Elementary/Middle Grade
Borders
by King, Thomas, illustrated by Donovan, Natasha
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Reshama
Borders written by Thomas King and Illustrated by Natasha Donovan is a simple yet important story of identity, culture, survival, history and modern politics. It touches on how politics create problems for indigenous people like the blackfoot who have lived on the land long before borders were created. Beautiful artwork and text that explore themes of identity, justice, and belonging is what made this book a top choice for the judges.
Chunky
by Mercado, Yehudi, illustrated by Mercado, Yehudi
Katherine Tegen Books
Nominated by: Greg Pattridge
Living in Texas, sports take on a life of their own. Concerned about his weight, Hudi’s parents push him into sporty activities, even though he’s terrible at them. Eventually Hudi finds a fit in baseball due to his imaginary mascot Chunky. Chunky cheers him on and off the field, supporting his dream of becoming a comedian. This inspiring body positive graphic novel is based on the author’s life as a Mexican Jewish boy who is witty, funny, and ready to take on the world.
Cranky Chicken
by Battersby, Katherine, illustrated by Battersby, Katherine
Margaret K. McElderry
Nominated by: GRgenius
Cranky Chicken is cranky until an unexpected friendship with a worm changes her outlook on life. Readers will enjoy this funny graphic novel for younger readers filled with the themes of friendship, emotions, and being yourself.
Jukebox
by Chanani, Nidhi, illustrated by Chanani, Nidhi
First Second Books
Nominated by: ChristaS
Jukebox is a story of family, courage, old vinyl records and even older times. When Shaneen’s father goes missing, Shaneen and Naz jump into an adventure, bonding together, gaining courage, their friendship giving Naz the courage to tell her family she is bi by the end of the story. Featuring a diverse set of characters, some interesting time periods, and many touching moments, this graphic novel was a standout among the panelists.
Measuring Up
by LaMotte, Lily, illustrated by Xu, Ann
HarperAlley
Nominated by: Julie Williams
Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte and illustrated by Ann Xu was chosen by the panelists because of its themes of identity, family, and belonging. Cooking is often a way to connect with others who are different than you. The main character is a new immigrant to the United States and is trying to understand the culture. She finds a way to be a part of her new culture by sharing something from her family.
Salt Magic
by Hope Larson; illustrated by Rebecca Mock
Margaret Ferguson Books
Publisher/ Author Submission
Salt Magic written by Hope Larson and illustrated by Rebecca Mock is a top choice for the panelists. The reader is drawn in by the cover and the story, which is reminiscent of a gothic romance. Set in the time just after World War I, there are themes of love, magic, loss, revenge, and protecting your family.
The Legend of Auntie Po
by Khor, Shing Yin
Kokila
Nominated by: Charlotte
Think you’ve heard all the American Tall Tales? You don’t know Auntie Po, the legend that could take on Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox, Babe, any day. A Chinese family serves up food for loggers in the American Northwest, but racism and anger threaten the family’s livelihood, but a legend provides inner strength and a fantasy escape. Incredible artwork and brilliant storytelling on a realistic and fantastic level make this a must-read chapter in American history.
Young Adult
Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre
by Ball, Alverne, illustrated by Robinson, Stacey, Anderson, Reynaldo (Contributor), Yellow Robe, Colette (Contributor)
Harry N Abrams
Nominated by: Rosemary Kiladitis
Setting the foundations for the Tulsa Race Massacre, Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre unveils the community of Greenwood and Black Wall Street and the events leading up to this event that was buried in American history for too long. A powerful graphic novel that illustrates the prosperity that Greenwood was achieving before the events in history took place. The end of the book then follows up with an essay at the end on the parallels between treatment of the Native Americans in the area as well will introduce readers to these events and send them away with an interest for more.
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms
by Frasier, Crystal, illustrated by Wise, Val, Jupiter, Oscar O. (Letterer)
Oni Press
Nominated by: Laura Gardner
Dating is hard enough in high school, but when you’re trans, it’s a whole new ball game: or cheerleading game! This story of a trans teen navigating high school experiences has incredible moments of self-advocacy and insight; great pacing and dialogue, and a main character you’ll be cheering on!
In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years after the 9/11 Attacks
by Brown, Don
Clarion Books
Nominated by: Deb Nance at Readerbuzz
In the Shadows of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years after the 9/11 Attacks written and illustrated by Don Brown has a lot of information with different viewpoints of the days and months following the attacks using Brown’s unique and emotional illustrations. The detailed information is presented as one of the most impactful days in history with lots of different viewpoints and unknown facts. Stories, an informative list of statistics about the people who died, citations, as well as a touching afterword made this one of the judges top picks.
My Body in Pieces
by Hébert, Marie-Noëlle, illustrated by Hébert, Marie-Noëlle, Tanaka, Shelley (Translator)
Groundwood Books
Nominated by: Reshama
My Body in Pieces written and illustrated by Marie-Noelle Hebert and translated by Shelley Tanaka draws the reader in through its beautifully hand-drawn, intimate illustrations detailing the main character’s struggle with self-esteem and body image issues. This is an important addition to introduce to young people with its universal themes of growing up, dealing with family and peer pressure, and eventually figuring out how to accept yourself.
My Last Summer with Cass
by Crilley, Mark, illustrated by Crilley, Mark
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Kristen
Megan is excited to rejoin her childhood friend in New York City for a few weeks over the summer; she can’t wait to create more art together. They spend the summer working on a project, but at the last moment Megan ruins everything – including their friendship. The gorgeous artwork adds to the beauty of this graphic novel about creating art and friendship spanning from childhood friends to teen years to beyond.
Nubia: Real One (Nubia: Real One (2021))
by McKinney, L.L., illustrated by Smith, Robyn, Smith, Robyn (Artist)
DC Comics
Nominated by: Pat Zietlow Miller
Nubia: Real One written by L.L. McKinney and Illustrated by Robyn Smith was chosen by the panelists for the way it brilliantly tackles today’s issues of racial justice, police brutality, bullying, and consent with sensitivity and honesty. The dialogue is fun and equally poignant and witty which is a nice balance to some of the more serious themes. Nubia is a powerful character that weaves themes of truth, love, and justice into the 21st century.
The Girl from the Sea
by Ostertag, Molly Knox
GRAPHIX
Nominated by: Melissa Fox
The Girl from the Sea is a queer romance that is also about selkies, friendship and environmental activism. An adorable and well drawn graphic novel that will also pull your heartstrings when it comes to friendship, family and love. Set by the seaside, the colors and style of the graphic novel bring the setting and characters to life, making this a strong choice for the panelists.