There’s no better way to start the year than with American Library Association’s presentation of the 2024 Youth Media Awards! A hearty congratulations to all ALA award winners. Monday was all about dancing in the street and shouting from the rooftops, but today we’d like to formally recognize the lauded Lerner titles and one very special Lerner employee.
Kar-Ben Publisher Joni Sussman receives the Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award
The Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award recognizes an author or entity who has made a substantial contribution over time to the genre of Jewish children’s literature. And Publisher Joni Sussman has done just that.
For for the last twenty years, Joni Sussman has made unparalleled strides in her role as Publisher at Kar-Ben Publishing. By producing high-quality books on an ever-expanding variety of Jewish topics, she has greatly increased the reach of Jewish children’s literature worldwide. Her efforts have put Jewish books in the eyes of the public and the hands of children on a new scale.
“Joni has put her own personal touch on hundreds of books over the last twenty years at Kar-Ben,” said Adam Lerner, Publisher and CEO of Lerner Publishing Group, “and we are forever grateful for the amazing impact she has made at Lerner and in Jewish children’s literature.”
Visit the Kar-Ben Publishing website to learn more about Joni’s work and Kar-Ben’s title list.
Not So Shy named a Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor
Not So Shy written by Noa Nimrodi has won a Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor in the Middle Grade Category. The Sydney Taylor Book Award “is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience,” and is organized by the Association of Jewish Libraries.
In this warmhearted, fish-out-of water story, twelve-year-old Shai hates having to move to America. She’s determined to find a way to get back home to Israel. As Shai faces antisemitism but also gains support from unexpected sources, she starts to see her new life with different eyes. Maybe home is a place in the heart.
“Getting the phone call from the Sydney Taylor Award Committee, learning that Not So Shy is being honored in the Middle Grade category, was a ray of light in dark times,” said author Noa Nimrodi. “My deepest thanks and gratitude to the judging committee and the Association of Jewish Libraries for giving twelve-year-old Shai such an honorable place in children’s literature.”
Not So Shy | Noa Nimrodi | Interest Level: Grade 4 – 8 | Reading Level: Grade 3 | 256 Pages | HC: 978-1-7284-2791-1
The Rabbi and His Donkey and Zhen Yu and the Snake named Sydney Taylor Book Award Notables
The Rabbi and His Donkey and Zhen Yu and the Snake both received the distinction of Sydney Taylor Book Award Notables in the Picture Book Category.
The Rabbi and His Donkey, written by Susan Tarcov and illustrated by Diana Renjina follows the perspective of Hamor the donkey who is very proud of his job. Every day he takes Rabbi Moses Maimonides to the sultan’s palace—until he is replaced by a faster horse. But Rabbi and donkey are soon reunited, as each learns an important lesson from the other.
Author Susan Tarcov was ecstatic to hear the news. She said, “Every year I look forward to the list of Sydney Taylor Award books and this year my book is on that list. A dream come true! Thank you so much!”
Written by Erica Lyons and illustrated by Renia Metallinou, Zhen Yu and the Snake is an unusual re-telling of a Talmudic tale set in ancient China. There a fortune teller warns a man that his daughter will be bitten by a snake on her wedding day. But fate intervenes when a stranger appears at the young bride’s door, and she performs a mitzvah.
Visit the Sydney Taylor Book Award website for more information on the Winner, Honor, and Notable books.
The Rabbi and His Donkey | Susan Tarcov; Illustrated by Diana Renjina | Interest Level: Grade PreK-2 | Reading Level: Grade 2 | 24 Pages | HC: 978-1-7284-4559-5
Zhen Yu and the Snake | Erica Lyons; Illustrated by Renia Metallinou | Interest Level: Grade PreK-2| Reading Level: Grade 2 | 24 Pages | HC: 978-1-7284-6025-3
Nearer My Freedom named a YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist
Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself by Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge is a one-of-a-kind nonfiction and a creative approach to primary source analysis. The authors use found verse to create a poetic retelling of Olaudah Equiano’s life story—his childhood in Africa, enslavement, liberation, and life as a free man—adding annotations to deepen reader comprehension.
After receiving five starred reviews, this retold autobiography was selected as a YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist. This award “honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults” and is organized by the Young Adult Services Association.
Lesley Younge shared her thoughts on this distinction saying, “Monica and I are thrilled that Olaudah Equiano’s story is captivating a new generation of readers the way it has fascinated us for nearly 20 years and the world for over 200. Now that Nearer My Freedom has been recognized as a YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist, we hope his inspiring life reaches even more young people. Equiano’s message of perseverance and the pursuit of liberty is still relevant. Personally, we are proud that we achieved this incredible honor together, dreaming and working collaboratively. The journey to publish this book has not been easy, but we have been rewarded beyond our imaginations.”
Nearer My Freedom | Monica Edinger; Lesley Younge | Interest Level: Grade 5 – 12 | Reading Level: Grade 6 | 216 Pages | HC: 978-1-7284-5098-8
Stars of the Night selected for the ALA Notable Children’s Book List
Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport shines brightly on the ALA Notable Children’s Book List announced this Tuesday. This powerful story is told from the collective perspective of the 669 children who were rescued from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II, as Hitler’s campaign of hatred toward Jews and political dissidents took hold. Nicholas Winton, a British former stockbroker, was instrumental in bringing them to safety.
The ALA Notable Children’s Books are selected by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) as the “best of the best in children’s books.”
“I am so grateful to ALA for recognizing Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport as a ALA Notable Children’s Book,” said author Caren Stelson. “The story has a heart of hope during a dark time in history. We are living in a world that is challenging for adults and children alike. May we all find courage in the Nicholas Winton story, stand up for justice, and care for children in need everywhere in the world.”
Stars of the Night | Caren Stelson; Illustrated by Selina Alko | Interest Level: Grade 2-5 | Reading Level: Grade 3 | 40 Pages | HC: 978-1-5415-9868-3
A Pocketful of Stars, The Bear and the Wildcat, and The Moon is a Ball were selected for the USBBY Outstanding International Books List
The USBBY Outstanding International Books List recognizes exceptional “published or distributed in the United States that originated or was first published in a country other than the U.S,” as stated by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). This year three Lerner titles were selected for this list.
Written by Aisha Bushby, A Pocketful of Stars is a touching, magic-inflected story about a mother and a daughter who don’t see eye to eye. Safiya loves gaming, and feels she has little in common with her vibrant mother. But when her mother falls into a coma, she comes to terms with their complicated relationship and discovers more about herself through dreams that transport her to her mother’s childhood in Kuwait.
When Aisha heard her middle grade had been selected for this list she said, “When we are first drafting our stories, we don’t know how far they might go. To have A Pocketful of Stars recognised by the USBBY is hugely affirming. I’m so grateful to them—and to my publisher—for taking a chance on this book.”
Published by the recently acquired Gecko Press, The Bear and the Wildcat is a picture book that sensitively explains the path of grief for young readers. When little bird dies, bear is inconsolable. When he finally emerges from his house, he meets a wildcat who understands his feelings.
Author Kazumi Yumoto and illustrator Komako Sakai create a story of compassion, tenderness, and hope with sincere text and delicate black-and-white illustrations.
The third selection, The Moon is a Ball: Stories of Panda & Squirrel by Ed Franck and illustrated by Thé Tjong-Khing, gathers the adventures of Panda and Squirrel into one colorful, entertaining storybook. Panda and Squirrel have an unbreakable bond. While they may argue, they always make up. These down-to-earth, warmhearted friendship stories reach straight from the soul of one six-year-old to another.
To see the full list of Outstanding International Books, visit the USBBY website.
A Pocketful of Stars | Aisha Bushby | Interest Level: Grade 5-8 | Reading Level: Grade 5 | 248 Pages | HC: 978-1-7284-5069-8
The Bear and the Wildcat | Kazumi Yumoto; Illustrated by Komako Sakai | Interest Level: Grade K-3 | Reading Level: Grade 2 | 48 Pages | HC: 978-1-877467-70-7
The Moon Is a Ball | Ed Franck; Illustrated by Thé Tjong-Khing | Interest Level: Grade PreK-4 | Reading Level: Grade 3 | 80 Pages | HC: 978-1-77657-493-3
Always keep an ear to the ground with other Lerner announcements on the blog!