LOS ANGELES, CA, February 8, 2021 SCBWI announces the finalists for the 2021 Golden Kite Awards Gala and the Sid Fleischmann Humor Award. Judging panels comprised of some of the most celebrated names in children’s and young adult literature have narrowed down the field from over 1,000 entries to 5 finalists in each category. There will be one winner per category and one honor book chosen. The Golden Kites serve as the kickoff event to SCBWI’s virtual conference on Friday, February 19 at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT. The awards are open to the public via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SCBWI The conference is from February 19-21.

The Golden Kite Awards are one of the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. The Awards recognize excellence in children’s literature in seven categories: Middle Grade/Young Reader Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Nonfiction Text for Younger Readers, Nonfiction Text for Older Readers, Picture Book Text, and Picture Book Illustration. The Sid Fleischman Humor Award is for exemplary writing for children in the genre of humor.

Each winner will receive a $2,500 award along with $1,000 to contribute to a nonprofit of their choice. Each honor winner will receive a $500 award along with $250 to a nonprofit of their choice. The finalists for this year’s awards are listed below:

Middle Grade/Young Reader Fiction

Phil Bildner : A High Five for Glen Burke, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley : Fighting Words, published by Dial Books for Young Readers

Leah Henderson : The Magic in Changing Your Stars , published by Sterling Children’s Books

Pam Muñoz Ryan : Mañanaland, published by Scholastic Press

Renée Watson : Ways to Make Sunshine, published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Picture Book Text

Marsha Diane Arnold : Lights Out, illustrated by Susan Reagan, published by Creative Editions

Derrick Barnes : I Am Every Good Thing, illustrated by Gordon C. James, published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Tami Charles : All Because You Matter, illustrated by Bryan Collier, published by Orchard Books

Carole Lindstrom : We Are Water Protectors, illustrated by Michaela Goade, published by Roaring Brook Press

Phoebe Wahl : The Blue House, published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Nonfiction Text for Younger Readers

Gary Golio : Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson’s Journey to the Stars , illustrated by E.B. Lewis, published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Mary Beth Leatherdale : Terry Fox and Me, illustrated by Milan Pavlovic, published by Lee & Low

Sandra Nickel : Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack , illustrated by Oliver Dominguez, published by Tundra Books

Meeg Pincus : Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery , illustrated by Yas Imamura, published by Sleeping Bear Press

Don Tate : William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad, published by Peachtree Publishing

Picture Book Illustration

Catia Chien : The Bear and the Moon, published by Chronicle Books

Cindy Derby : Outside In, written by Deborah Underwood, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

Susan Gal : Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail written by Leslea Newman, published by Charlesbridge

Vincent X. Kirsch : From Archie to Zack, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

Jennifer K. Mann : The Camping Trip, published by Candlewick Press

Nonfiction Text for Older Readers

Paul Fleischman : Alphamaniacs: Builders of 26 Wonders of the Word , illustrated by Melissa Sweet, published by Candlewick Studio

Candace Fleming : The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindberg , published by Schwartz & Wade

Cindy L. Otis : True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News , published by Feiwel & Friends

Christina Soontornvat : All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team published by Candlewick Press

Christine Virnig : Dung for Dinner published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

Illustrated Book for Older Readers

Lauren Castillo : Our Friend Hedgehog published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Mike Curato : Flameri, published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

John Rocco : How We Got to the Moon, published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Uri Shulevitz: Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood , published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers

Peter Van Den Ende : The Wanderer, published by Levine Querido

Young Adult Fiction

Margarita Engle : With a Star in My Hand, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Darcie Little Badger : Elatsoe, published by Levine Querido

Kelly McWilliams : Agnes at the End of the World, published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Sherri L. Smith : The Blossom and the Firefly, published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Nic Stone : Dear Justyce, published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Sid Fleischman Award

Donna Barba Higuera : Lupe Wong Won’t Dance published by Levine Querido

Remy Lai : Fly on the Wall, published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

Amy Timberlake : Skunk and Badger illustrated by Jon Klassen, published by Algonquin Young Readers

Kristin O’Donnell Tubb: Zeus, Dog of Chaos , published by Katherine Tegen Books

Renée Watson : Ways to Make Sunshine, published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books