Schneider Family Book Award

Schneider Family Book Award
Awarded for artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences
Country United States
Presented by American Library Association
First awarded 2004
Website ala.org/awardsgrants/schneider-family-book-award

The Schneider Family Book Award is an award given by the American Library Association (ALA) recognizing authors and illustrators for the excellence of portrayal of the disability experience in literature for youth. There is a category for children's books, books appealing to middle grade readers and for young adult literature. The award has been given since 2004. The award was founded by Dr. Katherine Schneider, who was the first blind student to graduate from the Kalamazoo Public School system. Schneider had been helped through school as a child by a librarian at the Michigan Library for the Blind who provided books in Braille to her. The award is given out annually and the winners are announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting.

Criteria

  • The person with the disability may be the protagonist or a secondary character.
  • Definition of disability: Dr. Schneider has intentionally allowed for a broad interpretation by her wording, the book "must portray some aspect of living with a disability, whether the disability is physical, mental, or emotional." This allows each committee to decide on the qualifications of particular titles.
  • Books with death as the main theme are generally disqualified.
  • The books must be published in English.
  • The award may be given posthumously.
  • Term of eligibility extends to publications from the preceding year.
  • Books previously discussed and voted on are not eligible again.

Winners

Schneider Family Book Award
Year Category Recipient Title Citation Reference
2004 Young Children Glenna Lang Looking Out For Sarah Winner
Middle School Wendy Mass A Mango Shaped Space Winner
Teen Andrew Clements Things Not Seen Winner
2005 Young Children Diane Bertrand Gonzales, illustrated by Robert L. Sweetland My Pal Victor/Mi amigo, Victor Winner
Middle School Pam Muñoz Ryan Becoming Naomi León Winner
Teen Samantha Abeel My Thirteenth Winter: A Memoir Winner
2006 Young Children Myron Uhlberg, illustrated by Colin Bootman Dad, Jackie and Me Winner
Middle School Kimberly Fusco Newton Tending to Grace Winner
Teen Adam Rapp Under the Wolf, Under the Dog Winner
2007 Young Children Paul DuBois and Pete Seeger, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie The Deaf Musicians Winner
Middle School Cynthia Lord Rules Winner
Teen Louis Sachar Small Steps Winner
2008 Young Children Andrea Stenn Stryer, illustrated by Bert Dodson Kami and the Yaks Winner
Middle School Tracie Vaughn Zimmer Reaching for Sun Winner
Teen Ginny Rorby Hurt Go Happy Winner
2009 Young Children Robert Andrew Parker Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum Winner
Middle School Leslie Connor Waiting for Normal Winner
Teen Jonathan Friesen Jerk, California Winner
2010 Young Children Bonnie Christensen Django Winner
Middle School Nora Raleigh Baskin Anything But Typical Winner
Teen Francisco X. Stork Marcelo in the Real World Winner
2011 Young Children George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril The Pirate of Kindergarten Winner
Middle School Jordan Sonnenblick After Ever After Winner
Teen Antony John Five Flavors of Dumb Winner
2012 Young Children No award given No award given None
Middle School Joan Bauer Close to Famous Winner
Middle School Brian Selznick Wonderstruck Winner
Teen Wendelin Van Draanen The Running Dream Winner
2013 Young Children Claire Alexander Back to Front and Upside Down! Winner
Middle School Sarah Lean A Dog Called Homeless Winner
Teen Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am Winner
2014 Young Children Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet A Splash of Red : The Life and Art of Horace Pippin Winner
Middle School Merrie Haskell Handbook for Dragon Slayers Winner
Teen Elizabeth Wein Rose Under Fire Winner
2015 Young Children Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Catia Chien A Boy and a Jaguar Winner
Middle School Ann M. Martin Rain Reign Winner
Teen Gail Giles Girls Like Us Winner
2016 Young Children Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah Winner
Middle School Lynda Mullaly Hunt Fish in a Tree Winner
Middle School Kimberly Brubaker Bradley The War That Saved My Life Winner
Teen Teresa Toten The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B Winner
2017 Young Children Jen Bryant, illustrated by Boris Kulikov Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille Winner
Middle School Jason Reynolds As Brave As You Winner
Teen Emery Lord When We Collided Winner
2018 Young Children Allen Say Silent Days, Silent Dreams Winner
Middle School Shari Green Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess Winner
Teen Whitney Gardner You're Welcome, Universe Winner
2019 Young Children Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, illustrated by Scott Magoon Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship Winner
Young Children Jessie Oliveros, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte The Remember Balloons Honor
Middle School Leslie Connor The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle Winner
Middle School Jacqueline West The Collectors Honor
Teen Mark Oshiro Anger is a Gift Winner
Teen Kelly Jensen (ed.) (Don’t ) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health Honor
2020 Young Children Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Rafael López Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You Winner
Young Children Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song A Friend For Henry Honor
Middle School Kelly Lynne Song for a Whale Winner
Middle School Pablo Cartaya Each Tiny Spark Honor
Teen Karol Ruth Silverstein Cursed Winner
Teen Alison Gervais The Silence Between Us Honor
2021 Young Children Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith I Talk Like a River Winner
Young Children Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything Honor
Young Children Tracy Newman, illustrated by Abigail Halpin Itzhak: A Boy who Loved the Violin Honor
Middle School Ann Clare LeZotte Show Me a Sign Winner
Middle School Sarah Kapit Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! Honor
Middle School Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, color by Iman Geddy When Stars Are Scattered Honor
Teen I. W. Gregorio This Is My Brain In Love Winner
2022 Young Children Darren Lebeuf, illustrated by Ashley Barro My City Speaks Winner
Young Children Hudson Talbott A Walk in the Words Honor
Young Children Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Peggy Collins A Sky-Blue Bench Honor
Middle School Alison Green Myers A Bird Will Soar Winner
Middle School Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third Stuntboy, in the Meantime Honor
Middle School Elle McNicoll A Kind of Spark Honor
Teen Asphyxia Words in My Hands Winner
Teen Ariel Henley A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome Honor
2023 Young Children Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion Winner
Young Children Erin Hourigan In the Blue Honor
Middle School C.C. Harrington WILDOAK Winner
Middle School Natalie Lloyd Hummingbird Honor
Middle School Gillian Dunn Honestly Elliott Honor
Teen Erin Stewart The Words We Keep Winner
Teen Natalia Sylvester Breathe and Count Back from Ten Honor
2024 Young Children Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song Henry, Like Always Winner
Young Children Joanna Que and Charina Marquez, illustrated by Fran Alvarez Dancing Hands Honor
Young Children James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George What Happened to You? Honor
Middle School Sally J. Pla The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn Winner
Middle School Meg Eden Kuyatt Good Different Honor
Middle School Erin Bow Simon Sort of Says Honor
Teen Mariama J. Lockington Forever Is Now Winner
Teen Claire Forrest Where You See Yourself Honor
Teen Mazey Eddings Tilly in Technicolor Honor

See also

Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award