The Sydney Taylor Book Award 

is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature.  

  

This year’s Gold Medalists include: Picture Book winner: The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel, illustrated by Sean Rubin.  The Middle Grade winner is How to Find What You’re Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani.

 

Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medalists include: Picture Book honors: Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued written and illustrated by Peter Sis; Dear Mr. Dickens by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe; and The Christmas Mitzvah by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha.

  

Middle Grade Honors went to The Genius Under the Table: Growing up Behind the Iron Curtain written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin (Yelchin narrates the audio book!) and published by Candlewick Press; and Linked by Gordon Korman.

   

The Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award also recognizes an author or entity who has made a substantial contribution over time to the genre of Jewish children’s literature each year. This year's winner is Jane Yolen!!!

     

Mildred L. Batchelder Award

is awarded for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States: Temple Alley Summer is the 2022 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Japanese as “Kimyōji Yokochō no Natsu,” the book was written by Sachiko Kashiwaba, illustrated by Miho Satake, and translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa.

Five Honor Books also were selected: Coffee, Rabbit, Snowdrop, Lost by Betina Birkjær, illustrated by Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard and translated by Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov; In the Meadow of Fantasies  by Hadi Mohammadi, illustrated by Nooshin Safakhoo and translated by Sara Khalili; The Most Beautiful Story by Brynjulf Jung Tjønn, illustrated by Øyvind Torseter and translated by Kari Dickson; Sato the Rabbit written and illustrated by Yuki Ainoya and translated by Michael Blaskowsky; and The Sea-RingedSea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas by María García Esperón, illustrated by Amanda Mijangos and translated by David Bowles.

     

The Odyssey Award

is presented  for the best audiobooks produced for children and young adults, available in English in the United States: Boogie Boogie, Y'all is the 2022 Odyssey Award winner for children. The book is written and narrated by C. G. Esperanza. Two children Honor Audiobooks also were selected: Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah written by Laurie Ann Thompson and narrated by Adjoa Andoh (this is an interesting one because the book was published in 2015 but the audiobook was released in 2021); and I Talk Like a River written and narrated by Jordan Scott.

          

 Schneider Family Book Award

is awarded for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: My City Speaks by Darren Lebeuf, illustrated by Ashley Barron wins the award for young children (ages 0 to 8). Two honor books for young children were selected: A Walk in the Words written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott  and A Sky-Blue Sky-Blue Bench written by Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Peggy Collins. 

    

A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers is the winner for middle grades (ages 9 to 13). Two honor books for middle grades were selected: Stuntboy, in the Meantime written by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third  and A Kind of Spark written by Elle McNicol.  

    

Children’s Literature Legacy Award

honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences. The 2022 winner is Grace Lin! 

   

 The Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award

is given to a digital media producer that has created distinguished digital media for an early learning audience. The 2022 winner is Alma's Way which  is an animated children's television series from Fred Rogers Productions created and executive produced by former Sesame Street actress Sonia Manzano and animated by Canadian animation studio Pipeline Studios. It premiered on PBS and PBS Kids on October 4, 2021.

The committee selected two honor programs including Goodnight, World! produced by Sesame Workshop and Headspace which is a podcast focusing on helping little ones calm down and get ready for bed and Tab Time produced by Kids at Play and Scale Productions.Check YouTube for this preschool series starring Tabitha Brown which focuses on helping kids, specially ages 3-5, explore themes such as family, helping others, music, how things grow and mistakes through the lens of kindness and confidence. Look for it on YouTube.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma .