Presented since 1968, the Taylor awards encourage the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. Gold medals, the top awards, are presented in the three categories, with Honor Books awarded silver medals, and Notable Books also being named in each age category.

Sydney Taylor Honor Books
For Younger Readers
Zayde Comes to Live. Sheri Sinykin. Ilus. by Kristina Swarner. Peachtree Publishers.
The Elijah Door: A Passover Tale. Linda Leopold Strauss. Illus. by Alexi Natchev. Holiday House.

For Older Readers
The Wooden Sword: A Jewish Folktale from Afghanistan. Ann Redisch Stampler. Illus. by Carol Liddiment. Albert Whitman & Co.

For Teen Readers
Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust. Doreen Rappaport. Candlewick Press.

Sydney Taylor Notable Books
For Younger Readers
Sadie and the Big Mountain. Jamie Korngold. Illus. by Julie Fortenberry. Lerner/Kar-Ben.
The Schmutzy Family. Madelyn Rosenberg. Illus. by Paul Meisel. Holiday House.
A Song for My Sister. Lesley Simpson. Illus. by Tatjana Mai-Wyss. Random House.
Speak Up, Tommy! Jacqueline Dembar Greene. Illus. by Deborah Melmon. Lerner/Kar-Ben.
A Sweet Passover. Lesléa Newman. Illus. by David Slonim. Abrams/Amulet.

For Older Readers
Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite. Barry Deutsch. Abrams/Amulet.
Looking for Me. Betsy R. Rosenthal. Houghton Mifflin.
Sami’s Sleepaway Summer. Jenny Myerhoff. Scholastic.
Small Medium at Large. Joanne Levy. Bloomsbury.
Whole Story of Half a Girl. Veera Hiranandani. Random House/Delacorte.

For Teens
The Last Song. Eva Wiseman. Tundra Books.
Now. Morris Gleitzman. Henry Holt.
Rachel’s Secret. Shelly Sanders. Second Story Press.

The awards, which memorialize Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series, will be presented at the Association of Jewish Libraries Conference in Houston this June.