Children's Literature: Award Book Resources - Indianapolis

"Of Note"
Winner of the 2021 Kirkus Prize for Young People's Literature A 2021 Newbery Honor Book A 2021 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book A 2021 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist A 2021 Orbis Pictus Honor Book A unique account of the amazing Thai cave rescue told in a heart-racing, you-are-there style that blends suspense, science, and cultural insight. On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an afternoon's adventure. But when they turn to leave, rising floodwaters block their path out. The boys are trapped! Before long, news of the missing team spreads, launching a seventeen-day rescue operation involving thousands of rescuers from around the globe. As the world sits vigil, people begin to wonder: how long can a group of ordinary kids survive in complete darkness, with no food or clean water? Luckily, the Wild Boars are a very extraordinary "ordinary" group. Combining firsthand interviews of rescue workers with in-depth science and details of the region's culture and religion, author Christina Soontornvat--who was visiting family in Northern Thailand when the Wild Boars went missing--masterfully shows how both the complex engineering operation above ground and the mental struggles of the thirteen young people below proved critical in the life-or-death mission. Meticulously researched and generously illustrated with photographs, this page-turner includes an author's note describing her experience meeting the team, detailed source notes, and a bibliography to fully immerse readers in the most ambitious cave rescue in history.

Honnorable Mention
"An inspiring story of persistence and an ideal purchase for any collection." School Library Journal, STARRED review "Eaters of all ages will enjoy learning about the history of this popular food gone global." Kirkus Reviews "starry-eyed as it may sound, the goal of peace through food seems important - and possible - by the story's end." Publishers Weekly 2022 Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award North Dakota Library Association 2021 Flicker Tale Award Winner 2021 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award 2021 Nutmeg Book Awards Nominee Nevada Young Readers Nominee Winner of the 2020 Sakura Award Read Across America Book of the Month, May 2021 Center for Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of 2019 List University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education 'The Best Books for Young Readers of 2019' list Smithsonian Magazine '10 Best Children's Books of 2019′ List Here Wee Read 'The 45 Best Diverse Children's Books of 2019′ List Inspiration struck when Momofuku Ando spotted the long lines for a simple bowl of ramen following World War II. Magic Ramen tells the true story behind the creation of one of the world's most popular foods. Every day, Momofuku Ando would retire to his lab--a little shed in his backyard. For years, he'd dreamed about making a new kind of ramen noodle soup that was quick, convenient, and tasty for the hungry people he'd seen in line for a bowl on the black market following World War II. Peace follows from a full stomach, he believed. Day after day, Ando experimented. Night after night, he failed. But Ando kept experimenting. With persistence, creativity, and a little inspiration, Ando succeeded. This is the true story behind one of the world's most popular foods.

Winner - Young Adult
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST "Brilliant, honest, and equal parts heartbreaking and soul-healing." --Laurie Halse Anderson, author of SHOUT  "A singular voice in the world of literature." --Jason Reynolds, author of Long Way Down A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder. Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story. Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it. As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity.

Honorable Mention - Children's Literature
In this new additon to the Little Kunoichi series, author and illustrator Sanae Ishida's beautiful art pairs with a gentle, fun lesson, featuring Little Kunoichi's buddy, Chibi Samurai. Inspired by Little Kunoichi's relationship with her pet ninja bunny, Chibi Samurai sets off to find a companion for himself. He explores many possibilities from Japanese culture-both real and mythical-thinking about how each creature might be as a pet. Little Kunoichi and her pet bunny cheer him on as he searches and searches, until finally Chibi realizes that the perfect pet, just right for a little samurai, has been with him all along.