Adult Fiction Winner:
A History of Burning written by Janika Oza, and published by Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.
Intricate character development, poignant family drama, and emotional depth fill Janika Oza’s A History of Burning, which follows a South Asian family’s tumultuous migration across four generations and four continents in the 20th century and questions what it means to be an immigrant and how nationality is formed.
Adult Fiction Honor:
Sea Change written by Gina Chung, and published by Vintage, an imprint of Penguin Random House. 9780593469347.
Adult Non-Fiction Winner:
Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life written by Alice Wong, and published by Vintage, an imprint of Penguin Random House. 9780593315392.
Combining anecdotes, interviews, text messages, diary entries, and some graphic images, Alice Wong’s poignant and captivating memoir Year of the Tiger intimately portrays intersections of race, disability and justice and delivers a powerful message on ableism and disability issues that leaves a lasting impression on all readers.
Adult Non-Fiction Honor:
The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing, and Abolition, written by Thenmozhi Soundararajan, and published by North Atlantic Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. 9781623177652.
Young Adult Winner:
I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom, written by Shannon C. F. Rogers, and published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. 9781250845665.
After her mother’s death, 15-year-old Marisol tries to piece her life back together in an emotional, thoughtful exploration of pulling yourself up when you’ve made a mess of everything. Biracial Marisol sees her mother as her connection to Filipino culture, adding a layer of complexity to her grief throughout the story.
Young Adult Honor:
In Limbo, written by Deb JJ Lee, and published by First Second, an imprint of Macmillan. 9781250252661.
Children’s Winner:
Ruby Lost and Found, written by Christina Li, and published by Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. 9780063008939.
After getting in trouble at school, Ruby goes to live with her grandmother in Chinatown for the summer. There, Ruby and a new friend strategize to save a cherished local Chinatown bakery from closing. Through a multigenerational cast, Li explores gentrification, the cost of living, death, and the hope of new beginnings.
Children’s Honor:
Parachute Kids: A Graphic Novel, written and illustrated by Betty C. Tang, and published by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc. 9781338832693.
Picture Book Winner:
The Truth About Dragons, written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Hanna Cha, and published by Henry Holt and Co, an imprint of Macmillan. 9781250820587.
A young boy explores a magical world conjured from his mother’s bedtime story. Mythic beings from eastern and western mythologies populate enchanted forests that unravel through lushly illustrated ink drawings. The stunning imagery and captivating storytelling pave an ingenious path toward exploring identity and the boy’s own mixed cultural heritage.
Picture Book Honor:
Finding Papa, written by Angela Pham Krans and illustrated by Thi Bui, and published by HarperCollins. 9780063060968.