“Henry, Like Always” and “The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn” are among the winners of this year’s Schneider Family Book Awards. (Chronicle Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Several new children’s books are claiming honors alongside the famous Newbery and Caldecott medals for featuring stories centered on the experiences of people with disabilities.
The American Library Association this month named three winners and six honorees of its Schneider Family Book Awards.
The annual awards recognize an “author or illustrator for the artistic expression of the disability experience for children and adolescent audiences” and are presented in three categories aimed at various age groups: children up to 8 years old, 9 to 12 years and adolescents.
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In the children’s category, this year’s winner is “Henry, as always”, the story of a child with autism who must adapt to a change in routine at school. Honor books in this category include “Dancing Hands,” a picture book about friendship and sign language, and “What Happened to You?”, a story about a boy’s experience with only one leg.
The middle grades award went to “The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn,” about a girl with autism who goes on a journey of self-acceptance and self-advocacy while learning to surf after a wildfire forces her and her father to evacuate. . to a trailer on the beach. The honor books for this age group are “Good Different,” about a neurodivergent girl who learns to celebrate what makes her different, and “Simon Sort of Says,” which focuses on the impact of trauma on a boy who survived to a school shooting.
The teen winner is “Forever is Now” about an activist who deals with an anxiety disorder after witnessing a violent incident of police brutality. Also given honors in this category were “Where You See Yourself,” about a girl who considers her wheelchair accessibility needs when choosing a college, and “Tilly in Technicolor,” a story about a relationship between two neurodivergent adolescents.
The Schneider Family Book Award winners were announced during an American Library Association meeting last week in Baltimore. The authors and illustrators will be honored with plaques and $5,000 awards during a ceremony at the organization’s annual conference in June.
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