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RESOURCES

A Thriving Cultural Landscape: Diverse National Book Foundation Award Winners


The National Book Foundation annually recognizes literature in the following categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people’s literature. The National Book Foundation is guided by three fundamental core values: (1) Books must be essential to a thriving cultural landscape, (2) books and literature provide a depth of engagement that helps to protect, stimulate, and promote discourse in American society, and (3) books and literature are for everyone, no matter where the reader is situated geographically, economically, racially, or otherwise.


The core values reflect the importance of diverse literature that promotes an anti-bias point of view in American culture. Anti-bias books are essential to achieve and eventually, maintain a culture that encompasses equality and equity. In this booklist, you can find literature recognized by the National Book Foundation from the young people’s literature category. The following books were recognized on the National Book longlist, as a finalist, or as a winner between the years 2012-2019. These books reflect and highlight social and cultural diversity, introduce historical events, and multi-racial relationships and families, and same sex relationships.


See a full list of all recognized National Book Foundation Literature. And here are a some Reading Is Resistance picks.


The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson

Longlist, National Book Awards 2019 for Young People's Literature












Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Finalist, National Book Awards 2019 for Young People's Literature


Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby

Finalist, National Book Awards 2019 for Young People's Literature


A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata

Longlist, National Book Awards 2019 for Young People's Literature


1919 The Year That Changed America by Martin W. Sandler

Finalist, National Book Awards 2019 for Young People's Literature


Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Finalist, National Book Awards 2018 for Young People's Literature


The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Winner, National Book Awards 2018 for Young People's Literature


The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis

Finalist, National Book Awards 2018 for Young People's Literature


The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle

Finalist, National Book Awards 2018 for Young People's Literature


I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

Finalist, National Book Awards 2017 for Young People's Literature


Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia

Finalist, National Book Awards 2017 for Young People's Literature


The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Longlist, National Book Awards 2017 for Young People's Literature


March: Book Three by Nate Powell, Andrew Aydin, and John Lewis

Winner, National Book Awards 2016 for Young People's Literature

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Winner, National Book Awards 2014 for Young People's Literature


The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

Finalist, National Book Awards 2014 for Young People's Literature

The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata

Winner, National Book Awards 2013 for Young People's Literature



Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Longlist, National Book Awards 2013 for Young People's Literature



Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

Finalist, National Book Awards 2012 for Young People's Literature


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