New Award Books

Harry & Hopper - Margaret Wild
One day when Harry comes home from school, his faithful companion Hopper isn't there to greet him, in a touching story about the process of healing after losing a beloved pet.  Kate Greenaway Medal

The Freak Observer - Blythe Woolston
 Suffering from a crippling case of post-traumatic stress disorder, sixteen-year-old Loa Lindgren tries to use her problem solving skills, sharpened in physics and computer programming, to cure herself.  William C. Morris Debut Award

Five Flavors of Dumb - Antony John
Eighteen-year-old Piper becomes the manager for her classmates' popular rock band, called Dumb, giving her the chance to prove her capabilities to her parents and others, if only she can get the band members to get along.  Schneider Family Book Award

90 Miles to Havana - Enrique Flores-Galbis
When unrest hits the streets of Havana, Cuba, Julian's parents must make the heartbreaking decision to send him and his two brothers away to Miami via the Pedro Pan operation. But when the boys get to Miami, they are thrust into a world where bullies seem to run rampant and it's not always clear how best to protect themselves.  Pura Belpre Author Award Honor book

Grandma's Gift - Eric Velasquez
The author describes Christmas at his grandmother's apartment in Spanish Harlem the year she introduced him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Diego Velazquez's portrait of Juan de Pareja, which has had a profound and lasting effect on him.  Pura Belpre Illustrator Award

Me, Frida - Amy Novesky
Artist Frida Kahlo finds her own voice and style when her famous husband, Diego Rivera, is commissioned to paint a mural in San Francisco, California, in the 1930s and she finds herself exploring the city on her own.  Pura Belpre Illustrator Award Honor book

Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix - Gary Golio
Before he became one of the greatest guitar players of all time, Jimi Hendrix was a boy who loved to paint and listen to records, and who asked himself an unusual question: could someone paint pictures with sound?  Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor book