Chronological Annotated List of All Past
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THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH LIBRARIES SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS The Sydney Taylor Book Award was established by Ralph Taylor in honor of his wife Sydney Taylor, the author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series, to encourage the publication of outstanding books of positive Jewish content for children. The Award continues to be funded by the Taylors’ daughter, Jo Taylor Marshall, and winners are selected by a committee within the Association of Jewish Libraries. Recognition is awarded annually to the authors and illustrators of the most distinguished contributions to Jewish children’s literature published in the preceding year. The first Sydney Taylor Book Award was given in 1968. Since 1981, awards have been given in two categories, one for younger readers and one for older readers. Beginning in 2007, books for teens have also been recognized. Honor books and Notables are also cited. Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Awards have been granted periodically since 1971. As of 2018, the Body-of-Work Award is granted biennially. Sydney Taylor Book Award Winners, Honors, and Notables 2021 Newman, Lesléa. Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail Illustrations by Susan Gal. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2020. ISBN: 9781580898829 This warmly illustrated, poetic book parallels the experiences of a young boy at a Passover seder and a small white kitten outdoors. When the boy opens the door to welcome the prophet Elijah, he finds a furry friend instead. Simple text, diverse characters, and a timeless feel make this a story to be treasured. (Picture Book Award Winner) Wolkenstein, M. Evan. Turtle Boy. New York: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780593121573 Will’s bar mitzvah service project helps him face challenges in his own life in this engaging story by a debut author. Bullied at school and a loner, turtle-loving Will completes a bucket list of milestone activities for a terminally ill boy and gains the strength to face his own upcoming surgery. (Middle Grade Award Winner Feder, Tyler. Dancing at the Pity Party. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, a division of Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780525553021 This debut memoir in graphic form is a funny, sad, confidently illustrated meditation on grief. It’s both a tribute to Tyler’s wonderful mom, who died of breast cancer at the age of 47, and a guide to Jewish mourning practices. A singular achievement. (Young Adult Award Winner) Copeland, Mychal. I Am the Tree of Life: My Jewish Yoga Book. Illustrated by André Ceolin. Millburn, NJ: Apples and Honey Press, an imprint of Behrman House, 2020. ISBN: 9781681155524 Clear instructions on how to do different yoga poses are complemented by brief, boldly illustrated stories from the Bible. Back matter includes reflection on yoga practice and a discussion of “What’s Jewish about yoga?” (Picture Book Honor) Yolen, Jane. Miriam at the River. Illustrated by Khoa Le. Minneapolis, MN: Kar-Ben Publishing, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, 2020. ISBN: 9781541544000 1 The poetic tale of young Miriam placing baby Moses in the river is strikingly and vividly illustrated in palettes of blues, oranges, and purples. (Picture Book Honor) Cohen, Tziporah. No Vacancy. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781773064109 Miriam and her new friend Kate concoct a “miracle” in order to attract visitors to Miriam’s family’s small town motel in this story about community, interfaith understanding, making a home, and keeping up Jewish traditions. (Middle Grade Honor) Pasternack, Sofiya. Anya and The Nightingale. New York: Versify, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. ISBN: 9780358006022 In this sequel to her 2020 Sydney Taylor Honor book, Anya and the Dragon, Anya and her friends travel to Kiev and encounter the mythical Nightingale. Vivid descriptions of tenth-century Russia, a memorable Shabbat dinner, and an exciting rescue highlight this wonderful fantasy. (Middle Grade Honor) Blankman, Anne. The Blackbird Girls. New York: Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, a division of Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9781984837356 In 1986, Valentina and Oksana flee the meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In 1941, Rifka finds refuge while escaping the Nazis. Blackman masterfully merges the timelines of these two stories in this compelling work of historical fiction. (Middle Grade Honor) Hesse, Monica. They Went Left. Boston, MA: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, 2020. ISBN: 9780316490573 A historical mystery with an unreliable narrator, this post-war page-turner is set primarily in a displaced persons camp. It tells the story of Zofia, desperately searching for her little brother Abek...and the possibility of a life after trauma. (Young Adult Honor) Kimmelman, Leslie. The Eight Knights of Hanukkah. Illustrated by Galia Bernstein. New York: Holiday House, 2020. ISBN: 9780823439584 The eight knights of Hanukkah are charged by Lady Sadie to go out and perform “deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery” before the Hanukkah celebration that evening. A little silly and very sweet, this punny title is a wonderful story of performing mitzvot for others and celebrating Hanukkah. (Notable Picture Book) Marshall, Linda Elovitz. The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine. Illustrated by Lisa Anchin. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780525646518 Brightly illustrated, this is the timely true story of a young Jewish boy who grew up to be a chemist who helped eradicate polio. Author’s note and sources included. (Notable Picture Book) Perl, Erica S. The Ninth Night of Hanukkah. Illustrated by Shahar Kober. New York: Sterling Children’s Books, an imprint of Sterling Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781454940883 Max and Rachel have just moved to a new apartment, but they can’t find any of their Hanukkah stuff. With help from their new neighbors, they do their best to celebrate, even though “it didn’t feel quite like Hanukkah.” On the ninth night, they decide to celebrate “shamash night,” thanking all the helpers in their building. (Notable Picture Book) Stein, Tammar. Beni's War. Minneapolis, MN: Kar-Ben Publishers, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, 2020. ISBN: 9781541578869 2 A follow-up to the Sydney Taylor Honor book Six-Day Hero, this tense narrative describes the 1973 Yom Kippur War from the point of view of a twelve-year old boy living in the Golan. (Notable Middle Grade) Hopkinson, Deborah. We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport. New York: Scholastic Focus, an imprint of Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781338255720 Hopkinson weaves together primary sources — memoirs, interviews, and photographs — to piece together the accounts of 21 children and teens who were saved from the Nazis via the Kindertransport in this meticulously researched World War II nonfiction book. Back matter includes a timeline, additional resources, source notes, and an index. (Notable Middle Grade) Faruqi, Saadia and Laura Shovan. A Place at the Table. New York: Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. ISBN: 9780358116684 Pakistani Muslim Sara and British-Jewish Elizabeth meet in a school cooking class where they gradually navigate friendship, family problems, and fitting in. A delicious blend of serious themes (racism, mental illness, financial insecurity) and classic sixth-grade angst, told in vivid alternating voices. (Notable Middle Grade) Behar, Ruth. Letters from Cuba. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, a division of Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780525516477 On the eve of WWII, Esther describes her journey from Poland to Cuba, where everything from the people to the climate are foreign to her. A heartwarming and satisfying immigrant narrative that brings a lesser known Jewish community to light. (Notable Middle Grade) Solomon, Rachel Lynn. Today Tonight Tomorrow. New York: Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781534440241 In one wild 24-hour period, high school rivals Rowan and Neil go on a scavenger hunt throughout Seattle and (spoiler alert) fall in love. A sweet, funny, Jewishly inflected romp. (Notable Young Adult) Eli, Adam. The New Queer Conscience. New York: Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, a division of Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780593093689 A guide to queer activism and collective responsibility, Eli’s clear and concise call to action is filled with autobiographical Jewish reflections and teachings. (Notable Young Adult) Savit, Gavriel. The Way Back. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9781984894625 A dark and spooky journey from the world of the shtetl into the underworld of Jewish demons...and back again. (Notable Young Adult) Wiemer, Liza The Assignment. New York: Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780593123164 Based on a true incident, a high school teacher assigns students to argue in favor of the Final Solution. Two students fight back, and the resulting schism rocks the school and community. (Notable Young Adult) 2020 Macy, Sue. The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come. Illustrations by Stacy Innerst. New York: Paula Wiseman Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781481472203 The Book Rescuer celebrates the power of an individual to preserve history and culture, while also exploring timely themes of identity and immigration. In a folksy voice, this biography tells the story of Yiddish Book 3 Center founder Aaron Lansky’s commitment to rescuing Yiddish language books and ensuring that despite all odds, Yiddish language and culture will stay alive for future generations.