Walter Dean Myers 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
| Year | Category | Recipient | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | N/A | Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely | All American Boys | Winner | [5][6] |
| Margarita Engle (author) and Edel Rodriguez (illustrator) | 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 | |||
| Francisco X. Stork | Disappeared | ||||
| Younger Reader | Carole Boston Weatherford (author) and Eric Velasquez (illustrator) | Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library | Winner | ||
| Margarita Engle | Forest World | Honor | |||
| 2019 | Teen | Elizabeth Acevedo | The Poet X | Winner | [11][12][13] |
| Tiffany Jackson | Monday’s Not Coming | Honor | |||
| Emily X.R. Pan | The Astonishing Color of After | ||||
| Younger Reader | Jewell Parker Rhodes | Ghosts Boys | Winner | ||
| David Bowles | They Call Me Güero | Honor | |||
| Veera Hiranandani | The Night Diary | ||||
| 2020 | Teen | Mariko Tamaki (author) and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (illustrator) | Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me | Winner | [14][15] |
| Akwaeke Emezi | Pet | Honor | |||
| Elizabeth Acevedo | With the Fire on High | ||||
| Younger Reader | Padma Venkatraman
|
The Bridge Home | Winner | ||
| Lisa Moore Ramée | A Good Kind of Trouble | Honor | |||
| Jasmine Warga | Other Words for Home | ||||
| 2021 | Teen | Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (authors) and Omar T. Pasha (illustrator) | Punching the Air | Winner | [16][17] |
| Traci Chee | We Are Not Free | Honor | |||
| Robin Ha | Almost American Girl | ||||
| Younger Reader | Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, and Iman Geddy | When Stars Are Scattered | Winner | ||
| Kacen Callender | King and the Dragonflies | Honor | |||
| 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 | |||
| Kekla Magoon | Revolution in Our Time | ||||
| Younger Reader | Rajani LaRocca | Red, White, and Whole | Winner | ||
| Thomas King (author) and Natasha Donovan (illustrator) | Borders | Honor | |||
| Eden Royce | Root Magic |
References
- ^ Kirch, Claire (20 January 2016). "Reynolds, Kiely win WNDB's debut Walter Award". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- ^ Kirch, Claire (16 October 2014). "Diversity Group Announces Walter Dean Myers Award and Grants". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- ^ "Walter Dean Myers Award - Children's Books". UCF Research Guides at University of Central Florida Libraries. 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. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ a b Kirch, Claire (2016-01-20). "Reynolds, Kiely Win WNDB's Debut Walter Award". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ "2017 Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ a b SLJ (2017-01-20). ""March: Book Three" Named Winner of the 2017 Walter Award". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ SLJ (2018-01-12). "Reynolds, Weatherford Named Winners of 2018 Walter Dean Myers Award". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ "WNDB Announces the Winners of the 2018 Walter Awards". We Need Diverse Books. 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ SLJ Staff (2019-01-14). "We Need Diverse Books Announces 2019 Walter Awards Winners". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ Morales, Macey (2019-01-28). "Walter Dean Myers wins 2019 Children's Literature Legacy Award". News and Press Center. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ Sacks, Oliver (2019-04-02). "Walter Dean Myers Awards Honor Diverse Authors". www.shelf-awareness.com. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ Marketing, Chris (2020-02-09). "2020 Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Literature". Eisenhower Public Library. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ SLJ Staff (2022-01-22). "We Need Diverse Books Names 2020 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ Schaub, Michael (2021-01-22). "Winners of the Walter Dean Myers Awards Announced". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ Nutt, Gina (2021-03-15). "Walter Dean Myers Awards". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ S. L. J. Staff (2022-01-19). "2022 Walter Dean Myers Award Winners Announced". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ Schaub, Michael (2022-01-20). "Walter Dean Myers Award Winners Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2022-01-20.