The #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement has brought much-needed attention to children’s literature with diverse characters and themes, but recognition for these books is not a new idea. Youth literature awards exist for minorities from American Indians to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community to the differently abled. As a synagogue librarian, my particular minority focus is on awards for literature of Jewish interest. The Association of Jewish Libraries, the Jewish Book Council, and the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards have been promoting quality Judaic kidlit to Jewish and mainstream audiences for decades.
The purpose of these awards is to celebrate and promote the continuing publication, sales, and reading of books that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Award-winning titles engender pride in Jewish readers while building bridges to readers of other backgrounds. As with other ethnic awards such as the Coretta Scott King Book Award for African American literature, winning Jewish kidlit titles appeal to all readers and should be read and celebrated both within the community depicted AND far beyond it.
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As those familiar with the genre of Jewish kidlit might expect, awards have gone to stories and nonfiction about holidays, folktales, immigration, and the Bible, as well as Antisemitism and the Holocaust. But unusual topics and formats have also been winners: graphic novels like the Hereville series by Barry Deutsch, biographies of Jewish figures from American colonial patriot Haym Solomon to Olympian athlete Bobbie Rosenfeld to composer Leonard Bernstein, pop-up books like Chanukah Lights
Jewish Kidlit Award Announcements
Each January, winning titles for children and teens are announced by the Association of Jewish Libraries and the Jewish Book Council; the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards are announced in September. Authors and illustrators receive their awards at gala events held by each organization. The best way to keep track of Jewish kidlit winners is to watch the websites and/or follow social media for these organizations.
The Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) established the Sydney Taylor Book Award in 1968. Books are recognized in age categories of Younger, Older, and Teen Readers. Since 1985, AJL has also offered the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award for unpublished works of Jewish kidlit aimed at 8-13 year olds. To be kept in the loop for award announcements, watch AJL’s website and blog People of the Books, AJL on Facebook, or @jewishlibraries on Twitter.
The 2016 winners of the Sydney Taylor Book Award are:
- Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed
by Lesléa Newman (Younger Readers)
- Adam and Thomas
by Aharon Appelfeld (Older Readers) – this title was also a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in the Children’s Literature category, and won the Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Award (a secular award for books in translation)
- The Hired Girl
by Laura Amy Schlitz (Teen Readers) – this title also won the National Jewish Book Award in the Young Adult Literature category, and the Scott O’Dell Award (a secular award for historical fiction)
There were also five Honor Books and twelve Notable Books named. Click here for the full list.
The 2016 winner of the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award for unpublished works is “Honey and Me” by Meira Drazin. Click here to learn more about Honey and Me.
The Jewish Book Council (JBC) has administered the National Jewish Book Awards for adult and children’s literature since 1948. Youth categories include the Jewish Book Council Award for Children’s Literature and the Posner Award for Young Adult Literature. Award announcements appear on JBC’s website and blog The ProsenPeople, on JBC’s Facebook page, and at @JewishBook on Twitter.
The 2015 winner of the National Jewish Book Awards for youth are:
- Oskar and the Eight Blessings
by Tanya and Richard Simon (Children’s Literature)
Three additional titles were named as finalists of this category. - The Hired Girl
Three additional titles were named as finalists of this category.
Click here to see the full list of all JBC winners and finalists for 2015.
The Canadian Jewish Literary Awards were established in 1987. Sponsorship has moved among several organizations over the years; in 2015 the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies at York University sponsored and administered the award. Keep an eye on the Youth Literature category at the CJLA website.
The 2015 winner of the Canadian Jewish Literary Award in the Youth Literature category is Playing With Matches
Jewish-interest books often win secular recognition as well. Just in the past year, The Boys Who Challenged Hitler
Blog Tour
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour is an annual virtual book tour for authors and illustrators who’ve won gold or silver medals from the Association of Jewish Libraries. A wide variety of blogs host interviews with winners, and links are rounded up at AJL’s People of the Books blog at jewishlibraries.org/blog.
The 2016 Blog Tour takes place February 8-12. Links to participating blogs can be found here.
Jewish Kidlit All Year Round
Even when it’s not awards season, the blogosphere is talking about Jewish kidlit. Here are a few sites that will help you keep abreast of the genre.
- The Book of Life Podcast
- The Whole Megillah
- Jewish Books for Kids
- The Jewish Book Carnival
- Marjorie Ingall’s Blog
Mirrors & Windows
For Jewish readers, these titles are mirrors that reflect and validate their own experiences. For other readers, Jewish kidlit titles are windows that showcase the world’s diversity and humanize people who are different. For all readers, these award-winning Judaic books are highly enjoyable works of art and literature, crafted with skill and care by Jewish and non-Jewish authors, illustrators, and publishers. “Mazel tov” (congratulations) to every award-winner, and “Barukh haba” (welcome) to every reader!
Heidi Rabinowitz
Latest posts by Heidi Rabinowitz (see all)
- The Sydney Taylor Shmooze: A Mock Award Blog for Jewish Children’s Books - December 13, 2021
- Hanukkah Books with Modern Settings - December 2, 2019
- Passover Books for Kids - March 28, 2016
Thank you, Heidi, for this comprehensive article. The links are really valuable because they are all in one spot and I can bookmark this and refer to it when recommending award winners to educators.
This is a marvelous list! I also appreciate the links to other blogs that focus on Jewish children’s books. We love reading multi-cultural books and as Jews in a rural southern town with a very small Jewish population, I’m always looking for good resources.
As chair of the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award Competition, I thank you , Heidi, for mentioning the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award which has the potential to enrich Jewish children’s lit even more by discovering and encouraging new authors.