The 2023 recipients of the Walter Dean Myers Award were announced in January 2023, and will be honored with an award ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library in Washington DC on March 17th, 2023. The event is open to the public and will also be livestreamed. Capitol Choices members are encouraged to attend and meet other

The recipients of the 8th Annual Walter Awards are: 

THE WALTER AWARD, TEEN CATEGORY

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Jeff Edwards

THE WALTER HONOR BOOKS, TEEN CATEGORY

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

THE WALTER AWARD, YOUNGER READERS CATEGORY

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington

THE WALTER HONOR BOOKS, YOUNGER READERS CATEGORY

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat


From We Need Diverse Books: 

The​ ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers​ ​Award,​ ​also​ ​known​ ​as​ ​“The​ ​Walter,”​ ​is​ ​named​ ​for​ ​prolific​ ​children’s​ ​and young​ ​adult​ ​author​ ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers​ ​(1937-2014).​ ​Myers​ ​was​ ​the​ ​third​ ​National​ ​Ambassador for​ ​Young​ ​People’s​ ​Literature,​ ​appointed​ ​in​ ​2012​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Library​ ​of​ ​Congress.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​a​ ​champion of​ ​diversity​ ​in​ ​children’s​ ​books.​ ​The​ ​Walter​ ​Awards​ commemorate ​Myers’​ ​memory​ ​and​ ​his​ literary legacy,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​celebrate​ ​diversity​ ​in​ ​children’s​ ​literature.

The eighth annual​ ​Walter​ ​Awards ​Ceremony​ and Symposium ​will​ ​be​ ​held​ ​Friday,​ ​March​ ​17,​ ​2023,​ ​at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC.​ ​The event will begin at 10:30 AM, is open to the public, and will be livestreamed.

Award-winning Jacqueline Woodson, the sixth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, will serve as ceremony’s emcee. The​ ​ceremony​ ​will​ ​be​ ​preceded​ ​by​ ​a​ symposium​ ​on​ ​diversity​ ​in​ ​children’s​ ​literature.​ ​The​ ​symposium,​ ​titled​ ​“Books Saves Lives,”​ ​will be​ ​moderated​ ​by​ WNDB founding member, CEO, and award-winning writer Ellen Oh.

The 2023 Walter Awards Judging Committee: Ariana Hussain (Chair), Jeremiah Henderson (Vice Chair), Jennifer Bonilla, Rose Dawson, Jamie Kurumaji, Sara Martinez, Rachel Lee Rickard Rebellino, Juan Samperio, and Monica Valentine.”

Published by capchoices