2023 ALA Youth Media Awards

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Abigail Hsu

On Monday, January 30, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, taking place in-person for the first time in New Orleans.

A list of the 2023 award winners and honor selections from the Young Adult category follows:

Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes

When the Angels Left the Old Country, written by Sacha Lamb

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality, written by Eliot Schrefer

The Words We Keep, written by Erin Stewart

Breathe and Count Back from Ten, written by Natalia Sylvester

Burn Down, Rise Up, written by Vincent Tirado

High Spirits, written by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

I Kissed Shara Wheeler, written by Casey McQuiston

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jen Ferguson (Metis/white)

The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen, written by Isaac Blum

Wake the Bones, written by Elizabeth Kilcoyne

Hell Followed With Us, written by Andrew Joseph White

American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South, written by Gail Jarrow

A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome, written by Ariel Henley

Unequal: A Story of America, written by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau

Himawari House, written and illustrated by Harmony Becker

The Silence that Binds Us, written by Joanna Ho

My Fine Fellow: A Delicious Entanglement, written by Jennieke Cohen

Some Kind of Hate, written by Sarah Darer Littman

Eight Nights of Flirting, written by Hannah Reynolds

Caldecott Honor Book: Ain’t Burned All the Bright, illustrated by Jason Griffin, written by Jason Reynolds

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: We Deserve Monuments, written by Jas Hammonds

Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes
Corretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: All My Rage, written by Sabaa Tahir

Printz Honor Books: Scout’s Honor, written by Lily Anderson; Icebreaker, written by A.I. Graziadei; When the Angels Left the Old Country, written by Sacha Lamb; Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality, written by Eliot Schrefer

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: The Words We Keep, written by Erin Stewart

Schneider Family Honor Book: Breathe and Count Back from Ten, written by Natalia Sylvester

Odyssey Award for the best audiobooks produced for young adults: The Honeys, written by written by Ryan La Sala and narrated by Pete Cross

Odyssey Honor Audiobook: Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel, written by Leigh Bardugo, adaptation by Garet Scott and narrated by Ben Barnes and a full cast; Inheritance: A Visual Poem, written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo

Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latinx writers and illustrators whose young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: Burn Down, Rise Up, written by Vincent Tirado

Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Books: Breathe and Count Back from Ten, written by Natalia Sylvester; High Spirits, written by Camille Gomera-Tavarez; The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, written by Sonora Reyes

Stonewall Book Award given annually to English-language young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience: When the Angels Left the Old Country, written by Sacha Lamb

Stonewall Honor Books: I Kissed Shara Wheeler, written by Casey McQuiston; Kings of B’more, written by R. Eric Thomas; Man o’War, written by Cory McCarthy; The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jen Ferguson (Metis/white)

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens: The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen, written by Isaac Blum

Morris Award Finalists: The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jen Ferguson (Metis/white); Wake the Bones, written by Elizabeth Kilcoyne; The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, written by Sonora Reyes; Hell Followed With Us, written by Andrew Joseph White

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes

Finalists: Abuela, Don’t Forget Me, written by Rex Ogle; American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South, written by Gail Jarrow; A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome, written by Ariel Henley; Unequal: A Story of America, written by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit: Himawari House, written and illustrated by Harmony Becker

Youth Literature honor title: The Silence that Binds Us, written by Joanna Ho

The Sydney Taylor Book Award, presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience: When the Angels Left the Old Country, written by Sacha Lamb

Young Adult honors: My Fine Fellow: A Delicious Entanglement, written by Jennieke Cohen; Some Kind of Hate, written by Sarah Darer Littman; Eight Nights of Flirting, written by Hannah Reynolds

Book Playlists: The Stolen Heir

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Abigail Hsu

The Stolen Heir – author Holly Black’s much-anticipated follow-up to her Cruel Prince series – is set for release in January 2023. The book is part of a duology that takes readers back to the opulent world of Elfham and features a runaway queen, a reluctant prince, and a quest that may destroy them both. While we all await publication day, why not listen to some music to set the mood? Below you’ll find a fan playlist courtesy of NOVL as well as Holly Black’s own playlist which she listened to while actually writing the book!

