ALA Youth Media Awards! (A Book List)

Montessori Thrive • April 26, 2022

Each year, the American Library Association announces its Youth Media Awards in January. These highly anticipated awards include the prestigious John Newbery Medal and Randolph Caldecott Medal, but there are also many more high-profile selections.

Here we share each of the books that won in the 2022 Youth Media Awards. It’s important that we note there were many outstanding books that may not have won, but received honors, that are not listed here. There were also other winners, such as digital media awards and author and illustrator recognitions, that we could not fit into this article. We have included a link at the bottom of the page if you’re interested in learning more about these and others.

The best way to organize these titles for the purpose of this article is into three categories: picture books, middle grade fiction, and young adult literature. You and your child may have already read some of these books, but we hope you can also find something new and wonderful to discover together. Enjoy!

Picture Books

Watercress illustrated by Jason Chin

Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Award for the most distinguished American picture book for children. Written by Andrea Wang.

Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (picture book winner). The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit.

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. This book won both the King Awards for author and illustrator.

The Me I Choose To Be illustrated by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt

Winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award. Written by Natashia Anastasia Tarpley.

My City Speaks by Darren Lebeuf and illustrated by Ashley Barron

Winner of the Schneider Family for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience. Winner of the award for books for young children (0 to 8).

¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge illustrated by Raúl Gonzalez

Winner of the Pura Belpré Youth Illustration Award. The Pura Belpré Awards honor Latinx writers and illustrators whose children's and young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice With Art by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Evan Turk

Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children.

Fox at Night written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor

Winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book.

Herizon written by Daniel W. Vandever [Diné], illustrated by Corey Begay [Diné]

Winner of the American Indian Youth Literature Award (picture book). The American Indian Youth Literature Awards identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives. Selected titles present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.

The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel

Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award (picture book) for outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.

Middle Grade Fiction

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Winner of the John Newbery Medal for outstanding contribution to children’s literature.

Winner of the Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award. The Pura Belpré Awards honor Latinx writers and illustrators whose children's and young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers

Winner of the Schneider Family for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience. Winner of the award for books for middle grades (ages 9-13).

Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba

Originally published as “Kimyōji Yokochō no Natsu,” in Japanese, and winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder award for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently published in English in the United States. Illustrated by Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer Idagawa.

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Winner of the Stonewall Book Award (children’s)- Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.

Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young [Diné]

Winner of the American Indian Youth Literature Award (middle grade book). The American Indian Youth Literature Awards identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives. Selected titles present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.

Amina's Song by Hena Khan

Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (children’s literature winner). The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit.

How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani

Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award (middle grade book) for outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.

Young Adult Literature

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

Winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Author Talent Award

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults.

Winner of the William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.

The Words in My Hands written and illustrated by Asphyxia

Winner of the Schneider Family for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience. Winner of the award for books for teens (ages 14-18).

How Moon Fuentes Fell in Love With the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Winner of the Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award. The Pura Belpré Awards honor Latinx writers and illustrators whose children's and young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Winner of the Stonewall Book Award (young adult)- Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.

Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (youth literature winner). The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit.

Ambushed! The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield by Gail Jarrow

Winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.

Apple (Skin to the Core) by Eric Gansworth [Onondaga]

Winner of the American Indian Youth Literature Award (young adult book). The American Indian Youth Literature Awards identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives. Selected titles present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award (young adult book) for outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.


Descriptions of the awards were taken from the ALA site.

Click here to learn more about the winners and honorees of this year's ALA Youth Media Awards.

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Montessori Materials Explained: The Metal Insets

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unfold over time. Children begin with a single frame and inset, using three colored pencils: one for tracing the frame, one for tracing the inset, and one for filling in. As their control deepens, subsequent exercises introduce the use of insets only (without frames), multiple overlapping shapes, repeated tracings of a single shape in different positions, and eventually fully free geometric design using any combination of insets, colors, and orientations. One of the most beautiful exercises is graded color. Using a single inset and a single pencil, children fill the shape with vertical lines, moving from darker to lighter (or lighter to darker) by adjusting the pencil pressure. This exercise requires an extraordinary sensitivity of touch, and when children achieve it, the result is genuinely lovely. This work can continue throughout a child’s entire time in the Children’s House. It can be relaxing and meditative, and when older children do it with great refinement, it naturally inspires younger children who observe them. Readiness and Timing Two key preparations precede the metal insets. Children should be able to trace the shapes of the geometry cabinet and the leaf shapes of the leaf cabinet using a stylus, and ideally they should be working with the movable alphabet. Timing matters. If we introduce the work too soon, before the hand is ready, it becomes too great a challenge rather than a satisfying one. The guide’s role is to observe carefully and to offer the presentation at the moment when it will be received with both readiness and joy. The metal insets are a landmark in the child’s journey toward written language. This layered preparation honors both the intelligence of the hand and the unhurried nature of true readiness. We invite you to come see the metal insets and the full breadth of our carefully prepared environment in person. Contact us to schedule a visit here in LakeCreek Montessori School or to learn more about life in our Children’s House.
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