Annual literary award
The Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature , known as "The Walters,” was created by the American nonprofit We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) in 2014, and the inaugural award was presented in 2016.[ 1] Named after young adult author Walter Dean Myers , the award recognizes published, diverse authors who champion marginalized voices in their stories.[ 2] The awards program is managed by WNDB's co-directors Kathie Weinberg and Terry Hong. In 2018, WNDB changed the categories from a single category of young adult titles to two categories of teen and young readers.[ 3] Subsequent awards include both categories.[ 4]
Recipients
Award winners and finalists
Year
Category
Recipient
Title
Result
Ref.
2016
N/A
Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
All American Boys
Winner
[ 5] [ 6]
Margarita Engle and Edel Rodriguez (illus.)
Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir
Honor
[ 6]
Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon
X
2017
N/A
John Lewis , Andrew Aydin , and Nathan Powell
March: Book Three
Winner
[ 7] [ 8]
Marina Budhos
Watched
Honor
[ 8]
Meredith Russo
If I Was Your Girl
Nicola Yoon
The Sun Is Also a Star
2018
Teen
Jason Reynolds
Long Way Down
Winner
[ 9] [ 10]
Mitlali Perkins
You Bring the Distant Near
Honor
[ 9] [ 10]
Francisco X. Stork
Disappeared
Younger Reader
Carole Boston Weatherford and Eric Velasquez (illus.)
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library
Winner
[ 9] [ 10]
Margarita Engle
Forest World
Honor
[ 9] [ 10]
2019
Teen
Elizabeth Acevedo
The Poet X
Winner
[ 11] [ 12] [ 13]
Tiffany Jackson
Monday’s Not Coming
Honor
[ 11] [ 12] [ 13]
Emily X.R. Pan
The Astonishing Color of After
Younger Reader
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Ghosts Boys
Winner
[ 11] [ 12] [ 13]
David Bowles
They Call Me Güero
Honor
[ 11] [ 12] [ 13]
Veera Hiranandani
The Night Diary
2020
Teen
Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (illus.)
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me
Winner
[ 14] [ 15]
Akwaeke Emezi
Pet
Honor
[ 14] [ 15]
Elizabeth Acevedo
With the Fire on High
Younger Reader
Padma Venkatraman
The Bridge Home
Winner
[ 14] [ 15]
Lisa Moore Ramée
A Good Kind of Trouble
Honor
[ 14] [ 15]
Jasmine Warga
Other Words for Home
2021
Teen
Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam and Omar T. Pasha (illus.)
Punching the Air
Winner
[ 16] [ 17]
Traci Chee
We Are Not Free
Honor
[ 16] [ 17]
Robin Ha
Almost American Girl
Younger Reader
Victoria Jamieson , Omar Mohamed, and Iman Geddy
When Stars Are Scattered
Winner
[ 16] [ 17]
Kacen Callender
King and the Dragonflies
Honor
[ 16] [ 17]
Daniel Nayeri
Everything Sad Is Untrue
2022
Teen
Angeline Boulley
Firekeeper’s Daughter
Winner
[ 18] [ 19]
Malinda Lo
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Honor
[ 18] [ 19]
Kekla Magoon
Revolution in Our Time
Younger Reader
Rajani LaRocca
Red, White, and Whole
Winner
[ 18] [ 19]
Thomas King and Natasha Donovan (illus.)
Borders
Honor
[ 18] [ 19]
Eden Royce
Root Magic
2023
Teen
Andrea L. Rogers and Jeff Edwards
Man Made Monsters
Winner
[ 20]
Sonora Reyes
The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School
Honor
[ 20]
Sabaa Tahir
All My Rage
Young Reader
Angela Joy and Janelle Washington
Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement
Winner
[ 20]
Christina Soontornvat
The Last Mapmaker
Honor
[ 20]
Ibi Zoboi
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler
2024
Teen
Ari Tison
Saints of the Household
Winner
[ 21] [ 22]
Hannah V. Sawyerr
All the Fighting Parts
Honor
[ 21] [ 22]
Young Reader
Jacqueline Woodson
Remember Us
Winner
[ 21] [ 22]
Aisha Saeed , Huda Al-Marashi , Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow , and S. K. Ali
Grounded
Honor
[ 21] [ 22]
References
^ Kirch, Claire (20 January 2016). "Reynolds, Kiely win WNDB's debut Walter Award" . Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2017 .
^ Kirch, Claire (16 October 2014). "Diversity Group Announces Walter Dean Myers Award and Grants" . Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2017 .
^ "Walter Dean Myers Award - Children's Books" . UCF Research Guides at University of Central Florida Libraries . Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021 .
^ "Walter Awards" . We Need Diverse Books . Retrieved 2018-09-24 .
^ "2016 Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature" . Library of Congress . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b Kirch, Claire (2016-01-20). "Reynolds, Kiely Win WNDB's Debut Walter Award" . PublishersWeekly.com . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ "2017 Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature" . Library of Congress . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b SLJ (2017-01-20). " "March: Book Three" Named Winner of the 2017 Walter Award" . School Library Journal . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d SLJ (2018-01-12). "Reynolds, Weatherford Named Winners of 2018 Walter Dean Myers Award" . School Library Journal . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d "WNDB Announces the Winners of the 2018 Walter Awards" . We Need Diverse Books . 2018-01-11. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d SLJ Staff (2019-01-14). "We Need Diverse Books Announces 2019 Walter Awards Winners" . School Library Journal . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d Morales, Macey (2019-01-28). "Walter Dean Myers wins 2019 Children's Literature Legacy Award" . News and Press Center . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d Sacks, Oliver (2019-04-02). "Walter Dean Myers Awards Honor Diverse Authors" . www.shelf-awareness.com . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d Marketing, Chris (2020-02-09). "2020 Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Literature" . Eisenhower Public Library . Retrieved 2022-01-20 . [permanent dead link ]
^ a b c d SLJ Staff (2022-01-22). "We Need Diverse Books Names 2020 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners" . School Library Journal . Archived from the original on 2020-03-14. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d Schaub, Michael (2021-01-22). "Winners of the Walter Dean Myers Awards Announced" . Kirkus Reviews . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d Nutt, Gina (2021-03-15). "Walter Dean Myers Awards" . Shelf Awareness . Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d S. L. J. Staff (2022-01-19). "2022 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners Announced" . School Library Journal . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d Schaub, Michael (2022-01-20). "Walter Dean Myers Award Winners Are Revealed" . Kirkus Reviews . Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20 .
^ a b c d Jones, Iyana (2023-01-10). "2023 Walter Dean Myers Awards Announced" . Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on 2023-02-09. Retrieved 2024-06-01 .
^ a b c d "The 2024 Walter Award Winners for Youth Literature" . BOOK RIOT . 2024-01-17. Archived from the original on 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-06-01 .
^ a b c d "2024 Walter Dean Myers Awards: 'The Work Goes On" " . Shelf Awareness . 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-06-01 .
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