The National Book Foundation unveiled the longlist for this year’s National Book Award for young people’s literature, with 10 books in contention for the literary prize.
Traci Chee was nominated for her young adult fantasy novel A Thousand Steps Into Night; she was previously shortlisted for the award in 2020 for her novel We Are Not Free. Anna-Marie McLemore, who was longlisted for the prize in 2016 and 2021, made the list again this year for their F. Scott Fitzgerald–inspired Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix.
Two graphic books were nominated this year: Swim Team, a novel written and illustrated by Johnnie Christmas, and Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice, a memoir by Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith, co-written with Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile.
Also making the longlist were Kelly Barnhill’s The Ogress and the Orphans, Isaac Blum’s The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen, Sonora Reyes’ The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, Sabaa Tahir’s All My Rage, Sherri Winston’s Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution, and Lisa Yee’s Maizy Chen’s Last Chance.
The longlists will be winnowed into shortlists, to be revealed on Oct. 4. The winners of the awards will be announced at the National Book Awards ceremony in New York on Nov. 16.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