Would You Rather: Book Nerd Edition

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Abigail Hsu

From EpicReads:

“No two book lovers are the same.

Some prefer hardcover, others prefer paperback. Some refuse to read series until all of the books are released, others relish in participating in each release date as they come. And of course, the debate that could be as old as books themselves (don’t fact-check us for this one though): to dog-ear or to not dog-ear?”

Click the graphic above to see how your preferences stack up against other readers!

Quiz: Escape the Haunted Library

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Abigail Hsu

A cartoon house against a red background, with tombstones in the foreground. The text reads "Escape the haunted library."

From the Tor/Forge Blog:

“Endless night streams soft and silver through the reading room’s wide window. You are surrounded by volumes and tomes, candle and moonlight, and out that window—so many stars. Inside there are so many spirits. If you do not escape the library, you will join them.

FOREVER.”

Click here to play!

Quiz: Choose a K-pop Song, Get a YA Book Rec

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Abigail Hsu

From EpicReads:

“Keeping up with the latest K-pop comebacks is very much like trying to keep up with the latest book releases—it’s always happening and it always seems never ending. Which becomes both a blessing and a curse.

In the world of K-pop, there’s always a new song to listen to, a new stage to watch, a new group to stan, and that doesn’t even include wanting to go back in time to listen to old favorites as well. Trying to balance that AND book reading? The book-nerds-who-are-also-K-pop-stans work HARD for the things they love.”

Click the graphic above to get a book recommendation based on your favorite K-pop song!

Books that Pair with Reading Snacks!

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Abigail Hsu

From EpicReads: “Let us set the scene: You just got to book club. You have your book with you, obviously. That’s the most important thing. But what’s the second most important thing, the thing you’re looking for the second you walk through the door?

Book club snacks. That’s right.

We don’t know about you, but we love when books make us hungry. That’s a sign of good writing, and frankly, reading while snacking is one of our favorite pastimes!

Without further ado, check out some books that pair perfectly with book club snacks!”

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

For full book descriptions, check out the list here.

Read-Alikes: HBO’s “Euphoria”

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Abigail Hsu

Books like Euphoria: Banner

From EpicReads:

“If you’re someone who’s fallen in love with HBO’s Euphoria, you should know that you’re not alone. This Zendaya-led series has been a powerhouse in storytelling, acting, costume, and pretty much every other facet. It’s a messy teenage tale of first love, gender identity, social media, and abuse in all its aspects, and it’s impossible not to fall in love with these incredibly crafted characters. But what are you supposed to do once you’ve finished?

Well, we’re here to help!

These books explore the same ideas as Euphoria and will tug on your heartstrings just the same. Expect well-crafted representation, dramatic school dances, and betrayals sure to crush your emotions to pieces. We know, we know, you can’t wait. So scroll down and let’s get reading!”

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert

Hello Girls by Brittany Cavallaro & Emily Henry

You Asked for Perfect by Laura Silverman

The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown

The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold

2022 ALA Youth Media Awards

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Abigail Hsu

On Monday, January 24, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, taking place virtually from Chicago.

A list of the 2022 award winners and honor selections from the Young Adult category follows:

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome by Ariel Henley

When You Look Like Us written by Pamela N. Harris and narrated by Preston Butler III

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun," written by Jonny Garza Villa

Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown by Steve Sheinkin

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things by Margie Fuston

Ambushed!: The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield by Gail Jarrow

Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by Brandy Colbert

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo

In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months and Years after the 9/11 Attacks written and illustrated by Don Brown

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield

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

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger [Lipan Apache Tribe]

Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline [Métis Nation of Ontario]

Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present by Adrienne Keene [Cherokee Nation]

Soldiers Unknown by Chag Lowry [Yurok, Maidu and Achumawi]

Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero by E. Lockhart

The Summer of Lost Letters by Hannah Reynolds

Newbery Honor Book: A Snake Falls to Earth, written by Darcie Little Badger

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: Me (Moth), written by Amber McBride

Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books: Home Is Not a Country, written by Safia Elhillo; Revolution in Our Time, written by Kekla Magoon; The People Remember, written by Ibi Zoboi

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: Firekeeper’s Daughter, written by Angeline Boulley

Printz Honor Books: Concrete Rose, written by Angie Thomas; Last Night at the Telegraph Club, written by Malinda Lo; Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People, written by Kekla Magoon; Starfish, written by Lisa Fipps

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: Words in My Hands, written and illustrated by Asphyxia

Schneider Family Honor Book: A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome, written by Ariel Henley

Odyssey Award for the best audiobooks produced for young adults: When You Look Like Us, written by Pamela N. Harris and narrated by Preston Butler III

Odyssey Honor Audiobook: Perfectly Parvin, written by Olivia Abtahi and narrated by Mitra Jouhari

Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latinx writers and illustrators whose young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe, written by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Books: Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun, written by Jonny Garza Villa; Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet, written by Laekan Zea Kemp; Where I Belong, written by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

Robert F. Sibert Honor Book: Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown, written by Steve Sheinkin

Stonewall Book Award given annually to English-language young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience: Last Night at the Telegraph Club, written by Malinda Lo

Stonewall Honor Book: The Darkness Outside Us, written by Eliot Schrefer

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens: Firekeeper’s Daughter, written by Angeline Boulley

Morris Award Finalists: Ace of Spades, written by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé; Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things, written by Margie Fuston; Me (Moth), written by Amber McBride; What Beauty There Is, written by Cory Anderson

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: Ambushed!: The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield, written by Gail Jarrow

Finalists: Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, written by Brandy Colbert; From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement, written by Paula Yoo; In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months and Years after the 9/11 Attacks, written and illustrated by Don Brown; The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life, written by Amy Butler Greenfield

American Indian Youth Literature Awards, which were established to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives: Apple (Skin to the Core), written by Eric Gansworth [Onondaga]

Honor Books: Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badger [Lipan Apache Tribe]; Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley [Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians]; Hunting by Stars, by Cherie Dimaline [Métis Nation of Ontario]; Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present, by Adrienne Keene [Cherokee Nation]; Soldiers Unknown, by Chag Lowry [Yurok, Maidu and Achumawi]

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit: Last Night at the Telegraph Club, written by Malinda Lo

Youth Literature honor title: We Are Not Free, written by Traci Chee

The Sydney Taylor Book Award, presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience: The City Beautiful, by Aden Polydoros

Young Adult honors: The Last Words We Said, by Leah Scheier; Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero, by E. Lockhart, illustrated by Manuel Preitano; and The Summer of Lost Letters, by Hannah Reynolds

Resources to Use From Home

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Abigail Hsu

The Library subscribes to many resources you can use from the comfort of your own home, and many of them are also working with us to bring you more remote resources during these difficult times. Below are some of our resources to help keep you and your family entertained and informed while the Library is closed to the public.

There are also various additional although temporary resources becoming available from outside providers during this difficult and largely home-bound time. While we will list those resources that may be of interest to our patrons on this page, we will also note that they are an “outside provider” at the end of the description so you will be able to tell which resources are of this temporary variety, and not controlled by the Library itself.

We will be updating this list as necessary. You can also always check out our Research Database page for a list of many more resources available to you from the comfort of your home. We also have a post for resources geared towards educators, as well as one for resources geared towards children.

Entertainment

Libby/Overdrive

Libby is a platform for reading ebooks and magazines and listening to digital audiobooks. Our collection is always growing, and though our physical location is sometimes closed we are doing our best to keep up with your reading needs remotely! Visit the Libby/Overdrive page for information on how to download the app to a variety of devices.

Infobase Video on Demand

Infobase is currently offering free access to its products for our patrons through 6/30/20. These include a wide range of educational resources, as well as a Writer’s Reference Center and the aforementioned Video on Demand which also has a portal Just for Kids.

You can access all of these resources through 6/30/20 by logging in: the Username and Password to log in are both MAINlib.

Kanopy

Kanopy is a digital streaming service that includes feature films, TV shows, documentaries, and collections for kids. You can sign up with your library card and get started right from home. Our patrons usually receive 6 “play credits” a month, but right now, to help us all stay entertained during these difficult times, Kanopy is offering a playlist with a variety of videos that will not deduct from your play credits.

Virtual Arts Resources brought to you by MPAC

The Morristown Performing Arts Center has put together a list of resources for us to experience the arts from home, including streaming concerts, Broadway shows, virtual tours, and much more.

Scribd is offering free 30-day trials to anyone who would like to sign up using their email, Facebook, or Google account. They are not requiring a credit card to sign up, and are used and trusted by libraries throughout the U.S., including the New York Public Library. Scribd offers a collection of eBooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines. They may contact you after the 30 days asking for you to sign up. Please be aware that fees may be involved at that point. Outside provider.

TumbleBooks

Many of TumbleBooks resources are both educational and entertaining! TumbleBooks has something for all ages. TumbleBooks Library is an online collection of ebooks for children. They are a great way to encourage tech-savvy kids to enjoy reading! Access is unlimited – you can read 24/7, from the comfort and safety of your home! There are over 1100 titles, including 350 animated, talking picture books! The site also features graphic novels, read-along chapter books, and non-fiction books. TumbleBooks resources are easy to use, and feature unlimited access from home! You can read as many books as you want, when you want, on any device. There are no check-outs, holds, or bulky downloads. Books are available instantly. TumbleBooks also offers the following resources, free to our patrons through 8/31/2020:

TumbleMath K-6 math ebook database
TeenBookCloud Grades 7-12 ebook database
AudioBookCloud All ages audio book database
RomanceCloud A huge collection of steamy Romance novels for the older crowd!

RBDigital

RBDigital is a browser and app-based platform that includes both a large selection of current magazines on many topics, and a large collection of digital Marvel comics (strange bedfellows, you may say, but at least we’ve got variety!).

Education, Research, & Information

Many of TumbleBooks resources are educational and entertaining! Check their information in the “Entertainment” section.

Our very own North Jersey History and Genealogy Center has a fantastic Digital Collections archive of photographs, art and text. Our materials range in subject matter from photographs of Morris County life by the early 20th century photographer Frederick Curtiss, the art of Thomas Nast and A.B. Frost, detailed historical maps and atlases, and many other images that document Morristown’s unique history. They also have available genealogical research databases and more research resources that you can use from home, so you can continue your family research.

JSTOR

JSTOR is an online database and has opened up it’s collection of over e-books and scholarly journals for free during this time of wide-spread closures to Universities and Libraries. JSTOR is working with publishers to make more of its content freely available, so if you don’t see what you need today, it might be worth trying again tomorrow! Outside Provider.

Mometrix

Test-prep and study database.

Scholarly Content Free on Project Muse

In response to the challenges created by the global public health crisis of COVID-19, Project MUSE is pleased to support its participating publishers in making scholarly content temporarily available for free on our platform. With many higher education institutions moving into an exclusively online learning environment for the foreseeable future, we hope that easy access to vetted research in the humanities and social sciences, from a variety of distinguished university presses, societies, and related not-for-profit publishers, will help to support teaching, learning, and knowledge discovery for users worldwide. Outside Provider.

Gale COVID-19 Support

The Gale Database has put together an online resource center that includes:

Interdisciplinary, curriculum aligned resources to support online learning from pre-K through undergraduate
Live and on-demand training materials
Professional development eBooks to help transition to and strengthen virtual learning
Authoritative Gale resources on health-related topics and global issues

What to Read Next: TIME Magazine’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Abigail Hsu

TIME Magazine recently published a list of 100 books they consider to be the best young adult books of all time, spanning from the 1800s to recent years. How many have you read?