to the most distinguished beginning reader book:

I Did It! written and illustrated by Michael Emberley

Fish and Wave written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier (honor)

Owl and Penguin written and illustrated by Vikram Madan (honor)

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young AdultsYALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction

Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written

by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes

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