2024 Award Winning Children’s and Young Adult Literature – Part 1

Each year the American Library Association (ALA) awards authors and illustrators of outstanding literature in several categories, including children’s, middle grade, young adult, fiction, and nonfiction. The award-winning book is chosen based on specific criteria outlined by the different awards and should be a creative and original work. The Union Library purchases many of these books and we like to highlight a few of them in our Award Winning  Children’s and Young Adult Literature Blog Series.  

Orbis Pictus 

The Orbis Pictus Award is given to an excellent children’s nonfiction book by the National Council for Teachers of English. The 2024 winner was Border Crossings by Sneed Collard III. Other nominees that are available in the library are below: 

Ketanji Brown Jackson: A Justice for All by Tami Charles— This is an important story that should be told. Ketanji followed her childhood dream and became a lawyer, before being appointed to the Supreme Court. While readers may not agree with her politics, she did break through cultural limits set on Black women and she deserves to be recognized for that. 

Newbery 

The Newbery Medal is awarded for the most distinguished children’s literature by the Association of Library Services for Children (ASLC). The 2024 winner was The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers. The Union Library has the following 2024 Newbery Award nominees:  

Elf Dog and Owl Head by M. T. Anderson— A quirky middle grade fantasy novel set against the backdrop of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Elf Dog and Owl Head follows Clay, a boy isolating with his family in their house near a forest. When he finds a magical dog owned by the cruel People Under the Mountain and befriends a boy with the head of an owl, Clay discovers secrets and adventures hidden in plain sight. 

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow— This fictional middle-grade novel is about Simon, who has recently moved to a new town without the internet. The majority of the townspeople are either farmers or scientists trying to hear space aliens. This seems like the perfect place for Simon, who became famous for surviving a school shooting. Simon’s new friends hatch a plan to make a signal the scientists will think is aliens. This sweet novel about friendship tackles tough topics like PTSD, anxiety, and autism.  

Caldecott 

The Caldecott Medal is awarded each year to a distinguished contribution to children’s literature in illustrations. This award is also given by the ALSC in honor of Randolph Caldecott. The 2024 winner was Big written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. You can find the 2024 Caldecott winner and nominees in our Family Room.  

Big by Vashti Harrison— Everyone ought to read this book! It is delightful, both conceptually and artistically. In lovely, soft pictures, a little girl is praised often for being a big girl (using manners, picking up her toys), but then those words (from 2^nd grade peers and adults alike) turn to ridicule for her size. She works through the grief and hurt and comes to accept herself as she is. An affirming book that will remind all readers of how powerful words are. 

The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung— This is a lovely book that celebrates how two different cultures can complement each other and coexist. A young biracial boy imagines an adventure, which features dragon lore from both Western and Asian cultures, reflecting how he can embrace both of his parents’ cultures. 

Batchelder 

The Batchelder Award is given annually to an American publisher who has translated an outstanding book published originally in another country and in another language. The winner of the 2024 Batchelder Award was Houses with a Story by Seiji Yoshida. Other 2024 Batchelder books can be found in our Family Room.  

Houses with a Story: A Dragon’s Den, a Ghostly Mansion, a Library of Lost Books, and 30 More Amazing Places to Explore by Seiji Yoshida— This book is fascinating. The author has dreamed up spaces and then provides the blueprints and notes about how these spaces will be used. He has sidebars on roofs, materials, and so on. The title will draw readers in, and the illustrations and details will keep them there. This book would have appeal for any Richard Scarry fan, as well as illustrators and graphic design artists. 

Later, When I’m Big by Bette Westera— We see a mother and child going to enjoy a day at the pool, and the child begins with saying, “Later, when I’m big, I’ll dare to do lots and lots of things.” Then we see several dreams that the child hopes to accomplish throughout her life. A sweet story that reminds us about the power of positive thinking and dreaming of better things, while also taking the time to enjoy an ordinary day with someone you love.  

The reviews in this blog reflect the reviewers’ personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university. 

Genre Starter List: Biographies

Welcome back to another installment of the Genre Starter List series! Biographies tell the story of a significant person’s life. There are a lot of fascinating individuals whose life stories you can read, and we have several here in the library! Here are some biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs that you can get from the Logos. 

*All descriptions written by Darius Mullin. 

American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin 

The landmark biography of the “father of the atomic bomb,” J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s 2023 blockbuster film, Oppenheimer.  

All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore 

Christian author and founder of Living Proof Ministries Beth Moore tells edifying and encouraging stories from her own life in this recent memoir.  

What to Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley and Ed Fotheringham 

“I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both!” –Theodore Roosevelt 

This fun picture book tells of the exploits of President Theodore Roosevelt’s bold and adventurous daughter, Alice. This book is also part of our currently ongoing March Book Madness 2024! 

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson  

Bryan Stevenson is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based non-profit organization that provides good legal representation to the people who need it most and otherwise wouldn’t get it. In Just Mercy, Stevenson pairs data with anecdotes from his early years as a lawyer to paint a moving picture. 

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, John L Sherrill, and Elizabeth Sherrill 

The incredible autobiographical story of Corrie ten Boom’s experience hiding Jews from Nazis during the Holocaust and the German occupation of Holland. 

Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker 

Tony Dungy is a Christian, former NFL player, and head coach, whose leadership style took the Indianapolis Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI and led Dungy to become the first black head coach to win the big game. In Quiet Strength, Dungy tells stories from his life and reveals the principles that accompanied him along the way.  

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder 

The classic Little House series includes eight autobiographical children’s novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, an American pioneer who grew up in the latter half of the 19^th century. Farmer Boy, the only of these books about the childhood of Almonzo Wilder (Laura’s future husband), is currently a part of March Book Madness 2024! 

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly 

“The untold story of the Black women mathematicians who helped win the space race.” The basis for a major motion picture, Hidden Figures recounts the exciting stories of the “human computers” who helped overcome discrimination to help America get to the moon. 

Symphony for the City of the Dead by M.T. Anderson 

The shocking tale of Dmitri Shostakovich, a composer who endured one of the most brutal sieges of human history: the Nazi siege of Leningrad during World War II. Shostakovich would go on to write the “Leningrad Symphony,” a work that simultaneously encouraged and eulogized his fellow citizens.  

Autobiography of Mark Twain 

The great American humorist and storyteller tells his own story in his own words, published posthumously so that he could really speak his mind. “You will never know how much enjoyment you have lost until you get to dictating your autobiography,” Twain told a friend.  

Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder 

Tyler Feder will have you laughing at one page and crying at the next in this memoir about the author’s mom who, well, died. The graphic novel format makes this a surprisingly impactful work.  

Choosing Brave by Angela Joy and Janelle Washington 

This 2022 book tells the story of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black boy who was brutally murdered in 1955, and Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett’s mother, who was the catalyst for her son’s wrongful death to become a rallying point for the civil rights movement.  

Against All Odds by Travis “Thi’sl” Tyler 

Rapper, label founder, and motivational speaker Thi’sl—a former gang member and drug dealer before becoming a Christian—tells his life story in this gripping autobiography. 

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller 

Everyone has heard of Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing at the young age of 19 months. Here, you can read about Keller’s remarkable life in her own words.  

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 

The American founding father tells his own story in this short, fascinating autobiography.  

Darius Mullin’s reviews reflect his personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university. 

Genre Starter List: Music

Wait, really? Read about music? Absolutely! Music is never created in a vacuum, but is written because of, in spite of, in response to, or in hope for human experiences. These books will help you learn about music, the people who make it, and how we can think about structured sound more deeply and creatively.

Resounding Truth by Jeremy Begbie

Dr. Begbie is one of today’s foremost thinkers considering the intersection of Christian theology and the arts, particularly in the realm of music. Resounding Truth is an excellent, approachable invitation to consider music not merely for “entertainment value,” but as a force that can shape our imagination, equipping us to creatively contemplate God and the truths of creation.

A History of Emotion in Western Music by Michael Spitzer

From contemporary pop to Gregorian chant, Spitzer uses philosophy and cognitive psychology to chronicle the broad spectrum of emotions evoked by Western music.

She Raised Her Voice by Jordannah Elizabeth

Geared toward middle schoolers, but appropriate for all readers, this book collects miniature biographies of 50 of the most influential Black women in music history.

The Rest is Noise & Listen to This & Wagnerism by Alex Ross

This trifecta of books by music critic Alex Ross is essential for those interested in the impact of Western classical music on our contemporary musical landscape. The Rest is Noise is an illustrative walkthrough of the 20th century through its many musical movements, Listen to This provides a witty overview of musicalhistory through Ross’s writings for The New Yorker, and Wagnerism delves deep into the controversial musical legacy of Richard Wagner and a discovery of “how art acts in the world.”

Rural Rhythm by Tony Russell

This examination of 78rpm records from the 1920s and 30s catalogs the beginnings of country music and the small-town, personal stories that inspired the songs.

Symphony for the City of the Dead by M. T. Anderson

One part spy thriller, one part war story, two parts music biography, and entirely engaging, Symphony for the City of the Dead uses the siege of Leningrad in WWII to tell the broader story of the life of Dmitri Shostakovich. Though his Seventh Symphony, written for his besieged city, was lauded in the Soviet Union and worldwide, Shostakovich’s sympathies did not always align with those of the Soviet Party. Dodging Communist censorship and German bullets, the Russian composer’s music reflects his life: beleaguered and even embittered by war and totalitarianism, yet resistant to their efforts to control his intellect and imagination.

