American Indian Youth Literature Awards
The American Indian Library Association (AILA) awards are presented every two years to recognize the most outstanding contributions to children's literature by and about American Indians. The awards were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians. Books selected to receive the award will present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.[1]
History
The First American Indian Library Association American Indian Youth Literature Awards were presented during the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color in 2006.
Criteria
- Authors (for illustrated books, both author AND illustrator) must be recognized by the Native community of which they claim to be a part and be connected to the people of that community.
- For anthologies, at least ⅔ of the authors must be recognized members of the community to which they claim affiliation.
- Books must have been published after October of the year before the last awards were given (i.e., the odd-numbered year preceding the previous award cycle; after October 2017 for the 2020 awards, etc.).
- Indigenous-language text and audio materials are encouraged, and every effort will be made to provide accurate translation for the committee when possible, but the committee’s common language is English.
- Books may be nominated for consideration by the AIYLA Jury, publishers, librarians, authors, illustrators, and others.
- The Awards go beyond merely naming the best creator of a particular art form in a certain year to representing the ideals of our multiple communities. Native authors and illustrators are role models for young people. For that reason, AILA does not endorse authors who appropriate other cultures or who behave in ways that dishonor others. [2]
Up to 5 honor books may be selected in each category.
Recipients
| Year | Work | Recipient | Title | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Picture Book | Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (author), Johnny Arlee (contributor), Sam Sandoval (illustrator) | Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story | Winner |
| Best Middle School Book | Louise Erdrich | The Birchbark House | Winner | |
| Best Young Adult Book | Joseph Bruchac | Hidden Roots | Winner | |
| 2008 | Best Picture Book | Tim Tingle (author), Jeanne Rorex Bridges (illustrator) | Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom | Winner |
| Best Middle School Book | Joseph Medicine Crow | Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond | Winner | |
| Best Young Adult Book | (Rescinded 2018) [4] | |||
| 2010 | Best Picture Book | Thomas King (author), Gary Clement (illustrator) | A Coyote Solstice Tale | Winner |
| Best Middle School Book | Genevieve Simermeyer | Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma | Winner | |
| Best Young Adult Book | Lurline Wailana McGregor | Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me | Winner | |
| 2012 | Best Picture Book | Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (author), Ellen Beier (illustrator) | The Christmas Coat | Winner |
| Tim Tingle (author), Karen Clarkson (illustrator) | Saltypie: a Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light | Honor | ||
| Kekauleleanae'ole Kawai'ae'a (author), Aaron Kawai'ae'a (illustrator) | Kohala Kuamo'o: Nae'ole's Race to Save a King | Honor | ||
| Robert Lono Ikuwa (author), Matthew Kawika Ortiz (illustrator) | Mohala Mai 'o Hau / How Hau Became Hau'ula | Honor | ||
| Margaret Manuel | I See Me | Honor | ||
| Best Middle School Book | Jacqueline Guest | Free Throw & Triple Threat | Winner | |
| Melanie Florence | Jordin Tootoo: the Highs and Lows in the Journey to the First Inuit to Play in the NHL | Honor | ||
| Anton Treuer et al. | Awesiinyensag: Dibaajimowinan ji-Gikinoo'amaageng | Honor | ||
| Victor Schilling | Native Defenders of the Environment and other titles in the "Native Trailblazers series. | Honor | ||
| Best Young Adult Book | Adam Fortunate Eagle | Pipestone: My Life in an Indian Boarding School | Winner | |
| 2014 | Best Picture Book | Tomson Highway (author), John Rombough (illustrator) | Caribou Song, Atihko Oonagamoon | Winner |
| Best Middle School Book | Tim Tingle | How I Became a Ghost: A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story | Winner | |
| Tim Tingle | Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner | Honor | ||
| Best Young Adult Book | Joseph Bruchac | Killer of Enemies | Winner | |
| Eric Gansworth | If I Ever Get Out of Here | Honor | ||
| 2016 | Best Picture Book | Richard Van Camp (author), Julie Flett (illustrator) | Little You | Winner |
| S. D. Nelson | Sitting Bull: Lokata Warrior and Defender of His People | Honor | ||
| Best Middle School Book | Joseph Marshall III (author), James Mark Yellowhawk (illustrator) | In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse | Winner | |
| Lisa Charleyboy (editor), Mary Beth Leatherdale (editor) | Dreaming in Indian Contemporary Native Voices | Honor | ||
| Best Young Adult Book | Tim Tingle | House of Purple Cedar | Winner | |
| Evangeline Parsons Yazzie | Her Land, Her Love | Honor | ||
| 2018 | Best Picture Book | Michaela Goade (illustrator), Johnny Marks (editor), Hans Chester (editor), David Katzeek (editor), Nora Dauenhauer (editor), Richard Dauenhauer (editor) | Shanyaak'utlaax: Salmon Boy | Winner |
| Best Middle School Book | Arigon Starr (editor), Theo Tso (contributor), Jonathan Nelson (contributor), Kristina Bad Hand (contributor), Roy Boney Jr. (contributor), Lee Francis IV (contributor), Johnnie Diacon (contributor), Weshoyot Alvitre (contributor), Renee Nejo (contributor), and Michael Sheyahshe (contributor) | Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers, Volume 1 | Winner | |
| Best Young Adult Book | Lisa Charleyboy (editor) and Mary Beth Leatherdale (editor) | # Not Your Princess: Voices of Native American Women | Winner | |
| 2020 | Best Picture Book | Brenda J. Child (author), Gordon Jourdain (translator), Jonathan Thunder (illustrator) | Bowwow Powwow: Bagosenjige-niimi’idim | Winner |
| Kevin Noble Maillard (author), Juana Martinez-Neal (illustrator) | Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story | Honor | ||
| Julie Flett (author and illustrator) | Birdsong | |||
| Traci Sorell (author), Weshoyot Alvitre (illustrator) | At the Mountain's Base | |||
| Traci Sorell (author), Frané Lessac (illustrator) | We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga | |||
| Janine Gibbons (adaptor and illustrator) | Raven Makes the Aleutians | |||
| Best Middle Grade Book | Charlene Willing McManis (author) with Traci Sorell | Indian No More | Winner | |
| Christine Day (author) | I Can Make This Promise | Honor | ||
| Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (author), Natasha Donovan (illustrator) | The Grizzly Mother | |||
| Best Young Adult Book | Cynthia Leitich Smith (author) | Hearts Unbroken | Winner | |
| Tasha Spillett (author), Natasha Donovan (llustrator) | Surviving the City | Honor | ||
| Angela Hovak Johnston (author), Cora De Vos (photography) | Reawakening Our Ancestors’ Lines: Revitalizing Inuit Traditional Tattooing | |||
| Debbie Reese (author), Jean Mendoza (author) adapated from the adult book by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz | An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People | |||
| Dawn Quigley (author) | Apple in the Middle |
See also
References
- ^ "American Indian Youth Literature Award – American Indian Library Association". ailanet.org. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
- ^ "AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD CRITERIA" (PDF). American Indian Library Association. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "American Indian Youth Literature Award". American Indian Library Association. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ Yorio, Kara. "AILA Rescinds Sherman Alexie's 2008 YA Book of the Year Award". School Library Journal. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
External links
 | This article about children's literature is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |