News & Features

SLJ's roundup of reviews for the winners and honorees of the 2022 Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and more.

Individual award committees seek the best book that meets the criteria they've been handed. But, in the context of the times, the 2022 Youth Media Awards winners list made a collective statement to those across the country trying to ban books.

Here are the winners of the 2022 Youth Media Awards, announced during a virtual ceremony at ALA's LibLearnX.

Chin's watercolor illustrations of Andrea Wang's personal text about a Chinese immigrant family picking watercress by an Ohio roadside earned the prestigious award.

Higuera's novel, which combines Mexican American folklore with science fiction, earned her the 100th Newbery Medal and the Pura Belpré Youth Author Award.

The Native American author had the idea for Firekeeper's Daughter, a modern-day thriller, nearly 40 years ago.

Donna Barba Higuera's Newbery win was just one of multiple awards for her novel, while Watercress, Firekeeper's Daughter, Unspeakable, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club also had a big day at the 2022 Youth Media Awards.

From January, it was evident that 2021 was going to be a great year for young adult titles—and the rest of the year didn’t ease on the quality of YA literature.

The author of the 1974 Newbery Honor novel The Dark Is Rising and 1976 medalist The Grey King describes how her World War II memories shaped her writing and why "The Dark Is Rising" books are more of a symphony than a series.