Nine books featuring stories about various types of disabilities are being tapped for a special set of awards given alongside the famed Newbery and Caldecott Medals.
The American Library Association revealed the winners of its Schneider Family Book Awards late last month. The awards are given annually to recognize an “author or illustrator for the artistic expression of the disability experience.”
Winning books are selected in each of three categories — stories for young children ages 4 to 8, middle grade books aimed at ages 9 to 13 and ones for young adults ages 14 to 18. The library association picks a winner and two honorees in each group.
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This year’s winner in the young children category is “Wanda Hears the Stars: A Blind Astronomer Listens to the Universe,” a biography of astrophysicist Wanda Díaz Merced who stays focused on her dream even when it’s interrupted by vision loss from diabetes.
Honor books for young kids are “Bat and the Business of Ferrets,” about a boy with autism who’s navigating the fourth grade, and “I Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea,” which focuses on how a child who is blind experiences the changing seasons.
The winner for middle grades is “Where Only Storms Grow,” about a set of 12-year-old twins who work to save their family’s farm. One of the twins is considered fragile due to scoliosis, but is eager to prove that she’s physically capable in the face of the challenges her family is experiencing as a result of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.
“The committee selected this title for its strong depiction of a disability experience in a historical context. The simultaneous release of titles in audio book and other accessible formats would ensure books reach a broad audience,” award co-chairs Susan Hess and Patricia Bandre’ said in a statement.
Honor books selected for this age group are “Octopus Moon,” about a fifth grader struggling with depression, and “The Strongest Heart,” about a boy whose father has mental illness.
The winner in the young adult group is “Whale Eyes: A Memoir about Seeing and Being Seen,” filmmaker James Robinson’s illustrated memoir about his experiences having a disability that causes his eyes to focus differently. Honor books in this category are “The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar,” a novel about a 17-year-old dealing with his sexuality and his new bipolar diagnosis, and “The Poetry of Car Mechanics,” about a teen who’s confronting the fallout of his mother’s mental health issues.
The Schneider Family Book Awards were announced at the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards Announcements in Chicago. Winners will receive $5,000 and a framed plaque at the organization’s annual conference in June.