Music: The Definitive Visual History by DK Smithsonian

A detailed examination of music from its prehistoric origins to the present day, this book aims to provide a worldwide perspective on one of humanity’s oldest art forms.

Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven by Sir John Eliot Gardiner

Bach: ordinary man, extraordinary music. The publisher captured the essence of Gardiner’s work the best: “From one of Bach’s greatest living interpreters: a landmark study which explains in wonderful detail how the composer worked, how his music is constructed, how it achieves its effects—and what it can tell us about Bach the man.”

Musical Illusions and Phantom Words by Diana Deutsch

Science has revealed so much about the way humans hear and process music. This book takes a deep dive into linguistics, neuroscience, psychology, and music theory to explore perfect pitch, musical hallucinations, “earworms,” and other mysteries of human aural communication.

Music and Technology: A Historical Encyclopedia by James E. Perone

From gramophones to GarageBand, metronomes to MP3s, technology has always affected the way we create, record, perform, and hear music. Take a journey through history to see how music and tech have co-evolved!

Like what you see here and want more, or think you’d like something different? Check out our “M” section at the Logos—that’s where you can find more books like these and lots of other materials for making music yourself!

Micah Rhodes’ reviews reflect his personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university.

Reading List: Authors with November Birthdays

It’s hard to believe 2023 is almost over and the fall semester is coming to a close. We have enjoyed celebrating author birthdays with you all. We would love to hear your thoughts on our Author Birthday Read Aloud series. Did you find out you share a birthday with an author? Did you discover a new author to read?

Well, the year is not quite over yet and there are still some great authors to celebrate. So, join me as we celebrate authors with birthdays in November.     

Susanna Clarke born November 1is best known for her award-winning books, Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. She is also responsible for writing short stories in the Strange universe.

M.T. Anderson is an American fiction and nonfiction writer for all ages and was born November 4. Anderson has written award-winning books like Feed, Octavian Nothing, and the Pals in Peril series.

Bram Stoker was born November 8, 1847. He is most known for his haunting novel, Dracula. His other works include The Snake’s Pass, The Lady of the Shroud,and Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving.

Neil Gaiman is an English author born on November 10, 1960. His works include books like The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Coraline, and Don’t Panic: The Official Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Companion.

Fyodor Dostoevsky was a Russian novelist born on November 11, 1821. You may recognize him as the author of Crime and Punishment. He also wrote novels like The Grand Inquisitor, The Gambler, and The Possessed.

Melissa helped us celebrate Robert Louis Stevenson on November 13, by reading a couple of poems from A Child’s Garden of Verses. Stevenson is known for his many collections of poetry.

Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian poet and novelist born on November 16. Achebe is the author of one of the most widely translated African novels, Things Fall Apart.  He also wrote No Longer at Ease and numerous essays and short stories.

Christopher Paolini was born November 17, 1983. He is most known for his series The Inheritance Cycle which he began working on at age 15. He continues to publish books with some of his recent titles including To Sleep in a Sea of Stars and Murtagh.

Margaret Atwood was born on November 18, 1939. Atwood is known for writing The Handmaid’s Tale which has become a popular television show.  She also wrote Hag-Seed, a Shakespeare retelling, and The Edible Woman.

Ruta Sepetys was born on November 19. You may know her for The Fountains of Silence. Sepetys has also written Salt to the Sea,  I Must Betray You, and Between Shades of Gray.

As one of Jeannie’s favorite authors, she helped us honor George Eliot’s birthday on November 22 by reading from Middlemarch. Eliot also wrote Adam Bede,  Silas Marner, Daniel Deronda, and many others.

Children’s author and illustrator, Kevin Henkes was born on November 27. You might recognize Henkes’ works like Olive’s Ocean, Owen, and Chrysanthemum.

C.S. Lewis also shares a November birthday of November 29. Savannah helped us celebrate this well-known author by reading from The Chronicles of Narnia series. Lewis is the author of many other books including Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, The Screwtape Letters, and A Grief Observed.

Two well-known authors, Louisa May Alcott and Madeleine L’Engle, will wrap up our November celebrations with their birthdays on November 29. Alcott is the author of Little Women, A Long Fatal Love Chase, and Jo’s Boys. L’Engle is the author of A Wrinkle in Time, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and The Polly O’Keefe Quartet.

We hope you enjoyed celebrating authors born in November. Check back next month for December birthdays!

Reading List: Banned Books

Banned Books Week is an annual event in September that emphasizes the freedom to read. The theme for this year is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” I once heard a fellow librarian say, “There’s a patron for every book, and a book for every patron.” Books have a way of speaking to us and being able to connect with a story or character is powerful. You won’t connect with or want to read every book out there, but that doesn’t mean another reader isn’t searching for that exact title.

Banned Book Display September 2022

Our main display in the Logos for this month features some of the books that have been banned, while this lists features a few more. It is important to note that several of these titles have been challenged, but not necessarily banned. You may be wondering what the difference is between the two. “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.  A banning is the removal of those materials.” (https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/aboutbannedbooks)

 Which of these banned books have you read?

*Book descriptions provided by the publishers via the library catalog.

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Eternal warfare is the price of bleak prosperity in this satire of totalitarian barbarism.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Following a world war, a group of school boys survives a plane crash on a deserted island and creates a hellish environment leading to savagery and murder. Two leaders–one civilized, one depraved–epitomize the forces that war eternally in the human spirit.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

A violent teen named Alex is “rehabilitated” by the government in this satirical view of the future of the industrialized world.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them. They know the people who enforce them. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive. (Set during the 1937 New London school explosion, the deadliest school disaster in American history.).

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic, fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor’s dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.

Feed by M.T. Anderson

In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale  by Art Spiegelman

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler’s Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father’s story. Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity and succeeds in “drawing us closer to the bleak heart of the Holocaust” (The New York Times). Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek’s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century’s grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors. Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.

This list reflects Rachel Bloomingburg’s own opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university.

Reading List: New Books Summer 2022

Need a new book to read? The library’s Cataloging Associate, Micah, shares some of the interesting additions to the library over the summer.  Click each link to locate the book in our library collection.

I Was a Spy!

Now retired, Union history professor Dr. Terry Lindley donated many books to the library during his time as a faculty member. One of his most recent contributions is this book about the Belgian nurse-turned-spy Marthe McKenna. I Was a Spy! is McKenna’s own telling of her experiences in the German-occupied Belgium town of Roulers during the first World War. With no reason to love the Germans after her home was destroyed and her father arrested, McKenna was recruited into espionage by British Intelligence. Continuing to work as a nurse treating occupying soldiers and as a waitress at her parents’ café, she used her cover to sabotage Germany’s war effort and pass information to the Allies. Read more about Marthe McKenna’s story by picking up the book!

Climate, Catastrophe, and Faith

As the environment of the planet undergoes change, so too does religion. In Climate, Catastrophe, and Faith, Philip Jenkins recalls how natural disasters and climatological events have had profound and lasting impact on religious traditions throughout human history. In fact, these occurrences have most often been understood through religious language and response. Jenkins reveals that the climate crisis we grapple with today is not a new question for people of faith; the uncertainty lies in how we will answer that question this time. Learn more about the book here.

Symphony for the City of the Dead

Along with a host of other new musical materials for the library comes this intriguing book by M. T. Anderson. The subject of the book, Dmitri Shostakovich, was a Russian composer who is venerated by the art music community, but relatively unknown outside it. He lived and wrote in the city of Leningrad during one of the most tumultuous periods in Russia’s history, assaulted from within and without by revolutions, war, and regimes. Beleaguered and bent by the hardships of war and the censorship threatened by the Soviet Party, Shostakovich nevertheless produced some of the most profound, poignant, and proud music of the twentieth century. Check out Anderson’s novel-like biography of this phenomenal composer.

A Complicated Choice

The topic of abortion has been a contentious one for decades of American history, and the debates have only become more heated in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling and subsequent reversal. In the swirling vilification, opaque medical terminology, and extreme policy decisions, it is easy to forget the people at the center of the debate: the women who elect to have abortions. Rev. Katey Zeh invites readers to consider abortion not as a black-and-white issue, but as a choice as complex as the people who make it. Though she begins from a pro-choice foundation, her lovingkindness to share the abortion stories of women and talk about faith in relation to those decisions can be helpful for readers on either side of the debate. By attending to people first, and not policy, we can all learn to be more compassionate and realize that the discussion of abortion is far more nuanced than our initial assumptions. A timely read for those searching for writing beyond typical political polarization.

We Know It When We See It

Ever wonder how you can immediately recognize someone across a crowded room, or how you instantly recall experiences of a trip years ago just by seeing a picture? Well, Richard Masland breaks down the neuroscience behind vision and cognition in We Know It When We See It. After he explains the mechanics of the eye and the scientists who studied its relationship to the brain, he also extrapolates the implications for digital vision and information processing in the development of artificial intelligence. Approachable yet thorough, this book is for anyone interested in how we know and think about what we see.

Feel free to check out one or all of these books from Union’s library today! Most of our new books are found on the New Books shelf on the second floor. You can also find new books in our Recreational Reading Collection and Family Room. Find an up-to-date list of our new books using the New Books on the library’s homepage.