BOSTON, MA, and New York, NY —May 31, 2018—Today The Horn Book, Inc., and The Boston Globeannounced the 2018 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners. First presented in 1967, these awards are among the most prestigious honors in the field of children’s and young adult literature.
A winner and two honor books were selected in three categories: Picture Book, Fiction and Poetry, and Nonfiction. The winning titles must be published in the United States but may be written or illustrated by citizens of any country.
“Now this is diversity with a small and capital D!,” said Roger Sutton, editor in chief, The Horn Book, Inc. “I’d like to thank the judges for their discriminating choices and commitment to finding ‘excellence’—the only criterion used by the BGHB Awards—among the vast number of nominations.”
“Since 1956, The Boston Globe has been proud to partner with The Horn Book, Inc., to honor accomplished authors and illustrators of children’s and young adult literature,” said Linda Henry, managing director, The Boston Globe. “The stories shared with us this year have captivated our imaginations and inspired us to find our voices. We congratulate each of the award winners and honorees on receiving this well-deserved recognition and thank them for sharing their talents.”
Announced today by Sutton and Emily Procknal, president of the Boston Globe Foundation, the 2018 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners are:
Picture Book Award Winner:
They Say Bluewritten and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki (Abrams)
Fiction and Poetry Award Winner:
The Poet Xby Elizabeth Acevedo (HarperTeen)
Nonfiction Award Winner:
Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbideby Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña (Getty)
Picture Book Honor Books:
When’s My Birthday?by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Christian Robinson (Porter/Roaring Brook)
A Different Pondby Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui (Capstone)
Fiction and Poetry Honor Books:
The Parker Inheritanceby Varian Johnson (Levine/Scholastic)
The First Rule of Punkwritten and illustrated by Celia C. Pérez (Viking)
Nonfiction Honor Books:
A Hundred Billion Trillion Starsby Seth Fishman, illustrated by Isabel Greenberg (Greenwillow)
The 57 Busby Dashka Slater (Farrar)
The awards are chosen by an independent panel of three judges appointed by Sutton. The 2018 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards judges are: chair Katie Bircher, associate editor, The Horn Book, Inc.; Minh Lê, children’s book author and reviewer, Takoma Park, MD; and Liz Phipps Soeiro, school librarian, Cambridgeport Elementary School, and founder of the Cambridge Book Bike, Cambridge, MA.
Authors will receive their awards at the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards ceremony on Friday, October 5, 2018, at Simmons College in Boston. The event will feature speeches by the awardees, an autographing session, and celebratory evening reception.
About The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe, winner of twenty-six Pulitzer Prizes, is New England’s largest news organization, providing more news, analysis, and information about community events, sports, and entertainment than any other local media.
About The Horn Book, Inc.
First published in 1924, The Horn Book Magazineprovides its readership with in-depth reviews of the best new books for children and young adults as well as features, articles, and editorials. The Horn Book Guide, published twice annually, provides comprehensive reviews and a numerical rating for every hardcover children’s book published in the United States during the previous publishing season. The Horn Book Magazine, Guide, and Guide Onlineare publications of Media Source, Inc., which is also the parent company of Library Journal, School Library Journal, and the Junior Library Guild. For more information, visit hbook.com.
